Demount Tool Assembly with Guide Element for Automated Tire Changer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire changer machines face difficulties in reliably and automatically demounting tires from wheel rims, particularly high aspect ratio tires, due to limitations in hooking the tire bead, requiring manual intervention and increasing labor costs and inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
A tire changer machine with a tool assembly that includes a demount tool with a guide element providing a limited degree of freedom from a predetermined path, allowing the tool to reliably grip the tire bead, combined with a control system for automated operation, which includes a pivot arm and guide element that can switch between compliant and rigid modes to accommodate various tire and rim combinations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed path demount tool is used, then the tool structure is simple, but the tool cannot reliably hook high aspect ratio tires requiring manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The demount tool employs a dynamic path mechanism where the tool can deviate from a predetermined path within limited degrees of freedom. This allows the tool to adapt to different tire profiles and rim combinations automatically, ensuring reliable bead hooking without requiring manual intervention while maintaining manageable structural complexity through controlled flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool assembly changes its operational parameters by allowing the demount tool to vary its path deviation based on the specific tire and rim combination. The guide element provides controlled degrees of freedom that enable the tool to adjust its engagement parameters dynamically, improving reliability across different tire types without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Productivity
If manual intervention is required for tire demounting, then the tool structure can be simple, but labor costs increase and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The demount tool assembly is designed to perform self-adjustment within its operational parameters. The guide element and pivot arm mechanism automatically accommodate different tire profiles without requiring external manual intervention, enabling the system to serve itself across various tire types while maintaining high productivity and justifying the increased device complexity through automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic path capability allows the automated tool to adapt to different tire conditions without manual input. This dynamic adjustment mechanism enables fully automated operation across diverse tire and rim combinations, significantly improving productivity while the controlled degrees of freedom keep the complexity increase manageable.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a compliant tool path is used, then the tool can adapt to various tire profiles, but the tool may lack precision in bead hooking
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element provides controlled degrees of freedom that allow the tool to change its path parameters within specific limits. This enables the tool to adapt to various tire profiles while maintaining precision in bead hooking, as the deviation is constrained to optimize both adaptability and manufacturing precision simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic path mechanism with limited degrees of freedom allows the tool to adapt its trajectory to different tire profiles while maintaining controlled precision. The pivot arm and guide element combination provides just enough flexibility for adaptation while constraining the movement to ensure accurate bead hooking, balancing adaptability and precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A tire changer machine and tire demounting methodology includes a demount tool assembly having a demount tool selectively positionable relative to a support and configured to extract a bead of the tire from the wheel rim. A guide element is mounted to the support, and the guide element is operable to provide a limited degree of freedom of the distal end from a predetermined path of motion in a tire demount procedure, thereby allowing the distal end to reliably grip the tire bead while the support arm is maintained in a stationary position relative to the wheel rim.