Tire Changing Machine with Pivotable Drive Axis
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tire changing machines struggle with accommodating a wide variety of wheel rim and tire sizes, particularly oversized ones, leading to difficulties in proper clamping, damage, and increased labor for operators.
Innovation Solution
A tire changing machine with a drive shaft assembly that is rotatable, pivotable, and axially movable, allowing for multiple positions and angles, including a self-centering coupler to securely engage the wheel rim, and a mechanism to lift and position the wheel rim for easy tire installation and removal without manual lifting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional tire changing machines use a fixed drive axis, then the machine structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate various sizes of wheel rims and tires
Solution Approach 1:
The drive axis is made dynamically adjustable through a pivot shaft mechanism that allows the drive axis to tilt between a first position (substantially horizontal) for mounting and a second position (substantially vertical) for tire changing. This dynamic repositioning enables the machine to accommodate various wheel rim and tire sizes without requiring multiple fixed-position machines
Solution Approach 2:
The machine is designed with universal adaptability to handle different sizes of wheel rims and tires through the combination of the adjustable drive axis, extendable/retractable drive shaft, and self-centering coupler mechanism, allowing a single machine to perform multiple tire changing operations across various vehicle types
2Reliability
If conventional machines lack a self-centering mechanism, then the device complexity is reduced, but proper clamping of wheel rims becomes difficult leading to damage
Solution Approach 1:
The self-centering coupler automatically centers and positions the wheel rim on the drive shaft through its own mechanical geometry, eliminating the need for complex external alignment mechanisms. The coupler's design inherently guides the wheel rim into the correct position, ensuring reliable clamping without damaging the rim
Solution Approach 2:
The self-centering coupler acts as an intermediary component between the drive shaft and the wheel rim, facilitating proper alignment and clamping. This intermediate element translates the rotational motion of the drive shaft into precise positioning of the wheel rim, ensuring reliable engagement
3Ease of operation
If operators manually lift wheel rims for mounting, then the machine complexity is reduced, but operator labor and potential damage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The manual lifting operation is replaced with an automated mechanical lifting system where the drive shaft, when rotated from the horizontal mounting position to the vertical tire changing position, automatically raises the wheel rim to the appropriate height. This mechanical substitution eliminates the need for operators to manually lift heavy rims
4Productivity
If the drive axis is fixed in position, then the machine is simpler to manufacture, but it cannot efficiently handle both mounting and tire changing operations
Solution Approach 1:
The drive axis is designed to dynamically reposition between two primary orientations: substantially horizontal for wheel rim mounting operations and substantially vertical for tire changing operations. This dynamic capability allows the machine to efficiently handle both types of operations without requiring separate fixed-position machines
Solution Approach 2:
The drive axis positioning mechanism introduces an additional degree of freedom by allowing tilting motion in addition to the standard rotational motion. This dimensional change enables the drive axis to access different operational positions (mounting vs. tire changing) that would be inaccessible with a fixed-axis design
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and machines for changing tires on a wheel rim are disclosed. The machine includes a drive shaft having a drive axis that can positioned at different angles for convenience of the machine operator to mount a variety of differently-sized wheel rims to the drive shaft without undue lifting and handling of the wheel rims.