Tire Bead Mounting Without Wheel Contact or Rim Damage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for mounting tires to wheels often result in damage to the wheel, such as denting, bending, or scratching, due to the forces required to advance the tire beads past the bead seats, leading to poor sealing and potential air pressure leaks.
Innovation Solution
A process involving fingers or rollers that contact the tire beads without touching the wheel, rotating the beads around the wheel's central axis to advance them into their respective seats, while fixing the wheel to prevent movement, and inflating the tire once both beads are seated.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If manual tire irons are used to advance the tire bead past the wheel edge, then the tire can be mounted to the wheel, but the wheel edge is damaged through denting, bending, scratching, or scoring
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mounting cone as an intermediary tool between the tire bead and the wheel. The cone's tapered surface allows the bead to be advanced past the wheel edge without direct contact between mounting tools and the wheel edge, thereby preventing denting, bending, scratching, or scoring of the wheel while still enabling effective tire mounting
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical leverage system (using wheel edge as fulcrum with tire irons) with a cone-based mechanical system. The cone's geometry provides the necessary mechanical advantage to advance the bead through its tapered shape, eliminating the need to use the wheel edge as a fulcrum point
2Ease of operation
If the wheel edge is used as a fulcrum for pivoting tire irons, then the mounting process is simplified, but the wheel edge suffers damage resulting in poor sealing and air pressure leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting cone serves as a mediator that preserves the simplicity of the mounting process while protecting the wheel edge. The cone's surface allows tire irons to pivot and apply force without the wheel edge being involved in the fulcrum mechanism, thus maintaining operational ease while ensuring sealing integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the mounting function into two separate components: the mounting cone that interfaces with the tire bead, and the wheel edge that remains untouched. This segmentation allows the mounting operations to occur on the cone surface rather than involving the wheel edge, preserving both simplicity and reliability
3Extent of automation
If rigid members are applied to rotate the wheel during mounting, then automation is improved, but the wheel still experiences denting, bending, scratching, or scoring
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting cone acts as an intermediary that allows automated rigid members to apply force to the tire bead without direct contact with the wheel. The cone absorbs and distributes the mounting forces, preventing transmission of damaging forces to the wheel while enabling automated mounting operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the traditional direct mechanical contact system (rigid members contacting wheel edge) with an indirect system where rigid members contact the mounting cone instead. This substitution maintains automation capability while eliminating the mechanism that causes wheel damage
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein is a process for mounting a tire onto a wheel. The process comprises positioning the tire in respect to the wheel such that a first arc of the bottom bead extends between the wheel's top and bottom bead seats. Next, two fingers are placed in contact with the bottom bead at locations immediately adjacent to opposing ends of the first are of the bottom bead. The first finger rotates about the central axis in a rotational direction away from the first arc of the bottom bead while applying a force in a direction of the bottom bead to advance all of the bottom bead below the top bead seat. These steps are repeated with the top bead to advance all of the top bead below the top bead seat. During the process, the first finger and the second finger may not contact any portion of the wheel