Tire Inspection Chuck Assembly for Precise Centering Under Load
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire inspection apparatuses lack robust centering, high stiffness, and suffer from variable clearances that impede repeatability during tire inspection processes.
Innovation Solution
A tire inspection assembly with a chuck assembly featuring upper and lower locking assemblies, each divided into segments with gothic arch grooves and locking balls providing three-point contact for enhanced centering and stiffness, and dual-action clamping to minimize radial clearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional locking mechanisms are used in tire inspection apparatuses, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but manufacturing precision and measurement precision deteriorate due to variable clearances and insufficient stiffness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs gothic arch-shaped receptive grooves with specific curvature radii (R1 and R2) that create dual-point contact with locking balls. This curved geometry eliminates radial clearance and provides robust centering by forcing precise angular positioning, directly resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking balls are pre-positioned within the gothic arch grooves during assembly, and the grooves are designed to automatically guide the balls into their correct locking positions. This preliminary positioning action eliminates the need for complex adjustment mechanisms while ensuring consistent centering precision across multiple tire inspections.
2Measurement precision
If conventional locking mechanisms with radial clearance are used, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision and repeatability deteriorate due to variable clearances under load
Solution Approach 1:
The gothic arch shape with specific radius ratios (R2/R1 between 0.5-2.0) creates a geometric constraint that eliminates radial clearance. The dual-point contact geometry ensures that locking balls maintain consistent positional relationships under varying loads, directly improving measurement precision and repeatability while managing device complexity through elegant geometric design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the harmful radial clearance that exists in conventional locking mechanisms. By designing the gothic arch grooves with precise curvature, the mechanism inherently prevents clearance formation, removing the source of measurement variability without requiring complex compensation systems.
3Strength
If simpler locking mechanisms are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but stiffness under inspection loads deteriorates leading to vibrations and misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The gothic arch grooves with optimized radius ratios create inherent geometric stiffness that resists deformation under inspection loads. The dual-point contact geometry distributes loads effectively, preventing vibrations and misalignment. This elegant curved geometry achieves high stiffness through form rather than requiring massive complex structures, balancing manufacturability with mechanical performance.
4Manufacturing precision
If conventional locking mechanisms are used, then device complexity is reduced, but centering precision deteriorates due to variable clearances that impede repeatability
Solution Approach 1:
The gothic arch-shaped grooves with specific curvature radii create a geometric constraint system that forces precise centering. The dual-point contact geometry of the locking balls within these curved grooves eliminates radial play and ensures consistent angular positioning, achieving superior centering accuracy through elegant geometric design rather than complex adjustment mechanisms.
Data Source
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AI summary
A tire inspection assembly includes a spindle and a clamping mechanism. The tire inspection assembly generally functions to mount a tire and allow for the inflation thereof to perform a test on the mounted tire. The tire inspection apparatus generally offers more robust centering, higher stiffness versus loads, and greater elimination of variable clearances that can otherwise impede repeatability.