Tyre Changer Torque Limiting for Speed-Dependent Wheel Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire changing apparatuses face challenges in safely and flexibly managing working torque during mounting and demounting operations, particularly with rigid or heavy tires, as they often either prevent high torque requirements or fail to account for rotation speed, leading to potential damage and reduced operational flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A tire changing apparatus with a controller that dynamically adjusts the electric motor's power supply parameters, including voltage and frequency, to maintain working torque below a threshold value, allowing conditional activation or deactivation of a torque-limiting function based on rotation speed, enabling high torque delivery when necessary while preventing excessive torque at high speeds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a torque-limiting function is applied to prevent excessive working torque, then safety is improved, but the ability to work on rigid or heavy tyres is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The torque limiting threshold is made dynamic rather than fixed. The controller automatically adjusts the torque threshold based on the detected rotation speed of the chuck. At high rotation speeds, a lower torque threshold applies to prevent damage, while at low rotation speeds, a higher torque threshold allows working on rigid or heavy tyres. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the torque limitation context-dependent.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the torque parameter threshold based on the rotation speed parameter. When rotation speed exceeds a first threshold, the torque threshold is reduced to a second (lower) value. When rotation speed is below the first threshold, the torque threshold can be the higher first value. This parameter coupling allows the system to adapt torque limitations to operating conditions, enabling both safety at high speeds and capability at low speeds.
2Reliability
If the maximum deliverable torque is calibrated for reduced speed, then safety at high speed is improved, but flexibility to deliver required torque at different speeds is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The torque threshold is transformed from a static calibration value to a dynamic value that varies with rotation speed. The controller continuously monitors chuck rotation speed and automatically selects appropriate torque thresholds from multiple predefined thresholds. This dynamic behavior allows the system to be safe at high speeds while remaining flexible and capable at low speeds, resolving the contradiction between safety and adaptability across different operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The operating range is segmented into multiple speed zones, each with its own torque threshold. The controller divides the rotation speed range and assigns different torque limits to different segments. This segmentation allows optimized torque delivery for each speed range, ensuring safety in high-speed segments while maintaining capability in low-speed segments, thus achieving both safety and flexibility across the full operating range.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution ensures safe operation by preventing excessive working torque at high rotation speeds while maintaining the ability to deliver required torque at controlled speeds, enhancing flexibility and reducing the risk of damage to tires and equipment.
Implementation Method 1
The apparatus comprises an electric motor. The electric motor is connected to the chuck to impart a rotation speed and a working torque to it.
Data Source
AI summary
A tyre changing apparatus (1) for demounting and mounting a tyre relative to a respective rim of a vehicle wheel (2) includes: a frame (10); a chuck (11) rotating about an axis of rotation (A); a working tool (12), connected to the frame (10) and movable towards and away from the chuck; an electric motor (13), imparting to the chuck (11) a rotation speed and a working torque; a controller (14), including a power unit (141) supplying voltage and current as a function of a drive signal (101); a processing unit (142) generating the drive signal (101) and programmed to derive a control parameter (102) representing the working torque delivered to the electric motor (13) and to apply a torque-limiting function responsive to the control parameter (102). The processing unit (142) derives an activation parameter and, as a function of the activation parameter, enables and disables the torque-limiting function.


