Vision-Guided Tire Mounting Tool Avoids Rim Damage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for mounting and demounting tires on vehicle wheels often risk damaging the rim due to contact with hard removal tools, and three-dimensional sensing technologies can be costly and complex.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus using a vision system to create two-dimensional images of the wheel and tire, correlating these images with commands to guide the fitting or removal tool relative to the rim contour without contact, allowing precise positioning and movement of the tool along the rim without detecting absolute coordinates or distances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a projection sensing device is used to maintain spacing between the removal tool and rim surface, then the rim surface is protected from damage, but the projection wears away due to abrasion or gets damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical contact-based projection sensing device with an optical vision system. The vision system uses cameras to capture images of the rim and wheel assembly, and computer vision algorithms process these images to determine the rim contour and guide the removal tool. This substitution eliminates mechanical contact between the sensing device and the rim, preventing wear and damage to the sensing components while maintaining accurate spacing control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary computational layer between the vision system and the removal tool control. The computer correlates vision system signals with tool commands to define the relative position of the tool to the rim contour, acting as a mediator that translates visual information into precise tool positioning without requiring direct mechanical contact.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If three-dimensional sensing devices based on optical laser triangulation are used to detect rim contour, then contact-less sensing is achieved, but the system becomes complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential information needed for tool guidance from the full three-dimensional sensing capability. Instead of using complex laser triangulation to capture complete 3D surface data, the vision system captures two-dimensional images and uses image interpretation to extract the rim contour and key geometric features. This extraction approach maintains contact-less sensing while significantly reducing system complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified digital representation (copy) of the rim contour from two-dimensional images rather than requiring full three-dimensional laser scanning. The computer processes the visual images to generate the necessary contour information for tool guidance, replacing the need for complex 3D sensing hardware with a more economical image-based copying approach.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention concerns a method and apparatus for mounting a tire on a rim to form a motor vehicle wheel and for demounting a tire from a rim with at least one fitting or removal tool. Images of the wheel (14) or the rim (12) are created by a vision system (21) and corresponding signals are sent to a computer (18, 28). Commands to move the at least one fitting or removal tool (16) are sent to the at least one fitting or removal tool (16) by the computer (18, 30), the signals of the vision system (21) and the commands sent to the at least one fitting or removal tool (16) are correlated to define the position of the at least one fitting or removal tool relative to the rim contour, and the movement of the at least one fitting or removal tool (16) is guided in dependence on the performed correlation without contacting the rim surface.