Patent Application
20130306245
The present invention relates generally to a tool. More particularly, the present invention relates to a tire bead breaking tool that assists in breaking a tire bead when dismounting a tire from a wheel rim.
Tire bead is an edge of a tire that engages a groove in a metal rim the wheel. When tires are properly inflated, the air pressure within the tire keeps in the groove of the metal rim. Special tools are often used in dismounting tires from the metal rim of wheels. Tires can be difficult to dismount from the metal rims because usually the tire bead is held in a groove on the metal rim.
Also, new types of tires have been developed and deployed in recent years including low profile and the so-called “run flat” tires. These new types of tires are becoming more and more common. They often have extremely rigid and stiff side walls which may be difficult to dismount from the metal rim of the wheel, using traditional tools and methods.
In the past, most tire rims were made of steel and were fairly resistant or forgiving to tool marks being made on the metal rim as a traditional tool was used to dismount the tire from the metal rim. However, many modern wheels are made of aluminum or of steel with a chrome or other decorative coating. In any event, these more modern wheels are likely to appear scuffed, scratched or even be bent when placed in contact with the traditional tools.
In addition, traditional tools for dismounting a tire from the metal rim of a wheel, oftentimes, do not have sufficient rigidity and cannot withstand great force from external impacts. Furthermore, traditional tools may require a user to hold the tool within close proximity to the point of external impacts and which is often undesirable. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a tool that can be used in assisting dismounting a tire from a metal rim in view of the new modern tires which may have extremely stiff and rigid side walls and the likelihood of damaging the modern wheels. Also, it is desirable to provide a tool that can withstand harsh external impacts.
The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the present invention, wherein in one aspect, an apparatus is provided that in some embodiments a tool is provided that assists in breaking a tire bead from a tire of a wheel rim even when a tire is a low profile and/or a run flat tire, having extremely rigid and stiff side walls.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, a tire bead breaking tool is provided. The tire bead breaking tool may include a handle portion and a breaker portion. The breaker portion may comprise a joint portion configured to couple to the handle portion, a curved portion configured to handle external impacts from a plurality of angles, and a chisel portion configured to be driven between a tire and a wheel in order to break a tire bead.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of manufacturing may also be provided. The method may include: providing a handle portion; and providing a breaker portion. The break portion comprises a joint portion configured to couple to the handle portion, a curved portion configured to handle external impacts from a plurality of angles and a chisel portion configured to be driven between a tire and a wheel in order to break a tire bead.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, a tire bead breaker is provided. The tire bead breaking tool includes means for grasping and means for breaking. The means for breaking includes means for joining configured to couple to the means for grasping, means for impacting configured to handle external impacts from a plurality of angles, and means for chiseling configured to be driven between a tire and a wheel in order to break a tire bead.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a tire bead locking tool is provided. The tool may include: a body; a first means for gripping connected to the body; a second means for gripping pivotally connected to the body and located to oppose the first means for gripping; a means for locking configured to selectively lock the first and second means for gripping in a relative position with respect to each other; and a resilient member attached to one of the first and second means for gripping and located between the first and second means for gripping.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The various embodiments in accordance with the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a tire bead breaking tool 100.
As shown in
The curved portion 108 may extend from the joint portion 106 and include a plurality of striking portions 114 and 116 having a plurality of striking surfaces 124 and 126. The plurality of striking surfaces 124 and 126 may allow for external impacts delivered by, for example, a hammer at different angles in order to efficiently drive the tire bead breaking tool 100 between a tire and a metal rim of a wheel.
In an exemplary embodiment, the curved portion 108 may comprise a first striking portion 114 having a first striking surface 124 at a first angle and a second striking portion 116 having a second striking surface 126 at a second angle. The first striking portion 114 and the second striking portion 116 may have a thickness that may withstand repeated external impacts (e.g., via a hammer) in order to drive the tire bead breaking tool 100 between a tire and a metal rim of a wheel. The first striking portion 114 may be curved and extending from the joint portion 106. Also, the first striking surface 124 of the first striking portion 114 may be curved.
The first striking portion 114 may have a variable thickness. In an exemplary embodiment, the thickness of the first striking portion 114 may increase as the first striking portion 114 extends away from the joint portion 106. The second striking portion 116 may be substantially flat and extend from the first striking portion 114. Also, the second striking surface 126 of the second striking portion 116 may be substantially flat. The second striking portion 116 may have a variable thickness. In an exemplary embodiment, the thickness of the second striking portion 116 may increase as the second striking portion 116 extends away from the first striking portion 114.
The chisel portion 110 may extend from the curved portion 108. The chisel portion 110 may comprise a blade portion 118 and a sidewall portion 120. The blade portion 118 may comprise a sharp edge 128 that may be easily driven between a tire and a metal rim of the wheel. The sidewall portion 120 may comprise a notch 130 that may conform to the curvature of the sidewall of a tire. The sidewall portion 120 may allow an efficiently transfer of force apply by the user to push the sidewall of a tire away from a metal rim of a wheel.
In an exemplary embodiment, the handle portion 102 and the breaker portion 104 may be formed of a single piece of metal material. In another exemplary embodiment, the joint portion 106 may comprise a hole 202 configured to receive the handle portion 102. The hole 202 may receive an end portion 204 of the handle portion 102 in order to join the handle portion 102 and the breaker portion 104. The end portion 204 of the handle portion 102 may be joined to the breaker portion 104 by welding, screw thread, fastener, press fit or any other joining method.
The blade portion 118 of the tire bead breaking tool 100 may be inserted into the opening 308 between the tire 304 and the metal rim 306 of the wheel 300. A first striking force 310 may be applied via an external impact (e.g., via a hammer) to a first striking portion 114. The first striking force 310 may push the side wall 314 of the tire 304 further back to enlarge the opening 308 between the tire 304 and the metal rim 308 of the wheel 300. Also, the first striking force 310 may drive the blade portion 118 deeper into the opening 308 between the tire 304 and the metal rim 308 of the wheel 300.
A second striking force 312 may be applied via an external impact (e.g., via a hammer) to the second striking portion 116. The second striking force 312 may drive the blade portion 118 deeper into the opening 308 between the tire 304 and the metal rim 306 in order to break the tire bead. The tire bead breaking tool 100 may be used at different portions of the tire 304 and the metal rim 306 in order to break the tire bead.
The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
