Patent Application
20090035107
The present invention is directed to a robot for rotating tires that removes two tires sequentially without having to manually lift the tires. The robot aids in the removal of tires from vehicles. The robot aids a tire changer from having to manually lift the tires when rotating the tires of a vehicle.
The current method of removing and rotating tires in a garage is as follows: lifting a vehicle on a lift: loosening and removing the lugnuts from the bolts of the tires; manually removing the tires from the hubs: rotating the tires of the vehicle; and lastly, manually mounting and securing the tires on the hubs.
The current method of rotating tires requires the tire chanter to have sufficient strength to lift the tires when removing and mounting the tires on the hubs. The current method invites injury, for tires are not light. Often, tire changers hurt their backs when lifting tires.
Information relevant to attempts to address these problems can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,830,387 and 4,042,139. However, each one of these references suffers from one or more of the following disadvantages: the inventions do not eliminate the need to manually lift each tire when rotating two tires, for the devices do not secure two tires simultaneously.
An object of the present invention is to provide a device that will minimize the lifting of tires when rotating the tires of a vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that can hold two tires at the same time.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an automated device for removing tires from a vehicle.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive robot to rotate tires.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a device that will minimize injuries associated with rotating tires.
The present invention is directed to a robot for rotating tires that satisfies the need of not having to manually lift tires when rotating the tires of a vehicle. The robot for rotating tires comprises of a mobile base. The base defines a body guide. A body, the body is mounted on the base's body guide. The body houses a motor and defines a pivoting point. The motor connects to all the elements of the robot needing power. An interface attached to the body, The interface connects to all of the functioning elements of the robot. A two position-rotating beam is centrally attached to the body at the pivoting point. The beam defines a channel. A medium servomotor is attached to the beam. Two arm guide assemblies, each arm guide assembly comprising of a beam attaching guide and three arm guides. Each beam attaching guide is housed within the channel of the beam and is controlled by the medium servomotor. The arm guides are equally separated from each other and concentric to a pivot, the pivot attaches to the beam attaching guide. Each arm guide defines an arm channel guide. A plurality of levers, each lever has two ends, the first end of each lever is housed within each arm channel guide. A plurality of small servomotors, each small servomotor attaches to each arm guide. A plurality of tire grips, each tire grip attaches to each lever's second end. A plurality of pneumatic activators, each activator attaches to each arm guide.
An embodiment of the present invention might further comprise of a plurality of casters displaced on the bottom of the base.
Another embodiment of the present invention might comprise of guide rails being attached to the bottom of the base.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the invention might further comprise of a plurality of infrared sensors, each infrared sensor shall be attached to each lever.
The present invention is used by imputing the specifications of the tires to be changed into the interface. Then positioning the first arm guide assembly of the present invention over the tire to be changed/rotated. Then instructing the present invention to clamp the tire. Then removing the lugnuts of the tire. Then removing the tire. Then rotating the rotating beam so that the second arm guide assembly is over the second tire to be changed/rotated and repeating the steps described above to remove the first tire.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and drawings where:
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The tire rotation robot is designed to interchange the front and back tires of a vehicle automatically. To achieve its purpose, the robot has several movements that are controlled by a microprocessor. This microprocessor is programmed to receive information from different sensors and from the user input/interface 18 in order to coordinate the necessary combination of movements to achieve a proper positioning/alignment.
To achieve its objective, the robot has to have the ability to align one of the arm guide assemblies 24 to position that is concentric to the tire. Because of the particular degrees of freedom of the robot, this requires movements in the X, Y and Z axis. As shown in
Before any moment occurs, the operator will enter the tire information in the interlace, the interface houses the microprocessor. This causes the microprocessor to send information to the small servomotors 26 located at each end of the each arm guide assembly. The robot then will move each lever 27 in or out simultaneously in order to position each lever 27 around a clamping diameter of the tire being removed.
Each arm guide assembly 24 can move farther or closer to the rotating beam pivoting point 24a. This movement guaranties the alignment in the Y-direction.
The combination of the X and Y movements described above causes each arm guide assembly to align concentric with the tire. As seen in
Upon each of arm guide assembly 24 being positioned concentric with the tire, the body 16 will displace closer to the tire, until each tire grip 32 is adjacent to the tire. This aligns each arm guide assembly in the Z-direction. The movement is controlled by the microprocessor, since its program can calculate distances based on the infrared sensors' readings. Right after the tire grips are in the proper position, half an inch to one inch away from the tire, the air pressure is sent to the pneumatic actuators 30 to apply clamp force, and the tire grips 32 secure the tire.
As seen in
With the tire loose and secured by the arm guide assembly 24, the body 16 will move outwards from the vehicle, in the Z-direction. At this point, the entire robot can move along the guides 34 towards the second tire. Once in proximity, the two positions rotating beam 20, can start rotating to switch positions between the arm guide assemblies.
The process to extract the second tire repeats as with the first tire. Then, the arms guide assemblies 24 are switched back bringing the first tire to the location of the second tire. The tire is installed either automatically or manually and the robot displaces to the location of the first tire, while rotating the two positions rotating beam 20. The tire from the second location is now ready to install in the first location, finalizing the process.
The operator might have the capability to move the robot along any axis manually using the controls in the interface 18. Also, information regarding vehicle and tire types can he stored in the microprocessor's memory and used to calculate traveling distances.
The rotation of the two positions rotating beam can he achieved using any transmission conventional method either mechanical or hydraulic.
An advantage of the present invention is that it provides a device that minimizes the lifting of tires when rotating the tires of a vehicle.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a device that holds two tires at the same time.
Another advantage of the present intention is that it provides an automated device for removing tires from a vehicle.
A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides an inexpensive robot to rotate tires.
A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides a device that minimizes injuries associated with rotating tires.
Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore the spirit and the scope of the claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.
