02) United States Patent (IO) Patent No.: US 8,770,254 Bl Hanneken Et Al
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I lllll llllllll Ill lllll lllll lllll lllll lllll 111111111111111111111111111111111 US008770254Bl 02) United States Patent (IO) Patent No.: US 8,770,254 Bl Hanneken et al. (45) Date of Patent: Jul. 8, 2014 (54) TIRE CHANGER WITH ROTATIONAL (56) References Cited POSITION AND TRACKING CONTROL U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS (75) Inventors: Douglas S. Hanneken, St. Louis, MO 6,527,032 B2 3/2003 Corghi (US); Micah N. Vaninger, St. Louis, 6,877,544 B2 4/2005 Kane et al. MO (US); Steven K. Molbach, Ballwin, 6,904,796 B2 6/2005 Pascai et al. MO (US); Joel Clasquin, Highland, IL 7,089,987 B2 8/2006 Gonzaga 7,188,656 B2 * 3/2007 Gonzaga ..... ......... 157/1.17 (US) 7,296,351 B2 * 11/2007 Gonzaga . .... 157/1.17 7,404,427 B2 7/2008 Hillman et al. (73) Assignee: Hunter Engineering Company, St. 7,699,087 B2 4/2010 Ro gall a et al. Louis, MO (US) 8.342,223 B2 * 1/2013 Sotgiu . 157 /1.28 2006/0169414 Al* 8/2006 Hillman et al. .. ... 157 /1 2011/0100558 Al 5/2011 Corghi ( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term ofthis 2012/0199293 Al 8/2012 Corghi patent is extended or adjusted under 35 2012/0205054 Al 8/2012 Kirstatter U.S.C. 154(b) by 399 days. FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS (21) Appl. No.: 12/912,448 DE 4202803 Cl 1/1992 (22) Filed: Oct. 26, 2010 EP 1479538 A2 11/2001 EP 2319715 Al 5/2011 EP 2487054 Al 8/2012 IT 1263799 B 8/1996 Related U.S. Application Data IT Ml951050 Al 11/1996 WO 9942309 8/1999 (63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 12/504,217, * cited by examiner filed on Jul. 16, 2009, now Pat. No. 8,613,303. Primary Examiner Hadi Shakeri (60) Provisional application No. 61/255,316, filed on Oct. (7 4) Attorney, Agent, or Firm - Armstrong Teasdale LLP 27, 2009, provisional application No. 61/081,454, filed on Jul. 17, 2008. (57) ABSTRACT A tire changer machine includes a control system that morri (51) Int. Cl. tors a rotational position of a sensitive feature associated with B60C 251138 (2006.01) a wheel rim and tire during a tire change procedure. The (52) U.S. Cl. system adjusts operation of the machine to avoid damaging USPC ......................................... 157/1.17; 157/1.24 the sensitive feature, which may be a valve stem or a wheel (58) Field of Classification Search sensor such as a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) USPC .......................... 157/1, 1.17, 1.24, 1.26, 1.28 sensor. See application file for complete search history. 46Claims,14 Drawing Sheets 100~ US 8,770,254 Bl U.S. Patent Jul. 8, 2014 Sheet 1of14 100~ 117 FIG.1a US 8,770,254 Bl U.S. Patent Jul. 8, 2014 Sheet 2of14 117 128 106 108 FIG. 1b U.S. Patent Jul. 8, 2014 Sheet 3of14 US 8,770,254 Bl 116 116 174 ___.. 104---- 176 I I ' ' 172 FIG. 1c U.S. Patent Jul. 8, 2014 Sheet 4of14 US 8,770,254 Bl Alarm ,,..--1so Display Indicator 152 Controller 164 168 160 162 Positioning Sensor Microprocessor Memory Element Voltage/Current Tool Motor Pressing Tool Sensor 158 154 156 FIG. 2 172 ,-170 174 Drive Motor Wheel Rim Mount Alarm 176 Display Positioning Sensor Element Controller 162 Indicator 160 164 Positioning Sensor Microprocessor Memory 168 Element Voltage/Current Tool Motor Pressing Tool Sensor I 158 154 156 FIG. 3 U.S. Patent Jul. 8, 2014 Sheet 5of14 US 8,770,254 Bl /180 Alarm Indicator 152 Controller 164 168 160 162 Positioning Sensor Microprocessor Memory Element Pressure Sensor ----i Pressure Cylinder r--~---t1111 Pressing Tool 184 182 156 FIG. 4 172 ,,---190 174 Drive Motor Wheel Rim Mount Alarm 176 Display Positioning Sensor Element Controller 160 Indicator 162 164 Positioning Sensor Microprocessor Memory 168 Element Pressure Sensor ---- Pressure Cylinder 1-------- Pressing Tool 184 182 156 FIG. 5 U.S. Patent Jul. 8, 2014 Sheet 6of14 US 8,770,254 Bl ,--200 174 Alarm 152 Wheel Rim Mount Indicator Controller Load Sensor 168 160 162 Microprocessor Memory 202 Positioning Sensor 164 Element Actuator Pressing Tool 206 156 FIG. 6 /210 172 174 Drive Motor Wheel Rim Mount Alarm 152 202 Display Load Sensor Controller Indicator 160 162 176 Positioning Sensor Microprocessor Memory 168 Element Positioning Sensor 164 Element Actuator Pressing Tool 206 156 FIG. 7 U.S. Patent Jul. 8, 2014 Sheet 7of14 US 8,770,254 Bl Alarm ,,--220 Indicator 152 Haptic System Controller 160 162 Positioning Operator Sensor Element Input Selector Microprocessor Memory 164 llO Actuator Force Sensor Pressing Tool 224 222 156 FlG. 8 ,-230 172 174 168 Drive Motor ~----Pt Wheel Rim Mount Indicator 152 176 r-166 Alarm Positioning .___ ______, r· Controller Sensor Element . I 124 01spay - 160 162 Positioning Microprocessor Memory Sensor Element Operator Input 26 Hap tic 2 164 S stem Actuator Force Sensor Pressing Tool 110 224 222 156 FIG. 9 U.S. Patent Jul. 8, 2014 Sheet 8of14 US 8,770,254 Bl 600, Valve Stem Interrupt Routine 602 Tire rotated a predetermined amount 604 Is rotation of valve stem close 'in proximity to a pressing tool and getting closer? 606 608 FIG. 10 U.S. Patent Jul. 8, 2014 Sheet 9of14 US 8,770,254 Bl 14------112 FIG. 11 114 FIG.12 U.S. Patent Jul. 8, 2014 Sheet 10of14 US 8,770,254 Bl ..----112 702 706 708 FIG. 13 /710 0) FIG. 14a FIG. 14b U.S. Patent Jul. 8, 2014 Sheet 11of14 US 8,770,254 Bl I -r---112 108 FIG.15 I ~ 112 FIG.16 U.S. Patent Jul. 8, 2014 Sheet 12of14 US 8,770,254 Bl 800 --~.... .. Pro~ide i:ire Changing Machine 802 Provl.de Rotational Position Sensor .....- 804 AcceptTlie Mount or Dismount -aoe _,. ~P.f S~nsltive:teiture Reference Point - 808 r·-··-····-----·····--4-··--······-----········--····-··--: I , i I Execute nre Change Procedure - 810 : i ! I l No Monitor Tool Position and Spindle Rotation - 812 816-1 End ·. r-Ye I Yes No Yes Adjust Tool Positi~n -820 . Adjust Spindle Rotaiion · --824 i No .___..;.. ___A_1e_rt_o~~·pe_ra_1o_r _____,r a2a I Figure 17 Display Message To Operator 830 US 8,770,254 Bl U.S. Patent Jul. 8, 2014 Sheet 13of14 908 FIG. 18 U.S. Patent Jul. 8, 2014 Sheet 14of14 US 8,770,254 Bl 1000\ 1004 114 FIG. 19 US 8,770,254 Bl 1 2 TIRE CHANGER WITH ROTATIONAL times considered "sensitive" presenting an increased risk of POSITION AND TRACKING CONTROL being damaged by otherwise normal operation of the machine. CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED The machines and methods include accepting inputs con APPLICATIONS cerning an initial rotational position of certain features that are or may be sensitive, and thereafter monitoring the rota This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional tional position of those features and making appropriate Application Ser. No. 61/255,316 filed Oct. 2009, the adjustments as the machine is operated to determine and disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its avoid positional conflicts between the machine tools and entirety. 10 those features, or positional conflicts presented by a portion This application is further a continuation-in-part applica of the tire as it is moved and influenced by the machine tools, tion of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/504,217 filed Jul. 16, as the tools engage the tire or wheel rim as the machine 2009 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,613,303 and entitled "Tire Changer operates to mmmt or demmmt tires. The wheel rim and tire with Force Detection and Control Methods", which claims may be properly positioned relative to the machine tools and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/081, 15 certain features may be monitored and tracked in order to 454 filed Jul. 17, 2008, the entire disclosures of which are prevent those features, which may be sensitive ones, from hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. becoming damaged during the mounting and demounting This application also relates at least in part to subject matter operations as the wheel rim and tire is rotated. Implemented disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,822,582 entitled "Radio Fre in control features of the machine, such position tracking and quency IdentificationAutomotive Service Station", U.S. Pat. 20 control may be utilized in combination with force signals and No. 7,404,427 entitled "Vehicle Tire Changer with Integrated other types of position tracking and monitoring to provide Detector for Tire Pressure Sensors", and U.S. patent applica substantially automatic and error free operation of the tion Ser. No. 12/781,059 filed May 17, 2010 and entitled machine. "Method and Apparatus for Selection ofVehicle-Specific Ser vice Procedures", the disclosures of which are hereby incor- 25 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS porated by reference in their entirety. Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments are BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION described with reference to the following Figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the The field of the invention relates generally to machines for 30 various views unless otherwise specified. changing a tire on a wheel rim, and more specifically to tire FIGS. la, lb and le are respective views of an exemplary changing machines having force detection, position detection embodiment of a tire changing machine in a perspective view, and control capability. a magnified view, and a sectional view. The process of removing a tire from a wheel rim and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a first exemplary control replacing it with another tire, referred to herein as tire chang 35 system for the machine shown in FIG.