Wheel positioning system and method of use thereof

Abstract

A wheel and tire assembly positioning system for automatically identifying characteristics of a wheel is presented, the wheel and tire assembly positioning system comprising a mechanical mechanism for transporting a wheel and tire assembly, and a control module connected to a mechanical mechanism actuator managing the transport of the wheel and tire assembly, a profile sensor adapted to sense a profile of an interior portion of the wheel to identify the characteristics of the wheel and tire assembly, and a sensor adapted to identify a wheel reference location.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wheel and tire assembly positioning system for automatically identifying characteristics of a wheel, the wheel and tire assembly positioning system comprising:
 a mechanical mechanism for transporting a wheel and tire assembly; and   a control module connected to
 a mechanical mechanism actuator managing the transport of the wheel and tire assembly; 
 a profile sensor adapted to sense a profile of an interior portion of the wheel to identify the characteristics of the wheel and tire assembly; and 
 a sensor adapted to identify a wheel reference location. 
   
     
     
         2 . The wheel and tire assembly positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the profile sensor adapted to sense a profile of an interior portion of a wheel is directed at an angle toward the interior portion of the wheel. 
     
     
         3 . The wheel and tire assembly positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the characteristics of the wheel and tire assembly is made when the wheel and tire assembly is transported with the mechanical mechanism toward a wheel-balancing weights application position. 
     
     
         4 . The wheel and tire assembly positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the characteristics of the wheel and tire assembly is not collected from a wheel and tire assembly characteristics database. 
     
     
         5 . The wheel and tire assembly positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the wheel positioning system further cooperates with a dispensing module capable of
 providing a first predetermined quantity of wheel-balancing weights based on the identified characteristics of the wheel and tire assembly, and   an application module capable of securing the first predetermined quantity of wheel-balancing weights to a first position on the wheel and tire assembly with a weights-securing tool.   
     
     
         6 . The wheel and tire assembly positioning system of  claim 5 , wherein the dispensing module is further capable of providing a second predetermined quantity of wheel-balancing weights on a basis of the first position, and
 the application module is further capable of securing the second predetermined quantity of wheel-balancing weights to a second position on the wheel and tire assembly with a weight-securing tool.   
     
     
         7 . The wheel and tire assembly positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical mechanism is a conveyor. 
     
     
         8 . The wheel and tire assembly positioning system of  claim 7 , wherein the conveyor includes a pair of spaced apart wheel-supporting belts. 
     
     
         9 . The wheel and tire assembly positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical mechanism is actuated with a motor. 
     
     
         10 . The wheel and tire assembly positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical mechanism is an industrial robot. 
     
     
         11 . The wheel and tire assembly positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical mechanism is supporting the wheel and tire assembly horizontally. 
     
     
         12 . The wheel and tire assembly positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical mechanism is supporting the wheel and tire assembly above the ground to allow balancing weights installation to the wheel and tire assembly from underneath thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The wheel and tire assembly positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the profile sensor is sensing an encoder associated with the mechanical mechanism to identify a transport speed of the wheel and tire assembly with the mechanical mechanism. 
     
     
         14 . The wheel and tire assembly positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the control module is further connected to an image sensor for sensing an image of the wheel and tire assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The wheel and tire assembly positioning system of  claim 14 , wherein the image sensor is adapted to move with the wheel and tire assembly. 
     
     
         16 . The wheel and tire assembly positioning system of  claim 14 , wherein the image sensor is identifying a radius of the wheel. 
     
     
         17 . The wheel and tire assembly positioning system of  claim 14 , wherein the image sensor is identifying a location of an indicator located on the tire representing one of a lightest portion and a heaviest portion of the tire. 
     
     
         18 . The wheel and tire assembly positioning system of  claim 17 , wherein the wheel positioning system further includes an application module capable of securing a predetermined quantity of wheel-balancing weights to an angular position on the wheel with a weights-securing tool on a basis of the identified indicator. 
     
     
         19 . The wheel and tire assembly positioning system of  claim 14 , wherein the image sensor is sensing an edge of the tire and tire assembly on the mechanical mechanism, and wherein the sensing of the edge of the tire and wheel assembly is used to manage the transport of the wheel and tire assembly with the mechanical mechanism. 
     
     
         20 . The wheel and tire assembly positioning system of  claim 14 , wherein the image sensor is sensing an edge of the tire and tire assembly on the mechanical mechanism, and wherein the sensing of the edge of the tire and tire assembly is used to calculate a discrepancy between a calculated weights-installation position of the wheel and tire assembly and an actual physical weights-installation position of the wheel and tire assembly.