An apparatus and method for use with a vehicle wheel balancing system (100) to obtain non-contact measurements of dimensions on a wheel assembly (200) secured on a spindle shaft (104), together with identification of, and distances to, operator-selected locations on various surfaces of a wheel assembly 200.

A weight applicator including a weight applicator head and at least one actuator is disclosed. The weight applicator head is adapted to carry a wheel balance weight and has a weight application surface with a weight retaining region and a leading rotation region. The at least one actuator is coupled to the weight applicator head for manipulating the weight applicator head in at least one direction. The at least one direction has a radial component. The leading rotation region is oriented to extend radially further than the weight retaining region.

An apparatus for applying weight material onto a wheel may include a conveyor assembly, upper and lower severing-head assemblies, and upper and lower control arms. The severing-head assemblies may be mounted above and below the conveyor assembly and may include a housing, a severing device and a dispensing mechanism. The dispensing mechanism may position the weight material from a source relative to the severing device. The severing device may separate a predetermined amount of weight material from a source. The control arms may be movably mounted above and below the conveyor assembly and have weight-application tools configured to transfer the predetermined amounts of weight material from the severing-head assemblies to locations on the wheel.

A wheel for a vehicle has a wheel rim, a hub portion, and at least one spoke which connects the hub portion to the wheel rim, and also at least one cover element which at least partially covers the spoke region. The cover element is designed to, in the installed position thereof, produce an imbalance-free state of the wheel.

A method for balancing a vehicle wheel includes mounting a wheel to be balanced on a rotating shaft of a machine computerized for measuring imbalances, and selecting an optimum commercial balancing weight which, when positioned on a correction plane, minimizes residual imbalance on reference planes of the wheel where the balancing tolerance is considered. One compares the residual imbalance value at the reference planes with the prescribed balancing tolerance after subtracting a vector of the static imbalance generated by the optimum balancing weight. An indicator device is activated to indicate on the wheel the optimum axial position of a correction plane for a balancing weight where the residual imbalance at the reference planes is within tolerance.

A wheel balancing tool includes a body member, an attachment member and an alignment member. The body member includes a notch configured to be aligned with a balancing mark on a rim of a vehicle wheel. The attachment member is connected to the body member. The attachment member includes at least one hook configured to attach the tool to the wheel rim. The alignment member extends outwardly from the body portion and is configured to indicate an attachment position on the wheel for a balancing weight.

An apparatus and method for use with a vehicle wheel balancing system (100) to obtain non-contact measurements of dimensions on a wheel assembly (200) secured on a spindle shaft (104), together with identification of, and distances to, operator-selected locations on various surfaces of a wheel assembly 200.

A vehicle wheel service apparatus that includes: a frame; a plurality of working tools, connected to the frame and movable to perform operations for mounting and/or demounting the tyre relative to the wheel rim; a shaft driven by an actuator rotationally about a longitudinal axis and connectable to the rim; a measuring system for generating vibration signals representing vibrations of the shaft produced by wheel imbalances; a control unit, connected to the measuring system to receive the vibration signals; a support device, connected to the frame and movable between an activated position, where it encircles the shaft while still allowing it to rotate, and a deactivated position, where it is spaced from the shaft; a connector, movable between a working position, where it mechanically connects the measuring system to the frame, and a rest position, where the measuring system is mechanically disengaged from the frame.

A tire load estimation system includes at least one tire supporting a vehicle, in which the at least one tire includes a pair of sidewalls extending to a circumferential tread. A sensor is mounted to the at least one tire. A footprint is formed by the tread and includes a centerline with a footprint centerline length. The footprint centerline length is measured by the sensor. A tire load estimator receives a precalibrated sensitivity, the footprint centerline length during straight-line driving conditions, a reference footprint value, and a reference load value as inputs. The tire load estimator determines an estimation of tire load and outputs the estimation to at least one of a vehicle control system and a vehicle electronic control unit. A method for estimating the load of a tire is also provided.

A method and a device for determining loads on vehicle's wheels, each with a tire, is disclosed. A deformation measured value and a pressure measured value for each tire, and at least one acceleration measured value for the vehicle are detected. For the respective wheels, dynamic wheel loads are calculated according to a first model and static wheel loads are calculated according to a second model. The second model comprises at least one model parameter calculated by statistical analysis of the calculated dynamic wheel loads, the calculated static wheel loads, and the detected at least one acceleration measured value. The at least one acceleration measured value is redetected and the dynamic wheel loads are recalculated from the previously calculated static wheel loads and the at least one detected acceleration measured value according to the second model using the previously calculated at least one model parameter of the second model.