A tire removal apparatus has a base with a support for rotating a wheel. A frame having an upright with a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to an axis of rotation of the wheel is joined to the base. A support arm associated with the upright is movable by an actuator in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the wheel. A tool for operating on the wheel is mounted on the support arm. A sensor for detecting a parameter representing contact between the tool and the wheel is associated with the actuator, and is operationally connected to a control unit to control the actuator and/or another actuator associated with the support arm to move the tool along a trajectory determined by the control unit depending on the parameter representing contact between the tool and the wheel.

A sensor array and method therein for locating tire sensors on a vehicle is provided. The sensor array is arranged to detect tire sensors on the vehicle as the tires of the vehicle traverses the sensor array, and to identify each of the detected tire sensors on the vehicle. Furthermore, a control unit and method therein for locating tire sensors on a vehicle, wherein the control unit is arranged to communicate with the sensor array and an ECU on-board the vehicle is provided. The control unit is arranged to receive, from the sensor array, a signal indicating that tire sensors on the vehicle has been detected and identified, determine the tire position on the vehicle associated with each detected and identified tire sensor based on the obtained signal, and transmit, to the ECU, information indicating the determined tire position on the vehicle for each detected and identified tire sensor.

A method is presented for fitting a tyre onto a rim or removing a tyre from a rim in a tyre fitting machine using an appropriate tool. A wheel, a tyre/rim assembly, or the rim alone is caused to rotate about an axis of rotation, and at least one operating parameter of said tyre fitting machine is continuously monitored during the rotation to determine every actual value. Change in or gradient of such actual value is automatically monitored over time and each actual value found and/or the change in said value over time is compared with corresponding predetermined threshold values. The predetermined threshold values define a range of present values and/or change in said values delimiting an accepted operating range for said tyre fitting machine, and the machine is controlled to maintain each measured present value and/or change therein over time within the range of corresponding predetermined threshold values.

Described is a wheel service machine (1) comprising: a shaft (3) rotating about a relative longitudinal axis (A), and a contact element (4), connected to the shaft (3) for rotating integrally with it and designed to make contact with the rim (2a) supported by the shaft (3); a locking device (5), which can be removably coupled to the shaft (3) and designed to slide relative to the shaft (3) along the longitudinal axis (A) and lock the rim (2a) interposed between the contact element (4) and the locking device (5); a fastening element (6) movably connected to the shaft (3) for moving parallel to the longitudinal axis (A) and designed for coupling with the locking device (5), for pulling it in movement; actuator (7) positioned on the machine and connected to the fastening element (6), wherein the locking device (5) comprises an emitter (8) designed for generating a wireless control signal, received by a wireless signal receiver (9) connected to the actuator (7), activates them for moving the locking device (5).

A system and a method for enabling a determination of a location of a tire sensor on a chassis of a vehicle is provided. The method comprises obtaining an identity of a RFID tag located on the rim, or in the tire, of the wheel. The method also comprise obtaining an identity of a tire sensor mounted on the rim, or inside the tire, of the wheel, as the tire sensor is activated. The method further comprise establishing an association between the identity of the RFID tag and the identity of the tire sensor. A computer program product and a carrier are also provided.

A bead exerciser system for an automated wheel assembly may include a center lift configured to lift a wheel assembly off of a conveyor belt, a drum roller configured to rotate the wheel assembly, a pair of pinch rollers driven by a driver and configured to apply force to a tire of the wheel assembly, a force sensor configured to detect a force of the tire against the pinch rollers, and a controller configured to receive the force from the force sensor and generate a command for an alert in response to the force falling outside of a predefined threshold range.

An autonomous traverse tire changing bot includes a carriage having a carriage frame with a carriage drive section effecting autonomous traverse of the carriage, along a traverse path, relative to a traverse surface or a floor on which the bot rests, and a bot frame including at least one actuator mounted to the carriage and a bot drive section with a motor defining an actuator degree of freedom, wherein the at least one actuator has an end effector having a tire engagement tool disposed so that articulation of the at least one actuator with the actuator degree of freedom effects engagement contact of the tire engagement tool and a tire mounted on a vehicle, and a controller effects traverse of the bot along the traverse path effecting dynamic positioning of the at least one actuator relative to a variable position of the vehicle with the tire mounted thereon.

Described is a machine (1) for fitting and removing a tyre from a corresponding wheel rim of a vehicle, comprising: a wheel-holder unit (4), which rotates about a first axis (A); at least one bead breaker tool (29), movable along a second axis (B) parallel to the first axis (A); a roller (2) rotating about a fourth axis (D) parallel to the first axis (A) and configured to move by rotation about a fifth axis (E) spaced from the fourth axis (D), between an active position where it is in contact with a tyre tread of the wheel mounted on the wheel-holder unit (4), to a position of non-interference relative to the tyre; at least one sensor (40) connected to the roller (2) for detecting a signal representing a force transmitted to the roller (2) by the tyre; a removal tool (37), which is movable by rotation about a sixth axis (F) parallel to the first axis (A) and spaced from it, between a first position proximal to the first axis (A) and a second position distal from the first axis (A), which is movable in a direction parallel to the first axis (A) and movable towards and away from the sixth axis (F).

A sensor device is provided for use in tire inspection. The sensor device is configured for removable placement along the inner surface of a tire. The sensor device has a profile that allows placement of one or more sensors in close proximity to the inner surface of the tire. The profile allows the sensor device to be used with a variety of tire sizes and shapes.

A method, device, and installation for mounting a motor vehicle tire on a rim of a wheel, characterized in that at least one tire bead of the motor vehicle tire is prestretched in a targeted manner before the tire is pulled onto the rim, in particular before the tire beads are pulled over the rim flanges of the rim.