A method and computer program product are disclosed. The method includes tracking a distance travelled on a set of tires, determining a threshold, determining whether the distance travelled has exceeded the threshold, and notifying the user that the distance travelled has exceeded the threshold. The computer program product includes code to perform tracking a distance travelled on a set of tires, determining a threshold, determining whether the distance travelled has exceeded the threshold, and notifying the user that the distance travelled has exceeded the threshold.

A checking method and line for checking a tyre for vehicle wheels. The tyre is associated with a model associated with a setting for image acquisition devices. Once the model is obtained, preliminary images of the tyre are acquired, from which at least one adjustment value representative of at least one geometric characteristic of the tyre is obtained. A deviation between the at least one adjustment value and a respective reference value associated with the model is then calculated. The setting associated with the model of tyre is then adjusted based on the calculated deviation and the tyre is then inspected to look for possible production defects by acquiring images of at least part of the surface of the tyre using the image acquisition devices, set according to the adjusted setting.

A method for inflating a tyre mounted on a corresponding wheel rim comprises the following steps in sequence; placing a tool at an operating position, where a first bead of the tyre is interposed between the tool and a second bead of the tyre, and one end of tool is positioned axially between a first flange of the rim and a first rib of the rim and positioned radially between an outside surface of the rim and a tread of the tyre; blowing a gas under pressure through an inflation valve of the tyre into a chamber delimited by the tyre and by the rim, with the tool at the operating position, so that the first sidewall of the tyre is pressed against the end of the tool; removing the tool from the operating position.

A vehicle monitoring system monitors a vehicle characteristic and, from the monitoring, determines the state of a vehicle component. The system may set an alert and may communicate that alert to a user or supervisory authority. The state of the vehicle component may relate to a vehicle tire and to the potential delamination of a tire.

A tyre changing apparatus (1) comprises: a frame (10); a supporting element (11) for supporting a wheel (2) rotatably about an axis of rotation (A); an arm (12) movably connected to the frame (10) to be moved by an actuator (5B, 5B) along a direction of movement (B) parallel to the axis of rotation (A); a bead breaker tool (13) connected to the arm (12) to move between an activated position, where it is in contact with the tyre (3), and a deactivated position, where it is spaced from the tyre (3); a control unit (14). The bead breaker tool (13) includes a mounting element (13A) and a bead breaker disc (13B) which rotates freely relative to the mounting element (13A) and comprises a sensor (131), configured to generate a contact signal (132) representing a rotation of the bead breaker disc (138) relative to the mounting element (13A); the control unit (14) is connected to the sensor (131) to receive the contact signal (132).

A tire management method with which specific information of a tire can be acquired at arbitrary timing in a manufacturing process of a vehicle is provided. The tire management method is a method of managing a tire group including a plurality of tires 1 on each of which a first mark M1 and a second mark M2 are provided on specific positions of a side surface, the method including: a step of associating, with respect to each of the tires included in the tire group, specific information of the tire and mark positional information (12, r1, and r2) related to positions of the marks M1 and M2, and recording these into a computer 2; a step of acquiring mark positional information of a tire selected from the tire group; and a step of acquiring, by using the computer 2, specific information associated with the previously-acquired mark positional information.

The machine (1) for fitting and removing wheel tyres for vehicles comprises a bearing structure (2), an attachment and rotation arrangement (4) of the rim (C) of a wheel (R) for vehicles, a tool-holder assembly (5) movably associated with the bearing structure (2) and having at least a tool (8, 9, 10) for removing and/or fitting a tyre (P) from/onto the rim (C), an adjustment arrangement (11, 12) able to adjust the relative position between the tool-holder assembly (5) and the rim (C), to place the tool-holder assembly (5) in an optimal operating position wherein the tool (8, 9, 10) is operable to remove and/or fit a tyre (P), and a visual signaling assembly (13, 14) of said optimal position having at least an emitter (13, 14) of a light beam (L1, L2), the optimal operating position being defined when the point of incidence of the light beam (L1, L2) on the wheel (R) coincides with an external point of the edge of the rim (C).

A method and associated apparatus for uniquely identifying tyres for wheels of vehicles as part of wheel maintenance processes. The method envisages that a vehicle wheel is mounted on a support of a wheel maintenance apparatus, said wheel comprising a rim and a tyre. Moreover, a digital code is created to uniquely identify the tyre. Finally, via a marking system, preferably of the optical type, at least one marking is created on the surface of one side wall of the tyre of said wheel, corresponding to the previously created digital code.

A tire testing device having a rotary drive unit that rotationally drives a tire; a load drum that has an outer peripheral surface that can come into contact with the tire being rotationally driven; a drum support mechanism that supports the load drum and relatively moves the load drum such that the tire and the outer peripheral surface of the load drum come into contact and separate; a shape sensor that detects a surface shape of the tire being rotationally driven; a drive control unit that controls the operation of the rotary drive unit, the drum support mechanism, and the shape sensor; a registration unit that stores information related to the tire test; and an input reception unit that receives, and registers, in the registration unit, information related to the tire test entered by a user prior to the tire test being conducted.

The invention is directed to a valve stem system (1) for tubeless wheels. The valve stem system (1) includes a valve stem body (2) with a first end (3) and a second end (4), wherein the second end (4) is located in a tire/rim-volume when mounted at the wheel. A first valve (5) is arranged at the second end (4) of the valve stem body (2). The first valve (5) is a self-sealing one-way valve. A second valve (10) is removably mountable at the first end (3) and is, when mounted, at least partially housed in the valve stem body (2). The second valve (10) comprises a valve stem core inserted in the valve stem body (2) and can be added or removed from the valve stem body (2) while pressure is maintained within the tire by the first valve (5). The invention further concerns a probe (30) for a valve stem system, a method to test the amount of sealant in a wheel and a refilling assembly (80) for a wheel.