A test bench and a method to predict pressure oscillations in a vehicle tire. The tire is rotatably positioned, via a bearing on a test bench rim, the tire is pressurized with fluid, a load is applied on the tire, the tire is accelerated according to pre-determinable speed ramp to a final speed, the fluid in accordance with the tire speed, undergoes an oscillation excitation, and reacts to the oscillation excitation with a pressure oscillation. The method is characterized in that an effective force of the tire, due to the pressure oscillation, at the bearing is continuously detected, and that a descriptive data set is determined for the tire speed over the frequency, a timing signal of the speed ramp undergoes a Fourier transformation and, in an analogous manner, a reference data set is created through the use of a vehicle rim instead of the test bench rim.

A method for detecting a loosened bolted wheel joint on a wheel of a vehicle. The angular velocity of a hub of the wheel is evaluated. A periodic wheel modulation of the angular velocity is ascertained. An oscillation of the wheel generated due to the loosened bolted wheel joint is detected, using a step-change in a phase angle of the modulation by an expected angular increment, which is a function of the number of bolts.

A dynamic balancer includes an outer housing and a spindle assembly rotatably mounted to the outer housing. A frameless motor assembly is connected to selected components of the spindle assembly. A chucking assembly receives a locking member to capture a tire therebetween. The chucking assembly and the locking member are captured in the spindle assembly and rotated by the frameless motor assembly. A spring-biased return cylinder may be used with the dynamic balancer to assist in capturing and releasing the locking member with respect to the chucking assembly. An adjustable encoder assembly may be associated with the motor assembly to monitor a rotational position of the tire and/or spindle assembly.

A method for determining vehicle characteristic variables of a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle has active dampers which can set adjusting forces at the respective wheel suspensions in order to be able to raise and/or lower the body of the motor vehicle and which can also measure the acting forces. Specific predefined adjusting forces of the active dampers are imparted in order to ascertain vehicle characteristic variables from the resulting adjustment and the resulting measured forces.

Sensor modules mountable on a wheel are described. A sensor module mountable adjacent to a rim of a wheel includes a first set of one or more piezoelectric sensors; and a first elastic support with the first set of one or more piezoelectric sensors coupled thereon so that the first set of one or more piezoelectric sensors are spaced apart from the rim of the wheel. A wheel that includes a rim and the sensor module is also disclosed. A method includes receiving a force on a tire mounted on a rim of a wheel. The tire is in contact with an elastic support with one or more piezoelectric sensors coupled thereon so that the force causes strain in the elastic support and the one or more piezoelectrical sensors. The method also includes, in response to receiving the force, generating electrical signals from the one or more piezoelectric sensors.

An exemplary method includes vehicle-mounted sensors continuously detecting vehicle speed and vehicle tire and steering vibrations; a processor implementing a machine-learning program that continuously monitors signals from the vehicle-mounted sensors and compares detected vehicle tire and steering vibrations to upper bounds corresponding to detected vehicle speed; and the processor alerting a vehicle driver that wheel or tire service is required based on the detected vehicle tire and steering vibrations exceeding the upper bounds. An exemplary apparatus includes a vehicle; tires mounted to the vehicle; a speed sensor mounted to the vehicle; a vibration sensor mounted to the vehicle; and a processor connected in communication with the speed sensor and the vibration sensor. The processor is adapted to implement any of the method steps above.

A vehicle wheel balancing machine having a rotating shaft which supports a vehicle wheel, a means for supporting the rotating shaft, and force sensor means adapted to detect the imbalance forces generated during the rotation of the rotating shaft; an accelerator means accelerates the shaft and the wheel and an angular sensor means senses an angular position; an electronic means processes information obtained by the force sensor means and determines the value and the position of correction masses adapted to compensate an imbalance present on the wheel; a moving indicator means is moved by a motorized actuator means and is configured to project a light dot on the wheel; a fixed indicator means projects a luminous beam, perpendicular to the axis of rotation, or a luminous dot, having a fixed and known angle of incidence on the inner surface of the wheel; a coincidence of the moving luminous point with the fixed luminous line or dot identifies a desired position of a counterweight on the diameter of the wheel.

The invention relates to a method of balancing a wheel assembly of an electric car, in which the wheel assembly comprises an in-wheel motor. The wheel assembly (with the tire mounted on it) is spun by the in-wheel motor, the imbalance is measured by a sensor on the wheel and the angular orientation is determined by an orientation sensor. A control unit in the car then determines the position and weight needed for balancing the wheel.

A method of determining a balancing solution for a rotating body that includes a wheel or wheel/tire assembly may include receiving balance parameters defining measured imbalance associated with the rotating body and receiving a set of constraints. At least one of the constraints may define a non-zero target correction of one of the balance parameters. The method may further include determining, via a selected optimization strategy, the balancing solution defining a correction to apply to the rotating body to achieve corrected balance parameters meeting the set of constraints.

A tire dynamic load radius calculating device includes a tire rotation sensor, a drum rotation sensor, a drum rotation angle calculating unit, and a tire dynamic load radius calculating unit. The drum rotation angle calculating unit is configured to calculate a rotation angle of a drum per one rotation of a tire based on signals from the sensors. The tire dynamic load radius calculating unit is configured to calculate a dynamic load radius of the tire based on a formula (R=L/2), using the rotation angle calculated by the drum rotation angle calculating unit. In this formula, R represents a dynamic load radius of the tire, and L represents a distance traveled by the tire per one rotation of the tire.