Field of the invention

The invention relates to a mounting tool which is used in the assembly process of balancing weights.

Description of the related art

A magnetic beating iron is disclosed in DE 10 2013 010 618 Al. It is a mounting tool for balancing weights. The balancing weights may be attached to the boarder of a rim and kept there by a retaining spring. DE 20 2013 011 165 Ul discloses a plier for removing self-adhesive balancing weights from the rim of a wheel.

In DE 9418651 Ul a plier for mounting and removing balancing weights is disclosed. The plier comprises a cutting tool, a hammer and a gripping tool.

In EP 1 253 414 A2 an automatic applicator for balancing weights is disclosed. The balancing weights are held between a pair of releasable jaws.

EP 2 829 860 A2 discloses a fully automatic device for the attachment of correction weights for unbalance correction to a rotary body.

A balancing weight which has a body having a cavity formed therein is disclosed in WO 2006/122193 A2. A solid weight member substantially filling the cavity of the body and an adhesive formed on the side of the body for securing the balance weights are further provided. A program -controlled manipulator device with a balancing weight application head for the application of balancing weights to the rim of a vehicle wheel is disclosed in WO 2014/111528 Al.

Summary of the invention The problem to be solved by the invention is to provide a simple and robust tool and method for mounting balancing weights to rims of vehicle wheels.

The solutions of the problem is described in the independent claims. The dependent claims relate to further improvements of the invention.

The mounting tool may be used to place self-adhesive balancing weights to an inner side of a rim. These balancing weights have a body defined by a width, a length and a thickness comprising of a mass material like plastic, metal or ceramics or a mix thereof.

The balancing weights may comprise magnetic material or a material with magnetic particles or with a magnetic inlay. Most preferably the balancing weight comprises a zinc body with a steel inlay.

The balancing weights further may have a self-adhesive tape at one side, by which the mass material may be held to a rim of a wheel. Multiple pieces or segments of such a mass material are held together by the strip of adhesive tape, forming a belt or a belt of balancing weights. The self-adhesive tape is protected by a liner, also called backing at the side opposite to the balancing weight segments. Before applying a balancing weight to a rim, the liner is removed.

In a first embodiment, a mounting tool for balancing weights is designed as a hand tool. The mounting tool basically may have the shape of an arc segment with a curved outer side and may also have a curved inner side, a front side, a rear side and a thickness between the front side and the rear side. Preferably, the inner side has a smaller radius than the outer side. Most preferably, the radius of the outer side is smaller than the radius of the rim to which balancing weights may be applied. The mounting tool may be made out of plastic or metal or of a mix of these materials. The mounting tool may be formed in one or multi- pie parts. The curved contour of the mounting tool improves the usability in an environment with limited space.

The mounting tool preferably has a handle at the inner side. The handle may be made out of one piece or may comprise a first and a second half shell or multiple parts. The handle may enable an ergonomic handling for an operator. The outer side may be a guiding surface for at least one balancing weight and may have a smooth surface. It preferably has a width corresponding to the width of the at least one balancing weight. The guiding surface may have a lateral guide on one side or on both sides which protrude from the guiding surface. The lateral guides preferably are parallel and have a distance defining a groove, correspond- ing to the width of the at least one balancing weight so that they provide a lateral stop for the at least one balancing weight. The depth of the groove may be smaller or equal than the thickness of the at least one balancing weight. Most preferably, the lateral guides are fixed. This results in a simpler and more lightweight mounting tool. For economic handling, it is preferred, that the tool is as light as possible. This can be achieved by a simple structure of the tool and avoiding complex means like movable, releasable or spring-loaded claws for holding balancing weights. Preferably, the width of the groove, which is with between the lateral guides is adapted to the width of the balancing weights. Therefore, it may be preferred to provide different tools for different types of balancing weights. Although the balancing weights may be aligned to only one lateral guide, it is preferred, if they fit between the lateral guides, e.g. into the groove. For further reduction of weight, it is preferred, if the tool is made of a plastic material, preferably of a fiber reinforced plastic material.

The tool may have at least one permanent magnet in close proximity to and preferably under the guiding surface or groove of the hand tool. The at least one permanent magnet have an orientation so that they attract the balancing weights to the guiding surface of the hand tool. They may be embedded or molded into the mounting tool, preferably close to the outer surface, most preferably without contacting the outer surface, preferably forming a small air gap between the magnets and the balancing weights. The outer surface may be the guiding surface. The attraction of the at least one balancing weight by the at least one permanent magnet enables to remove the liner from the adhesive tape without an additional fastener.

The outer side of the hand tool may be equipped with a weight marking on the front side comprising a center marking for centering the at least one balancing weight to the center of the imbalance at the wheel. This helps to improve the usability of the hand tool. The at least one balancing weights may be centered on the mounting tool.

The mounting tool may be loaded with at least one balancing weight from an automated dispenser with a predetermined amount of balancing weights as re- suit of measuring the imbalance of a wheel. For this purpose the mounting tool may have a first and a second guide hole for receiving a pair of guide pins at a loading station, to bring the mounting tool in an exact position to a conveyor or any other kind of supply from the dispenser. After supplying the at least one balancing weight from the dispenser to the mounting tool, the at least one balanc- ing weight may be attracted to the guiding surface by the at least one permanent magnet and may be shifted by hand. A method for attaching at least one balancing weight on a rim of a wheel with the aforementioned mounting tool may comprise the steps of, measuring the imbalance of a wheel, supplying a predetermined amount of balancing weights from a dispenser to the mounting tool which may be fixed to a loading station, transporting the mounting tool with the balancing weights to an assembly workplace, rolling the balancing weights to the inner side of the rim. It is further preferred to remove the liner before rolling the balancing weights to the inner side of the rim.

The transport of the mounting tool as well as the application process of the bal- ancing weights with the mounting tool may be done by a worker.

Description of Drawings

In the following, the invention will be described by way of example, without limitation of the general inventive concept, on examples of embodiment with refer- ence to the drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a mounting tool for balancing weights.

Fig. 2 shows a mounting tool in a side view.

Fig. 3 shows the mounting tool in a perspective view.

Fig. 4 shows the mounting tool loaded with balancing weights. Fig. 5 shows a mounting tool during it is used to apply balancing weights to a rim.

Fig. 6 shows a mounting tool used to apply an amount of balancing weights to a rim. In Fig. 1, a preferred embodiment of a mounting tool (100) is shown. The mounting tool basically may have the shape of an arc segment with a curved outer side (40) defining a guiding surface (60) for balancing weights (160) and may also have a curved inner side (50), a front side (70), a rear side and a thickness be- tween the front side and the rear side. Preferably, the inner side (50) has a smaller radius than the outer side (40). The mounting tool (100) is designed as a hand tool. It has a handle (110), at an inner side (50), which may comprise a first half and a second half. The tool may have a weight marking (140) on the front side (70) and preferably a center marking for centering the balancing weights to the center of the imbalance. In Fig. 2, a sectional view of the mounting tool (100) in a preferred embodiment is shown. The mounting tool (100) preferably has a fist lateral guide (120) and a second lateral guide (130) parallel to the fist lateral guide (120) and along the guiding surface (60) forming a groove (150) at the outer side (40) of the mounding tool (100). The width (10) of the groove (150) is as broad as the balancing weights (160). Under the groove (150) a number of permanent magnets (250) are placed in a way so that they attract the balancing weights (160) to the groove (150).

In Fig. 3, a perspective view of the mounting tool (100) is shown. It shows the fist and the second lateral guide (120, 130), the groove (150), the inner side (50) of the mounting tool (100).

In Fig. 4, a side view of the mounting tool (100) attached to a feeder (170) is shown. A predetermined number of balancing weights (160) are supplied from a dispenser (240) by means of a feeder. The feeder (170) may be a belt conveyor, a slider or any other kind of feeder. In Fig. 5, a view of a rim (180) with a mounting tool (100) is shown. The mounting tool (100) is used to attach balancing weights (160) to the rim (180) with contact pressure (200) generated by the hand of a user (230) by gently rolling the mount- ing tool (100) which is loaded with the balancing weights (160) on the inner surface of a rim (180).

In Fig. 6, a side view of a rim (180) with a mounting tool (100) is shown. The mounting tool (100) is used to attach balancing weights (160) to the rim (180) with contact pressure (200) generated by the hand of a user (230) by gently rolling the mounting tool (100) in a direction of motion (260). The mounting tool is loaded with the balancing weights (160) on the inner surface of a rim (180). The balancing weights (250) may be held together and fixed to the rim by strip of an adhesive tape (270). In Fig. 7, a view of a rim (180) with a mounting tool (100) is shown. The mounting tool (100) is used to attach balancing weights (160) to the rim (180) with contact pressure (200) generated by the hand of a user (230), grapping into the mounting tool (100), by gently rolling the mounting tool (100) which is loaded with the balancing weights (160) on the inner sur-face of a rim (180).

List of reference numerals

10 width

40 outer side

50 inner side

60 guiding surface

70 front side

100 mounting tool

110 handle

120 first lateral guide

130 second lateral guide

140 weight marking

150 groove

160 balancing weights

170 feeder

180 rim

200 contact pressure

230 hand of a user

240 supply direction from a dispenser

250 permanent magnets

260 direction of motion

270 adhesive tape