GB2461030A

GB2461030A - Wheel balancing device

Info

Publication number: GB2461030A
Application number: GB0811020A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chao Tsun Shih
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-06-16
Filing date: 2008-06-16
Publication date: 2009-12-23
Also published as: GB0811020D0

Abstract

The device comprises a wheel balancing weight 20 characterized in that one surface of the weight is mounted with a rubber layer 21 and the weight is made by mixing of tungsten powder and a resilient material including rubber and/or plastics material. The weight is adhered onto the inner side of a wheel assembly at a specific angle. An adhesive strip carrying individual break-off weights 20 can be provided.

Description

TITLE: WHEEL BALANCE WEIGHT FOR A TifiE WHEEL

ASSEMBLY

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a wheel balance weight, and more particularly to a wheel balance weight which is fabricated from tungsten powder, resilient materials and the mixture thereof.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

Tires and wheel hub are generally not precisely round. This could be error in the course of manufacturing or external force onto the wheel hub causing it to deform. The uneven round will cause a base with respect to its center of rotation. Accordingly, prior to driving the vehicle with defect tire, calibration is needed. One of the methods to proceed with the calibration is by applying or appropriate pressure using rollers onto the surface of the tire. The tire is rotated at a predetermined rotation and the rollers are connected to sensor to provide the variation of strength on the tire. Thus, the eccentricity of the tire can be calculated. The unbalanced tire may not directly cause a danger in driving, but it may cause the tire to deform or the longevity of the tire is lowered. If the vehicle is driven at a great speed, the unbalanced tire will cause the vehicle to vibrate and the comfort of driving is seriously affected. To solve this problem, the balancing of the tire has to be performed. The data of eccentricity is determined and a wheel balance weight is fitted at a specified angle to the wheel hub. Referring to FIG 1, a wheel balance weight 10 is mounted at the connection gap between the hub 11 and the tire. A gripping clip of the balance weight is used to clip onto the gap. With the balance weight mounted onto the tire, the rotation of the tire is thus balanced, and the eccentricity of the tire is calibrated.

The conventional type of wheel balance weight is made from metal of heavy relative weight. In the market, wheel balance weights made of lead are available. As we all know, lead is an environmental unfriendly metal which causes pollution to the surrounding. Lead will produce toxic lead ionic compound which may cause hazard to people in contact with it. Further, the wheel balance weight made of lead 10 will be oxidized with air which causes a change in the relative weight, and the balanced tire is now inaccurate balanced. The tires have to be re-calibrated again. Another drawback of the conventional lead balance weight is that the hard metallic lead may dislocated at high rotation of the wheels while driving at a great speed and the lead may accidentally hit onto vehicles or people.

To sole the above drawback, there is another wheel balance weight available in the market. The backside of the weight is mounted with a layer of adhesive which can be adhered onto the inner edge of the wheel hub. However, the rigidity of lead metal could not precisely sit onto the curved inner edge of the wheel hub and therefore, the adhesion of the lead metal will be affected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a wheel balance weight for a tire wheel assembly which can be adhered onto a tire-wheel assembly in calibration of eccentricity of the assembly.

Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a wheel balancing device comprising a wheel balancing weight characterized in that one surface of the weight is mounted with a rubber layer and the weight has a lump-shaped made by mixing of tungsten powder and a resilient material including rubber material, plastic material or their mixtures, the weight is adhered onto the inner side of a wheel assembly at a specific angle.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a wheel balance weight for a tire wheel assembly, wherein the relative weight of the wheel balancing weight is ranging from 9 gmlcm3 to 12 gm/cm3.

The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fuiiy appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.

Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG 1 is a schematic view showing the mounting on a conventional wheel balancing weight onto a wheel assembly.

FIG 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a wheel balancing weight of the present invention.

FIG 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a wheel balancing weight of the present invention.

FIG 4 is a schematic view showing the mounting of a wheel balancing weight of the present invention onto the inner surface of a wheel hub.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illusiration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention.

Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to FIG 2, there is shown a wheel balance weight 20 having a lateral side coated with a strongly adhesion rubber layer 21. The weight 20 is made from tungsten powder together with resilient material to form into a predetermined lump. In accordance with the present invention, the resilient material includes rubber material, plastic material or the mixtures thereof After the balance weight 20 is formed, the relative weight is ranging from 9 gm/cm3 to 12 gm/cm3. (Based on metals, the relative weight of lead is 11.3 gm/cm3, the relative weight of tungsten is 19.3 gm/cm3). The balance weight has a high relative weight, resilient and flexurality, corrosive resistance properties. Further, the weight balance 20 can be formed as that shown in FIG 2, and can also be made into a plurality of weight units 20 as shown in FIG 3, which is formed as one unit. In application, the balance weight 20 can be detached using a knife to separate from each others.

As shown in FIG 4, after a tire-wheel assembly has been calibrated and the required data is taken, the above balance weight 20 is adhered onto the inner edge of the wheel hub 30 at a specific angle such that the rotation of the tire-wheel assembly is balanced and the tire-wheel assembly is thus calibrated.

In accordance with the present invention, the advantages of the wheel balance weight are as follows: 1) The balance weight unit 20 is made of tungsten and resilient materials (rubber or plastic material), the components of the balance weight do not harm human body or pollute biological environment.

2) The weight unit 20 has good flexurality, when a specific angle is to be adhered with the balance weight 20, the weight 20 can be mounted in a circular arch such that the balance weight unit 20 is fimily adhered to the curvature surface of the wheel hub 30. Due to the flexurality of the balance weight unit 20, the unit 20 is stable on the inner surface of the wheel hub.

3) There is little chance that the balance weight unit 20 will separate from the wheel hub in the course of high speed driving, however, due to its flexurality, the unit 20 will not injure anyone even when he is hit.

4) Due to its high relative density, the balance weight unit 20 can be made into a thinner lump.

5) The balance weight unit 20 has a high corrosive resistance properties and high resistant to oxidation.

The balance weight unit 20 allows the tire-wheel assembly to be balanced, the longevity of the unit 20 is thus extended.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. I0

Claims

I CLAIM: 1. A wheel balancing device comprising a wheel balancing weight characterized in that one surface of the weight is mounted with a rubber layer and the weight has a lump-shaped made by mixing of tungsten powder and a resilient material including rubber material, plastic material or their mixtures, the weight is adhered onto the inner side of a wheel assembly at a specific angle.
2. The wheel balancing device of claim 1, wherein the relative weight of the wheel balancing weight is ranging from 9 gm/cm3 to 12 gnilcm3.