Devices for storing and for balancing weights to a balancing system are often used in the production of cars. So-called endless carrier belts are equipped with the balancing weights and packed into package containers from where they are taken continuously at the location of their use, i.e. at the balancing system, and are supplied to said system. A relevant problem is the problem of packing of the carrier belts (which are equipped with the balancing weights) in the most compact manner in order to enable space-saving storage on the one hand and compact configuration of the storage and feed device on the other hand.
In a first embodiment, the balancing weights are arranged on a tape which is adhesive on both sides and is protected on the bottom side by a peel-off strip; this tape forms the carrier belt. In the balancing system, the balancing weights are severed together with the associated tape section and glued onto the component to be balanced after removal of the protective strip. In another embodiment, the balancing weights are arranged on and fixed to a separate carrier belt, which belt is either reusable or is disposed after removal of the balancing weights.
The European patent application publication EP 1 245 940 A2 discloses balancing weights arranged in a comparatively tight packing on a tape that is adhesive on both sides. In order to enable the attachment of a balancing weight (which may be formed by one or several individual weights) to the curved inside or outside of the edge of a wheel rim, the tape used as the carrier belt is slightly elastic to facilitate the adjustment of the distance between the individual weights required to accommodate the curvature of the wheel rim. The ways of storing the so-structured tape are very limited: this embodiment can be stored only in a manner that the tape equipped with the balancing weights is wound on a coil with the balancing weights on the outside. Due to the circular shape of the coil, space-saving storage, space-saving transport and compact configuration of the feed device is complicated and difficult.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds