US 12,253,427 B2
Wheel balancer force transfer rod and transducer assembly
Nathan Brower, Lake St. Louis, MO (US); and William J. Nelgner, St. Charles, MO (US)
Assigned to Hunter Engineering Company, St. Louis, MO (US)
Filed by Hunter Engineering Company, Bridgeton, MO (US)
Filed on Mar. 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/653,617.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/174,866, filed on Apr. 14, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0334017 A1, Oct. 20, 2022
Int. Cl. G01M 1/22 (2006.01); G01M 1/04 (2006.01)
CPC G01M 1/225 (2013.01) [G01M 1/045 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle wheel balancer force transfer structure for coupling a rotationally driven spindle assembly to a fixed housing, comprising:
a vibration structure configured to support one end of said rotationally driven spindle assembly for rotational movement about an axis, said vibration structure secured to said fixed housing at a plurality of rigid attachment points;
at least one force transfer rod, said force transfer rod secured to said vibration structure at a first end within a region subjected to applied forces during rotational movement and static loading of said spindle assembly, and to a mechanically grounded second end, whereby a portion of said applied forces are conveyed from said spindle assembly to said fixed housing through said at least one force transfer rod; and
a transducer assembly secured to said at least one force transfer rod within a tolerance of a longitudinal location of minimum bending moment along said at least one force transfer rod, said transducer assembly configured to output an electrical signal responsive to an axial component of said applied force conveyed by said at least one force transfer rod.