Tire support equipment

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tire support device comprising an inclined structure having means for supporting and rotating a tire on its axis at a controlled speed, thereby avoiding tire vibrations and deformations during rotation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention (tire support device) relates to a device designed to support a tire and thus enable it to be inspected (manually by a user or automatically by a vision system or device), repaired, or even trimmed or deburred (also manually or automatically). This device allows the tire to be positioned in a specific position after being adjusted to its size, while rotating the tire without longitudinal movement, thus avoiding deformation and reducing vibrations.

[0002] The field of application of the invention falls within the automotive industry, specifically focusing on the industrial sector dedicated to manufacturing equipment and devices to perform tire manufacturing and / or repair tasks, and more specifically on tire inspection tasks preferably performed using automated vision systems. Background Art

[0003] Today, as in many other industrial sectors, there are tasks that are being automated in such a way that they are performed by increasingly specialized machines and robots, with minimal or limited human involvement. An example of such a task is the visual inspection of tires, which is crucial for their proper operation and performance. In addition to reducing inspection errors and saving inspection time, automated systems are able to provide a much higher level of accuracy than any manual inspection.

[0004] In the prior art, in addition to the manual tire inspection performed at the end of each tire production line, there are different automated inspection systems with vision systems. However, none of the known inspection systems allows the inspection to be carried out in a single station, since they require the manipulation and repositioning of the tire during the inspection in order to inspect all its surfaces, namely: the tire tread, the tire interior and the sidewalls. The difficulties in manipulating and positioning the tires to be inspected mainly arise from their geometry and composition, namely round elements made of soft material, mainly rubber. In addition to the composition of the tire, it must be taken into account that all surfaces must be completely inspected, so the tire must be manipulated several times in order to complete a thorough inspection of the tire. The composition of the tire may cause deformations that limit the precision that the automated inspection system can provide, thereby losing the effectiveness sought by the automated inspection system and resulting in the necessity of manual inspection of the tire.

[0005] For example, document US2011188052 describes a device and a method for determining the geometrical dimensions of the interior of a tire, and document DE202006011739 relates to a device for controlling a wheel (comprising a wheel, a tire and a rim).

[0006] The object of the present invention is therefore a device capable of automatically inspecting tires with the help of a vision system, without having to manipulate the tire to change its position and access all the surfaces to be inspected, and also reducing the human involvement in tire inspection in order to reduce possible errors due to the human factor, while increasing the speed of inspection, which reduces the manufacturing time of the tire and increases its quality.

[0007] Likewise, in the tire industry, other equipment exists that manipulates tires for other purposes, such as tire repair or burr removal after manufacture.

[0008] These uses (for which the device that is the object of the present invention can be used) may or may not require the use of other components, such as a vision system or a robotic arm (which enables manipulation of the tire) or a camera or other tools of the vision system (for example, a blade for removing burrs).

[0009] Although different solutions for automated tire inspection are known, generally with vision systems, none of them involve a support device that enables adaptation to tires of different sizes by means of a stable fastening without vibrations and that, at the same time, enables the tire to be inspected without the need for manipulation once it has been arranged on the support device. Summary of the Invention

[0010] As described above, the support device with a vision system for automated inspection refers to a device specifically designed for the purpose of supporting tires, which device preferably enables its inspection (more preferably inspection using a vision system) to avoid manipulation of the tire and changes in its position, mainly avoiding longitudinal movement of the tire, thereby keeping the tire in a single position (but with rotational movement) so that, in the case of inspection of the tire, it is possible to perform the inspection with the tire in one position, specifically with the tire tilted and resting on its tire tread with a rotational movement around the tire axis.

[0011] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a tire support device, wherein the tire support device comprises a frame having an inclined structure with a hollow portion for supporting a tire, wherein the inclined structure of the frame is provided with:

[0012] - at least two adjustment devices for positioning the tire on the inclined structure of the frame, each of the at least two adjustment devices comprising:

[0013] - a second adjustment device that moves on the inclined structure of the frame to adapt to the diameter of the tire;

[0014] - a first adjusting device placed on the second adjusting device in order to adjust to the width of the tire; and

[0015] - supporting means associated with said first adjusting means and intended to support said tire on its tread surface, said supporting means being driven by rotating means which rotate said supporting means so as to rotate said tire on its axis,

[0016] causing the second adjusting device to move on the inclined structure to adjust to the diameter of the tire, while simultaneously moving the first adjusting device with the supporting device placed on the second adjusting device so that the supporting device rotates the tire after the first adjusting device has adjusted to the width of the tire,

[0017] wherein the second adjustment device for adjusting the diameter of the tire includes a support plate integrally attached to the tilting structure of the frame, and a movable plate attached to the support plate so as to move the movable plate from one end of the support plate to the other end and adjust the position of the movable plate according to the diameter of the tire,

[0018] The lower adjustment device of the at least two adjustment devices includes a tire opening mechanism having at least two claws that are inserted into the interior of the tire to separate the sidewall of the tire, and

[0019] Therein, the jaws have rollers or cylinders at their ends which enable the tire to rotate when the support means arranged in the lower adjustment device cause the entire tire to rotate.

[0020] Preferably, a tire support device for automated inspection using a vision system comprises a frame having an inclined structure, the inclined structure having a surface with a hollow portion or a window, and having on the frame:

[0021] at least two adjustment devices for positioning the tire on the frame, each of the at least two adjustment devices comprising a first adjustment device adapted to the width of the tire, the first adjustment device being placed on a second adjustment device adapted to the diameter of the tire, so that the adjustment device is adapted to both the width and the diameter of the tire, the second adjustment device being movable on an inclined frame structure, thus making it possible to use the support device with tires of different sizes;

[0022] - supporting means of the tire situated on its tread or on its surface, said supporting means being associated with said first adjusting means of each adjusting device; and

[0023] - Rotation means of the tire, situated on its axis, said rotation means also being associated with each adjustment device and driving said support means.

[0024] The rotating means comprise drive means which cause the tire to turn or rotate at a determined and generally constant speed by imparting tangential motion to the tire.

[0025] The tire support device preferably comprises three adjustment devices located on an inclined frame and supported on a preferably horizontal surface, such that two of the adjustment devices are located on the lower part of the frame and the third adjustment device is located on the upper surface, all of which are concentric with the tire axis. In association with the lower adjustment device, the support device comprises a resting or supporting device for the tire, the support device also comprising a rotating device for causing a tangential rotation of the tire about its axis by providing traction on the tire tread, i.e. a motorized (powered) supporting and rotating device.

[0026] Preferably, the tire support device has three adjustment devices positioned 120° apart from each other, two adjustment devices being located in the lower part and one adjustment device being located in the upper part, the three adjustment devices being concentric with respect to the tire axis.

[0027] Likewise, it is also possible that the tire support device comprises only two adjustment devices with support and rotation means located in the lower part of the frame, i.e., without an upper adjustment device, so that the tire rests directly on the frame or support element in the upper region, since the rotation and support are performed by the lower adjustment device. Alternatively, the upper adjustment device may be provided without resting or supporting means, since it does not provide traction to the tire and its main function is to prevent vibrations in the event of vibrations. Similarly, the upper adjustment device may be provided with adjustment and support means, but without motorized rotation means.

[0028] The frame of the support device on which the adjustment device is placed has an inclined structure with a window, so that the frame has the shape of an inclined frame on the support structure of all elements of the tire support device. The inclination angle of the inclined structure is between 15° and 30°, preferably 20°, relative to a substantially vertical plane, and the substantially vertical plane is preferably perpendicular to the frame support structure and therefore also perpendicular to the surface on which the support structure is placed, which is therefore the surface where the entire device is placed. That is, the inclined structure has an inclination angle of between 60° and 75° relative to the horizontal surface. The axis of the tire forms a 90° with the inclined structure on which the tire is placed. The aforementioned inclination angle of the inclined structure makes it possible to prevent the tire from swinging when it rotates, which would occur when the tire is supported on its tread and at the same time resting on a horizontal surface.

[0029] Each of the lower adjustment device and the optional upper adjustment device comprises a shaft or roller as a supporting means on which the tire rests, so that the rotation of the shaft constitutes at the same time a rotating means for rotating the tire on its axis and at the same time supports the tire so that it is prevented from deforming when it rotates, the speed of the tire preferably being between 10 rpm and 15 rpm.

[0030] As supporting means, the upper adjusting device preferably has two axles or rollers which are not motorized and are slightly separated from each other, the purpose of which is to prevent the tire from coming out of the tire supporting device by forming a stop when a corresponding steering speed is applied from the axles or rollers of the lower adjusting device.

[0031] The first adjusting device for adjusting for width, the second adjusting device for adjusting for diameter, and the rotating device of each adjusting device are preferably displaced and / or moved by servomotors.

[0032] Preferably, the first adjustment device for adjusting to the width of the tire comprises a first U-shaped support having a fixed first end and a second end parallel to the first end, the second end being movable by a servo motor such that the second end can be adapted to the width of the tire once the tire tread is inserted into the U-shaped support.

[0033] The second adjustment device for adjusting the tire's diameter comprises a second support that is movable on a surface, preferably via one or two guide rails, which in turn are arranged on the frame of the device or on an extension of the device, for example, on a plate or flat plate provided with displacement guide rails. The first support is arranged on the second support and has the first adjustment device for adjusting the tire's width. In this manner, the second adjustment device moves the second support along one or more guide rails located in the frame, and in turn moves the first adjustment device, which is arranged above the second adjustment device.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the adjustment device for adjusting the diameter is arranged so that the adjustment device for adjusting the tire width can be moved along axes lying at 120°, thereby maintaining equidistant spacing between the three adjustment devices. The intersection of these axes is the point at which the center and axis of the tire must be positioned on the tire support device. In other words, the guide rails are arranged so that the first and second adjustment devices, and therefore the adjustment devices, move concentrically relative to the center of the tire placed in the support device. This concentric movement in the upper adjustment device is preferably vertical.

[0035] Furthermore, in an alternative construction, in which case the lower adjusting devices are not at the same distance from each other as the upper adjusting devices, the guide rails for their movement are preferably arranged so that the lower adjusting devices move parallel to the horizontal from one side of the frame to the other, changing the distance between them, while in the case of the upper adjusting devices, the guide rails are perpendicular to the previous guide rails and move from top to bottom.

[0036] In addition to the first and second adjustment devices, the support device, which is the object of the present invention, also includes the support device and the rotation device as described above. The support device and the rotation device can correspond to the same device, so that the support device and the rotation device are the same drive shaft or roller, which is the case in the lower adjustment device, wherein the shaft or roller is preferably arranged on a U-shaped support, between a fixed first end and a movable second end. Moreover, as already mentioned, the upper adjustment device may or may not have these support devices and rotation devices, it may have a support device without a rotation device, or it may have both. Preferably, as described above, the upper adjustment device has two shafts or rollers as support devices.

[0037] To facilitate access to the interior of the tire, in particular the interior of the tire tread and the interior of the sidewalls, the tire support device, the object of the present invention, may also incorporate a mechanism for opening the tire, which is integrated into the lower adjustment device. This mechanism, preferably pneumatic, comprises claws that penetrate into the interior of the tire from the sidewalls and, when opened, cause the sidewalls to separate, thereby facilitating access to the interior of the tire, both to the interior of the tire tread and to the interior of the sidewalls. The claws have rollers or cylinders at their ends that enable the tire to rotate.

[0038] The mechanical elements that effect the movement and adjustment of the previous devices and apparatus may vary, as may the components that comprise them.

[0039] According to the above, the support device that is the object of the present invention has three adjustment devices, two lower adjustment devices and one upper adjustment device above the first two lower adjustment devices, and the operation of said support device is as follows:

[0040] - first, and with the help of a preferably robotic arm, the tire is placed in the supporting device, in particular on the rotating support shafts, rollers or cylinders of the two lower conditioning devices and positioned between the three shafts of the three conditioning devices;

[0041] - next, moving the second adjustment means for adjusting the diameter of each of said adjustment devices to adjust them to the diameter of the tire;

[0042] - then, moving the first adjustment means for adjusting for width until they are adjusted to the width of the tire; and

[0043] -Preferably with the lower adjusting device (if the upper adjusting device also has a supporting shaft, the upper adjusting device will also rotate, with or without motorization) the supporting and motorized rotating shaft or roller starts to rotate, thereby forcing the tire to rotate, which is preferably done after actuation of the tire opening mechanism that separates the tire sidewalls from each other.

[0044] If the device includes a tire opening mechanism, it will act before actuating the rotation of the shaft or roller of the lower adjustment device.

[0045] The device that is the object of the present invention is preferably intended for automated tire inspection and will therefore necessarily have a vision system or display element, generally a camera and a profilometer, to be able to inspect all parts of the tire, namely:

[0046] o tire tread;

[0047] o resting on one side on a supporting device through a window in the frame or housing;

[0048] o a side that does not rest on the device; and

[0049] o The interior of the tire, i.e., both the interior and the inside of the tire tread.

[0050] Preferably, the vision system will be mounted in the tire support device itself as much as possible, and when such mounting is not possible (because the handling of the tire prevents such mounting or the required inclination angle of the vision system requires it), any necessary device will be used, mainly a robotic arm containing the vision system at its end.

[0051] Preferably, the system for viewing the outside of the tire tread and sidewall is arranged on the upper fastening device, within a frame designed for this purpose. The frame can be located elsewhere, provided it does not interfere with the operation of the equipment components. To inspect the interior of the tire, the vision system is inserted through a hole in the tire to access the interior of the tire tread and sidewall. Access to the interior can be achieved from one side of the frame and from the opposite side through a hollow portion or window formed in the frame.

[0052] For tire inspection using a vision system, it is preferably carried out as follows:

[0053] a) Before placing the tire on the support equipment, the reader measures the volume of the tire N to be inspected to obtain the tire size;

[0054] b) removing the tire from its inside via a gripper with the aid of a robotic arm and moving it to a barcode reader in order to verify the consistency of the manufacturing dimensions included in the barcode with the volumes measured in step a), and, if they do not coincide, cancelling the tire inspection;

[0055] c) placing the tire on the supporting device that is the object of the invention so that its clamping device moves to adjust to the diameter and width of the tire;

[0056] d) a tire opening mechanism incorporated into the lower adjustment device to separate the sidewalls of the tire;

[0057] e) The rollers or shafts of the support device of the lower adjustment device begin to roll and move the tire;

[0058] f) a vision system arranged on the supporting device, preferably on the upper clamping device, starts capturing images of the outside of the tire tread, the outer sidewall of the tire and the other outer sidewall of the tire, one of them being carried out through a hollow or window present in the inclined frame of the device that is the object of the present invention;

[0059] g) vision systems arranged in the robot arm access the interior of the tire, in particular those intended to inspect the interior of the tire, specifically one for inspecting the interior of the tire tread, another for inspecting the interior of one sidewall of the tire, and another for inspecting the interior of the other sidewall of the tire; and

[0060] h) After inspecting the different parts of the tire, the captured images are stored, processed and compared with reference images of the inspected tire in order to determine the viability of the inspected tire.

[0061] As mentioned above, if the device is not used for automated tire inspection, then, in addition to any other functions indicated above, the steps related to inspection using a vision system will not be included in the method. Moreover, if the device does not include a tire opening mechanism, this step is obviously not included in the method. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] To supplement this description and to facilitate understanding of the features of the invention, the following drawings are included by way of illustration and not limitation:

[0063] - Figure 1 A front perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of a tire support device, object of the present invention, is shown, in which the general construction of the tire support device and the main parts and elements it comprises can be seen.

[0064] - Figure 2A stereoscopic view of one of the arm structures of the three adjustment assemblies of the support device of the first example of the present invention as an adjustment device for adjusting the width of the tire is shown, and the parts and elements included in the arm structure can be understood in detail.

[0065] - Figure 3 A perspective view of an adjustment device for adjusting the diameter of a tire of an upper adjustment assembly of a support device according to a first example of the present invention is shown, wherein the arm structure is not depicted to facilitate viewing of the elements included therein and their arrangement.

[0066] - Figure 4 A perspective view of one of the lower adjustment assemblies of a support device according to a first example of the invention is shown, with adjustment means for adjusting to the width and diameter of the tire, showing the different elements it comprises and their arrangement.

[0067] - Figure 5 A second exemplary embodiment of the tire support device, object of the present invention, is shown.

[0068] - Figure 6 This second exemplary embodiment is shown in which the tire is arranged on a supporting device.

[0069] - Figure 7A A view showing the lower adjustment device and the different devices that constitute it is shown.

[0070] - Figure 7B Another view shows the lower adjustment device and the different means comprising it.

[0071] - Figure 7C Shown Figure 7A and Figure 7B First exploded view of the lower adjustment device of FIG. 1 , in which the guide rail for adjusting to the diameter of the tire has been separated from the assembly.

[0072] - Figure 7D A second exploded view of the same adjustment device is shown, in which the adjustment device for adjusting for the diameter, the adjustment device for adjusting for the width of the tire and the opening mechanism of the tire can be seen (from left to right).

[0073] - Figure 8 Shown is a side view of the tire support device that is the object of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] In view of the above-mentioned figures, a description is given below of a first non-limiting exemplary embodiment of a support device for the automated inspection of tires, preferably by means of the vision system of the present invention.

[0075] Therefore, if Figure 1 As shown, the support device comprises an inclined frame 10, which can be arranged on a support structure (not shown), which is preferably supported on a horizontal surface, and has:

[0076] - three adjustment devices, two lower adjustment devices 50, 60 and one upper adjustment device 70, the two lower adjustment devices being equidistant from the upper adjustment device and each of the three adjustment devices comprising a first adjustment device 3 for adjusting to the width of the tire and a second adjustment device 4 for adjusting to the diameter of the tire; and

[0077] - the tilting frame comprises support means 5 in its three adjustment devices and rotation means in the lower adjustment devices 50, 60 for supporting and rotating the tire on its axis at a controlled speed (between 10 and 15 rpm), avoiding vibrations and deformations of the tire during rotation,

[0078] The first adjusting means 3 and the second adjusting means 4 of the three adjusting devices 50 , 60 , 70 and the rotation means of the lower adjusting device 50 , 60 are preferably displaced and / or moved in a controlled manner by a servo motor 6 .

[0079] The frame 10 has an inclined structure with a central window or hollow 11, preferably in the shape of a shell, preferably with an angle of inclination of approximately 20°, between 15° and 30°, relative to the vertical of the horizontal support surface. On said inclined frame or structure 10, three adjustment devices 50, 60, 70 are provided, the two lower adjustment devices 50, 60 comprising a first adjustment device 3 for adjusting the width of the tire, a second adjustment device 4 for adjusting the diameter of the tire, and support means 5 for the tire, which coincide with the motorized rotation means of the tire on its axis, in particular rollers or cylinders 5.

[0080] The upper adjusting device 70 preferably also has the above-mentioned supporting means 5 and adjusting means 3, 4 present in the two lower adjusting devices 50, 60, but preferably, the upper adjusting device 70 does not have a motorized rotation device, so that the supporting means 5 of the upper adjusting device 70 rotates due to the traction transmitted by the rotating tire itself (due to the action of the motorized rotation means 5 of the lower adjusting devices 50, 60).

[0081] Alternatively, the supporting device for the purpose of the invention may not have any upper adjustment device 70 (this case not shown), so that the tire will rest directly on the upper part of the frame 10 or on one or more rollers arranged for this purpose on the frame 10.

[0082] Each of the lower adjustment devices 50, 60 includes a shaft, roller, or cylinder 5 as both a support and rotation mechanism, which supports and rotates the tire. These shafts, rollers, or cylinders 5 are motorized to transmit this rotation to the tire. These shafts, rollers, or cylinders 5 are perpendicular to the frame 10 and provide a means for supporting and rotating the tire precisely on its axis, as the tire rests on these support and rotation shafts or rollers 5 of the lower adjustment devices 50, 60. If an upper adjustment device 70 is present, if it lacks a rotation mechanism, it can instead include at least one shaft, roller, or cylinder as a support mechanism 5, which will also be rotated by the tire. The shafts, rollers, or cylinders of the support mechanisms 5 of the adjustment devices 50, 60, 70 are parallel to one another.

[0083] As described above, preferably, the three adjustment devices 50, 60, 70 are incorporated into the frame 10 and are arranged so that the two lower adjustment devices 50, 60 are located in the lower part of the frame 10 (their support and rotation axes 5 are separated and horizontally movable), and so that the upper adjustment device 70 is arranged on the upper part of the frame 10, always equidistant from the two lower adjustment devices 50, 60.

[0084] Figure 2 It is shown that each adjustment device 50, 60, 70 comprises a first adjustment device 3 for adjusting for width, which is preferably determined by a U-shaped structure formed by two arms, one being a fixed arm 30 and the other being a movable arm 31 (although they may both be movable arms), said structure moving on a trolley 7 associated with a servo motor 6 and inserted in a guide rail 8 of a base plate 9, so that the movable arm 31 moves closer to and further away from the fixed arm 30 in order to adjust for the width of the tire.

[0085] Furthermore, preferably, in the internal part of each arm 30 , 31 , it is envisaged to incorporate a series of bearings 2 attached to the side surface of the tire, rolling therewith when the tire is turned so as not to cause friction.

[0086] Furthermore, between the two arms 30, 31 there is provided a support and rotation shaft 5 with rollers 32 on which the tyre tread rests, as in Figure 1 、 Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown.

[0087] In addition, if Figure 3As shown, the second adjustment device 4 for adjusting the diameter of the adjustment device 50, 60, 70 includes a support plate 40, which is integrally attached to the frame 10 of the support device, and the support plate 40 is provided with a guide rail 8, the pulley 7 moves along the guide rail 8, is associated with the servo motor 6, and a movable plate 41 is attached to the support plate 40, and the U-shaped arm structure 30, 31 of the first adjustment device 3 is connected to the corresponding support and rotation axis 5 of the support device 5 on the movable plate 41 to move the movable plate 41 from one end of the support plate 40 to the other end and adjust its position according to the diameter of the tire.

[0088] Figure 3 It is shown how the second adjustment device 4 for adjusting the diameter for the upper adjustment device 70 exhibits a vertical displacement movement of a movable plate 41, to which the support and rotation axis 5 (which rotates freely) is directly fastened, and on which spacers 42 are provided, on which the U-shaped arm structures 30, 31 of the first adjustment device 3 rest.

[0089] For its part, such as Figure 1 As shown, in the two lower adjustment devices 50, 60, the movable plate 41 exhibits a horizontal displacement movement, and the supporting and rotating shaft 5 is a driving roller or cylinder. Figure 4 In the example of FIG, the rotation system of the roller 5 may consist of a servomotor 123 associated with a belt 122 associated with a planetary gear reduction system 12 formed by a rotating plate 120 and pinions 121, so as to transmit the movement from the servomotor 123 to the roller 5. Other systems may also be used.

[0090] Figures 5 to 8 A second exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown. This second example shows a tire N support device comprising an inclined frame 10 having a window or hollow portion 11 and arranged on a support structure 12. The support device comprises:

[0091] - three adjustment devices 50, 60, 70, namely two lower adjustment devices 50, 60 and one upper adjustment device 70, equidistant from one another and concentric with the tire axis, situated on three axes at 120° and intersecting at the tire axis n perpendicular to the frame 10, and comprising a first adjustment device 3 for adjusting to the width of the tire and a second adjustment device 4 for adjusting to the diameter of the tire; and

[0092] - a tire support device incorporating support means 5 in the three adjustment devices 50, 60, 70 for supporting the tire, and specifically incorporating rotation means in the lower adjustment device 50, 60 for supporting the tire and rotating the tire N on its axis at a controlled speed (preferably between 10 and 15 rpm), thereby avoiding vibrations and deformations during rotation due to the construction of the tire support device,

[0093] The rotating device 5 , the first adjusting device 3 and the second adjusting device 4 are preferably displaced and / or moved in a controlled manner by a servo motor 6 .

[0094] The main difference between this second exemplary embodiment and the first is, in particular, that, as described above, the adjustment devices 50, 60, 70 are arranged on an adjustment device 4 for adjusting for diameter, which serves to adjust these adjustment devices for the tire diameter and stabilize the tire so that they (these adjustment devices) move parallel to axes located at 120°, which intersect at a point on the axis n of the tire arranged on the tire support device 10 that is the object of the present invention.

[0095] Furthermore, another difference from the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention is that this second exemplary embodiment has a tire opening mechanism 80 integrated into each lower adjustment device 50, 60. This opening mechanism 80 (which could also be integrated in the first exemplary embodiment) is intended to facilitate access to the interior of the tire, specifically the interior of the tire tread and the interior of the sidewall. The opening mechanism 80, preferably actuated by pneumatic means, has claws 81 that are inserted into the tire N through one side and, when opened, cause the sidewall of the tire N to separate, thereby facilitating access to the interior of the tire, i.e., both the interior of the tire tread and the interior of the sidewall. The claws 81 have rollers or cylinders 82 at their ends that enable the tire to rotate when the support and rotation device 5 arranged in the lower adjustment device 50, 60 causes the entire tire to rotate.

[0096] In this example, the adjustment devices 4 for adjusting the diameter of the three adjustment devices 50, 60, 70 are moved radially relative to the center of the tire as described above, each adjustment device remaining equidistant from the other adjustment devices as they move closer to or further away from the tire center, depending on the tire size. The adjustment device 3 for adjusting the width also moves on top of the adjustment device for adjusting the diameter.

[0097] Said adjustment device 3 for adjusting for width has a construction similar to that described for the first exemplary embodiment, wherein a first movable arm moves relative to a second fixed arm, the two arms being parallel and having bearings facilitating the rotation of the tire.

[0098] Likewise, the tire rests on two arranged shafts, rollers or cylinders forming the support device 5, which in the case of the lower adjustment device 50, 60 is motorized and activated by a servo motor 123. However, in the upper adjustment device 70, the support device 5 is not motorized, but has a double support system formed by two rollers spaced apart from each other, thus acting as a stop and preventing the tire from coming out of the support device due to rotation. Similarly, a non-motorized support roller 51 can be provided in the tire support device between the upper adjustment device 70 and the lower adjustment device 50, 60.

[0099] Not present Figures 5 to 8 Those elements described in this second exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be considered to be the same as those described for Figures 1 to 4 The elements are similar or identical to those described in the first example.

[0100] This second example further illustrates how the upper adjustment device 70 can be integrated with a vision system 90 formed by a camera or a profilometer and a laser. Figure 8 In, although Figure 5 and Figure 6 They can also be seen in the image, but there are several vision devices or systems 90: two located in the upper part to capture and record the tire tread, and two more located on each side of the tire to capture the tire sidewall. It can be seen how the sidewall of the tire, located on one side of the support device 10, is inspected by the vision system 90, which accesses the sidewall through the window or hollow 11 of the frame 10. Similarly, the beam emitted by the necessary laser device is observed, allowing the camera or profilometer to capture the surface with sufficient resolution.

[0101] The method of inspecting a tire by means of a vision system using the device that is the object of the present invention, in particular using the second example described, will preferably be carried out as follows:

[0102] a) Before placing the tire N in the support device 10, the reader measures the volume of the tire N to be inspected to obtain the tire size;

[0103] b) taking the tire N from its inside by means of a robotic arm via a gripper and moving it to a barcode reader in order to verify whether the manufacturing dimensions included in the barcode are consistent with the volumes measured in step a), and, if they are inconsistent, cancelling the inspection of the tire N;

[0104] c) placing the tyre N on the supporting device 10 , object of the invention, so that its clamping devices 50 , 60 , 70 are moved to adjust to the diameter and width of the tyre N;

[0105] d) the tire opening mechanism 80 incorporated into the lower adjustment device 50 separates the sidewalls of the tire N;

[0106] e) the rollers or shafts 5 of the support means of the lower adjustment device 50 begin to roll and move the tire N;

[0107] f) the vision system 90 arranged on the supporting device 10, preferably on the upper clamping device 70, starts capturing images of the outside of the tire tread, the outer sidewall of the tire N and the other outer sidewall of the tire N, one of them being performed through the hollow or window 11 in the tilting frame 10 of the device that is the object of the present invention;

[0108] g) vision systems arranged in the robot arm access the interior of said tire N, in particular those intended to inspect the interior of the tire N, specifically one for inspecting the interior of the tire tread, another for inspecting the interior of one sidewall of the tire and another for inspecting the interior of the other sidewall of the tire; and

[0109] h) After inspecting the different parts of the tire N, the captured images are stored, processed and compared with reference images of the tire N inspected by means of a computer program installed in a processor that collects all the images and data, in order to determine the viability of the inspected tire.

Claims

1. A tire support device, characterized in that: The tire supporting device comprises a frame (10) having an inclined structure with a hollow portion (11) for supporting a tire (N), and the inclined structure of the frame (10) is provided with: - at least two adjustment devices for positioning the tire (N) on the inclined structure of the frame (10), each of the at least two adjustment devices comprising: - a second adjustment device (4) which moves on the inclined structure of the frame (10) to adjust to the diameter of the tire (N); - a first adjusting device (3) placed on the second adjusting device (4) in order to adjust to the width of the tire (N); and - supporting means (5) associated with the first adjusting means (3) and intended to support the tire (N) on its tread surface, the supporting means (5) being driven by rotating means that rotate the supporting means (5) so as to rotate the tire (N) on its axis, causing the second adjusting device (4) to move on the inclined structure to adjust to the diameter of the tire (N) and simultaneously causing the first adjusting device (3) with the supporting device (5) placed on the second adjusting device (4) to move so that the supporting device (5) rotates the tire (N) after the first adjusting device (3) has adjusted to the width of the tire (N), wherein the second adjusting device (4) for adjusting the diameter of the tire comprises a support plate (40) integrally attached to the tilting structure of the frame (10), and a movable plate (41) attached to the support plate (40) so as to move the movable plate (41) from one end of the support plate (40) to the other end and adjust the position of the movable plate (41) according to the diameter of the tire, The lower adjustment device of the at least two adjustment devices includes a tire opening mechanism having at least two claws that are inserted into the interior of the tire to separate the sidewall of the tire, and Therein, the jaws have rollers or cylinders at their ends which enable the tire to rotate when the support means arranged in the lower adjustment device cause the entire tire to rotate.

2. The tire support device according to claim 1, characterized in that The inclined structure is inclined between 15° and 30° relative to a vertical plane perpendicular to the horizontal support surface of the frame (10).

3. The tire support device according to claim 1, wherein: The two adjustment devices are two lower adjustment devices and are located separately from one another in the lower part of the frame.

4. The tire support device according to claim 3, characterized in that The tire support device includes a third upper adjustment device located in the upper portion of the frame, the third upper adjustment device being equidistant from the two lower adjustment devices located in the lower portion of the frame.

5. The tire support device according to claim 1, wherein: The at least two adjustment devices include an upper adjustment device and two lower adjustment devices which are arranged equidistant from one another on an axis located at 120°.

6. The tire support device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The rotating device is the supporting device.

7. The tire support device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The supporting means or the rotating means is at least one roller located on an axis of rotation perpendicular to the inclined structure of the frame.

8. The tire support device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The first adjusting device and the second adjusting device are activated by a servo motor.

9. The tire support device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The first adjusting device (3) for adjusting the width of the tire comprises a U-shaped structure formed by two arms, a fixed arm (30) and a movable arm (31), so that the movable arm (31) moves closer to and further away from the fixed arm (30) to adjust the width of the tire.

10. The tire support device according to claim 9, wherein: A bearing (2) is incorporated in an inner portion of each of the fixed arm (30) and the movable arm (31), and the bearing (2) is attached to the side surface of the tire so as to roll with the tire when the tire is rotated so as not to cause friction.

11. The tire support device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The U-shaped arm structure is connected to the corresponding supporting device or the rotating device on the movable plate (41).

12. The tire support device according to claim 11, wherein: The second adjustment device (4) for adjusting for the diameter of the tire in the upper adjustment device of the at least two adjustment devices exhibits a vertical displacement movement of the movable plate (41).

13. The tire support device according to claim 11, wherein: In the lower adjusting device of the at least two adjusting devices, the movable plate (41) exhibits a horizontal displacement movement.

14. The tire support device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The supporting device (5) of the upper adjusting device (70) of the at least two adjusting devices is a freely rotating rotating shaft, and the supporting device (5) of the lower adjusting device of the at least two adjusting devices is a driving shaft activated by a servo motor.

15. The tire support device according to claim 2, wherein: The inclined structure is inclined at 20° relative to a vertical plane perpendicular to the horizontal support surface of the frame (10).

Images