Bead forming system with dedicated set-up area

Abstract

A bead forming system for forming a tire bead can include the following: a housing (110); a first bead former (102) configured to facilitate formation of a tire bead; and a base (118) secured to the first bead former, wherein the first bead former includes a bead receiving surface rotatable relative to the base. The base can be adjustable such that the first bead former (102) is movable from a first position to a second position. The first position can be on a first side of the housing and the second position can be on a second side of the housing. A second bead former (104) can be in the second position when the first bead former is in the first position, wherein the second bead former is in the first position when the first bead former is in the second position.

Description

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 981,221, filed on February 25, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0003] Vehicle tires typically have two annular bead rings at the innermost diameter, which provide hoop strength and structural integrity. The bead also provides stiffness where the tire is mounted to the rim. Beads are usually manufactured by winding a wire into grooves on the outer circumference of a chuck or roller (often called a forming machine). Beads can also be formed from a single wire.

[0004] Typically, a single manufacturing facility can produce several different sizes and shapes of tire beads. Existing equipment may not be able to form more than one type of tire bead, therefore each of these facilities requires multiple machines, each associated with a specific type of tire bead. Other equipment may be adjustable to accommodate different types of tire beads, but the adjustment process can be cumbersome and require significant machine modifications (resulting in downtime). For example, the forming machine typically associated with a specific tire bead type must be removed and replaced. Forming machines are generally heavy equipment and can require considerable time to remove and replace, thus increasing costs and production time when adjusting the machinery to accommodate different tire beads.

[0005] Therefore, an improved bead forming system may be needed, with a forming device that offers improved efficiency and ease of use. Attached Figure Description

[0006] The embodiments of this disclosure can be better understood by referring to the following figures and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, but are used to emphasize the principles of this disclosure. Furthermore, in the figures, the same reference numerals indicate similar or identical features.

[0007] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing a bead forming system according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0008] Figure 2 It is a display Figure 1 A top view of the tire bead forming system.

[0009] Figure 3 It is a display Figure 1 A front view of the bead forming system.

[0010] Figure 4 This is a perspective view showing the setting side of the housing that provides setting space for a bead forming system according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0011] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the setting side of the housing for a bead forming system having an automatic setting device, according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0012] Figure 6 It is a display Figure 1 A perspective view of a part of the bead forming system.

[0013] Figure 7 It is a display Figure 1 A side view of a portion of the bead forming system and a diagram of the movement path of the bead former, which represents the space traversed by the former during base plate rotation according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0014] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the housing of a bead forming system according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0015] Figure 9 This is a diagram showing another embodiment of a bead forming system having multiple manufacturing areas according to certain aspects of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0016] This embodiment is described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are represented by like symbols. The relationship and function of the various elements of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to those shown in the figures. It should be understood that in some cases, details unnecessary for understanding the invention, such as conventional manufacturing and assembly, have been omitted.

[0017] It is worth noting that, in addition to the features (and their variations) described below, the system described herein can be combined with off-the-shelf equipment and technologies for forming annular bead rings, such as components from commercially available products like the SWS-6000 single-line bead winding system and / or the TDS-860 bead winding system, both of which are manufactured by Bartell Machinery Systems, LLC in Rome, New York. Incorporating certain existing components can provide backward compatibility with certain mechanical parts, thereby reducing upfront costs for some customers.

[0018] Please refer to the attached image now. Figure 1 A perspective view of a bead forming system 100 for forming at least one tire bead is shown. Figure 2 A top view of the bead forming system 100 is shown. Figure 3 The front view of the system is shown. Figures 1 to 3The bead forming system 100 described herein, and its variations, can have the capability to produce tire beads of various sizes. Furthermore, as discussed in detail below, the bead forming system 100 can advantageously rotate the first bead forming device 102 between an operating position and a loading or setting position. When the first bead forming device 102 is in a first position 106 (e.g., for bead manufacturing), the second bead forming device 104 can be in a second position 108, whereby the second bead forming device 104 can be manipulated to subsequently manufacture beads of a specific size. When appropriate, the first bead forming device 102 and the second bead forming device 104 can be interchanged, thereby allowing beads with different characteristics (e.g., different diameters) to be formed by the associated bead winding equipment.

[0019] Such features are advantageous for providing a quick and efficient way to configure the bead forming system 100 to form beads with different characteristics (e.g., different sizes) while reducing machine downtime relative to other systems. For example, while other systems must be shut down for a considerable period of time (e.g., several hours in some cases) when changing bead sizes, this embodiment provides a method that allows this setup to occur with little or no machine downtime. For example, the only required machine downtime may occur when the first bead forming machine 102 and the second bead forming machine 104 switch positions (which may be less than 15 seconds in some exemplary embodiments). A system with this capability may also occupy less space relative to its manufacturing capacity (e.g., increased output per system due to less downtime).

[0020] like Figures 1 to 3As shown, the housing 110 can form a large portion of the bead forming system 100. For example, the housing can be formed from a sheet of metal. In the described configuration, a first bead former 102 is located at a first position 106 on a first side 112 of the housing 110, and a second bead former is located at a second position 108 on a second side of the housing 110. The first position 106 can be the location where the respective bead former engages with the bead winding device 116. That is, when the first bead former 102 (and / or the second bead former 104) is located at the first position 106, its position is appropriately close to the bead winding device 116 so that a bead can be formed on the first bead former 102. The second position 108 may lack the bead winding device. Alternatively, the second position 108 may include setting equipment (as described below) and / or suitable ground space for manual setting so that the bead former in this position can be adjusted for future manufacturing of a bead with specific features. It is worth noting that the first bead forming device 102 and the second bead forming device 104 can be operated independently (e.g., the operation / rotation of one does not affect the other), so that bead formation on the first bead forming device 102 does not affect the setting procedure of the second bead forming device 104, and vice versa.

[0021] The base 118 can be secured to the first bead forming device 102 and / or the second bead forming device 104. For example, during a bead winding operation in the described direction, when at least one tire bead is formed on the bead receiving surface 120 of the first bead forming device 102, the base 118 can remain substantially stationary (i.e., locked in place). During this bead formation, the first bead forming device 102 can rotate relative to the base 118. Simultaneously, the second bead forming device 104 can remain substantially stationary (or at least unaffected by the rotation of the first bead forming device 102), thereby allowing the setting process to occur.

[0022] Once the bead winding on the first bead formulator 102 is complete (and / or the second bead formulator 104 is set up), the base 118 can be rotated or otherwise moved, thereby exchanging positions of the first bead formulator 102 and the second bead formulator 104. Once exchanged, the second bead formulator 104 can be located at a first position 106 on a first side of the housing 110 (for forming a bead using the second bead formulator 104), while the first bead formulator 102 can be located at a second position 108 on a second side of the housing 110 (e.g., it can be reconfigured here to form different bead types if needed).

[0023] The setup area 122 may be located on the second side 114 of the housing 110. In some embodiments (such as...) Figure 4In the proposed implementation, the setup area 122 may simply include sufficient floor space for retooling the bead formulator, which may be occupied by tools, bead formulator components, workstations, and / or other equipment for use by workers with expertise in bead formulator setup. Additionally or alternatively, at least one robot or other automated retooling mechanism may be included. Figure 5 In the described embodiments, a robotic arm 124 is included. The robotic arm 124 can be configured to change the second bead former 104 between a first bead setting and a second bead setting, wherein these bead settings are associated with different bead features. For example, the robotic arm can change the size of the second bead former 104 (in the described orientation) so that, when appropriate, the second bead former 104 can be moved to a first position 106 (discussed above, see...). Figure 2 The robotic arm 124 is preparing to immediately begin manufacturing a bead with the desired characteristics (which may differ from the bead previously manufactured on the second bead forming machine 104). For illustration, the robotic arm 124 is... Figure 5 The chuck section 125 is moved into place (it may be replacing the previous chuck section).

[0024] Figure 6 A portion of the bead forming system 100 is shown, wherein the housing 110 (see Figure 1 It does not exist. The base casing is also not present. Figure 6 Within the line of sight, the base assembly 126 of the base is shown. The base 118 may include actuators for operating the first bead forming device 102 and the second bead forming device 104 (and note that the second bead forming device 104 is shown in a smaller setting in this figure). For example, a first actuator 128 may be included for rotating the first bead forming device 102 about the bead forming device axis 132. A second actuator 130 may be included for controlling the radial position of at least one bead receiving surface 120 (with a groove 136) of the first bead forming device 102 (e.g., such that the bead receiving surface 120 can move in and out of engagement with the bead). Similar or identical actuators may be associated with the second bead forming device 104. Optionally, the actuators associated with the first bead forming device 102 and the actuators associated with the second bead forming device 104 may operate completely independently, so that operation of one bead forming device does not affect the other (as discussed above).

[0025] The base 118 can also be rotatable (e.g., by attaching to a rotatable base plate 138, as discussed in more detail below). For example, the base 118 can be rotatable around a base axis 134 (in... Figure 7(As shown in the diagram) It is rotatable. As described above, this rotation can be used to move the first bead forming device 102 and / or the second bead forming device 104 between the operating position and the setting position. Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the base axis 134 can be perpendicular to the bead forming device axis 132. It should be noted that the base axis 134 can be at an angle relative to true vertical (where "true horizontal" is defined as a plane parallel to the ground and determined by the Earth's gravity, and "true vertical" is defined as a direction perpendicular to "true horizontal"). For example, the base axis 134 can be at an angle of at least 5 degrees, such as at least 15 degrees, such as at least 30 degrees (or greater) relative to true vertical. Such an angle ensures that no contact occurs between the bead forming device and the winding equipment during the movement of the bead forming device. That is, refer to... Figure 7 (The figure shows the space 140 that may be occupied during the rotation of the bead former.) The path of the first former 102 does not interfere with any bead winding device 116 or other components. This feature is advantageous compared to some other embodiments because the bead winding device 116 can remain fixed in place during the movement of the bead former, rather than being moved, which can further improve the efficiency of the bead forming system 100 by further reducing downtime.

[0026] Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of the housing 110 and base plate 138 of the bead forming system 100 is shown. The base plate 138 is rotatable relative to the described housing assembly and may include a top surface 142 fixed to the base 118 (discussed above). The top surface 142 may be substantially planar and may remain in a plane during rotation. Therefore, the axis of rotation of the base plate 138 (which may define the base axis, discussed above) may be perpendicular to the top surface of the base plate 138. Such an arrangement may be advantageous for providing predictable and stable rotation of the base plate 138 (and therefore the base 118 and the associated bead forming device, as described above).

[0027] Although not shown in the diagram, base plate 138 and / or base 118 ( Figure 1 Another component of the connection can be driven via an actuator such as a pneumatic or hydraulic actuator and an electric motor. For example, when an actuator is included, it can be fixed to the housing. Alternatively, it is conceivable that the base plate 138 can be manually rotated by a human operator. In such an embodiment, the base plate 138 preferably includes a locking device so that it can be fixed and not rotated relative to the housing, at least when the bead is formed.

[0028] Figure 8It is also explained that the housing 110 can have various openings when appropriate. For example, a first housing opening 144 can be located on a first side 112 of the housing 110, and a second housing opening 146 can be located on a second side of the housing 110. Therefore, when the bead forming device is in Figure 2 In the first position 106, the first housing opening can accommodate the bead forming device, while in the corresponding second position 108, the second housing opening 146 can accommodate the bead forming device. Although only two openings are included, additional openings are also considered (e.g., in the case where three or more bead forming devices are attached to the base, and / or in the case of multiple setting stations).

[0029] Figure 9 Another embodiment of the bead forming system 200 is shown. Figure 9 The process includes two manufacturing stages. For example, a set of bead winding equipment 216 may be located on the first side of housing 210, and a set of vertex application equipment 217 (which looks similar to equipment 216, but may be quite different in practice) may be located on the first side 212 of housing 210. A base (similar to or the same as the base 118 discussed above) may be included for switching the positions of the first bead former 202 and the second bead former 204 in a manner consistent with the above embodiments (and their variations). Advantageously, multiple steps of the tire forming process can be completed without human intervention. Although only two stages are described in this example, it is conceivable to connect three or more formers to base 218, and thus three or more manufacturing stages (and / or setup stages) may be included. When two formers are included, a common drive shaft may be used to rotate these formers (however, this feature is optional, and separate actuators may be ideal).

[0030] While various embodiments of the invention have been described, the invention is not limited except as provided in the appended claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, the advantages described herein are not necessarily the only advantages of the invention, and it is not necessarily expected that every embodiment of the invention will achieve all of the described advantages.

[0031] Without limitation, the subject matter of this disclosure may also relate to one or more of the following aspects (and combinations thereof):

[0032] In a first aspect, a bead forming system for forming a tire bead may include: a housing; a first bead forming device configured to facilitate the formation of a tire bead; and a base fixed to the first bead forming device, wherein the first bead forming device includes a bead receiving surface rotatable relative to the base. The base may be adjustable, thereby allowing the first bead forming device to move from a first position to a second position. The first position may be on a first side of the housing, while the second position may be on a second side of the housing. When the first bead forming device is in the first position, the second bead forming device may be in the second position, wherein when the first bead forming device is in the second position, the second bead forming device is in the first position.

[0033] When the first bead former is in a first position, it can engage with one or more bead winding mechanical components. When the first bead former is in a second position, it is located within a setting area. The setting area may include at least one robotic component configured to switch between a first bead setting and a second bead setting.

[0034] The bead receiving surface can surround the axis of the bead forming device, wherein the first bead forming device can rotate relative to the base about its own axis. The base can be rotatable about its own axis, and the base axis can be perpendicular to the axis of the first bead forming device. The base axis can be at an angle relative to true perpendicularity.

[0035] The base can be fixed to the surface of the base plate, wherein the surface of the base plate is rotatable to move the first bead forming device between a first position and a second position. When the base plate rotates, the surface of the base plate can be held in a plane, wherein the plane is at an angle relative to the true horizontal. The rotation of the base plate can be controlled via at least one actuator fixed to the housing.

[0036] The housing may include a first opening and a second opening, the first opening being located on a first side of the housing and accommodating a bead when the first bead forming device is in a first position, and the second opening being located on a second side of the housing and accommodating a bead when the first bead forming device is in a second position.

[0037] The base may include a first actuator for rotating the first bead forming device about the bead forming device axis, and the base includes a second actuator for controlling the radial position of the bead receiving surface of the bead.

[0038] In a second aspect, a bead forming system for forming a tire bead may include: a bead forming device configured to facilitate tire bead formation; and a base fixed to the bead forming device, wherein the bead forming device includes a bead receiving surface rotatable relative to the base about a first axis. The base may be rotatable about a second axis, thereby allowing the bead forming device to move from a first position to a second position.

[0039] The first axis can be perpendicular to the second axis.

[0040] The second axis can be at a certain angle relative to the true perpendicular.

[0041] The first position can be on the first side of the housing and correspond to the first housing opening, while the second position can be on the second side of the housing and correspond to the second housing opening.

[0042] When the bead forming device is in the first position, it can engage with one or more bead winding mechanical components.

[0043] When the bead forming device is in the second position, the bead forming device can be located in the setting area.

[0044] In a third aspect, a bead forming system for forming a tire bead may include one or more of the following: a housing having a first side and a second side; and a base connected to a first formulator and a second formulator. The first formulator may be located on the first side of the housing, while the second formulator may be located on the second side of the housing. The base may be rotatable, thereby allowing the first formulator to move to the second side of the housing.

[0045] In addition to the features mentioned in each of the individual aspects listed above, some embodiments may individually or in combination display optional features mentioned in the dependent aspects and / or disclosed in the description and figures above.

Claims

1. A bead forming system for forming tire beads, comprising: case; A first bead forming device is configured to facilitate the formation of the tire bead; and A base is fixed to the first and second bead forming devices, wherein the first bead forming device includes a bead receiving surface rotatable relative to the base. The base is adjustable, allowing the first bead forming device to move from a first position to a second position, and the second bead forming device to move from a second position to a first position. The first position is on a first side of the housing, and the second position is on a second side of the housing; Wherein, when the first bead forming device is in the first position, the first bead forming device is engaged with one or more bead winding mechanical components, and the second bead forming device is in the second position; when the first bead forming device is in the second position, the first bead forming device is located in the setting area, and the second bead forming device is in the first position. The setting area is configured to set a bead forming device located at the second position, so that the set bead forming device is configured to form a tire bead with preset features after moving to the first position.

2. The bead forming system of claim 1, wherein the setting area includes at least one robotic component configured to change the first bead forming device between a first bead setting and a second bead setting.

3. The bead forming system of claim 1, wherein the bead receiving surface surrounds the axis of the bead forming device, and wherein the first bead forming device is rotatable relative to the base about the first bead forming device axis.

4. The bead forming system according to claim 3, wherein the base is rotatable about a base axis, and the base axis is perpendicular to the axis of the first bead forming device.

5. The bead forming system according to claim 4, wherein the base axis is at a certain angle relative to the true vertical.

6. The bead forming system of claim 1, wherein the base is fixed to the surface of the base plate, and wherein the surface of the base plate is rotatable to move the first bead forming device between the first position and the second position.

7. The bead forming system of claim 6, wherein the surface of the base plate remains in a plane when the base plate rotates, and wherein the plane is at an angle relative to the true horizontal.

8. The bead forming system of claim 6, wherein the rotation of the base plate is controlled by at least one actuator fixed to the housing.

9. The bead forming system of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a first opening and a second opening, the first opening being located on a first side of the housing and receiving a bead when the first bead forming device is in the first position, and the second opening being located on a second side of the housing and receiving the bead when the first bead forming device is in the second position.

10. The bead forming system of claim 1, wherein the base includes a first actuator for rotating the first bead forming device about an axis of the bead forming device, and wherein the base includes a second actuator for controlling the radial position of the bead receiving surface of the bead.

11. A bead forming system for forming tire beads, comprising: A first bead forming device is configured to facilitate the formation of the tire bead; and A base, which is fixed to the first and second bead forming devices, wherein the first bead forming device includes a bead receiving surface rotatable about a first axis relative to the base. The base is rotatable about a second axis, so that the first bead forming device can be moved from a first position to a second position, and the second bead forming device can be moved from a second position to a first position. Wherein, when the first bead forming device is in the first position, the first bead forming device is engaged with one or more bead winding mechanical components, and the second bead forming device is in the second position; when the first bead forming device is in the second position, the first bead forming device is located in the setting area, and the second bead forming device is in the first position. The setting area is configured to set a bead forming device located at the second position, so that the set bead forming device is configured to form a tire bead with preset features when moved to the first position.

12. The bead forming system of claim 11, wherein the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis.

13. The bead forming system of claim 11, wherein the second axis is at an angle relative to the true perpendicular.

14. The bead forming system of claim 11, wherein the first position is on a first side of the housing and corresponds to a first housing opening, and wherein the second position is on a second side of the housing and corresponds to a second housing opening.

15. A bead forming system for forming a tire bead, comprising: A housing having a first side and a second side; and The base, which is connected to the first and second molding machines, The first molding device is located on the first side of the housing. The second molding device is located on the second side of the housing, and The base is rotatable, so that the first molding unit can be moved to the second side of the housing, and the second molding unit can be moved to the first side of the housing; Wherein, when the first forming device is located on the first side of the housing, the first forming device engages with one or more bead winding mechanical components, and the second forming device is located on the second side of the housing; when the first forming device is located on the second side of the housing, the first forming device is located in the setting area, and the second forming device is located on the first side of the housing; The setting area is configured to house a forming device located on the second side of the housing, such that the set forming device is configured to form a tire bead with preset features when moved to the first side of the housing.

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