Tire detection system, detection method, device and storage medium

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of tire detection, and provides a tire detection system, method and device and a storage medium. The system comprises a conveying line system which is used for conveying tires and comprises at least one first branch road section, a first gathering road section, at least one second branch road section, a second gathering road section, at least one third branch road section, a third gathering road section and a transfer road section; a label forming device; the label reading device reads the information label of the tire to obtain specification and dimension information; the tire classification device matches the second branch road section based on the specification and size information to transmit tires; the first tire detection device is used for initially detecting the qualified tires and conveying the qualified tires to a qualified area; the second tire detection device is used for re-detecting the unqualified tires in the initial detection; the first / second tire detection device can comprise a rotating mechanism and a visual detection assembly; and the tires which are unqualified in primary / reinspection are automatically conveyed to the corresponding qualified / unqualified areas by the corresponding road sections. Automatic multi-channel detection is achieved, and efficiency and reliability are improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of tire detection, and particularly relates to a tire detection system, a detection method, a device and a storage medium. BACKGROUND

[0002] As the only component of a vehicle in contact with the ground, the state of a tire (such as wear degree, abnormal air pressure, cracks or puncture, etc.) directly affects the driving safety, handling stability and energy consumption level of the vehicle. Therefore, timely and accurate detection of the state of the tire is a key link to ensure driving safety.

[0003] At present, tire detection technology mainly includes manual experience detection and low-automation auxiliary detection, but both have a significant problem of insufficient automation, which is difficult to meet the efficient and accurate safety requirements in modern traffic scenarios.

[0004] The method of relying only on manual experience to detect the tire is extremely low in efficiency. Manual detection plus low-automation auxiliary detection equipment can only improve the detection efficiency to a certain extent, and the core still needs to rely on manual use of equipment, and the automation degree is still low.

[0005] Therefore, the construction of an automated tire detection system has become a technical problem to be solved in the industry. SUMMARY

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a tire detection system, a detection method, a device and a storage medium to solve the problems in the related art.

[0007] This disclosure provides a tire inspection system, comprising: a conveying line system for conveying tires, including: at least one first branch road segment; a first converging road segment downstream connecting each of the first branch road segments; at least one second branch road segment downstream connecting to the first converging road segment; a second converging road segment downstream connecting each of the second branch road segments to a qualified area; at least one third branch road segment downstream corresponding to each of the second branch road segments; a third converging road segment downstream connecting each of the third branch road segments to a unqualified area; and a first transfer road segment bridging and connecting the third converging road segment and the qualified area; a tag forming device, disposed at each of the first branch road segments or upstream thereof, for setting information tags on tires passing through the first branch road segment; wherein the information tags are linked to the corresponding tire size information; a tag reading device, disposed at the first converging road segment, for reading the information tags of tires from each first branch road segment to obtain the corresponding size information; and a tire sorting device, disposed downstream of the tag reading device, for determining a match based on the size information of the passing tires. The second branch road segment is used to transport tires from the matched second branch road segment; the first tire detection device and the second tire detection device are implemented as a preset tire detection device structure, including: a rotating mechanism arranged in a horizontal circumferential direction for adjusting the tightness of clamping the tire and rotating it to drive the tire to rotate; a set of cameras respectively corresponding to the inner / outer surface of the tire for acquiring tire appearance images; a detection control unit, communicatively connected to the cameras, for detecting tire defects based on the tire appearance images to obtain the result of whether the tire is qualified; the first tire detection device is located in each of the second branch road segments for detecting whether the passing tires meet the preset standard requirements to determine whether the tires are initially qualified; wherein, tires that pass the initial inspection are transported to the qualified area by the second collection road segment, and tires that fail the initial inspection continue to be transported along the third branch road segment connected to the second branch road segment; the second tire detection device is located in each of the third branch road segments for re-inspecting the passing tires to determine whether the tires are re-inspected qualified; wherein, tires that pass the re-inspection are transported to the qualified area by the first transfer road segment, and tires that fail the re-inspection are transported to the unqualified area by the third collection road segment.

[0008] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the third converging section is connected downstream of the connection point with the first transfer section via a final inspection area to the non-conforming area; the conveying line system further includes: a second transfer section, which connects the third converging section downstream of the final inspection area to the conforming area; wherein tires that pass the final inspection are conveyed to the conforming area by the second transfer section, and tires that fail the final inspection are conveyed to the non-conforming area along the third converging section.

[0009] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the tire inspection system includes: a defect marking device, configured in conjunction with a second tire inspection device, for marking removable defect labels on defective parts of tires that fail re-inspection, for subsequent inspection.

[0010] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the tire inspection system includes: a third tire inspection device disposed in the final inspection area between the connection point of the third converging road segment and the first transfer road segment and the non-conforming area, for performing a final inspection on passing tires to determine whether the tires pass the final inspection or fail.

[0011] In an embodiment of the first aspect, in response to the satisfaction of the sampling execution conditions, the first transfer section is reversed to transport the sampled tires from the qualified area through the third converging section to the final inspection area to obtain the sampling; wherein, the sampled and qualified tires are transferred from the third converging section to the second transfer section and transported to the qualified area; the sampled and unqualified tires continue to be transported along the third converging section to the unqualified area.

[0012] In an embodiment of the first aspect, in response to satisfying the sampling execution conditions and the sampling avoidance conditions, the first transfer section is allowed to be reversed; the sampling avoidance conditions include: the minimum of the first transport time required for the tires that have passed the re-inspection by the second tire inspection device in each third branch section to reach the connection point between the first transfer section and the third convergence section must be shorter than the second transport time required for the sampled tires to be transported from the first transfer section to the third convergence section by a preset time difference.

[0013] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the preset time difference ensures that the tires that pass the re-inspection and the tires that are randomly selected are at different positions at the same time.

[0014] A second aspect of this disclosure provides a tire inspection method applied to a tire inspection system as described in any one of the first aspects. The method includes: conveying tires through the conveying line system; affixing information tags to the tires by the tag forming device; obtaining specification and size information obtained by the tag reading device from the information tags of the passing tires; determining a matching second branch road segment based on the specification and size information of the tires by the tire sorting device, and conveying the tires from the matching second branch road segment; obtaining an initial inspection result indicating whether the tires inspected by the first tire inspection device have passed the initial inspection; transferring tires that have passed the initial inspection from the second branch road segment to a qualified area by a second converging road segment, and conveying tires that have failed the initial inspection along a third branch road segment connected to the second branch road segment; obtaining a re-inspection result indicating whether the tires inspected by the second tire inspection device have passed the re-inspection; transferring tires that have passed the re-inspection from the third converging road segment to a qualified area by a first transfer road segment, and conveying tires that have failed the re-inspection along the third converging road segment to a non-qualified area.

[0015] A third aspect of this disclosure provides a control device, comprising: a communication interface, a processor, and a memory; the communication interface is used for external communication connection; the memory stores a computer program or instructions; and the processor is used to run the computer program or instructions to perform the tire detection method as described in the second aspect.

[0016] The fourth aspect of this disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions that are executed to perform the tire detection method as described in the second aspect.

[0017] As described above, this disclosure relates to the field of tire inspection technology, providing a tire inspection system, inspection method, apparatus, and storage medium. The system includes a conveyor system for transporting tires, comprising: at least one first branch section, a first converging section, at least one second branch section, a second converging section, at least one third branch section, a third converging section, and a first transfer section; a label forming device sets information labels on the tires; a label reading device reads information labels from each tire to obtain specification and size information; a tire sorting device matches the second branch section based on the specification and size information to transport tires; a first tire inspection device performs an initial inspection of tires that pass the initial inspection and transports them to a qualified area; a second tire inspection device re-inspects tires that fail the initial inspection; the first / second tire inspection devices may include a rotating mechanism and a vision inspection component; tires that fail the initial / re-inspection are automatically transported by the corresponding section to the corresponding qualified / unqualified area. Thus, an automated multi-stage tire inspection system is achieved, effectively improving efficiency and reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the tire detection system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the tire detection system according to another embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0020] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the tire detection system is shown in another embodiment of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the tire detection system in another embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0022] Figure 5 A schematic flowchart of a tire testing method according to one embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0023] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a tire detection device in one embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0024] Figure 7A schematic diagram of the structure of a computer device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0025] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a preset tire detection device in one embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this disclosure from the information disclosed herein. This disclosure can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this disclosure can be modified or changed according to different viewpoints and application modules without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this disclosure can be combined with each other.

[0027] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains can readily implement it. This disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0028] In this disclosure, references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic represented in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics represented may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or a group of embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples represented in this disclosure, as well as the features of those different embodiments or examples.

[0029] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the representation of this disclosure, "a set" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0030] For the purpose of clarity, devices unrelated to the description are omitted, and the same or similar components throughout the specification are given the same reference numerals.

[0031] Throughout this specification, when it is said that a device is "connected" to another device, this includes not only "direct connection" but also "indirect connection" by placing other components in between. Furthermore, when it is said that a device "comprises" a certain constituent element, unless otherwise stated otherwise, this does not exclude other constituent elements, but rather implies that other constituent elements may be included.

[0032] While the terms first, second, etc., are used in some examples herein to refer to various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, first interface and second interface, etc., are used. Furthermore, as used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to also include the plural forms unless the context indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” indicate the presence of the stated feature, step, operation, element, module, item, kind, and / or group, but do not exclude the presence, occurrence, or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, modules, items, kinds, and / or groups. The terms “or” and “and / or” as used herein are interpreted as inclusive, or mean any one or any combination thereof. Thus, “A, B, or C” or “A, B, and / or C” means “any one of: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B, and C.” Exceptions to this definition will only occur if the combination of elements, functions, steps, or operations is inherently mutually exclusive in some way.

[0033] The technical terms used herein are for reference only to specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. The singular form used herein includes the plural form unless the statement explicitly indicates otherwise. The word "comprising" as used in this specification means to specify a particular characteristic, region, integer, step, operation, element, and / or component, and does not exclude the presence or addition of other characteristics, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components.

[0034] Although not explicitly defined, all terms, including technical and scientific terms used herein, shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries shall be further interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the relevant technical literature and the message of the present disclosure, and shall not be over-interpreted as having an ideal or overly formulaic meaning unless otherwise defined.

[0035] Currently, tire inspection technologies are mainly divided into two categories: manual experience-based inspection and low-automation assisted inspection. However, both suffer from significant deficiencies in automation, making it difficult to meet the efficient and accurate safety requirements of modern traffic scenarios. Relying solely on manual experience to inspect tires is extremely inefficient. Adding manual labor to low-automation assisted inspection equipment can only improve inspection efficiency to a certain extent; the core still relies on manual operation of the equipment, and the level of automation remains low.

[0036] Furthermore, since inspections are primarily performed manually, the procedures are often simple and sequential, making it difficult to support complex inspection processes. For example, it's challenging to re-inspect tires that show abnormalities in a single inspection, increasing the risk of misjudging them as unqualified. Additionally, even if a single manual inspection yields a passing result, there's still a chance of misjudgment, a factor not currently considered in tire inspection systems.

[0037] Therefore, how to build an automated tire inspection system has become a pressing technical problem for the industry. Furthermore, how to build an automated tire inspection system capable of supporting complex, multi-stage inspections further increases the difficulty of implementation and presents significant technical challenges.

[0038] Therefore, this disclosure provides a tire inspection system that enables automated, multi-stage tire inspection, thereby solving the problems in related technologies. It should be noted that the term "tire" mentioned in this disclosure can refer to any tire, or other industrial product, and is not limited to tires.

[0039] like Figure 1 The diagram shown illustrates the structure of a tire detection system according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0040] exist Figure 1 The tire inspection system 100 includes: a conveying line system 110, a label forming device 120, a label reading device 130, a tire sorting device 140, a first tire inspection device 150, and a second tire inspection device 160.

[0041] The transmission line system 110 includes: at least one first branch section 1101, a first converging section 1102, at least one second branch section 1103, a second converging section 1104, at least one third branch section 1105, a third converging section 1106, and a first transfer section 1107. Figure 1In the example, the first branch segment 1101, the first converging segment 1102, the second branch segment 1103, the second converging segment 1104, the third branch segment 1105, the third converging segment 1106, and the first transfer segment 1107 are connected from upstream to downstream along the tire 200 conveying direction. In some embodiments, the conveying line system 110 can be implemented as a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt can be a belt, chain plate, mesh belt, roller, etc. Optionally, the width of the segments in the conveying line system 110 can be matched with the width of a single tire 200, so that the tires 200 can only be arranged one after another along the conveying direction and cannot be conveyed side by side, thereby reducing the problem of misjudgment and missed detection of tires 200 during subsequent detection. Of course, if multiple tires 200 can be conveyed side by side, when it is necessary to identify and distinguish their identities separately during subsequent detection, there will be higher requirements for multi-target visual recognition and the ability to accurately perform actions (such as detection, classification, transfer, etc.) that match the identities of tires 200 after visual recognition. Of course, if the "visual recognition" and the device executing the "action" are integrated or adjacent, and the tire 200 is still within the field of vision when the "action" is executed, allowing the "action" to accurately act on the matched tire 200 without misaligning it with other tires 200, then it is permissible to increase the width of the road segment, allowing multiple tires 200 to pass side by side to improve efficiency. Conversely, in localized scenarios where it is not necessary to distinguish the identity of the tires 200, it is not necessary to impose requirements on visual recognition or whether side-by-side transport is possible. For example, when transporting tires 200 in the second converging road segment 1104, it is sufficient to know that the tire is a qualified tire from any of the previous inspections; there is no need to distinguish the tires. Therefore, it is unnecessary to visually identify each qualified tire or restrict side-by-side transport; the tires can be directly delivered to the qualified area.

[0042] As an example, Figure 1The image shows multiple first branch road segments 1101. Each first branch road segment 1101 may be equipped with a label forming device 120. The label forming device 120 is used to set information labels for wheels passing through the first branch road segment 1101. In some embodiments, the information label is linked to the specification size information of the corresponding tire 200. As an example, the information label may be in the form of a text information pattern. Alternatively, the information label may also be implemented as an encoded pattern such as a barcode or QR code, which may be formed by encoding the specification size information or by encoding a network address linked to the specification size information storage location. As an example, the specification size information includes, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: tire 200 size, speed rating, load index, production date, factory code, brand trademark, tire 200 type, etc. For example, tire size 200 includes "205 / 55 R16", where "205" represents the section width of tire 200 in millimeters, meaning the width of the part of tire 200 in contact with the ground is 205 millimeters; "55" is the aspect ratio, which refers to the percentage of section height to section width of tire 200, meaning that the section height of tire 200 is 55% of the section width; "R" indicates that tire 200 has a radial tire structure, which has advantages such as low rolling resistance and fast heat dissipation; "16" represents the rim diameter in inches, indicating that tire 200 needs to be installed on a rim with a diameter of 16 inches. Of course, the specifications and dimensions may also include inner and outer diameters. For example, the speed rating can be represented by letters, corresponding to the maximum driving speed that the tire 200 can withstand, such as T (190 km / h), H (210 km / h), V (240 km / h), W (270 km / h), Y (300 km / h), etc.

[0043] In some embodiments, the information label is integrated with the tire 200. Specifically, the label forming apparatus 120 can form the information label on the surface of the tire 200 by a thermal / chemical method. As an example, the label forming apparatus 120 can be implemented as a vulcanization coding device, which can simultaneously complete coding during the vulcanization process of the rubber material of the tire 200. The information label can be made of polyester substrate and rubber-based adhesive, and after vulcanization, it is integrated with the tread of the tire 200.

[0044] The first converging road segment 1102 connects downstream to each of the first branch road segments 1101, allowing tires 200 transported in each first branch road segment 1101 to converge into the first converging road segment 1102 for continued downstream transport. The tag reading device 130 is located in the first converging road segment 1102 and is used to read the information tags of the tires 200 from each first branch road segment 1101 to obtain the corresponding size information. In some embodiments, the tag reading device 130 may include an image acquisition device (such as a camera) with a field of view covering at least a portion of the first converging road segment 1102 to acquire images of the field of view. When a tire 200 with an exposed information tag enters the field of view of the image acquisition device, it can be captured by the image acquisition device to form an acquired image, and then the size information can be obtained through image recognition. In some examples, if the information tag is presented as text information, it can be detected and recognized from the acquired image using a model such as Optical Character Recognition (OCR). Optionally, the OCR model can be trained based on a neural network, such as including an image preprocessing module, a text detection network, and a text recognition network. The image preprocessing module can improve image quality through preprocessing such as grayscale conversion, binarization, and noise reduction. The text detection network, used to detect and locate text information in the acquired image, can be implemented as a CTPN (Connectionist Text Proposal Network) or EAST (Efficient and Accurate Scene Text Detector). The text recognition network can be implemented as a CRNN (Convolutional Recurrent Neural Network). In some examples, if the information label includes an encoded pattern in the form of a one-dimensional barcode or a two-dimensional barcode, the label reading device 130 can detect and decode the encoded pattern to obtain specification and size information, or access the storage location using the decoded link address to obtain specification and size information.

[0045] In some embodiments, the tag reader 130 may include a camera whose image acquisition frequency is higher than the conveying rate of the conveyor system 110. In other embodiments, the tag reader 130 may include multiple cameras arranged side-by-side along the width of the road segment, such that their combined field of view covers the entire tire. The image acquisition frequency of the cameras in the tag reader 130 is higher than the conveying rate of the conveyor system 110.

[0046] In some embodiments, the tag forming device 120 may correspond to a tag forming processing position in the first branch road segment 1101. When the tire 200 arrives at the tag forming processing position, it can be determined by a position sensor (such as a photoelectric, magnetic, pressure, switch, vision, or other type of sensor), thereby triggering the tag forming device 120 to set the information tag.

[0047] At least one second branch road segment 1103 converges downstream to connect with the first converging road segment 1102. As an example, there can be multiple second branch road segments 1103. Each second branch road segment 1103 corresponds to a specific size or size range. For example, if there are three second branch road segments 1103, the first second branch road segment 1103 corresponds to transporting 14-18 inch tires, the second second branch road segment 1103 corresponds to transporting 19-23 inch tires, and the third second branch road segment 1103 corresponds to transporting 24-28 inch tires.

[0048] The tire sorting device 140 is located in the first converging section 1102 and downstream of the tag reading device 130. It is used to determine a matching second branch section 1103 based on the tire size information read by the tag reading device 130, and to transfer the tire 200 from the matching second branch section 1103. Optionally, the tire sorting device 140 and the tag reading device 130 can be integrated or adjacent, so that the current tire 200 whose size information has been read is directly sorted by the tire sorting device 140 without any other tires 200 in between, thus avoiding the problem of mismatch between the tire 200 whose size information has been read and the sorted tires 200. In some embodiments, the tire sorting device 140 can be implemented as a sorting mechanism, such as a mechanism that can switch the conveying direction from the first converging section 1102 to different second branch sections 1103, for example, a conveyor mechanism (such as a cross conveyor belt) or a sorting mechanism. The sorting mechanism may include at least one of the following: a swing mechanism (such as a swing arm, a swing wheel, etc.), a push / pull mechanism (pneumatic / hydraulic lever driven push / pull component, etc.), or a pick-and-place mechanism (such as a robotic arm, etc.) that can pick up and place the tire 200 from the first collection section 1102 to the matching second branch section 1103.

[0049] The tire sorting device 140 and the tag reading device 130 can communicate directly or indirectly to obtain the tire size information of the tire 200 read from the tag reading device 130. In some embodiments, the matching method can be implemented by the tire sorting device 140 matching the size information with local or remote size information classification data. For example, the size range of the tire 200 size falling into the category is determined, and then the tire is classified according to the second branch segment 1103 corresponding to the category. For example, the first second branch segment 1103 is associated with category ID A, and the size range is 14 to 18 inches. When the size information includes 16 inches, and it falls into the range of 14 to 18 inches after matching, that is, corresponding to category A, the tire sorting device 140 can perform a pre-configured or real-time planned action to sort the tire 200 from the first collection segment 1102 to the first second branch segment 1103 to complete the classification and transportation of the tire 200 with size information including 16 inches.

[0050] Each of the second branch road sections 1103 is equipped with a first tire inspection device 150. The first tire inspection device 150 is used to detect whether the passing tires 200 meet the preset standard requirements to determine whether the tires 200 have passed the initial inspection. In some embodiments, if the tires 200 are finished tires, the first tire inspection device 150 can be used to detect one or more of the following: various dimensions (such as inner / outer diameter, height, bead size) and inner / outer tread defects (such as missing rubber, delamination, cracks, bubbles) of various parts of the finished tire (such as the crown, sidewall, shoulder, bead, and inner lining). In some embodiments, the preset standard requirements may include various qualified dimensions of the tires 200 (such as inner / outer diameter range, height range, bead range, etc.) stored in advance. The first tire inspection device 150 detects the various measured dimensions of the tires 200 and compares them with the corresponding qualified dimensions to determine whether the initial inspection is qualified based on the comparison difference. In some embodiments, the first tire inspection device 150 may include a visual inspection component for appearance inspection. This visual inspection component can be used to acquire images of the tire 200's appearance and measure various dimensions of the tire 200 as described above through image recognition. It can also cooperate with a rotation mechanism that rotates the tire 200 circumferentially to inspect the inner and outer circumferential surfaces of the tire 200 to determine defects. As an example, the visual inspection component may include a camera, preferably a depth camera capable of detecting depth. The visual inspection component may also include an artificial intelligence (AI)-based detection control unit, which may be configured with a tire appearance inspection model capable of determining defects based on the input tire 200 appearance image. As an example, the tire appearance inspection model may be implemented as a deep learning-based target recognition model trained using tire defect images as training data to identify defects in tire images.

[0051] The second converging section 1104 connects downstream to each of the second branch sections 1103 and also connects downstream to a qualified area 300. Each of the third branch sections 1105 connects downstream to a corresponding second branch section 1103, meaning that each pair of corresponding second branch sections 1103 and third branch sections 1105 corresponds to the same category of tire 200 specification and size information. If the first tire inspection device 150 passes the initial inspection, the tire 200 is transported along the second converging section 1104 to the qualified area 300. If the initial inspection fails, the tire 200 continues to be transported along the corresponding connected third branch section 1105.

[0052] In some embodiments, the second converging section 1104 can transfer tires 200 that have passed initial inspection from the second branch section 1103 to the qualified area 300, and allow tires 200 that have failed initial inspection to continue being transported from the second branch section 1103 into the corresponding connected third branch section 1105. In an optional embodiment, the second converging section 1104 and the second branch section 1103 form an intersecting area. The second converging section 1104 and the second branch section 1103 can be conveyor belts with different transport directions, and their intersecting area can be connected by intersecting conveyor belts (such as cross-shaped or other shapes), so that the second branch section 1103 and the second converging section 1104 can selectively transport tires 200 in their respective transport directions in the intersecting area. The conveying direction between the third branch section 1105 and the second branch section 1103 can be the same, allowing tires 200 that fail the initial inspection to continue being conveyed along the second branch section 1103 and the third branch section 1105, or tires 200 that pass the initial inspection to be conveyed to the qualified area 300 by the second converging section 1104, which intersects with the second branch section 1103. Optionally, in other embodiments, a sorting mechanism can also be provided to help sort the tires 200 that pass and fail the initial inspection, such as sorting the tires 200 that pass the initial inspection to the second converging section 1104. As an example, the sorting mechanism includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: a swing mechanism, a push / pull mechanism (pneumatic / hydraulic lever-driven push / pull components, etc.), and a robotic arm that changes the conveying direction of the tires 200 by picking up and placing them (which may have grippers or suction cups, etc.).

[0053] Each of the third branch road sections 1105 is equipped with a second tire inspection device 160 for re-inspecting tires 200 that failed the initial inspection. In some embodiments, the second tire inspection device 160 may perform the same inspection as the first tire inspection device 150, mainly to eliminate initial inspection errors that may be caused by interference or malfunction of the first tire inspection device 150 through re-inspection. In some embodiments, the second tire inspection device 160 may perform different inspections than the first tire inspection device 150, for example, it may only re-inspect items that failed the initial inspection of the first tire inspection device 150 (such as defective parts), thereby improving the efficiency of re-inspection.

[0054] In some embodiments, for tires 200 that fail the re-inspection by the second tire inspection device 160, removable defect labels can be applied to the defective areas to allow for more efficient further inspection, processing, or repair. The defect labels can be applied manually or automatically. As an example, the tire inspection system 100 also includes a defect marking device 170, configured in conjunction with the second tire inspection device 160 (e.g., adjacent to, downstream of, or integrated into the second tire inspection device 160), to apply removable defect labels to the defective areas on the tires 200 that failed the re-inspection for subsequent inspection (e.g., final inspection based on manual / automatic methods). Optionally, the defect marking device 170 can be implemented as, for example, a robotic arm or other type of labeling mechanism, to affix an adhesive defect label to the defect location on the tire 200. As an example, the defect label can be merely an identification pattern, or it can be an coded pattern (such as a barcode or QR code) carrying defect information (e.g., one or more of the defects such as location, type, and size).

[0055] In some embodiments, the first tire detection device 150 and the second tire detection device 160 may be implemented as a preset tire detection device structure.

[0056] like Figure 8 The diagram shown illustrates the structure of a preset tire detection device in one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0057] The preset tire detection device structure includes a rotating mechanism 820 and a vision detection component 830. The vision detection component 830 includes a set of cameras 831 and a detection control unit 840. The preset tire detection mechanism may include a frame 810 for arranging the rotating mechanism 820 and the vision detection component 830.

[0058] The rotating mechanism 820 is arranged horizontally circumferentially and is used to adjust the tightness of the tire clamping mechanism and rotate it to drive the tire to rotate. In this embodiment, the rotating mechanism 820 includes multiple extrusion rotating wheels 821 arranged at the same horizontal height. The multiple extrusion rotating wheels 821 form a tire receiving space for clamping the tire. The tire receiving space can be connected to a tire conveying mechanism (such as a conveyor belt) to receive the conveyed tire. The side of the extrusion rotating wheel 821 that contacts the tire can be a curved surface that matches the shape of the tire surface. The extrusion rotating wheel 821 is connected to a motion mechanism 850, which can be connected to make horizontal translations under the action of the motion mechanism 850, so that the tire can be adjusted to be extruded inward or released outward. The extrusion can rotate horizontally about a vertical axis to drive the tire to rotate through friction. As an example, the upper end of the extrusion rotating wheel 821 is connected to the motion mechanism 850, which can be a zigzag-shaped (such as a V-shaped) swing arm that can open and close horizontally. Each swing arm is connected to one end of a compression rotating wheel 821, then in Figure 8 The diagram shows four extrusion rotating wheels 821 connected to the four ends of two swing arms. Of course, the number of extrusion rotating wheels 821 can be varied according to requirements, such as the tire size. For example, if three sets of V-shaped swing arms are arranged along the horizontal circumference, with one end of each swing arm connected to an extrusion rotating wheel 821, then six extrusion rotating wheels 821 are used. Therefore, the number of extrusion rotating wheels 821 is not limited to the diagram. Some of the multiple extrusion rotating wheels 821 can be driving wheels, others driven wheels, or all can be synchronously rotating driving wheels.

[0059] A set of cameras 831 are respectively positioned on the inner and outer surfaces of the tire to capture images of the tire's appearance. Specifically, the set of cameras 831 can be arranged inside, outside, below, or above the tire's mounting space. When the tire is rotated by the compression rotating wheel 821, each tire acquisition unit is equivalent to capturing complete images of the tire's inner, outer, lower, and upper surfaces along the circumferential direction.

[0060] The detection control unit 840, communicatively connected to the camera 831, is used to detect tire defects based on tire appearance images to determine whether the tire is qualified. In some embodiments, the detection control unit 840 may be configured with a tire appearance detection model, which can determine defects based on the input tire appearance image. As an example, the tire appearance detection model may be implemented as a deep learning-based target recognition model trained using tire defect images as training data, to identify defects in tire images. In some embodiments, the detection control unit 840 may also be communicatively connected to mechanisms in the device to control their movement to cooperate with detection. For example, controlling the movement of the compression rotating wheel 821, the shooting of the camera 831, the movement of the motion mechanism 850, or the actions of other components.

[0061] In some embodiments, the camera 831 located inside the tire mounting space may be equipped with an opening mechanism 860, which can perform vertical expansion or contraction movements to open the tire from the inside to the top and bottom so that the camera 831 can capture images of the inner surface of the tire. In some embodiments, the camera 831 located inside the tire mounting space is movable, for example, it can swing up and down, so as to capture images of the inner surface of the tire more comprehensively.

[0062] The third converging section 1106 connects downstream to each of the third branch sections 1105 to collect and transport the tires 200 output from each third branch section 1105. The third converging section 1106 connects to a downstream non-conforming area 400 for transporting tires 200 that fail re-inspection to the non-conforming area 400. The first transfer section 1107 bridges the third converging section 1106 and the conforming area 300 for transporting tires 200 that pass re-inspection to the conforming area 300.

[0063] It is worth mentioning that the tires 200 in different second branch road sections 1103 and third branch road sections 1105 have different specifications. Therefore, the preset standard requirements used by the first tire detection device 150 in different second branch road sections 1103 are different, and the preset standard requirements used by the second tire detection device 160 in different third branch road sections 1105 are also different. For example, the standard inner / outer diameters of 14-18 inch tires, 19-23 inch tires, and 24-28 inch tires are different.

[0064] In some embodiments, the first transfer section 1107 can transfer tires 200 that have passed re-inspection from the third collection section 1106 to the qualified area 300, and allow tires 200 that have failed re-inspection to continue being transported from the third collection section 1106 to the unqualified area 400. In an optional embodiment, the first transfer section 1107 and the third collection section 1106 form an intersecting area. The first transfer section 1107 and the third collection section 1106 can be conveyor belts with different conveying directions, and the intersecting area between them can be connected by intersecting conveyor belts (such as cross-shaped or other shapes), so that the third collection section 1106 and the first transfer section 1107 can selectively transport tires 200 in their respective conveying directions in the intersecting area. Optionally, in other embodiments, a sorting mechanism can also be provided to help sort the tires 200 that have passed re-inspection, such as sorting the tires 200 that have passed re-inspection to the second collection section 1104. As an example, the sorting mechanism includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: a swing mechanism, a push / pull mechanism (push / pull member driven by pneumatic / hydraulic lever, etc.), a robotic arm that changes the conveying direction of the tire 200 by picking up and putting down (which may have a gripper or suction cup, etc.).

[0065] Therefore, through the tire inspection system 100 in this embodiment, information tags can be set on tires 200 in the first branch road segment 1101, and the tires 200 passing through the first convergence road segment 1102 can read the information tags to obtain specification and size information, and classify the tires 200 to the matching second branch road segment 1103 for transmission according to the specification and size information. When a tire 200 passes the initial inspection by the first tire inspection device 150, it is transferred to the second convergence road segment 1104 and transported to the qualified area 300 for storage. When a tire 200 fails the initial inspection by the first tire inspection device 150, it continues to be transported through the third branch road segment 1105 connected to the second branch road segment 1103. Tires 200 that fail the initial inspection are re-inspected by the second tire inspection device 160 in the third branch road segment 1105. If tire 200 passes the re-inspection by the second tire inspection device 160, it is transferred to the first transfer section 1107 and transported to the qualified area 300 for storage; if tire 200 fails the re-inspection by the second tire inspection device 160, it is transported to the unqualified area 400 via the third branch section 1105 for storage. In some embodiments, the first transfer section 1107 may be directly connected to the qualified area 300, or it may be connected to the second convergence section 1104 to transport tires from the second convergence section 1104 to the qualified area 300.

[0066] Additionally, the tire detection system 100 may also include position sensors (such as photoelectric, magnetic, pressure, switch, or vision sensors) corresponding to at least some of the aforementioned devices for determining whether the tire 200 is in position. Alternatively, the position sensor may be integrated into at least some of the devices. For example, the first / second tire detection device may integrate a camera, which can determine whether the tire 200 is in position based on the position and orientation of the tire 200 within the camera's field of view. Alternatively, an external camera may be used to capture images and determine whether the tire 200 is in position corresponding to the first tire detection device 150.

[0067] It is understood that the tire inspection system 100 can automate the inspection of tires 200, including automated transport of tires 200, classification by specifications, initial inspection, re-inspection, and placement of tires into qualified area 300 and unqualified area 400 according to the inspection results. Therefore, compared to manual inspection or inspection methods using semi-automatic auxiliary equipment, it can significantly improve the inspection efficiency of tires 200 and enable multiple inspections to reduce the probability of misjudgments.

[0068] like Figure 2 The diagram shown illustrates the structure of a tire detection system according to another embodiment of this disclosure.

[0069] exist Figure 2 In this embodiment, the tire detection system 100 also includes Figure 1 The embodiment includes a conveyor system 110, a tag forming device 120, a tag reading device 130, a tire sorting device 140, a first tire detection device 150, and a second tire detection device 160. The difference lies in... Figure 2 In this embodiment, the third converging section 1106, downstream of the connection point with the first transfer section 1107, is further connected to the defective area 400 via a final inspection area 500. The final inspection area 500 can be used to perform final inspections on tires to compensate for possible errors during initial and re-inspections, further improving reliability. Optionally, the final inspection can be performed manually or by automated equipment. Tires 200 that pass the final inspection are transported to the qualified area 300 via the second transfer section 1108, while tires 200 that fail the final inspection are transported to the defective area 400 along the third converging section 1106.

[0070] In some embodiments, the second transfer section 1108 can transfer tires 200 that pass final inspection from the third collection section 1106 to the qualified area 300, and allow tires 200 that fail final inspection to continue being transported from the third collection section 1106 to the unqualified area 400. In an optional embodiment, the second transfer section 1108 and the third collection section 1106 form an intersecting area. The second transfer section 1108 and the third collection section 1106 can be conveyor belts with different conveying directions, and their intersecting area can be connected by intersecting conveyor belts (such as cross-shaped or other shapes), so that the third collection section 1106 and the second transfer section 1108 can selectively transport tires 200 in their respective conveying directions in the intersecting area. Optionally, in other embodiments, a sorting mechanism can also be provided to help sort the tires 200 that pass final inspection, such as sorting the tires 200 that pass final inspection to the second collection section 1104. As an example, the sorting mechanism includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: a swing mechanism, a push / pull mechanism (push / pull member driven by pneumatic / hydraulic lever, etc.), a robotic arm that changes the conveying direction of the tire 200 by picking up and putting down (which may have a gripper or suction cup, etc.).

[0071] It is understandable that tires 200 that fail the re-inspection are highly likely to have defects. Therefore, maintaining the same transport direction in the third collection section 1106 and naturally connecting them to the defective area 400, while allowing tires 200 that initially failed the re-inspection but passed (with a low probability) to be "transferred" via the first transfer section 1107, can effectively reduce the number of times the first transfer section 1107 operates, thus reducing losses and energy costs. Figure 2 In this embodiment, the probability of a tire 200 that fails the final inspection being defective is higher. Therefore, the third collection section 1106 is naturally connected to the defective area 400, while the tire 200 that fails the final inspection but is misjudged in the initial and re-inspections is transported in a different direction through the second transfer section 1108. This can effectively reduce the number of times the second transfer section 1108 is operated, thereby reducing losses and energy costs.

[0072] In an optional embodiment, tires 200 that fail the re-inspection can be labeled with defect tags corresponding to suspected defective areas. If the final inspection area 500 is inspected manually, it facilitates efficient inspection by personnel based on the defective areas indicated by the defect tags, effectively improving final inspection efficiency. In an optional embodiment, if the final inspection area 500 is equipped with an automated third tire inspection device, the third tire inspection device may include a vision inspection component and may be equipped with a label removal device. The vision inspection component is used to observe the tire appearance and determine defects, and its implementation has been illustrated in the detection principle of the first tire inspection device in the previous embodiment. The label removal device can be used in conjunction with the vision inspection component, which acts as an "eye" to identify the location of the defective label, and the label removal device is used to remove the defective label. In some embodiments, the label removal device may include a label removal mechanism, such as a robotic arm, capable of tearing off defective labels.

[0073] Similarly to the previous embodiments, in optional embodiments, the third tire detection device, the tag removal device, etc., can also be integrated with or externally mounted as a position sensor to determine whether the tire 200 has reached the corresponding position. For example, the third tire detection device has a third detection position, and the tag removal device has a tag removal position, etc.

[0074] Therefore, in Figure 2 The tire inspection system 100 in this embodiment can compensate for misjudgments caused by errors in both the initial inspection and the re-inspection by adding a final inspection process, thereby further improving the reliability of tire 200 inspection.

[0075] like Figure 3 The diagram shows a structural schematic of a tire detection system in another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0076] Figure 3 Based on Figure 2 The structure is implemented as described in this embodiment. Since there is a relatively high probability of misjudging tires 200 that pass the initial inspection in the qualified area 300, there may be a need to conduct random inspections of the tires 200 in the qualified area 300. The random inspection of tires 200 and the classification based on the inspection results can be completed using the first transfer section 1107 and the second transfer section 1108, which are located relatively upstream and downstream, respectively. Figure 3 In this embodiment, the first transfer segment 1107 is capable of bidirectional transport. That is, in Figure 2 In this embodiment, the first transfer section 1107 transports qualified tires 200 from the third convergence section 1106 towards the qualified area 300. Figure 3 In this embodiment, the first transfer section 1107 can also reverse the flow of the inspected tires 200 from the qualified area 300 to the third collection section 1106.

[0077] When tire 200 needs to be randomly inspected, the first transfer section 1107 is controlled to rotate in reverse, transporting the tire 200 to be inspected from the qualified area 300 to the third collection section 1106. When the position of the tire 200 transported in reverse from the first transfer section 1107 to the third collection section 1106 is before the final inspection area 500, the tire 200 will be sent to the final inspection area 500 via the third collection section 1106 for inspection by a third tire inspection device (or manually), thus completing the inspection. Tires 200 that pass the inspection can be transported to the qualified area 300 via the second transfer section 1108, while tires 200 that fail the inspection can be transported to the unqualified area 400 via the third collection section 1106. After the first transfer section 1107 reverses to complete the transport of the tire 200, it can resume forward rotation.

[0078] In some embodiments, the qualified area 300 can be divided into a first sub-area, a second sub-area, and a third sub-area, respectively corresponding to the initial inspection qualified, re-inspection qualified, and final inspection qualified tires, so as to facilitate the sampling of tires that have passed the initial inspection and re-inspection qualified from the first sub-area and the second sub-area for testing. Accordingly, in order to distinguish the initial inspection qualified, re-inspection qualified, and final inspection qualified tires 200 entering the qualified area 300, the qualified area 300 needs to be provided with independent interfaces to connect to the second transport section, the first transfer section 1107, and the second transfer section 1108, respectively. In a further embodiment, by distinguishing the initial inspection qualified, re-inspection qualified, and final inspection qualified sub-areas, when selecting the tires 200 to be sampled, the sampling quantity / frequency can be selected according to the probability of misjudgment. For example, if the probability of misjudging the initial inspection qualified tires 200 is higher than that of the re-inspection qualified tires 200, then the sampling quantity / frequency of tires 200 sampled from the second sub-area can be lower than that of tires 200 sampled from the first sub-area.

[0079] exist Figure 3 In this embodiment, since the first transfer section 1107 requires bidirectional transport, the timing of its rotation in both directions needs to be controlled. The most direct consideration is the conflict between the bidirectional transport requirements of the first transfer section 1107. For example, tires 200 that have passed re-inspection from each of the third branch sections 1105 need to be transported to the qualified area 300 via the forward rotation of the first transfer section 1107. During the period when the re-inspected tires 200 occupy the forward rotation of the first transfer section 1107, the first transfer section 1107 cannot be triggered by a random inspection event to rotate in the opposite direction. Alternatively, if the first transfer section 1107 is occupied by a random inspection event and rotates in the opposite direction to transport the tires 200 to be inspected, the re-inspected tires 200 cannot enter the first transfer section 1107 during this period.

[0080] Therefore, in some embodiments, since the priority of random inspection is actually weaker than the priority of sending the re-inspected qualified tires 200 into the qualified area 300, random inspection avoidance conditions can be set for the timing of random inspection execution, so that the first transfer segment 1107 is allowed to be reversed in response to the satisfaction of the random inspection execution conditions and the random inspection avoidance conditions. For example, the random inspection avoidance conditions include: the minimum of the first transport time required for the tires 200 that have passed the re-inspection by the second tire detection device 160 in each of the third branch segments 1105 to reach the connection point between the first transfer segment 1107 and the third convergence segment 1106 must be shorter than the second transport time required for the randomly inspected tires 200 to be transported from the first transfer segment 1107 to the third convergence segment 1106, which is a preset time difference.

[0081] For example, suppose there are three third branch road sections 1105. Since the conveying speed in the conveying line system 110 is known, let's call it v. And the distance from the outlet A of each second tire inspection device 160 to the inlet B of the first transfer road section 1107 can also be measured in advance, let's call it d. Then, the complete time T = d / v for each re-inspected qualified tire 200 output by the second tire inspection device 160 to reach B can be obtained. Therefore, as long as the output time (let's call it t0) of each re-inspected qualified tire 200 output by the outlet A of the second tire inspection device 160 is recorded, the remaining time for each re-inspected qualified tire 200 to reach B can be calculated based on the current time t, t0, and T, i.e., te = T - (t - t0).

[0082] Therefore, given that there are currently three third branch road segments 1105, let the earliest qualified re-inspection tires 200 that have not yet reached point B (based on te>0 as a condition) be P1, P2, and P3, respectively. Calculate their remaining time as te1, te2, and te3, assuming te3>te1>te2, meaning P2 will arrive at B first. At the current moment, decide whether to perform a random inspection. Since the forward and reverse speeds and spacing of the first transfer road segment 1107 are predictable, let's say v1 and d1, we can pre-calculate the reference time T1=d1 / v1 for the randomly inspected tire P4 to reach B from the first transfer road segment 1107. Compare T1 with the smallest of te2 among te1, te2, and te3 to determine if T1 is shorter than te2, thus achieving the effect that "if the randomly inspected tire P4 is currently being transported, P4 will arrive at B before P1, P2, and P3," avoiding conflicts. Furthermore, if the preset time difference is too small, P2 and P4 may collide at point B. Therefore, the preset time difference should at least ensure that the re-inspected tire 200 and the sampled tire 200 are staggered in their positions at the same time to avoid collision. Specifically, the preset time difference can be calculated based on the length of the tire 200 in the conveying direction and the conveying speed, so that P2 only arrives at B at least after P4 has arrived at B and moved relative to B, thus P4 and P2 can be staggered to avoid collision.

[0083] The sampling inspection avoidance condition can be used to decide whether a sampling inspection can be performed at any given time. Whether a sampling inspection is necessary can be determined based on other pre-set sampling inspection execution conditions, such as executing at a frequency of preset time intervals or executing when the number of qualified tires in the initial / re-inspection batch reaches a threshold. For example, when the tire inspection system 100 is running, it starts a timer to count. A sampling inspection needs to be performed every x hours. When a sampling inspection is required, it is determined whether the sampling inspection avoidance condition is met. If it is met, the sampling inspection is performed. If it is not met (for example, T1 is greater than any one or more of te1, te2, and te3), it waits for a certain delay time (such as y minutes, which can be up to x hours, i.e., skipping one cycle) before making a decision until the current sampling inspection is completed. Then, the timer is reset and the count starts again. Alternatively, sensors can be installed in the qualified area 300 (e.g., photoelectric, magnetic, pressure, switch, vision, etc. sensors can be installed at the interface of the qualified area 300). If it is necessary to correspond to the tires 200 that have passed the initial inspection, re-inspection, and final inspection, then a sensor can be installed at each interface of the corresponding first, second, and third sub-areas to sense the tires 200 that have passed the initial inspection, re-inspection, and final inspection entering the qualified area 300, and count them using a counter. When the number of tires 200 that have passed the initial inspection and re-inspection reaches a preset threshold, such as Z, it is determined that a random inspection is required. When a random inspection is required, it is determined whether the random inspection avoidance condition is met; if it is met, the random inspection is performed; if it is not met (e.g., T1 is greater than any one or more of te1, te2, and te3), a certain delay time (e.g., y minutes) is waited before making a decision until the random inspection is completed, and then the counter is reset to start counting again.

[0084] Understandably, reusing the conveyor system 110 of the tire inspection system 100 can achieve initial inspection, re-inspection, and final inspection, while also enabling random sampling of qualified tires 200, further improving inspection reliability and achieving cost reduction without modifying the conveyor system structure. Simultaneously, a sampling execution mechanism based on sampling execution conditions and collision avoidance conditions for determining the feasibility of sampling actions can avoid conflicts when reusing the conveyor system 110 (such as the first transfer section 1107), effectively improving the reliability of the tire inspection system 100.

[0085] like Figure 4 The diagram shows a structural schematic of a tire detection system in another embodiment of this disclosure.

[0086] In this embodiment, the tire detection system 100 may further include a control device 180, which may be communicatively connected to at least the conveyor system 110, the tag forming device 120, the tag reading device 130, the tire sorting device 140, the first tire detection device 150, and the second tire detection device 160.

[0087] As an example, the control device 180 can control the operation of individual sections in the transmission line system 110, such as starting, stopping, rotation direction, speed, etc.

[0088] As an example, the control device 180 can send the content of the information tags to be formed to the tag forming device 120.

[0089] As an example, the control device 180 can obtain the specification and size information from the tire 200 information tag read by the tag reading device 130 and send it to the tire sorting device 140 to trigger it to sort the tire 200 according to the specification and size information. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the tag reading device 130 and the tire sorting device 140 can communicate directly, and the tire sorting device 140 can sort the tires according to the tire 200 arrival signal and the specification and size information of the arrived tires 200 transmitted by the tag reading device 130.

[0090] As an example, the control device 180 can obtain the initial inspection pass / fail result of the tire 200 from the first tire inspection device 150, and select the second convergence section 1104 / second branch section 1103 to transport the tire 200 according to the initial inspection pass / fail result of the tire 200.

[0091] As an example, the control device 180 can obtain the re-inspection pass / fail result of the tire 200 from the second tire inspection device 160, and select the third collection section 1106 or the first transfer section 1107 to transport the tire 200 according to the re-inspection pass result of the tire 200.

[0092] Optionally, the control device 180 can also be communicatively connected to the defect marking device 170 to transmit the defect location information contained in the re-inspection failure result to the defect marking device 170, so that it can set a defect label at the corresponding defect location on the tire 200. Alternatively, the defect marking device 170 can also be communicatively connected to the second tire inspection device 160 to set labels for the defect locations based on the defect location information contained in the acquired re-inspection failure result.

[0093] Optionally, the control device 180 may also be pre-configured with the sampling inspection mechanism, which controls the execution of the sampling inspection action according to the sampling inspection execution conditions and the sampling inspection avoidance conditions, including controlling the bidirectional rotation of the first transfer section 1107.

[0094] Optionally, the control device 180 can also be communicatively connected to a third tire inspection device. The control device 180 can obtain the final inspection pass / fail result of the tire 200 from the third tire inspection device, and based on the final inspection pass result of the tire 200 (or the random inspection pass result), instruct the second transfer section 1108 to transfer the tire 200 to the qualified area 300.

[0095] It should be noted that, Figure 4 The centralized communication architecture with the control device 180 as the central node in this embodiment is just one example. It can be varied in other embodiments, such as using a distributed communication architecture where each device shares some of the functions of the control device 180. For instance, the control device 180, based on the information transmitted by the tag reading device 130, notifies the tire sorting device 140 to perform sorting, acting as a "bridge" between the tag reading device 130 and the tire sorting device 140. This function can also be directly replaced by the communication interaction between the tag reading device 130 and the tire sorting device 140, and is not limited by the presence of the control device 180.

[0096] In some embodiments, the control device 180 may be implemented as a host computer (such as a server group, server, desktop computer, laptop computer, mobile terminal, industrial control computer, etc.) or a controller (such as a PLC, etc.).

[0097] like Figure 5 The diagram illustrates a flowchart of a tire inspection method according to one embodiment of this disclosure. This tire inspection method is applied to the tire inspection system in any of the previous embodiments. The principle of the tire inspection system has been described in detail in other embodiments, and therefore will not be repeated in this embodiment. Optionally, the tire inspection method may be... Figure 4 The control device in the middle executes the program, or is connected by communication. Figure 4 It is executed by a distributed system composed of other devices in the system.

[0098] The tire testing method includes:

[0099] Step S501: Transport the tires through the conveyor system.

[0100] Step S502: The label forming device applies an information label to the tire.

[0101] Step S503: Obtain the specification and size information obtained by the label reading device from the information label on the tire.

[0102] Step S504: The tire sorting device determines the matching second branch road segment based on the tire's specification and size information, and transports the tire from the matching second branch road segment.

[0103] Step S505: Obtain the preliminary inspection result of whether the tires inspected by the first tire inspection device have passed the preliminary inspection.

[0104] Step S506: The tires that pass the initial inspection are transferred from the second branch road section to the qualified area by the second converging road section, and the tires that fail the initial inspection are transported along the third branch road section connected to the second branch road section.

[0105] Step S507: Obtain the re-inspection result of whether the tires detected by the second tire inspection device have passed the re-inspection.

[0106] Step S508: The tires that pass the re-inspection are transferred from the third collection section to the first transfer section and transported to the qualified area, and the tires that fail the re-inspection are transported along the third collection section to the unqualified area.

[0107] In some embodiments, the specific implementation of the method embodiment can vary in steps depending on the function of the detection system, for example, corresponding to... Figure 3 The implementation example sets up steps related to random inspection, such as: judging whether the conditions for random inspection execution and the conditions for random inspection avoidance are met step by step. If all conditions are met, the first transfer section is reversed to complete the transportation of the tires to be inspected, and then the forward rotation is resumed.

[0108] like Figure 6 The diagram shows a schematic representation of a tire detection device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. It should be noted that the principle and technical implementation of the tire detection device can refer to the tire detection methods and control devices in previous embodiments, therefore, they will not be repeated in this embodiment.

[0109] exist Figure 6 The tire detection device 600 includes:

[0110] The conveying control module 601 is used to convey tires through the conveying line system.

[0111] The label forming module 602 is used to set information labels on the tire by the label forming device.

[0112] The tag reading module 603 is used to obtain the specification and size information obtained by the tag reading device from the information tag on the tire.

[0113] The classification control module 604 is used to determine a matching second branch road segment based on the tire's specification and size information through the tire classification device, and to transport the tire from the matching second branch road segment.

[0114] The first detection control module 605 is used to detect the passing tires through the first tire detection device to obtain a preliminary inspection result indicating whether the preliminary inspection is qualified.

[0115] The conveying control module 601 is used to transfer tires that pass the initial inspection from the second branch road section to the qualified area via the second converging road section, and to convey tires that fail the initial inspection along the third branch road section connected to the second branch road section.

[0116] The second detection control module 606 is used to obtain the re-inspection result of whether the tires detected by the second tire detection device have passed the re-inspection.

[0117] The conveying control module 601 is used to transfer tires that pass the re-inspection from the third converging section to the qualified area via the first transfer section, and to transport tires that fail the re-inspection along the third converging section to the unqualified area.

[0118] It should be noted that, in Figure 6 The various functional modules in the embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, they can be implemented, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program or instruction set. A computer program or instruction set includes one or a set of computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the flow or function according to this disclosure is generated, in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another.

[0119] and, Figure 6 The apparatus disclosed in the embodiments can be implemented through other modular division methods. The apparatus embodiments shown above are merely illustrative. For example, the module division is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, a group of modules or modules may be combined or dynamically integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the shown or discussed mutual coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection may be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or modules may be electrical or other forms.

[0120] in addition, Figure 6 The functional modules and sub-modules in the embodiments can be dynamically integrated within a single processing unit, or each module can exist physically independently, or two or more modules can be dynamically integrated within a single unit. These dynamic units can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules. If these dynamic units are implemented as software functional modules and sold or used as independent tires, they can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. This storage medium can be a read-only memory, a disk, or an optical disk, etc.

[0121] It should be specifically noted that the flowchart representations of the embodiments described above in this disclosure can be understood as representing modules, segments, or portions of code comprising one or more sets of executable instructions configured to implement specific logical functions or processes. Furthermore, the scope of the preferred embodiments of this disclosure includes additional implementations in which functions may be performed not in the order shown or discussed, including substantially simultaneously or in reverse order depending on the functions involved.

[0122] For example, Figure 5 The order of the steps in the method embodiment may vary in specific scenarios and is not limited to the above representation.

[0123] like Figure 7 The diagram shown illustrates the structure of a computer device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0124] The computer device 700 can be exemplified as a central node in a centralized communication architecture, and can be implemented as a host computer (such as a server group, server, desktop computer, laptop computer, mobile terminal, industrial control computer, etc.) or a controller (such as a PLC, etc.).

[0125] The computer device 700 includes a bus 701, a processor 702, and a memory 703. The processor 702 and the memory 703 can communicate via the bus 701. The memory 703 can store computer programs or instructions. The processor 702 implements the method flow or function of the previous embodiments by running the computer program or instructions in the memory 703, for example... Figure 5 The tire detection method in this embodiment. As an optional example, the computer device 700 in this embodiment can be used to implement the control device 180 in the previous embodiment.

[0126] Bus 701 can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Buses can be categorized as address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of representation, although only one thick line is used in the diagram, this does not indicate that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0127] In some embodiments, processor 702 may be implemented as a central processing unit (CPU), microprocessor unit (MCU), system on chip (System on Chip), or field-programmable array (FPGA). Memory 703 may include volatile memory for temporary data storage during program execution, such as random access memory (RAM).

[0128] The memory 703 may also include non-volatile memory for data storage, such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, hard disk drive (HDD), or solid-state disk (SSD).

[0129] In some embodiments, the computer device 700 may further include a communication interface 704. The communication interface 704 is used for communication with external devices. In specific examples, the communication interface 704 may include one or more wired and / or wireless communication circuit modules. For example, the communication interface 704 may include one or more of, for example, a wired network card, a USB module, a serial interface module, etc. The wireless communication protocols followed by the wireless communication module include, for example, Nearfield communication (NFC) technology, Infrared (IR) technology, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Time-Division Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Bluetooth (BT), Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), etc.

[0130] This disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions, which, when executed, implement the method flow or function of any of the previous embodiments, for example... Figure 5 Tire testing methods in China.

[0131] That is, the method steps in the above embodiments are implemented as software or computer code that can be stored in a recording medium (such as CD ROM, RAM, floppy disk, hard disk or magneto-optical disk), or implemented as computer code that is originally stored in a remote recording medium or a non-transitory machine-readable medium and will be stored in a local recording medium after being downloaded via a network, so that the method represented herein can be stored in such software processing on a recording medium using a general-purpose computer, a special processor or programmable or special hardware (such as ASIC or FPGA).

[0132] This disclosure may also provide a computer program tire, in which one or more computer programs or instructions are executed, wholly or partially, to perform the processes or functions described in this disclosure. The computer program tire includes one or more computer programs or instructions.

[0133] Computer programs or instructions can be stored in a readable storage medium or transferred from one readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The readable storage medium can be any available medium capable of access, or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video optical disc; or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium can be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or it can include both volatile and non-volatile types of storage media.

[0134] In summary, this disclosure relates to the field of tire inspection technology, providing a tire inspection system, inspection method, apparatus, and storage medium. The system includes a conveyor system for transporting tires, comprising: at least one first branch section, a first converging section, at least one second branch section, a second converging section, at least one third branch section, a third converging section, and a first transfer section; a label forming device sets information labels on the tires; a label reading device reads information labels from each tire to obtain specification and size information; a tire sorting device matches the second branch section based on the specification and size information to transport tires; a first tire inspection device performs an initial inspection of tires that pass the initial inspection and transports them to a qualified area; a second tire inspection device re-inspects tires that fail the initial inspection; the first / second tire inspection devices may include a rotating mechanism and a vision inspection component; tires that fail the initial / re-inspection are automatically transported by the corresponding section to the corresponding qualified / unqualified area. Thus, an automated multi-stage tire inspection system is achieved, effectively improving efficiency and reliability.

[0135] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this disclosure and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in this disclosure should still be covered by the protection scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A tire inspection system, characterized in that, include: A conveying line system for conveying tires includes: at least one first branch section, a first converging section downstream connecting each of the first branch sections, at least one second branch section downstream connecting to the first converging section, a second converging section downstream connecting each of the second branch sections to a qualified area, at least one third branch section downstream corresponding to each of the second branch sections, a third converging section downstream connecting each of the third branch sections to a non-qualified area, and a first transfer section bridging the third converging section and the qualified area; A tag forming device is provided at each of the first branch road segments or its upstream location, for setting information tags on tires passing through the first branch road segment; wherein the information tag is linked to the specification and size information of the corresponding tire; A tag reading device is installed at the first converging road section to read the information tags of tires from each first branch road section in order to obtain the corresponding specification and size information; A tire sorting device, located downstream of the tag reading device, is used to determine a matching second branch road segment based on the specification and size information of the passing tires, and to transfer the tires from the matching second branch road segment. The first tire inspection device and the second tire inspection device are implemented as a preset tire inspection device structure, including: a rotating mechanism arranged in a horizontal circumferential direction for adjusting the tightness of clamping the tire and rotating it to drive the tire to rotate; a vision inspection component including a set of cameras respectively set on the inner / outer surface of the tire for acquiring tire appearance images; and an inspection control unit communicatively connected to the cameras for detecting tire defects based on the tire appearance images to obtain the result of whether the tire is qualified. The first tire inspection device is installed in each of the second branch road sections to detect whether the passing tires meet the preset standard requirements in order to determine whether the tires have passed the initial inspection; wherein, tires that pass the initial inspection are transported to the qualified area by the second collection road section, and tires that fail the initial inspection continue to be transported along the third branch road section connected to the second branch road section. The second tire inspection device is installed in each of the third branch road sections to re-inspect the passing tires to determine whether the tires have passed the re-inspection; wherein tires that have passed the re-inspection are transported to the qualified area by the first transfer road section, and tires that have failed the re-inspection are transported to the unqualified area by the third convergence road section.

2. The tire inspection system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The third converging road section is connected to the non-conforming area downstream of the connection point with the first transfer road section via the final inspection area; The conveying line system further includes: a second transfer section, which connects the third collection section downstream of the final inspection area to the qualified area; Among them, tires that pass the final inspection are transported to the qualified area via the second transfer section, while tires that fail the final inspection are transported to the unqualified area via the third collection section.

3. The tire inspection system according to claim 1, characterized in that, include: The defect marking device, in conjunction with the second tire inspection device, is used to apply removable defect labels to defective areas on tires that fail re-inspection, for subsequent inspection.

4. The tire inspection system according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, include: A third tire inspection device is installed in the final inspection area between the connection point of the third convergence section and the first transfer section and the non-conforming area, for performing a final inspection on passing tires to determine whether the tires pass or fail the final inspection.

5. The tire inspection system according to claim 2, characterized in that, In response to the fulfillment of the sampling inspection conditions, the first transfer section is reversed to transport the sampled tires from the qualified area through the third collection section to the final inspection area to obtain the sampling inspection; wherein, the qualified tires are transferred from the third collection section to the second transfer section and transported to the qualified area; the unqualified tires continue to be transported along the third collection section to the unqualified area.

6. The tire inspection system according to claim 5, characterized in that, In response to the fulfillment of the sampling execution conditions and the sampling avoidance conditions, the first transfer segment is allowed to be reversed; The sampling inspection avoidance conditions include: the minimum of the first transport time required for the tires that have passed the re-inspection by the second tire inspection device in each third branch road section to reach the connection point between the first transfer road section and the third convergence road section must be shorter than the second transport time required for the sampled tires to be transported from the first transfer road section to the third convergence road section, which is a preset time difference.

7. The tire inspection system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The preset time difference ensures that the tires that pass the re-inspection and the tires that are randomly selected for inspection arrive at different positions at the same time.

8. A tire inspection method, characterized in that, The method, applied to the tire inspection system as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, comprises: Tires are transported via the aforementioned conveyor system; The label forming device applies information tags to the tires; The label reading device reads the specification and size information obtained from the information label on the tire; The tire sorting device determines a matching second branch road segment based on the tire's size and specifications, and then transports the tire from the matching second branch road segment. Obtain the initial inspection result of whether the tires inspected by the first tire inspection device have passed the initial inspection; transfer the tires that have passed the initial inspection from the second branch road section to the qualified area via the second converging road section; and transport the tires that have failed the initial inspection along the third branch road section connected to the second branch road section. Obtain the re-inspection results of whether the tires inspected by the second tire inspection device have passed the re-inspection; Tires that pass the re-inspection are transferred from the third collection section to the first transfer section and transported to the qualified area, while tires that fail the re-inspection are transported along the third collection section to the unqualified area.

9. A control device, characterized in that, include: Communication interface, processor, and memory; The communication interface is used for external communication connections; The memory stores computer programs or instructions; The processor is configured to run the computer program or instructions to perform the tire detection method as described in claim 8.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, It stores a computer program or instructions that are executed to perform the tire testing method as described in claim 8.

Images