Pre-pressed hot-pressed marking tape for tire sidewall tread patterns and uneven surfaces, and its usage method

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of marking tape technology, and particularly relates to a pre-formed hot-pressed marking tape adapted to tire sidewall patterns and convex / concave surfaces. It includes a supporting base layer, one side surface of which is provided with several independently arranged release functional layers. Each release functional layer has a flexible marking unit on its side facing away from the supporting base layer. The flexible marking unit has the ability to adapt to the deformation and adhesion of tire sidewall tread patterns and embossed lettering. This invention, through its self-adapting flexible marking unit design, fundamentally solves the core defect of existing ink transfer and hot stamping processes that can only create markings in blank areas of the tire sidewall. It can perfectly adapt to non-flat areas such as tire sidewall patterns and embossed lettering, eliminating the need to reserve a dedicated blank area for marking. This fully aligns with the current industry trend of personalized tires, narrow-width tires with limited blank areas on the sidewall, and the random marking of moving points, thus fully releasing the design space of the tire sidewall.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of marking tape technology, and particularly relates to pre-made hot-pressed marking tapes adapted to tire sidewall patterns and uneven surfaces. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the automotive industry, especially the large-scale popularization of new energy vehicles, the market's requirements for tire driving safety, NVH performance, and ride comfort continue to increase. Tire uniformity and dynamic balance are core indicators that directly affect the overall performance of tires and are also mandatory pre-shipment testing items in the global tire industry. After the tires have completed the uniformity and dynamic balance testing, corresponding uniformity and dynamic balance marking points need to be made at the corresponding positions on the tire sidewall based on the calibration data from the test feedback. This is used for the subsequent precise matching and assembly of the tire and rim and is an indispensable key process in the entire tire production process.

[0003] Currently, the mainstream method for producing tire sidewall movement markings in the tire industry is ink transfer printing, which mainly consists of two technical routes: one is stamp-type transfer printing, where a transfer head with a specific pattern presses ink into the ink cartridge and then directly transfers the ink pattern to the blank area on the tire sidewall; the other is color pigment strip hot stamping, where a special hot stamping head with a customized pattern heats and stamps a thin layer of pigment from a color pigment strip onto the blank area on the tire sidewall.

[0004] Both of the aforementioned existing processes have inherent technical defects that are difficult to overcome and are no longer suitable for the current development trend of the tire industry. First, both processes rely heavily on leaving a sufficient continuous and flat blank area on the tire sidewall: to ensure that the ink layer dries quickly after transfer and to avoid scratches and back-sticking contamination of the markings during production line flow, both processes require an extremely thin transfer ink layer; however, when the thin ink layer is transferred to the tread area and embossed area on the tire sidewall, it is very easy to cause problems such as pattern breakage and blurred outlines. At the same time, the ink layer in the recessed areas will be absorbed by the black tire sidewall rubber to form a dark surface, while the color of the raised areas is normal, resulting in serious overall color difference of the markings, which cannot meet the basic requirements of stable recognition.

[0005] Secondly, current tire products are increasingly trending towards personalized design and performance visualization. More and more tire products feature large-area decorative patterns, brand embossed text, and functional embossed structures on the sidewall, such as the mainstream commercial velvet sidewall pattern and dynamic dot pattern. At the same time, the market share of low-profile, narrow-width tires continues to increase. These trends have directly led to a significant reduction in the blank area on the tire sidewall that can be used for marking. Furthermore, the calibration position of the dynamic marking points is randomly determined based on the actual test data of a single tire and cannot be fixed within a limited blank area. Existing processes can no longer meet the actual needs of large-scale tire production.

[0006] Furthermore, with the full automation upgrade of tire and rim assembly processes, OEMs have generally adopted machine vision recognition to replace manual identification of marking points. However, the markings made in non-blank areas by existing processes have inherent defects such as pattern breaks, uneven color differences, and blurred outlines, which can easily cause machine recognition failures, leading to unplanned production line shutdowns. This seriously affects the production efficiency and automation level of tire assembly and has become a common technical pain point that urgently needs to be solved in the tire manufacturing industry.

[0007] In response to the above problems, some improved technical solutions have emerged in the industry, such as Chinese utility model patents with announcement numbers CN208180561U and CN208180560U, which disclose the relevant structure of tire hot stamping film. However, such solutions still have many unresolved technical defects: First, the release layer adopts a strip-shaped full-coverage design with the same area as the base film, which not only causes a large amount of ineffective consumption of release material and significantly increases the product production cost, but also the full-coverage release layer has a background color, which will seriously interfere with the photoelectric sensing light transmission of the uniform marking equipment and cannot be compatible with most mainstream detection marking equipment in the industry; Second, such solutions require an additional white backing layer to meet the machine recognition requirements of the marking, which increases the film structure and production process, further increasing the manufacturing cost; Third, the marking patterns of such solutions are limited to dots or rings, which cannot adapt to the customized marking pattern needs of different tire companies and OEMs, and the scope of application is severely limited.

[0008] In summary, existing tire sidewall marking technologies, whether traditional ink transfer printing or improved hot stamping film solutions, cannot simultaneously address the industry's core needs of marking to adapt to the uneven areas of the tire sidewall, reduce production costs, be compatible with all types of inspection and identification equipment, and adapt to customized patterns. This has become an industry bottleneck restricting the automation upgrade of tire production and the development of free tire sidewall design. There is an urgent need to develop a new marking tape technology to break through the existing technological bottlenecks. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to address the industry pain points of existing tire sidewall dynamic marking technology, such as inability to adapt to tire sidewall patterns and raised / recessed lettering areas, easy breakage of markings with large color differences, low machine recognition rate, material waste and photoelectric interference caused by full-coverage of release layer, high cost due to the need for additional backing layer, and limited marking patterns. The invention provides a pre-formed hot-pressed marking tape that adapts to tire sidewall patterns and raised / recessed surfaces.

[0010] In view of this, the present invention provides a pre-formed hot-pressed marking strip adapted to the sidewall pattern and uneven surface of a tire, including a supporting base layer, wherein a plurality of independently arranged release functional layers are provided on one side surface of the supporting base layer, and each release functional layer is provided with a flexible marking unit on the side opposite to the supporting base layer. The flexible marking unit has the ability to adapt to the deformation and fit of the tire sidewall tread pattern and the surface of the lettering. The flexible marking unit includes a pre-made pattern functional layer and an adhesive functional layer that are stacked sequentially in the direction away from the load-bearing base layer. The release functional layer is provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the flexible marking unit, and its coverage area matches the outline of the corresponding flexible marking unit, so as to allow the flexible marking unit to detach from the surface of the supporting base layer as a whole under hot pressing conditions. The pre-patterned functional layer is prepared using a flexible ink system to maintain pattern continuity when hot-pressed onto the uneven surface of the tire sidewall, forming a mark that can be reliably recognized by the machine.

[0011] Preferably, the release functional layer is prepared using an organosilicon resin / acrylic composite emulsion and is printed onto the surface of the substrate by screen printing or gravure printing; the outer contour of the release functional layer is proportionally enlarged to the outer contour of the corresponding flexible marking unit, and the outer contour dimension of the release functional layer is larger than the outer contour dimension of the adhesive functional layer.

[0012] Preferably, the flexible ink system used in the pre-patterned functional layer is a rubber-type elastic ink or a polyurethane-type flexible ink.

[0013] Preferably, the pre-made pattern functional layer is a marker pattern of a preset shape, and the marker pattern includes at least one of solid circles, hollow circles, pentagrams, triangles, squares or customized letter patterns.

[0014] Preferably, the ink in the pre-patterned functional layer is a solid color ink or a combination color ink.

[0015] Preferably, a black ink layer for enhancing photoelectric recognition effect is provided between the pre-patterned functional layer and the adhesive functional layer.

[0016] Preferably, the supporting base layer is made of polyester film or glassine paper, wherein the thickness of the polyester film is 0.015-0.125 mm, and the basis weight of the glassine paper is 60-120 g / m².

[0017] Preferably, the side of the supporting base layer away from the flexible marking unit is coated with an anti-stick layer, which is prepared using a silicone oil or fluorine coating system to prevent the marking tape from sticking back in the roll state.

[0018] Preferably, the adhesive functional layer is prepared using a rubber-based hot melt adhesive or a polyurethane-based adhesive.

[0019] The method for using pre-made dot heat-pressed marking tape adapted to the tire sidewall tread pattern and uneven surface, used for creating sidewall markings after tire uniformity and dynamic balance testing before leaving the factory, involves the following steps: S1 Calibration and Alignment: For tires that have completed uniformity and dynamic balance tests, the target marking position on the tire sidewall is calibrated based on the test feedback data. The flexible marking unit of the hot-pressed marking tape is aligned with the target marking position so that the marking tape adheres to the tire sidewall surface. The target marking position includes the tire sidewall blank area, tread area, and raised lettering area. S2 Hot Press Transfer: A flat hot press head is used to apply hot pressure to one side of the base layer of the marking tape. The hot pressing time is controlled to be 1-5 seconds, so that the aligned flexible marking unit is completely separated from the base layer, and completely transferred and covered and adhered to the tire sidewall surface at the target marking position, forming a continuous, complete, and uniform marking that can be automatically recognized by the machine.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this invention are: This invention, through its flexible marking unit design with built-in deformation and adhesion capabilities, fundamentally solves the core defect of existing ink transfer and hot stamping processes that can only create markings in the blank areas of the tire sidewall. It can perfectly adapt to non-flat areas such as tire sidewall patterns and raised or recessed lettering, without the need to reserve a dedicated blank area for marking. It fully adapts to the current industry development trend of personalized tires, narrow tires with less blank area on the sidewall, and random marking of moving marking points, thus fully releasing the design space of the tire sidewall.

[0021] The pre-patterned functional layer, prepared using a flexible ink system, combined with the overall deformation and adhesion capability of the flexible marking unit, can adaptively deform with the concave and convex structure of the tire sidewall during hot pressing transfer, completely wrapping the concave and convex patterns and text. This avoids the problems of pattern breakage, light absorption and blackening in concave areas, and huge color differences that occur in traditional thin ink layers at concave and convex positions. At the same time, it ensures the color saturation and outline integrity of the marking, enabling a high machine automatic recognition rate on the wheel rim automatic assembly line and avoiding the risk of production line stoppage due to poor marking.

[0022] The design adopts a release layer that corresponds one-to-one with the flexible marking unit and is independently arranged, replacing the existing technology's full-coverage release layer solution with the same area as the base film. On the one hand, it eliminates the interference of the full-coverage release layer on the photoelectric sensing light transmission of the uniform marking equipment from the root, and is compatible with most mainstream testing and marking equipment in the industry. On the other hand, it greatly reduces the ineffective waste of release material, significantly reduces product production costs, and improves the production efficiency of marking tape.

[0023] The prefabricated marking unit structure only requires a universal flat hot press head to complete the transfer, eliminating the need for customized hot stamping heads or transfer heads based on the marking pattern. This significantly reduces the equipment investment and changeover and debugging costs for tire companies. At the same time, the marking transfer can be seamlessly integrated with the existing tire dynamic testing production line without the need to modify the original production line's flow rhythm, perfectly adapting to the high-speed requirements of large-scale tire production. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional layered structure of Example 1 of the pre-formed hot-pressed marking strip adapted to the tire sidewall pattern and uneven surface proposed in this invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the distribution of flexible marking units of the pre-made hot-pressed marking strip that adapts to the tread pattern and uneven surface of the tire sidewall, as proposed in this invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional layered structure of Example 2 of the pre-formed hot-pressed marking strip adapted to the tire sidewall pattern and uneven surface proposed in this invention.

[0025] The markings in the diagram are as follows: 1. Anti-stick layer; 2. Load-bearing base layer; 3. Release layer; 4. Black ink layer; 5. Pre-made pattern layer; 6. Adhesive layer. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0027] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. For ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following drawings denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it need not be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0028] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and are not limited in number; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0029] It should be noted that in the description of this application, the directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this application. The directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0030] It should be noted that, in this application, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and apparatuses in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may also include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Additionally, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples. Example 1:

[0031] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 A pre-formed hot-pressed marking strip adapted to tire sidewall patterns and uneven surfaces includes a supporting base layer 2. One side surface of the supporting base layer 2 is provided with several independently arranged release functional layers 3 with a thickness of 0.01-0.2mm. Each release functional layer 3 has a flexible marking unit on the side facing away from the supporting base layer 2. The flexible marking unit has the ability to adapt to the deformation and adhesion of the tire sidewall tread pattern and lettering surface. The flexible marking unit includes a pre-formed pattern functional layer 5 with a thickness of 0.02-0.25mm and an adhesive functional layer 6 with a thickness of 0.02-0.3mm, which are stacked sequentially along the direction away from the bearing base layer 2. For the flat tire sidewall, a thin adhesive layer with a thickness of 0.02mm can be used to save costs; for the deep tread pattern tire sidewall, a thick adhesive layer with a thickness of 0.3mm can be used for stronger embedding. The release functional layer 3 is provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the flexible marking unit, and its coverage area matches the outline of the corresponding flexible marking unit, so as to allow the flexible marking unit to detach from the surface of the supporting base layer 2 as a whole under hot pressing conditions. The pre-patterned functional layer 5 is prepared using a flexible ink system to maintain the integrity of the pattern when it is hot-pressed onto the uneven surface of the tire sidewall, forming a mark that can be reliably recognized by the machine.

[0032] It comprehensively solves the core industry pain points of existing tire sidewall markings, which can only be made in blank areas, broken markings at the positions of embossed patterns / letters, uneven color differences, and low machine recognition rates. It achieves stable marking of the entire sidewall area (including patterns and embossed letters), perfectly adapting to the current industry status quo of personalized tires, narrow tires with few blank areas on the sidewall, and random marking of moving marking points.

[0033] The independently arranged flexible marking units have their own deformation and fitting capabilities, and can adapt to the concave and convex structure of the tire sidewall to achieve complete wrapping of patterns and concave and convex letters. This avoids the problems of pattern breakage, light absorption and blackening in concave areas, and huge color difference that occur in traditional thin ink layers at concave and convex positions, thus ensuring the integrity of the marking.

[0034] The release layer 3, which is set one-to-one with the marking unit, replaces the existing full-coverage release layer scheme. During hot pressing, the marking unit can be completely detached as a whole, while eliminating the interference of the full-coverage release layer on photoelectric sensing and making it compatible with more models of uniform motion marking equipment.

[0035] The pre-designed pattern of the flexible ink system can maintain the integrity of the pattern during the hot-press transfer process, ensuring the color saturation and recognizability of the marking. It can achieve a high machine automatic recognition rate in the automatic assembly line of wheel rims and avoid production line stoppages caused by poor marking.

[0036] The prefabricated marking unit structure only requires a uniform flat hot press head to complete the transfer, eliminating the need for a custom hot stamping head / transfer head for the corresponding pattern, which greatly reduces equipment matching costs and improves marking efficiency.

[0037] In the example of this application, the release functional layer 3 is prepared using an organosilicon resin / acrylic composite emulsion with a solid content of 25%-35%, a room temperature release force of 10-20g / 25mm, and a hot (120-160℃) release force ≤5g / 25mm. It is printed on the surface of the substrate 2 by screen printing or gravure printing. The outer contour of the release functional layer 3 is proportionally enlarged to the outer contour of the corresponding flexible marking unit, and the outer contour size of the release functional layer 3 is larger than the outer contour size of the adhesive functional layer 6.

[0038] As a preferred example of the present invention, an organosilicon resin / acrylic composite emulsion is used as the substrate of the release functional layer 3, which takes into account both excellent hot release performance and room temperature adhesion performance: under hot pressing conditions, the flexible marking unit can be completely separated from the supporting base layer 2 without adhesion or pattern residue; during room temperature storage, transportation and unwinding, the adhesion stability of the flexible marking unit on the supporting base layer 2 can be guaranteed, and there will be no premature detachment or displacement. This solves the defects of existing release materials, such as large differences in release force between hot and cold states and unstable performance.

[0039] The release functional layer 3 is prepared by screen printing or gravure printing, which can control the coating position, outline size and thickness uniformity of the release layer, realize the alignment with the flexible marking unit, avoid material waste in the full coating process, and eliminate defects such as local release failure and marking transfer defects caused by uneven coating or misalignment of the release layer, further improving the production yield and batch consistency of the marking tape.

[0040] The design of the outer contour of the release functional layer 3 being larger than that of the adhesive functional layer 6 ensures that the entire area of ​​the flexible marking unit is covered by the corresponding release layer, and that no local pattern will stick to the base layer 2 during hot pressing, thus completely avoiding the risk of incomplete marking transfer. The design of the release functional layer 3 being enlarged proportionally to the outer contour of the flexible marking unit minimizes the amount of release material used while ensuring effective release throughout the entire area, further reducing production costs. The non-full-coverage proportional contour design completely avoids excess release layer entering the photoelectric sensing area, eliminates the interference of the release layer background color on the photoelectric sensing of the equipment, and is compatible with all mainstream photoelectric detection and marking equipment in the industry, greatly expanding the applicable scenarios and compatibility of the product.

[0041] In the example of this application, the flexible ink system used in the pre-patterned functional layer 5 is a rubber-type elastic ink or a polyurethane-type flexible ink.

[0042] As a preferred example of the present invention, rubber-type elastic ink or polyurethane-type flexible ink is used to give the pre-patterned layer excellent flexibility, extensibility and deformation following ability. During hot pressing transfer, it can deform synchronously with the concave and convex structure of the tire side, solving the core pain point of traditional inks in marking the concave and convex positions with discontinuity, cracking and failure.

[0043] This type of ink has extremely high color saturation and hiding power. By adjusting the ink layer thickness, it can directly meet the brightness and contrast requirements of machine recognition. There is no need to set an additional white backing layer, which simplifies the production process of the marking tape and further reduces production costs.

[0044] This ink system can be quickly set after hot pressing, and will not cause scratches or sticking contamination during production line operation, making it a perfect fit for the high-speed production line requirements of tire production lines.

[0045] In the example of this application, the pre-made pattern functional layer 5 is a mark pattern of a preset shape, and the mark pattern includes at least one of solid circles, hollow circles, pentagrams, triangles, squares, etc., or customized letter patterns.

[0046] As a preferred example of the present invention, it breaks through the limitation of existing marking tapes that can only make dot and ring-type markings. It can customize marking patterns of any shape according to the needs of tire companies and OEMs, adapt to different uniformity testing standards, brand identification requirements and personalized design requirements, and greatly broaden the scope of product versatility.

[0047] The pre-formed pattern forming method ensures pattern accuracy through the printing process, preventing pattern deformation and blurring due to differences in the hot press head. This guarantees the consistency of markings produced by different batches and equipment, further enhancing the stability of machine recognition.

[0048] In the example of this application, the ink of the pre-patterned functional layer 5 is a solid color ink or a combination color ink (i.e., multiple colors of ink are formed by overprinting or printing. For example, a combination color pattern of red and black is formed by overprinting a red circular pattern and a black solid circle pattern).

[0049] As a preferred example of the present invention, pure color or combination color inks can be flexibly selected according to the base color of the tire sidewall rubber and the sensing parameters of different photoelectric recognition devices, so as to adapt to the recognition standards of different OEMs and the color matching needs of tire companies, and further improve the product's compatibility in all scenarios.

[0050] Combination color inks enable integrated pre-production of multi-color markings, eliminating the need for multiple transfers. Multi-color marking can be completed in a single hot press, improving marking efficiency while ensuring the registration accuracy of multi-color patterns.

[0051] In the example of this application, a black ink layer 4 for enhancing photoelectric recognition effect is provided between the pre-patterned functional layer 5 and the adhesive functional layer 6. The thickness of the black ink layer 4 is between 0.01 and 0.15 mm.

[0052] As a preferred example of the present invention, for some older photoelectric eye models with long service life and low photoelectric sensing sensitivity, such older devices have high requirements for marking contrast. By adding a bottom black ink layer 4 between the pre-pattern functional layer 5 and the adhesive functional layer 6, the opacity of the marking pattern can be greatly improved, avoiding recognition failure caused by insufficient sensitivity of older devices, and achieving stable adaptation to older devices.

[0053] The black ink layer 4 is placed between the pre-made pattern functional layer 5 and the adhesive functional layer 6. It will not affect the color presentation of the marking surface, and while ensuring the recognition effect, it meets the appearance design requirements of the marking.

[0054] In the example of this application, the supporting base layer 2 is made of polyester film or glassine paper, wherein the thickness of the polyester film is 0.015-0.125 mm and the basis weight of the glassine paper is 60-120 g / m².

[0055] As a preferred example of the present invention, polyester film or glassine paper is used as the supporting base layer 2, which has excellent dimensional stability, heat resistance and tensile strength. During the hot pressing process, there will be no problems of heat shrinkage or stretching deformation, ensuring accurate alignment of the markings and no pattern offset.

[0056] The optimized thickness and weight parameters take into account both the stiffness and flexibility of the base layer 2, which not only meets the process requirements of roll production and storage, but also perfectly fits the curved surface of the tire side during hot pressing, ensuring uniform transmission of hot pressing pressure and achieving complete transfer of marking units.

[0057] This type of substrate is technologically mature and easy to procure. It is compatible with conventional printing processes such as screen printing and gravure printing, reducing the production threshold and manufacturing cost of marking tapes.

[0058] In the example of this application, the side of the supporting base layer 2 away from the flexible marking unit is coated with an anti-stick layer 1 with a thickness of 0.05-2μm. The anti-stick layer 1 is prepared using a silicone oil or fluorine coating system and is used to prevent the marking tape from sticking back in the roll state.

[0059] As a preferred example of the present invention, the anti-adhesion layer 1 can effectively prevent the back of the base layer 2 and the inner adhesive functional layer 6 from sticking together when the marking tape is stored in rolls, ensuring that the marking tape can be unwound and used smoothly without jamming, and preventing the marking units from being stuck or damaged, thereby improving the storage stability and yield of the product.

[0060] Using a silicone oil or fluorine coating system, it has a stable anti-stick effect, excellent high temperature resistance, and will not stick to the hot press head during hot pressing, avoiding subsequent poor marking caused by contamination of the hot press head. It is suitable for the continuous and high-speed hot pressing operation requirements of the production line.

[0061] In the example of this application, the adhesive functional layer 6 is prepared using a rubber-based hot melt adhesive or a polyurethane-based adhesive.

[0062] As a preferred example of the present invention, a rubber-based hot melt adhesive or a polyurethane-based adhesive is used, which has extremely strong adhesion compatibility with the tire sidewall rubber substrate. After hot pressing, it can quickly form a strong bond with the sidewall rubber material, and the markings are not easy to fall off or scratch, which is suitable for the use requirements of the entire process of tire storage, transportation and assembly.

[0063] This type of adhesive has excellent flexibility and weather resistance, and will not crack or fall off due to long tire storage time. At the same time, it is suitable for various outdoor handling environments of tires, ensuring the stability of the marking.

[0064] Hot melt adhesives can achieve rapid hot-press curing, and bonding and shaping can be completed within 1-5 seconds. They are perfectly suited to the high-speed flow requirements of tire production lines, without the need for additional curing time and without affecting the original production efficiency. Example 2

[0065] like Figure 3 As shown in the example of this application, the pre-patterned functional layer 5 does not have a black ink layer 4 for enhancing photoelectric recognition on the side facing the release functional layer 3; The core function of this design is to adapt to new, highly sensitive optoelectronic devices in the industry. These new devices can stably identify marks without additionally enhancing the opacity of the marker pattern, while also maintaining the advantages of simplicity and efficiency, and retaining the core adaptation performance of this application. The specific effects are as follows: First, it adapts to new equipment and matches the performance characteristics of the new equipment. For new marking and testing equipment with high photoelectric sensitivity in the industry, such equipment has strong recognition capabilities and does not require an additional black ink layer to enhance opacity. The color saturation and opacity of the pre-made pattern functional layer 5 itself can meet the stable recognition requirements of the new equipment, while avoiding the redundancy of sensing signals and recognition deviations caused by excess black ink layers. This achieves efficient adaptation between new equipment and marking tape, and meets the production needs of enterprises after equipment upgrades.

[0066] Secondly, it simplifies the production process and controls production costs. By eliminating the step of setting the black ink layer 4, the corresponding material input and equipment wear are reduced, the production cycle is shortened, and defects such as interlayer peeling and misalignment that may occur with the added process are avoided. This improves production yield and batch consistency, making it more suitable for the needs of large-scale production. At the same time, it further saves product manufacturing costs and provides a cost-effective solution for scenarios that are compatible with new equipment.

[0067] Finally, differentiated adaptation is achieved, broadening the product's applicability. Example 2 complements Example 1. Example 1 adds a black ink layer to adapt to older, low-sensitivity equipment (meeting the old equipment's requirement for opacity), while Example 2 removes the black ink layer to adapt to newer, high-sensitivity equipment. It focuses on providing customized adaptation solutions for tire companies equipped with new optoelectronic equipment, matching the performance characteristics of the new equipment while saving the additional cost of the black ink layer. Both solutions fully retain the original color of the pre-made pattern while meeting the color matching needs of different companies, further enhancing the product's market adaptability, economy, and differentiation, and satisfying the diverse equipment adaptation needs of different tire companies and OEMs.

[0068] The method for using pre-made dot heat-pressed marking tape adapted to the tire sidewall tread pattern and uneven surface, used for creating sidewall markings after tire uniformity and dynamic balance testing before leaving the factory, involves the following steps: S1 Calibration and Alignment: For tires that have completed uniformity and dynamic balance tests, the target marking position on the tire sidewall is calibrated based on the test feedback data. The flexible marking unit of the hot-pressed marking tape is precisely aligned with the target marking position, so that the marking tape adheres to the tire sidewall surface. The target marking position includes the blank area, tread area, and raised lettering area on the tire sidewall. S2 Hot Press Transfer: A flat hot press head is used to apply hot pressure to one side of the base layer 2 of the marking tape. The hot pressing time is controlled to be 1-5 seconds, the hot pressing temperature is 120-160℃, and the pressure is 0.3-0.8MPa. This causes the aligned flexible marking unit to detach from the base layer 2 as a whole, completely transfer and cover the tire sidewall surface at the target marking position, forming a continuous, complete, and automatically recognizable uniform marking.

[0069] This method breaks the dependence of existing tire sidewall marking processes on blank areas, and can achieve stable and high-quality marking in non-blank areas such as sidewall patterns and raised lettering, without the need to reserve additional blank areas on the sidewall for marking, thus fully releasing the design space of the tire sidewall.

[0070] The transfer of any pattern mark can be completed by using a unified flat hot press head, without the need to customize a special hot stamping head or transfer head according to the mark pattern, which greatly reduces the equipment investment cost, while simplifying the equipment debugging process and improving the changeover efficiency of the production line.

[0071] The 1-5 second hot pressing duration control perfectly matches the operating rhythm of existing tire production lines, without requiring any modification to the original production line's flow rhythm. It can be directly connected to existing uniform motion testing equipment to achieve fully automated operation of the entire process of testing, calibration, and marking.

[0072] The markings produced using this method can completely cover and fit the uneven surface of the tire sidewall, with continuous and complete patterns, uniform color difference, and extremely high machine recognition rate, enabling automated wheel rim assembly lines. since Dynamic identification avoids production line downtime caused by poor marking, significantly improving the production efficiency and automation level of tire assembly.

[0073] This method is simple to operate, has a high marking yield, and can effectively avoid defects such as pattern scratches, back-sticking contamination, and blurred outlines that occur in traditional ink transfer processes, thereby reducing the defect rate of the marking process and reducing raw material waste.

[0074] In addition, this embodiment also provides a method for preparing a pre-formed hot-pressed marking strip that adapts to the tread pattern and uneven surface of a tire sidewall, the specific steps of which are as follows: 1. Substrate pretreatment: Select a 0.05mm thick PET polyester film as the carrier substrate 2. Use a corona treatment machine to perform double-sided corona treatment on the film so that the corona value after treatment is ≥48 dynes, to ensure the adhesion stability of subsequent functional layers to the carrier substrate 2. 2. Preparation of anti-stick layer 1: Using a 200-mesh anilox roller, methyl silicone oil anti-stick coating is applied to the back of the film (the side opposite to the flexible marking unit). The film is then dried in stages with hot air at 80℃-100℃-110℃-90℃ for a total drying time of 35s. This forms a uniform and stable anti-stick layer 1 on the back of the film, preventing reverse sticking during roll packaging. 3. Preparation of release functional layer 3: Using a 300-mesh screen printing plate, release functional layer 3 is printed on the front side of the film (the side facing the flexible marking unit). The release paste is a silicone resin / acrylic composite emulsion with a solid content of 30%. The plate pattern is a circle with a diameter of 13.5 mm, which is proportionally enlarged to the 10 mm diameter flexible marking unit. After printing, it is dried with hot air at 85℃ for 70 seconds to set the shape, ensuring the stability of the release layer and precise alignment with the flexible marking unit. 4. Preparation of pre-patterned functional layer 5: Using a 250-mesh screen printing plate, colored rubber-type elastic ink is printed on the surface of the release functional layer 3. The pattern is a solid circle with a diameter of 10mm. After printing, it is dried with hot air at 70℃ for 100s to reach a quasi-cured state of about 95%. This quasi-cured state forms the pre-patterned functional layer 5. This quasi-cured state ensures that the ink layer does not stick or fall off during storage, and can also soften and stretch quickly during hot pressing to achieve deformation adhesion of the concave and convex surfaces of the tire sidewall. 5. Optional Step (corresponding to Example 1, suitable for older equipment): Preparation of black ink layer 4: Using a 200-mesh screen printing plate, black ink is printed on the surface of the pre-patterned functional layer 5 to form black ink layer 4. The printed pattern is consistent with the outline of the pre-patterned functional layer 5. After printing, it is dried with hot air at 80°C for 60 seconds to set the shape, ensuring that the black ink layer 4 is tightly bonded to the pre-patterned functional layer 5 without interlayer peeling, while ensuring the bonding force with the subsequent adhesive functional layer 6; if it is Example 2 (suitable for new equipment), this step is omitted; 6. Preparation of adhesive functional layer 6: Using a 150-mesh screen printing plate, butyl rubber hot melt adhesive is applied to the surface of the pre-patterned functional layer 5 (the surface of the black ink layer 4 in Example 1). The pattern of the adhesive functional layer 6 is a circle with a diameter of 11 mm (its outer contour must be larger than the contour of the pre-patterned functional layer 5 or the contour of the black ink layer 4), and is proportionally enlarged to the contour of the flexible marking unit or the contour of the black ink layer 4. After coating, it is dried with hot air at 105℃ for 90 seconds to set the shape, ensuring that the adhesive layer has excellent adhesive performance and flexibility. 7. Post-processing: The semi-finished product is left to stand and mature for 48 hours at 23℃ and 50% relative humidity to fully solidify and tightly bond each functional layer. Then, it is cut into 20mm widths and rewound under low tension to avoid displacement or damage of the marking units during the cutting and rewinding process. After passing the inspection, the finished marking tape is obtained.

[0075] The finished marking tape prepared by this method requires less release layer material compared to the full-coverage release layer solution. It can achieve complete transfer of the raised and recessed patterns and text areas at a depth of 0.2mm on the tire sidewall. The marking pattern is unbroken and color-different, and the machine vision recognition rate is high. The finished product of Example 1 is suitable for old and low-sensitivity photoelectric equipment, while the finished product of Example 2 is suitable for new and high-sensitivity photoelectric equipment. Both are fully adapted to the high-speed operation requirements of tire production lines.

[0076] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other. This application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A pre-formed hot-pressed marking strip adapted to tire sidewall tread patterns and uneven surfaces, characterized in that, Includes a supporting base layer (2), and one side surface of the supporting base layer (2) is provided with several independently arranged release functional layers (3), and each release functional layer (3) is provided with a flexible marking unit on the side away from the supporting base layer (2); The flexible marking unit has the ability to adapt to the deformation and fit of the tire sidewall tread pattern and the surface of the lettering. The flexible marking unit includes a pre-made pattern functional layer (5) and an adhesive functional layer (6) stacked sequentially in the direction away from the load-bearing base layer (2). The release functional layer (3) is set one-to-one with the flexible marking unit, and its coverage area matches the outline of the corresponding flexible marking unit, which is used to make the flexible marking unit detach from the surface of the supporting base layer (2) under hot pressing conditions. The pre-patterned functional layer (5) is prepared using a flexible ink system to maintain the continuity of the pattern when it is hot-pressed onto the uneven surface of the tire side, forming a mark that can be stably recognized by the machine.

2. The pre-formed hot-pressed marking strip for adapting to tire sidewall tread patterns and uneven surfaces as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The release functional layer (3) is prepared using an organic silicone resin / acrylic composite emulsion and is printed on the surface of the substrate (2) by screen printing or gravure printing. The outer contour of the release functional layer (3) is proportionally enlarged to the outer contour of the corresponding flexible marking unit, and the outer contour size of the release functional layer (3) is larger than the outer contour size of the adhesive functional layer (6).

3. The pre-formed hot-pressed marking strip adapted to the tire sidewall tread pattern and uneven surface as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible ink system used in the pre-patterned functional layer (5) is rubber-type elastic ink or polyurethane-type flexible ink.

4. The pre-formed hot-pressed marking strip adapted to the tire sidewall tread pattern and uneven surface as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The pre-made pattern functional layer (5) is a mark pattern of a preset shape, and the mark pattern includes at least one of solid circle, hollow circle, pentagram, triangle, square or customized letter pattern.

5. The pre-formed hot-pressed marking strip adapted to the tire sidewall tread pattern and uneven surface as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The ink in the pre-patterned functional layer (5) is a solid color ink or a combination color ink.

6. The pre-formed hot-pressed marking strip for adapting to the tread pattern and uneven surface of a tire sidewall as described in claim 5, characterized in that, A black ink layer (4) for enhancing photoelectric recognition effect is provided between the pre-patterned functional layer (5) and the adhesive functional layer (6).

7. The pre-formed hot-pressed marking strip adapted to the tire sidewall tread pattern and uneven surface as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The supporting base layer (2) is made of polyester film or glassine paper, wherein the thickness of the polyester film is 0.015-0.125 mm and the basis weight of the glassine paper is 60-120 g / m².

8. The pre-formed hot-pressed marking strip adapted to the tread pattern and uneven surface of a tire sidewall as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The supporting base layer (2) is coated with an anti-sticking layer (1) on the side away from the flexible marking unit. The anti-sticking layer (1) is prepared using a silicone oil or fluorine coating system to prevent the marking tape from sticking back in the roll state.

9. The pre-formed hot-pressed marking strip adapted to the tread pattern and uneven surface of a tire sidewall as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The adhesive functional layer (6) is prepared using a rubber-type hot melt adhesive or a polyurethane-type adhesive.

10. A method for using a pre-formed hot-pressed marking tape adapted to the tread pattern and uneven surface of a tire sidewall, characterized in that, The sidewall markings used for tire sidewall uniformity and dynamic balance testing before leaving the factory are created using pre-formed hot-pressed marking tapes adapted to the tire sidewall tread pattern and uneven surface as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, specifically including the following steps: S1 Calibration and Alignment: For tires that have completed uniformity and dynamic balance tests, the target marking position on the tire sidewall is calibrated based on the test feedback data. The flexible marking unit of the hot-pressed marking tape is aligned with the target marking position so that the marking tape adheres to the tire sidewall surface. The target marking position includes the tire sidewall blank area, tread area, and raised lettering area. S2 Hot Press Transfer: A flat hot press head is used to apply hot press to one side of the base layer (2) of the marking tape. The hot press duration is controlled to be 1-5 seconds, so that the aligned flexible marking unit is completely separated from the base layer (2), and completely transferred and covered and adhered to the tire side surface at the target marking position, forming a continuous and complete uniform marking that can be automatically recognized by the machine.

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