Pull-out device for pulling out rubber strip from strip extruder

Abstract

The utility model relates to a pull-out device for pulling out a rubber strip from a strip extruder, which comprises a group of pull-out rollers with a first pull-out roller, the first pull-out roller is provided with a circumferential contact surface capable of rotating around a first rotating axis, the pull-out device comprises a camera assembly for viewing the rubber strip on the circumferential contact surface, where the camera assembly comprises a camera having a field of view and a camera housing, where the camera is enclosed in the camera housing, where the camera housing comprises a viewing opening in the field of view of the camera, where the camera assembly comprises an air supply, the camera housing is used for providing air flow entering the camera housing and flowing out through the observation opening.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of a patent application with an application date of May 17, 2023, an application number of 202321198667.8, and an invention name of "Pulling device for pulling rubber strips from a strip extruder and components including a strip extruder". Technical Field

[0002] The utility model relates to a pulling device for pulling out an extruded rubber strip from a strip extruder. The rubber strip can be used for cutting tire molding components from a buffer layer for manufacturing unvulcanized or green tires. Background Art

[0003] A known pull-out device for pulling out an extruded rubber strip comprises a pull-out roller guiding the rubber strip. The pull-out roller has a circumferential contact surface and a camera above the contact surface for measuring the actual height or width of the passing rubber strip. For example, the actual width is monitored and compared with a predetermined range, and when necessary, the speed of the extruder is adjusted relative to the speed of the pull-out device to keep the height of the passing pulled rubber strip within the predetermined range.

[0004] A disadvantage of the known pull-out device is that the maximum width at which the actual height can be measured is limited by the field of view of the camera, and the need for wider rubber strips is imminent. The camera must be placed at a considerable distance from the passing rubber strip in order to still include the wider rubber strip within the field of view of the camera, which is not only impractical but also reduces the accuracy of the camera. Utility Model Content

[0005] The utility model aims to provide a pulling device for pulling out an extruded rubber strip from a strip extruder, wherein the rubber strip of any practical size can be measured.

[0006] The utility model provides a pulling device for pulling out a rubber strip from a strip extruder.

[0007] wherein the pulling device comprises a set of pulling rollers having a first pulling roller, the first pulling roller having a circumferential contact surface rotatable about a first rotation axis,

[0008] Wherein, the pull-out device includes a camera assembly for observing the rubber strip on the circumferential contact surface, wherein the camera assembly includes a camera with a field of view and a camera housing, the camera being enclosed in the camera housing, wherein the camera housing includes an observation opening in the field of view of the camera, wherein the camera assembly includes an air supply for providing an air flow entering the camera housing and flowing out through the observation opening.

[0009] The air flow out through the viewing opening actively prevents dust from entering through the viewing opening. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The present invention will be described based on the exemplary embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0011] Figure 1 Schematically showing a strip extruder connected in series with a strip drawing device according to the utility model;

[0012] Figure 2A and 2B Yes Figure 1 Axonometric and side views of the strip pull-out device shown; and

[0013] Figure 3A and 3B are axonometric and side views of a detail of the strip pull-off device of the previous figures, with some parts removed for illustrative purposes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Figure 1 A strip extruder 1 is schematically shown for forming a continuous cord-reinforced rubber strip 100 fed through a strip pull-off device 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The rubber strip 100 can be used to cut tire-forming components from, for example, a breaker layer used to manufacture an uncured or green tire. The rubber strip 100 can then be fed through a buffer 30 where it zigzags along a series of lower reversing rollers 31 and a series of opposing upper reversing rollers 32.

[0015] The strip extruder 1 includes a heated elongated extruder barrel 2 to heat or receive a preheated rubber material 102. The strip extruder 1 includes a rotationally driven elongated extruder screw 3, which extends through the extruder barrel 2 and is driven by an extruder screw motor 4 to feed the heated rubber material 102 to an extruder gear pump 6, which then feeds the rubber material 102 into an extruder die 10. The extruder gear pump 6 includes an extruder gear pump housing 7 between the extruder barrel 2 and the extruder die 10 and two meshing extruder gears 8 within the gear pump housing 7, which are driven by an extruder gear motor 9. The extruder gear pump 6 can increase the pressure of the heated rubber material 102 fed into the extruder die 10. The strip extruder 1 includes a pressure sensor 12 for measuring the pressure of the rubber material 102 within the extruder die 10. The flow rate of the heated rubber material 102 is controlled by controlling the rotational speed of the extruder gear 8 via the strip pull-off device 50 as disclosed below.

[0016] The extruder die 10 has in this example a slotted die opening 11 to produce a rubber strip 100 having a rectangular cross section with a straight top surface 111 and a straight bottom surface 112, as well as a left side surface 113 and a right side surface 114. The left side surface 113 and the right side surface 114 extend parallel to each other and define a width W of the rubber strip 100. The top surface 111 and the bottom surface 112 extend parallel to each other to define a height H of the rubber strip 100. Reinforcement cords 101 are fed directly and parallel to each other into the extrusion die 10, wherein the reinforcement cords 101 are embedded in the heated rubber material 102 and then exit in a feeding direction F through the die opening 11.

[0017] exist Figure 2A and Figure 2B 0. The strip pulling device 50 comprises a base frame 51 and a base housing 52 extending vertically on the base frame 51. The strip pulling device 50 comprises a set of pulling rollers 53 extending in the same vertical plane. In this example, the strip pulling device 50 includes a series, which includes: a first pulling roller 54, which is carried and supported by the base shell 52 to rotate in a first rotation direction P around a first horizontal rotation axis A; a second pulling roller 60, which is carried and supported by the base shell 52 to rotate in a second rotation direction Q around a second horizontal rotation axis B; a third pulling roller 63, which is carried and supported by the base shell 52 to rotate in a third rotation direction R around a third horizontal rotation axis C; a fourth pulling roller 66, which is carried and supported by the base shell 52 to rotate in a fourth rotation direction S around a fourth horizontal rotation axis D; and a fifth pulling roller 68, which is carried and supported by the base shell 52 to rotate in a fifth rotation direction T around a fifth horizontal rotation axis E.

[0018] In this example, the first, third, and fifth extraction rollers 54, 63, and 68 extend at a first height relative to the base frame 51, and the second and fourth extraction rollers 60, 66 extend at a lower second height relative to the base frame 51. The rubber strip 100 is fed and zigzag between the respective first, second, third, fourth, and fifth extraction rollers 54, 60, 63, 66, and 68, whereby the first, third, and fifth rotational directions P, R, and T have the same rotational direction opposite to the second and fourth rotational directions Q and S. At least two of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth extraction rollers 54, 60, 63, 66, and 68 are driven by one or more schematically illustrated extraction roller motors 69 within the base housing 52. The set of extraction rollers 53 extracts the strip 100 from the extruder 50 by frictional contact.

[0019] In this example, the first pull-out roller 54 forms a feed roller for the rubber strip 100. In this example, the first pull-out roller 54 forms a measuring roller for measuring the height H of the rubber strip 100 over its entire width W. The first pull-out roller 54 comprises a cylindrical circumferential contact surface 55. In this example, the second pull-out roller 60 is driven by a high-power, speed-regulated pull-out roller motor 69, and the third pull-out roller 63 is driven by a torque-regulated pull-out roller motor 69, so that the rubber strip 100 is kept in tension at the second pull-out roller 60. The strip pull-out device 50 comprises a strip measuring device 70, which is supported by the base housing 52 next to the first pull-out roller 54.

[0020] The strip measuring device 70 includes a camera housing 71 . Figure 3A and 3B The first pull-out roller 54 and the strip measuring device 70 without the camera housing 71 are shown to show the camera assembly 75 of the measuring device completely enclosed in the camera housing 71. The camera assembly 75 comprises a support frame 76 carried by the base housing 52, two guide rail holders 77 on the support frame 76, and a guide rail 80, which projects downward and whose distal ends 78 project toward the first pull-out roller 54, and is mounted to the distal ends 78 of the guide rail holders 77. The guide rail 80 has a main axis G extending parallel to the first horizontal rotation axis A of the first pull-out roller 54. The camera assembly 75 comprises a camera slide 81 slidably supported by the guide rail 80, wherein the guide rail 80 and the camera slide 81 form an air bearing for high-precision positioning of the camera slide 81 relative to the guide rail 80. The camera assembly 75 comprises a camera driver 82 having a slide motor 83, such as a servo motor, to slide the camera slide 81 in the scanning direction M along the guide rail 80. The camera assembly 75 comprises a camera 94 on a camera slide 81 for optically scanning, in this example, the circumferential contact surface 55 of the first pull-out roller 54 and the rubber strip 100 fed on the circumferential contact surface 55 towards the second pull-out roller 60 .

[0021] The camera 94 comprises a light source 95, such as a laser, which generates a light beam 96, such as a laser beam, which extends on the normal line N of the first horizontal rotation axis A to generate a light spot on the rubber strip 100. The camera 94 has an optical sensor 97 to observe the light spot. The optical sensor 97 and thus the entire camera 94 therefore have a field of view 98 that is smaller than the width W of the rubber strip 100 in the scanning direction M. The camera 94 is positioned in a camera space 99 defined by the common tangent lines X, Y of the first and third pull-out rollers 54, 63, wherein the first and third pull-out rollers 54, 63 extend at the same vertical height relative to the base frame 51. The camera 94 is positioned on the normal line N at a camera distance V from the circumferential contact surface 55, which is smaller than the radius of the circumferential contact surface 55.

[0022] The camera driver 82 causes the camera 94 to move rapidly back and forth in the scanning direction M between an outermost left observation position in which a top surface 111 at a left side surface 113 of the passing rubber strip 100 on the circumferential contact surface 55 is within the field of view 98 of the camera 94 and an outermost right observation position in which a top surface 111 at a right side surface 114 of the passing rubber strip 100 on the circumferential contact surface 55 is within the field of view of the camera 94.

[0023] like Figure 2A As shown, the enclosed camera housing 71 has an elongated slit 72 extending parallel to the scanning direction M, which is located in the field of view 98 of the camera 94, facing the circumferential contact surface 55 of the first withdrawal roller 54. The strip measuring device 70 includes an air supply, not shown, such as a ventilator or an air compressor in the base housing 52, which provides an air flow into the camera housing 71. The supplied air can basically only escape via the elongated slit 72, so as to prevent dust from penetrating into the camera housing 71 through the elongated slit 72. In this way, dirt that may fall off from the passing rubber strip 100 can be prevented from reaching and disrupting the normal operation of the camera 94.

[0024] The guide rail 80 is mounted on two guide rail holders 77 by means of an adjustment mechanism 84, one of which is located at Figure 3A and 3B . The adjustment mechanism 84 comprises an elongated adjustment slot 85, the elongated direction of which is on the normal N to the first horizontal rotation axis A. The guide rail 80 extends through the adjustment slot 85 at its end, whereby it can be adjusted relative to the guide rail holder 77 in an adjustment direction J parallel to the normal N. The adjustment mechanism 84 comprises an arc-shaped bolt or eccentric bolt 86 extending through a passage 87 in the guide rail holder 77. The eccentric bolt 86 has a head 88 outside the passage 87 and an eccentric middle section 89 inside the passage 87. The eccentric bolt 86 is locked by means of a locking nut 90 outside the passage 87. The passage 87 and the eccentric bolt 86 have a main axis K perpendicular to the adjustment direction J of the adjustment slot 85. One side of the passage 87 opens into the adjustment slot 85, whereby the guide rail 80 abuts against the eccentric middle section of the eccentric bolt 86. The guide rail 80 is held against by means of a spring 91. By temporarily loosening the locking nut 90 and rotating the eccentric bolt 86 at its head 88 about its main axis K in the opposite adjustment rotation direction L, the guide rail 80 can be parallel to the circumferential contact surface 55 of the first pull-out roller 54, and then tightening the locking nut 90 to lock the eccentric bolt relative to the guide rail retainer 77 again.

[0025] The strip extruder 1 and the strip pulling device 50 are controlled by an electronic controller 200. The electronic controller is electrically connected to the extruder screw motor 4, the extruder gear motor 9, the pressure sensor 12, the pull-out roller motor 69 and the slide motor 83, and the camera 94 of the strip measuring device 70. The electronic controller 200 is connected to the display device 250. The electronic controller 200 is configured and programmed to supply power to the extruder screw motor 4 and the extruder gear motor 9, whereby the reinforcing cord 101 inside the extruder die 10 is embedded in the rubber material 102, and the rubber strip 100 exits through the die opening 11. The electronic controller 200 is configured and programmed to supply power to the pull-out roller motor 69, whereby the rubber strip 100 fed along the set of pull-out rollers 53 is actively pulled out of the extruder die 10.

[0026] The electronic controller 200 is configured and programmed to power the slider motor 83 to quickly move the camera 94 back and forth in the scanning direction M between the outermost left viewing position and the outermost right viewing position to determine the actual height H on the first pull-out roller 54 over the entire width W of the rubber strip 100. When the rubber strip 100 passes at a speed of 0.25 meters per second, the camera 94 moves between the outermost left viewing position and the outermost right viewing position within 1 second to scan the entire top surface 111.

[0027] The electronic controller 200 is configured and programmed to generate a height profile 251 on a display device 250 to allow a human operator to monitor relevant shape details of the rubber strip 100 being scanned.

[0028] The electronic controller 200 is programmed to monitor the actual height H of the rubber strip 100 on the first pull-out roller 54 over the entire width W of the rubber strip 100. When the actual width W or the actual height H exceeds its predetermined range, the operation of the strip extruder 1 is adjusted to bring the actual width W or the actual height H back into its predetermined range. For example, when the actual height H becomes too high, and thus the rubber strip 100 becomes too thick, the speed of the extruder gear motor 9 is correspondingly reduced to slow down the supply of the rubber material 102 to the extruder die 10.

[0029] Due to the movement of the camera 94 between the outermost left and right viewing positions, the strip measurement device 70 may specifically measure any height H across the width W of the rubber strip 100 without being restricted by the limited size of the field of view 98 of the camera 94 .

[0030] It should be understood that the above description is included to illustrate the operation of the preferred embodiment and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. According to the above discussion, many variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and these variations will still be included within the scope of the present invention.

[0031] Reference numerals list

[0032] 1 Strip Extruder

[0033] 2 Extruder barrel

[0034] 3 Extruder screw

[0035] 4 Extruder screw motor

[0036] 6 Extruder gear pump

[0037] 7 Extruder gear pump housing

[0038] 8 Extruder gear

[0039] 9 Extruder gear motor

[0040] 10 Extruder die

[0041] 11 Mould opening

[0042] 12. Pressure sensor

[0043] 30 Buffer

[0044] 31 Lower reversing roller series

[0045] 32 Upper reversing roller series

[0046] 50 Strip Pull-Out Device

[0047] 51 Base frame

[0048] 52 base housing

[0049] 53 pull-out rollers

[0050] 54 First pull-out roller

[0051] 55 Circumferential contact surface

[0052] 60 Second pull-out roller

[0053] 63 Third pull-out roller

[0054] 66 Fourth pull-out roller

[0055] 68 Fifth pull-out roller

[0056] 69 Pull-out roller motor

[0057] 70 strip measuring device

[0058] 71 Camera Housing

[0059] 72 Slit 75 Camera assembly

[0060] 76 Support frame

[0061] 77 rail holder 78 distal end

[0062] 80 rails

[0063] 81 camera slider 82 camera driver 83 slider motor 84 adjustment mechanism

[0064] 85 adjustment slot

[0065] 86 eccentric bolt

[0066] 87 access

[0067] 88 Head

[0068] 89 eccentric middle section 90 locking nut

[0069] 91 Spring

[0070] 94 Camera

[0071] 95 light source

[0072] 96 beams

[0073] 97 Optical sensor 98 Field of view

[0074] 99 Camera Space

[0075] 100 rubber strip 101 reinforcing cord 102 rubber material 111 top surface 112 bottom surface 113 left side surface 114 right side surface

[0076] 200 Electronic Controller

[0077] 250 Display device

[0078] 251 Height Profile

[0079] A First horizontal axis of rotation

[0080] B Second horizontal rotation axis

[0081] C The third horizontal rotation axis

[0082] D Fourth horizontal rotation axis

[0083] E Fifth horizontal rotation axis

[0084] F Feeding direction

[0085] G Main axis

[0086] H Height

[0087] J Adjustment direction

[0088] K Main axis

[0089] L Relative adjustment rotation direction

[0090] M Scanning direction

[0091] N Normal to the first horizontal rotation axis

[0092] P First direction of rotation

[0093] Q Second direction of rotation

[0094] R Third direction of rotation

[0095] S Fourth rotation direction

[0096] T Fifth direction of rotation

[0097] V Camera distance

[0098] W Width

[0099] X Tangent

[0100] Y Tangent

Claims

1. A pull-out device for pulling the rubber strip from the strip extruder, in, The pulling device comprises a set of pulling rollers having a first pulling roller having a circumferential contact surface rotatable about a first rotation axis, Wherein, the pulling-out device includes a camera assembly for observing the rubber strip on the circumferential contact surface, characterized in that the camera assembly includes a camera with a field of view and a camera housing, the camera being enclosed in the camera housing, wherein the camera housing includes an observation opening in the field of view of the camera, and wherein the camera assembly includes an air supply part for providing an airflow entering the camera housing and flowing out through the observation opening.

2. The pull-out device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air supply is a ventilator.

3. The pull-out device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air supply part is an air compressor.

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