A toothed sheet press roller for pressing a tire tread component
By using toothed rollers to form a physical interlocking structure with sharp teeth during the tire forming process, the problems of joint detachment and lifting caused by the decrease in rubber viscosity are solved, ensuring the tire forming quality and production efficiency.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HANGZHOU TIKO AUTOMATION CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-26
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-05
AI Technical Summary
In the traditional tire manufacturing process, the reduced viscosity of the tread rubber compound leads to weak overlap at the joint, which can easily cause detachment and lifting of the joint. Existing pressing methods cannot effectively solve this problem.
Using toothed sheet rollers, multiple radially movable thin sheets and drive components are used to form a physical interlocking structure at the joint with sharp teeth, which enhances the bonding strength and is independent of the adhesive properties.
It enables reliable pressing of tread joints under low-viscosity rubber conditions, reduces defect rate, and improves tire molding quality and production efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure CN224323609U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of tire manufacturing equipment technology, and in particular to a toothed roller for pressing tread components during the tire forming process. Background Technology
[0002] The molding process in tire manufacturing is a key step in assembling and pressing multiple semi-finished rubber components, such as the tread, sidewall, crown belt, and belt layer, onto a molding drum to form a green tire.
[0003] Among them, green tires are uncured tires. The tread component is the outermost part of the tire that is in direct contact with the ground. Its pressing quality directly affects the final performance and quality of the tire. It is usually the last component to be assembled in the manufacturing process.
[0004] Traditional passenger or truck tire tread components are typically a thick rubber strip with a specific irregular cross-section. During the forming process, this strip-shaped tread component is conveyed to a forming drum and circumferentially wound around the crown belt layer, with its ends overlapping through an oblique cut. To ensure a secure overlap, tread rollers are used to circumferentially press the tread component together, with particular emphasis on the joint area.
[0005] However, with the development of the automotive industry, especially the popularization of new energy vehicles, new requirements have been put forward for tire performance, such as lower rolling resistance to increase driving range and lower tire noise to improve driving comfort.
[0006] To meet these requirements, tire manufacturers have made numerous improvements to tread compound formulations, such as increasing the proportion of fillers like silica. While these improvements effectively enhance tire wear resistance and reduce road noise, they often result in a significant decrease in the tread compound's self-tack and an increase in hardness.
[0007] This presents a significant challenge to traditional molding processes: during compression molding, due to insufficient rubber viscosity, the joints of tread components are prone to poor overlap, joint lifting, or separation in subsequent processes (i.e., "detachment" and "lifting"). Such quality defects can lead to tire scrapping and substantial economic losses. Existing compression molding methods rely primarily on the inherent viscosity of the rubber compound, failing to effectively address the joint compression problems caused by the reduced viscosity of the new rubber formulation.
[0008] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a new tread pressing technology that can break away from the single dependence on the adhesiveness of the rubber compound. While adapting to the development trend of low tread wear and low tire noise, it should be able to reliably solve the problems of tread joint detachment and lifting, and ensure the forming quality of the tire. Utility Model Content
[0009] The purpose of this utility model is to provide a toothed roller for pressing tire tread components, which aims to solve the technical problems mentioned in the background art, such as weak joint pressing, easy disengagement and lifting caused by the decrease in the viscosity of the tread rubber.
[0010] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution:
[0011] A toothed sheet roller for pressing tire tread components includes:
[0012] Roller core;
[0013] Multiple thin sheets are arranged side by side along the axial direction of the roller core, and each of the thin sheets is capable of radial movement relative to the roller core;
[0014] And multiple drive components, which are disposed inside the roller core and connected one-to-one with the thin sheet to drive the thin sheet to produce radial movement;
[0015] Each of the thin sheets has at least one row of teeth on its outer periphery for pressing into the rubber compound of the tire tread component.
[0016] Preferably, each of the sheet comprises an inner ring that can be fitted onto the roller core and an outer ring that is rotatably fitted outside the inner ring; the teeth are disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring.
[0017] Preferably, the driving component is a cylinder, and the roller core is provided with an air supply pipeline communicating with the cylinder.
[0018] Preferably, the plurality of cylinders along the axial direction of the roller core are divided into at least two groups, and all cylinders in the same group are connected through the same air supply pipeline to apply different pressing pressures to the sheets of different groups.
[0019] Preferably, the tooth structure is a pointed tooth or tooth needle structure with a gradually decreasing cross-sectional area from the root to the tip.
[0020] Preferably, the teeth are made of heat-treated metal.
[0021] Preferably, each of the thin sheets has a single row or multiple rows of teeth arranged in an alternating pattern on its outer ring.
[0022] Preferably, the height of the teeth is set such that, under maximum pressing pressure, the tooth tip can penetrate the upper overlap layer of the tire tread component joint, but is insufficient to penetrate the lower overlap layer.
[0023] Preferably, the teeth are used to compress and embed the rubber material of the upper overlapping layer into the rubber material of the lower overlapping layer when pressing the joint of the tire tread component, forming a physical interlocking structure.
[0024] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:
[0025] 1. The pressure roller of this utility model is composed of multiple independently radially movable thin sheets. Under the action of the drive assembly, the entire pressure roller can automatically conform to the irregular cross-sectional contour of the tire tread component to achieve contour pressing. At the same time, by controlling the drive assembly in groups, different pressing pressures can be applied to different width positions of the tire tread to meet the pressing process requirements of different thickness areas, ensuring uniform pressing and effectively eliminating interlayer air bubbles.
[0026] 2. The core innovation of this utility model lies in the teeth set on the outer periphery of the thin sheet. During high-pressure pressing of the tread joint, these sharp teeth can penetrate the upper tread rubber layer, squeezing and embedding it into the lower layer, forming a microscopic "mortise and tenon" or "hook and key" structure. This physically interlocking structure does not rely on the adhesiveness of the rubber itself, greatly enhancing the bonding strength of the joint and fundamentally solving the problems of detachment and lifting caused by low rubber adhesiveness.
[0027] 3. The design of this utility model can perfectly adapt to the production of tires using new low-viscosity, high-hardness rubber compounds, ensuring the molding quality of high-wear, low-noise tires. By adjusting the size of the teeth and the pressure of the drive components, it can flexibly meet the tread pressing requirements of different specifications and different rubber compound formulations, exhibiting strong process adaptability, significantly reducing the defect rate, and improving production efficiency and product reliability. Attached Figure Description
[0028] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the overall structure and pressing state of the toothed plate pressure roller for pressing tire tread components according to the present invention.
[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of two different tooth arrangement methods in the toothed sheet pressure roller of the tire tread component of this utility model;
[0030] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Enlarged structural diagram of the tooth at point I;
[0031] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A magnified schematic diagram of the physical connection structure at point II.
[0032] In the figure: 1-thin sheet; 1.1-outer ring; 1.1.1-teeth; 1.2-inner ring; 2-roller core; 3-drive assembly; 4-tire tread component; 5-air supply line; 6-single row of teeth; 7-multiple rows of teeth. Detailed Implementation
[0033] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present utility model without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present utility model.
[0034] Please see Figures 1-4 This utility model provides a toothed sheet roller for pressing tire tread components. Its core application is on a tire forming machine to press the tread component 4 wound on the forming drum, especially to reinforce the joint area.
[0035] Please see Figure 1 As shown, the toothed sheet pressure roller of this utility model mainly includes a hollow roller core 2 and a plurality of thin sheets 1 arranged closely along the axial direction of the roller core 2.
[0036] The structure of each sheet 1 can be further refined. In a preferred embodiment, each sheet 1 consists of an inner ring 1.2 and an outer ring 1.1. The inner ring 1.2 is fitted onto the roller core 2 and can slide radially. The outer ring 1.1 is rotatably fitted onto the outside of the inner ring 1.2. This design allows the outer ring 1.1 to roll along with the movement of the tread during pressing, reducing drag damage to the rubber surface.
[0037] Inside the roller core 2, multiple drive components 3 are arranged, each corresponding to a sheet 1. In this embodiment, the drive component 3 is preferably a miniature cylinder. The piston rod of each cylinder extends and abuts against or connects to the inner ring 1.2 of a sheet 1. The roller core 2 also integrates an air supply line 5 for supplying air to these cylinders. By controlling the air pressure supplied to the cylinders, the piston rod can be driven to extend, thereby pushing the sheet 1 to move radially outward and applying pressure to the tread component 4.
[0038] To achieve differentiated pressing of different areas, multiple drive components 3 along the axial direction of the roller core 2 can be divided into several groups, with each drive component 3 specifically being a cylinder. For example, the cylinders corresponding to the tread shoulder form one group, and the cylinders corresponding to the center of the tread crown form another group. Each group of cylinders is controlled by an independent air supply line 5. In this way, by supplying compressed air at different pressures to different lines, different pressing forces can be generated on the thin sheets 1 corresponding to the tread shoulder and crown, adapting to the uneven cross-sectional thickness of the tread component 4 and achieving optimized zoned pressure control.
[0039] The key feature of this utility model lies in the outer ring 1.1 of the thin sheet 1. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, the outer circumference of the outer ring 1.1 is machined with dense teeth 1.1.1. The shape of these teeth 1.1.1 is specially designed, with the cross-sectional area gradually decreasing from the root to the tip, forming a sharp tip, similar to a pointed tooth or a robust tooth needle. This structure ensures that the root of the tooth has sufficient strength to prevent breakage, and also ensures that the tip of the tooth has sufficient sharpness to penetrate the uncured tread compound smoothly under the action of compression force.
[0040] To further enhance strength and durability, these teeth 1.1.1 may be made of metal and subjected to appropriate heat treatment processes to increase their hardness and wear resistance, such as quenching.
[0041] Please see Figure 2 As shown, the arrangement of the teeth can be designed according to needs. It can be a single row of teeth 6, or two or more rows of teeth 7 arranged in a circumferential staggered pattern. Using multiple rows of staggered teeth 7 can form denser pressing points, thereby producing a more effective physical connection effect per unit area.
[0042] The height of tooth 1.1.1 is a critical design parameter. Its height needs to be precisely controlled to ensure that under maximum compression pressure, the tooth tip can penetrate the upper overlap layer of the tread joint, but it cannot be too long to puncture the lower overlap layer, thus avoiding damage to the underlying crown layer.
[0043] The actual working process of this utility model is carried out through the following steps:
[0044] Step S1: Tread bonding and winding; When the tread component 4, cut to a fixed length, is conveyed to the forming drum by the feeding device, the toothed sheet pressure roller presses down, and each drive component 3 drives the sheet 1 group with low or medium pressure, so that the teeth 1.1.1 on its outer ring 1.1 contact and conformally adhere to the tread component 4. As the forming drum rotates, the tread component 4 is smoothly wound onto the crown belt layer, and the pressure roller continues to apply low pressure to bond the tread component 4 to the crown belt layer and expel any air that may exist between the layers.
[0045] Step S2: High-pressure joint pressing; When the forming drum rotates nearly one revolution and the tail and head of the tread form an overlapping joint, the forming machine control system reduces the forming drum speed and simultaneously increases the air pressure supplied to the drive assembly 3 to high pressure. Under high pressure, the teeth 1.1.1 on the thin sheet 1.1 will be forcefully pressed into the joint area.
[0046] Step S3: Physical connection formed; please refer to Figure 4As shown, during the high-pressure pressing stage of the joint, the sharp teeth 1.1.1 pierce through the rubber material of the overlapping layer, forcibly squeezing and embedding this portion of the rubber material into the rubber material of the lower overlapping layer. Due to the plasticity of the uncured rubber material, the extruded rubber material and the surrounding rubber material form a tight, interlocking physical connection structure at the microscopic level. This process does not rely on the surface tackiness of the rubber material, but rather forms a mechanical locking. After pressing, even without tackiness, the upper and lower rubber layers cannot be easily separated due to this physical connection.
[0047] Through the above methods, the toothed roller of this utility model can effectively solve the problem of insufficient joint pressing strength caused by insufficient rubber viscosity without changing the existing tire rubber compound formula, and significantly improve the tire molding quality and production throughput.
[0048] It should be noted that the application of this utility model is not limited to the pressing of tire tread components. Any situation where it is necessary to overlap or butt joint between components made of rubber or similar plastic materials and where it is necessary to enhance the joint strength can draw on the technical concept of forming a physical connection through teeth as disclosed in this utility model.
[0049] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.
Claims
1. A toothed roller for pressing tire tread components, characterized in that, include: Roller core (2); Multiple thin sheets (1) are arranged side by side along the axial direction of the roller core (2), and each of the thin sheets (1) is capable of radial movement relative to the roller core (2); Multiple drive components (3) are disposed inside the roller core (2) and are connected one-to-one with the sheet (1) to drive the sheet (1) to move radially; Each of the thin sheets (1) has at least one row of teeth (1.1.1) on its outer periphery for pressing into the rubber compound of the tire tread component (4).
2. The toothed roller for pressing tire tread components according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the sheet (1) includes an inner ring (1.2) that can be fitted onto the roller core (2) and an outer ring (1.1) that is rotatably fitted onto the inner ring (1.2); the teeth (1.1.1) are disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring (1.1).
3. The toothed roller for pressing tire tread components according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive component (3) is a cylinder, and the roller core (2) is provided with an air supply pipeline (5) that is connected to the cylinder.
4. The toothed roller for pressing tire tread components according to claim 3, characterized in that, The cylinders along the axial direction of the roller core (2) are divided into at least two groups, and all cylinders in the same group are connected through the same air supply line (5) to apply different pressing pressures to the sheets (1) of different groups.
5. The toothed roller for pressing tire tread components according to claim 1, characterized in that, The structure of the tooth (1.1.1) is a pointed tooth or needle structure whose cross-sectional area gradually decreases from the root to the tip.
6. The toothed roller for pressing tire tread components according to claim 5, characterized in that, The teeth (1.1.1) are made of heat-treated metal.
7. The toothed roller for pressing tire tread components according to claim 2, characterized in that, On the outer ring (1.1) of each of the thin sheets (1), there is a single row of teeth (6) or multiple rows of teeth (7) arranged in an alternating pattern.
8. The toothed roller for pressing tire tread components according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height of the tooth (1.1.1) is set such that, under the maximum pressing pressure, its tooth tip can penetrate the upper overlap layer of the joint of the tire tread component (4), but is insufficient to penetrate the lower overlap layer.
9. The toothed roller for pressing tire tread components according to claim 1, characterized in that, The teeth (1.1.1) are used to squeeze and embed the rubber material of the upper overlapping layer into the rubber material of the lower overlapping layer when pressing the joint of the tire tread component (4), forming a physical interlocking structure.