A rotating device and rotating system for tire surface defect detection

Abstract

The application relates to a rotating device and a rotating system for tire surface defect detection, wherein the rotating device comprises a first base, a driving mechanism and a plurality of driving rollers. The first base is provided with an accommodating gap in a hollow manner; the plurality of driving rollers are vertically arranged on the top of the first base and are distributed around the circumference of the accommodating gap, the driving rollers are slidingly connected with the top of the first base, the driving mechanism is drivingly connected with at least one driving roller; the driving mechanism is used for driving the driving rollers to clamp a tire above the accommodating gap; the driving rollers comprise at least one driving roller, under the state that the tire is clamped by the driving rollers, the driving roller is used for driving the tire to rotate, so that the tire is rotationally positioned on a horizontal plane, so as to cooperate with an appearance detection device to comprehensively detect the tire around the circumference; and the motion trajectories of the driving rollers do not intrude into the accommodating gap, so that the lower tire side of the tire can be fully exposed, and there is enough space between the tire and the rotating device to arrange other devices to process the tire.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the technical field of tire inspection equipment, and specifically relates to a rotating device and rotating system for tire surface defect detection. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of automotive technology, tires, as a key component ensuring vehicle safety, have become paramount in terms of appearance quality. Tire appearance quality inspection primarily involves detecting tire defects, requiring a thorough inspection of both the inner and outer surfaces to prevent defective tires from entering the market. Currently, tire appearance defect detection technology has evolved towards automated inspection equipment. This relies on high-definition imaging devices installed at various stations on the tire conveyor, combined with algorithms for identifying typical defects, to replace manual visual inspection, thereby improving inspection efficiency and saving manpower. However, to improve inspection accuracy, current imaging equipment for tire appearance inspection is limited by light intake, resulting in a limited shooting range and making it difficult to perform static inspection of the entire tire surface. Therefore, close-up shots of specific areas of the tire are necessary to obtain clear images. To enable the appearance defect detection equipment to comprehensively inspect the tire within the limited shooting range, the tire on the conveyor needs to be rotated during the inspection process to ensure that every area of ​​the tire to be inspected is within the shooting range.

[0003] In the prior art, utility model CN113884317A discloses a tire positioning device, including a rotating mechanism. The rotating mechanism includes a rotating drive assembly, a rotating shaft, and a rotating disk. The output end of the rotating drive assembly is fixedly connected to the rotating disk via the rotating shaft. The upper surface of the rotating disk supports the tire sidewall. When the rotating drive assembly rotates, it sequentially drives the rotating shaft and the rotating disk to rotate, thereby rotating the tire on the rotating disk to different detection positions for tire inspection, thus completing the tire positioning process. Although its rotating mechanism can drive the tire to rotate, the rotating disk completely blocks the surface of the tire's lower sidewall, which is not conducive to the inspection of the tire's lower sidewall by existing visual inspection equipment. In addition, in the field of tire online visual inspection technology, the tire needs to be linearly transported, and the tire rotation and positioning actions need to be completed during the transport process, so as to cooperate with the visual inspection equipment set along the transport line to inspect the tire. For the tire, lifting and rotating the tire during inspection has become a necessary positioning method. The above-mentioned rotating mechanism is obviously not suitable for tire online inspection. Its rotating disk structure occupies the space between the tire's lower sidewall and the transport line, making it impossible to install equipment for lifting or inspecting the tire. Utility Model Content

[0004] Based on the aforementioned background technical needs, this application provides a rotating device and rotating system for tire surface defect detection, which can be adapted to the needs of online tire inspection.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of this application is as follows: A rotating device for detecting tire surface defects includes a first base, a driving mechanism, and a plurality of driving rollers. The first base has a hollowed-out accommodating gap. The plurality of driving rollers are all perpendicular to the top of the first base and distributed circumferentially around the accommodating gap. The driving rollers are slidably connected to the top of the first base. The driving mechanism is driven to at least one of the driving rollers. The driving mechanism is used to drive the driving rollers to clamp a tire above the accommodating gap. The driving rollers include at least one active roller, which drives the tire to rotate when the tire is clamped by the driving rollers.

[0006] Preferably, the plurality of drive rollers further includes a driven roller.

[0007] Preferably, at least one of the drive rollers is equipped with a sensor for detecting the rotation angle of the tire.

[0008] Preferably, there are at least four drive rollers.

[0009] Preferably, at least one first guide rail and at least one second guide rail are arranged parallel to each other on the top of the first base. The first guide rail and the second guide rail are distributed opposite to each other on both sides of the receiving gap. A pair of driving rollers can slide along the first guide rail, and another pair of driving rollers can slide along the second guide rail. The driving mechanism includes at least one first driving member. The first driving member is disposed on the side of the first base away from the receiving gap and is connected to at least one of the four driving rollers. The first driving member is used to drive the driving rollers to slide along the first guide rail or the second guide rail to clamp the tire between the driving rollers.

[0010] Preferably, there are two second guide rails, which are spaced apart. A sliding seat is provided at the lower end of the drive roller, wherein one pair of sliding seats is slidably engaged with the first guide rail, and the other pair of sliding seats is slidably engaged with the two second guide rails. The drive mechanism further includes a transmission belt, at least four first guide wheels, at least four second guide wheels, and two third guide wheels. The third guide wheels are located at opposite ends of the second guide rails and are rotatably connected to the first base. The first guide wheels are correspondingly located at both ends of the first guide rail and at the opposite ends of the second guide rails and are rotatably connected to the first base. The second guide wheels are symmetrically distributed circumferentially between the first and second guide rails around the accommodating gap and are rotatably connected to the first base. Both ends of the transmission belt are respectively sleeved with the third guide wheels, and the sides of the first guide wheels are in contact with the inner side of the transmission belt. The sides of the second guide wheels are in contact with the outer side of the transmission belt. At least one side of each sliding seat is fixedly connected to the transmission belt. The output end of the first drive member is fixedly connected to any one of the sliding seats.

[0011] A rotating system for detecting tire surface defects includes a conveying device and the rotating device for detecting tire surface defects. The conveying device includes a plurality of parallel conveying rollers for conveying tires. A first base is disposed below the conveying rollers, and the drive rollers are all located above the conveying rollers and can slide along the gaps between adjacent conveying rollers.

[0012] Preferably, the rotating system for tire surface defect detection further includes a lifting device, which includes a second driving member and a lifting platform. The second driving member is disposed within the receiving gap. The lifting platform includes a mounting plate and at least two tire support rollers. The mounting plate is horizontally disposed at the output end of the second driving member. The two tire support rollers are fixed to the top of the mounting plate. The rolling surface of the tire support rollers forms a plane capable of supporting the lower sidewall of the tire, and the tire support rollers are capable of rotating around an axis. A plurality of parallel conveying rollers form a left conveying roller group and a right conveying roller group that are relatively distributed. A first lifting channel parallel to the tire conveying direction is formed between the left conveying roller group and the right conveying roller group. At least one tire support roller is parallel to the tire conveying direction and is disposed within the first lifting channel. A second lifting channel is formed between two adjacent driving rollers and between at least two adjacent conveying rollers. At least one tire support roller is parallel to the conveying rollers and is disposed within the second lifting channel. The tire support rollers can be lifted above the conveying rollers by the second driving member.

[0013] Preferably, the number of tire support rollers is five, three of which are arranged in the first lifting channel parallel to the conveying direction of the tire and distributed in a triangular pattern; the other two tire support rollers are arranged in the second lifting channel parallel to the conveying roller and symmetrically distributed on both sides of the first lifting channel.

[0014] Preferably, the lifting device further includes a second base and a plurality of linear guide mechanisms. The second base is located below the first base, and the lower end of the second driving member is fixed to the top of the second base. The plurality of linear guide mechanisms are distributed circumferentially around the second driving member, and the two ends of the linear guide mechanisms are respectively connected to the second base and the mounting plate. The linear guide mechanisms are used to make the mounting plate move in a straight line relative to the second base.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, compared with the prior art, this application has at least the following beneficial effects: The drive mechanism drives the drive rollers to clamp the tire, and the drive rollers drive the clamped tire to rotate, thereby achieving rotational positioning of the tire on the horizontal plane, so as to cooperate with the appearance inspection equipment to perform a comprehensive circumferential inspection of the tire. During the clamping and driving of the tire, the movement trajectory of each drive roller does not intrude into the receiving gap, which not only allows the lower tire sidewall to be fully exposed, but also provides sufficient space between the tire and the rotating device to install the lifting device and the appearance inspection equipment for the lower tire sidewall. This avoids the lower tire sidewall being completely blocked by the components of the rotating device in the prior art, allowing the tire to be lifted, rotated and inspected for the lower tire sidewall. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is an isometric schematic diagram of the rotating device for detecting tire surface defects in the embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the rotating device for detecting tire surface defects in the embodiment (from the attached diagram). Figure 1 ).

[0018] Figure 3 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the driven roller along line EE in the embodiment.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a top view of the rotating device for detecting tire surface defects in the embodiment.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the rotating system for detecting tire surface defects in the embodiment.

[0021] Figure 6 This is an isometric schematic diagram of the lifting device in the embodiment.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a front view of the lifting device in the embodiment.

[0023] In the diagram: Conveying device 10, Inspection station 11, Conveying roller 12, Roller frame 13, Left conveying roller group 14, Right conveying roller group 15, First lifting channel 16, Second lifting channel 17, Rotating device 20, Driving roller 21, Driven roller 22, Sensor 221, Drive mechanism 23, First driving component 231, Transmission belt 232, First guide wheel 233, Second guide wheel 234, Third guide wheel 235, Connecting rod 236, First base 24, First guide rail 241, Second guide rail 242, Sliding seat 243, Limiting clip 244, Accommodation gap 245, Lifting device 30, Second driving component 31, Lifting platform 32, Mounting plate 321, Tire support roller 322, Floating joint 323, Bracket 324, Support arm 325, Second base 33, Linear guide mechanism 34, Guide column 341, Linear bearing 342. Detailed Implementation

[0024] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The technical solutions of this application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments, and this application is not limited to the following specific implementation methods.

[0025] It should be understood that the same or similar reference numerals in the accompanying drawings of the embodiments correspond to the same or similar components. In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "top," and "bottom" indicate directions or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, they are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the structure or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the terms describing positional relationships in the accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limitations on this patent. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms according to the specific circumstances.

[0026] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1 To be continued Figure 7 The present application will be further described in detail with reference to specific embodiments.

[0027] This application discloses a rotating device (hereinafter referred to as "rotating device 20") for detecting tire surface defects. The rotating device 20 includes a first base 24, a driving mechanism 23, and a plurality of driving rollers. The first base 24 is hollowed out in a receiving gap 245. The receiving gap 245 is used to install a lifting device 30 or a visual inspection device for inspecting the tire sidewall, so as to assist the rotating device 20 in lifting the tire or inspecting the tire sidewall. The plurality of driving rollers are perpendicular to the top of the first base 24 and distributed circumferentially around the receiving gap 245. The lower end of the driving roller is slidably connected to the top of the first base 24. The driving mechanism 23 is driven to at least one driving roller. The driving mechanism 23 is used to drive the driving roller to clamp the tire above the receiving gap 245. In one embodiment, the plurality of driving rollers includes at least one active roller 21. When the tire is in the state of being clamped by the driving roller, the active roller 21 can actively rotate around its axis, driving the tire to rotate.

[0028] Specifically, the movement trajectories of each drive roller are set outside the receiving gap 245, the plane of which exposes the underside of the tire. This allows the tire to be lifted or inspected by the lifting device 30 or appearance inspection equipment located within the receiving gap 245 before being clamped and rotated. In one embodiment, the receiving gap 245 is centrally located, thereby exposing the underside of tires of each size for the aforementioned processing.

[0029] Using the above preferred embodiments has at least the following beneficial effects: The drive mechanism 23 drives the drive roller to clamp the tire, and the drive roller 21 drives the clamped tire to rotate, thereby achieving the rotational positioning of the tire on the horizontal plane, so as to cooperate with the appearance inspection equipment to perform a comprehensive circumferential inspection of the tire. During the clamping and driving of the tire, the movement trajectory of each drive roller does not intrude into the receiving gap 245. This not only allows the lower tire sidewall to be fully exposed, but also provides sufficient space between the tire and the rotating device 20 to arrange the lifting device 30 and the appearance inspection equipment for the lower tire sidewall. This avoids the lower tire sidewall being completely blocked by the components of the rotating device 20 in the prior art, allowing the tire to be lifted, rotated, and inspected for the lower tire sidewall.

[0030] Based on the above embodiments, this application also provides some specific implementation methods to improve the above solutions.

[0031] In one embodiment, the aforementioned driving rollers also include a driven roller 22. When the tire is clamped, the driven roller 22 only serves to limit the clamping of the tire and guide its rotation around the central axis, without actively driving the tire to rotate. Compared to embodiments where all driving rollers are driving rollers 21, the driven roller 22 does not need to be equipped with an active driving component like the driving roller 21, nor does it need to have its rotation speed uniformly controlled.

[0032] Specifically, the area between the aforementioned drive rollers is considered as inspection station 11 (see Appendix). Figure 5 (The rectangular space enclosed by the dashed line) The first base 24 is arranged around the detection station 11 with a path for the active roller 21 and the driven roller 22 to move. When the tire is transported into the detection station 11, the active roller 21 and the driven roller 22, which are spaced around the detection station 11, are driven by the drive mechanism 23 to clamp and rotate the tire along the set movement path. In this embodiment, the active roller 21 is an automatic roller with a built-in drive motor, which can rotate automatically at a set speed; the driven roller 22 is an ordinary roller that only rotates when subjected to tangential force on the outside. When the active roller 21 and the driven roller 22 approach and contact the tire from multiple directions of the detection station 11 and stop moving, the maximum distance between the active roller 21 and the driven roller 22 should be less than the tread diameter of the tire to be tested, so that the tire is restricted by the active roller 21 and the driven roller 22 around it and can only rotate around the center under the driving action of the active roller 21.

[0033] Since the inspection camera used for tire appearance defect detection needs to take interval photos of local areas of the tire appearance according to a set program, to prevent it from repeatedly taking photos of the same area and to reduce the number of photos acquired, thus reducing the workload of later photo storage and processing, a sensor 221 for detecting the tire's rotation angle is configured in any of the aforementioned drive rollers. When the tire rotates, the sensor 221 obtains the tire's rotation angle based on the number of rotations of the drive roller, enabling the tire appearance defect detection camera to acquire a set of images representing the tire's rotation to the corresponding position. Based on this set of images, tire appearance defects can be detected and analyzed.

[0034] In one embodiment, see Appendix Figure 3The driven roller 22 includes an outer cylinder and a rotating shaft. The bottom end of the outer cylinder is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft via a bearing. After the lower end of the rotating shaft is fixed, the outer cylinder can rotate with the tire. The sensor 221 is located inside the outer cylinder, and its body is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft. Its input rotor, used for counting, is fixed to the top end of the outer cylinder. When the outer cylinder rotates with the tire relative to the rotating shaft, the input end of the sensor 221 rotates with the outer cylinder relative to its body, thereby detecting the rotation arc length of the tire online. To improve the detection accuracy of the tire rotation angle, the outer cylinder of the driven roller 22 needs to be treated with anti-slip measures, such as by wearing a rubber anti-slip sleeve, to ensure that the driven roller 22 does not easily slip with the tire, so that the driven roller 22 can move with the tire in real time, and the number of rotations of the driven roller 22 precisely corresponds to the rotation angle of the tire.

[0035] To ensure the tire remains stable during rotation, the number of drive rollers is at least four. That is, the inspection station 11 formed by the four drive rollers can provide a more complete limiting effect on the tire, preventing the tire from shaking or shifting laterally due to centrifugal force during rotation, which would affect the accuracy of appearance inspection.

[0036] Furthermore, in order for the tire to rotate within the centerline of the receiving gap 245, a drive roller is needed to center the tire if it deviates from the receiving gap 245. See Appendix. Figure 1The top of the aforementioned first base 24 is provided with at least one first guide rail 241 and at least one second guide rail 242, which are arranged parallel to each other and are distributed on both sides of the receiving gap 245. In one embodiment, one pair of the four drive rollers can slide along the first guide rail 241, and the other pair of drive rollers can slide along the second guide rail 242. Specifically, the lower end of each drive roller is provided with a sliding seat 243, one pair of sliding seats 243 is slidably disposed on the first guide rail 241, and another pair of sliding seats 243 is slidably disposed on the second guide rail 242. The sliding seats 243 can slide along the first guide rail 241 and the second guide rail 242 respectively. The drive mechanism 23 includes at least one first drive member 231. This first drive member 231 is selected from one of the drive devices capable of outputting power in a straight line, such as a drive cylinder, an electric telescopic cylinder, or an electric push rod. Specifically, the first drive member 231 is located on the side of the first base 24 away from the receiving gap 245. The sliding seat 243 is connected to the output end of the first drive member 231 in a transmission engagement. The first drive member 231 can drive the sliding seat 243 on the first guide rail 241 and the second guide rail 242 to slide along the first guide rail 241 or the second guide rail 242 respectively, so that the four drive rollers center the tire. In the above embodiment, the number of first drive members 231 can be one, two, or four. When there are one or two first drive members 231, the first drive member 231 needs to achieve synchronous transmission engagement with the four drive rollers through a transmission mechanism to achieve synchronous movement of the drive rollers. When there are four first drive members 231, each of the four first drive members 231 can drive each drive roller to move towards the tire centering position.

[0037] In the above embodiments, to create a hollowed-out effect in the middle of the first base 24 to leave a receiving gap 245, the first base 24 is a hollow frame or spaced-apart base plates. In one embodiment, the first base 24 includes at least two spaced-apart base plates. The first guide rail 241 and the second guide rail 242 are respectively disposed on the top of each base plate, and the gap between the two base plates is the receiving gap 245.

[0038] For tire centering operations, four drive rollers need to move synchronously to the centering position to ensure accurate tire centering. However, the more first drive components 231 there are, the more complex the transmission mechanism or the more precise the control system needs to control the synchronous movement of each first drive component 231. This requires more equipment on the first base 24 to meet the demand, which is detrimental to ensuring that the space of the accommodating gap 245 is not occupied or encroached upon. To facilitate a more sufficient accommodating gap 245 between the first guide rail 241 and the second guide rail 242, in one embodiment, see Appendix Figure 4The aforementioned second guide rail 242 consists of two rails, each with a length not exceeding half the length of the first guide rail 241. The two second guide rails 242 are spaced apart on one side of the first guide rail 241 and symmetrically distributed relative to the tire's transport direction. In this embodiment, the aforementioned first base 24 includes three spaced base plates, two of which are shorter and symmetrically distributed relative to the tire's transport direction. The longer base plate is parallel to the shorter base plate. The two second guide rails 242 are respectively disposed on the top of the two shorter base plates, and the first guide rail 241 is disposed on the top of the longer base plate. The first guide rail 241 is disposed in one of the four sliding seats 243 located at the lower end of the four drive rollers. One pair of sliding seats 243 is slidably connected to two of the second guide rails 242, and the other pair is slidably connected to the first guide rail 241.

[0039] In addition, the aforementioned drive mechanism 23 also includes a transmission belt 232, at least four first guide pulleys 233, at least four second guide pulleys 234, and two third guide pulleys 235. In this embodiment, preferably, there are four first guide pulleys 233 and four second guide pulleys 234. The two third guide pulleys 235 are respectively located at opposite ends of the two second guide rails 242 and are rotatably connected to the first base 24. The two first guide pulleys 233 are respectively located at both ends of the first guide rail 241 and are rotatably connected to the first base 24. The other two first guide pulleys 233 are respectively distributed at opposite ends of the two second guide rails 242 and are rotatably connected to the first base 24. The four second guide pulleys 234 are symmetrically distributed around the circumference of the receiving gap 245 between opposite sides of the first guide rails 241 and the second guide rails 242 and are rotatably connected to the first base 24. The rectangle formed by the line connecting the four second guide pulleys 234 is located within the rectangle formed by the line connecting the four first guide pulleys 233. The transmission belt 232 is ring-shaped. Both ends of the transmission belt 232 are respectively sleeved with the third guide wheel 235, and the side of the first guide wheel 233 is in frictional contact with the inner surface of the transmission belt 232; the side of the second guide wheel 234 is in frictional contact with the outer surface of the transmission belt 232, so that the transmission belt 232 is subjected to tension at the first guide wheel 233, the second guide wheel 234 and the third guide wheel 235.

[0040] Furthermore, the two opposing sides of a pair of sliding seats 243 on the first guide rail 241 are respectively fixedly connected to the transmission belt 232; the opposing sides of another pair of sliding seats 243 on the second guide rail 242 are respectively fixedly connected to the transmission belt 232; the output end of the first driving member 231 is fixedly connected to any one of the sliding seats 243. In this embodiment, see the attached diagram. Figure 2On the first guide rail 241, a limiting clip 244 is fixed to the lower side of the left sliding seat 243. The limiting clip 244 can clamp the portion of the transmission belt 232 near the lower side of the first guide rail 241. On the upper side of the right sliding seat 243, a limiting clip 244 is fixed. The limiting clip 244 can clamp the portion of the transmission belt 232 near the upper side of the first guide rail 241. In addition, on the second guide rail 242, a limiting clip 244 is fixed to the lower side of the left sliding seat 243. The limiting clip 244 can clamp the portion of the transmission belt 232 near the lower side of the second guide rail 242. On the upper side of the right sliding seat 243, a limiting clip 244 can clamp the portion of the transmission belt 232 near the upper side of the second guide rail 242, thereby fixing the transmission belt 232 to each sliding seat 243. The first driving component 231 is an electric telescopic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder. The first driving component 231 is parallel to the first guide rail 241 and is distributed on the side of the first guide rail 241 away from the receiving gap 245. One end of the output shaft of the first driving component 231 is fixedly connected to the sliding seat 243 on the left side of the first guide rail 241 through the connecting rod 236.

[0041] When using the rotating device of this embodiment, the initial position of the sliding seat 243 is located at both ends of the first guide rail 241 and at one end of the second guide rail 242 that is separate from it, and the initial state of the output shaft of the first driving member 231 is the extended state. When the output shaft of the first drive member 231 retracts, it drives the sliding seat 243 on the left side of the first guide rail 241 to move to the right. The sliding seat 243 causes the portion of the transmission belt 232 near the lower side of the first guide rail 241 to move to the right. Under the guidance of the first guide wheel 233, the portion of the transmission belt 232 near the upper side of the first guide rail 241 moves to the left, causing the sliding seat 243 on the right side of the first guide rail 241 to move to the left. At the same time, the portion of the transmission belt 232 near the lower side of the second guide rail 242 moves to the right under the guidance of the third guide wheel 235, causing the sliding seat 243 on the left side of the second guide rail 242 to move to the right. Similarly, the portion of the transmission belt 232 near the upper side of the right side of the second guide rail 242 moves to the left under the guidance of the third guide wheel 235 and the second guide wheel 234, causing the sliding seat 243 on the right side of the second guide rail 242 to move to the left. This causes the four drive rollers to converge synchronously toward the central axis of the receiving gap 245; and the aforementioned transmission belt 232, guided by each guide wheel, drives each sliding seat 243 to move around the receiving gap 245, without immersing itself in the receiving gap 245 during the entire process, so that there is enough space in the receiving gap 245 to install other equipment.

[0042] In addition, this application also discloses a rotating system for tire surface defect detection, including a conveying device 10 and the aforementioned rotating device 20. The conveying device 10 includes a plurality of parallel conveying rollers 12 for conveying tires. The first base 24 of the rotating device 20 is disposed below the conveying rollers 12, and the drive rollers are all located above the conveying rollers 12 and can slide along the gaps between the conveying rollers 12. In one embodiment, the gaps between the first guide rail 241 and the second guide rail 242 relative to the conveying rollers 12 are such that the movement trajectory of the drive rollers coincides with the gaps between adjacent conveying rollers 12. The conveying device 10 can convey the tire to the detection station 11 between the drive rollers, thereby allowing the tire to be precisely clamped, centered, and driven to rotate by each conveying roller 12.

[0043] However, since the conveying rollers 12 of the conveying device 10 are all distributed along the tire conveying direction, the rolling surface of the conveying rollers 12 increases the resistance to the lower tire sidewall for a rotating tire, leading to a risk of tire instability during rotation. Therefore, a lifting device 30 is needed to lift the tire off the conveying rollers 12, allowing the lower tire sidewall to detach from the conveying rollers 12 before rotation. In one embodiment, the system further includes a lifting device 30, which includes a second drive member 31 and a lifting platform 32. The second drive member 31 is disposed within the receiving gap 245, and the lifting platform 32 includes a mounting plate 321 and at least two tire support rollers 322. Specifically, the second driving component 31 is also selected from one of the driving devices that can output power in a straight line, such as a driving cylinder, an electric telescopic cylinder, or an electric push rod. The second driving component 31 passes through the aforementioned receiving gap 245 in a vertical direction and is connected to the bottom of the mounting plate 321 through a floating joint 323 provided at its top. During the process of the second driving component 31 driving the mounting plate 321 to move in a vertical direction, the floating joint 323 can not only compensate for the assembly error between the mounting plate 321 and the second driving component 31 in the guiding direction and reduce the deviation angle of the output shaft of the second driving component 31 from the Z-axis during the lifting process, but also absorb the vibration and impact generated on the second driving component 31 due to the change of center of gravity during the rotation of the tire, thereby ensuring that the second driving component 31 only bears the force in the Z-axis direction during the lifting process and extending the service life of the cylinder.

[0044] Two tire support rollers 322 are fixed to the top of the mounting plate 321, and their rolling surfaces can form a plane supporting the lower tire sidewall. The tire support rollers 322 are also rotatable along their axis. Specifically, to reduce the area of ​​the mounting plate 321 and ensure that the lower tire sidewall is fully exposed to the visual inspection equipment, several support arms 325 are horizontally arranged on the top of the mounting plate 321. One end of each support arm 325 extends from the edge of the mounting plate 321, and the gaps between the support arms 325 are used by the visual inspection equipment to inspect the lower tire sidewall. The two ends of the tire support rollers 322 are fixed to the top of the support arms 325 by vertically arranged brackets 324. The sides of adjacent tire support rollers 322 can form a plane for horizontal tire support; and the tire support rollers 322 are rotatably connected to the brackets 324, allowing them to rotate around their axis with the tire when the tire rotates.

[0045] To ensure that the tire support roller 322 can lift the tire off the conveyor 10, see Appendix Figure 5 The aforementioned parallel conveyor rollers 12 are divided into two groups, forming a left conveyor roller group 14 and a right conveyor roller group 15 respectively. The left and right conveyor roller groups 14 and 15 form a roller conveyor for conveying tires, and both ends of each conveyor roller 12 are connected to a roller frame 13 for limiting the conveyor roller 12. A first lifting channel 16 parallel to the tire conveying direction is formed between the left and right conveyor roller groups 14 and 15, and at least one tire support roller 322 of the tire lifting device 30 is arranged parallel to the tire conveying direction within this first lifting channel 16. In either the left or right conveyor roller group 14 or 15, a second lifting channel 17 is formed between at least two adjacent conveyor rollers 12, and at least one tire support roller 322 is parallel to the conveyor roller 12 and arranged within the second lifting channel 17, thus allowing the rolling surfaces of at least two tire support rollers 322 to form a plane supporting the lower tire sidewall. Under the lifting action of the second drive component 31, the tire located at the inspection station 11 can be lifted from the conveying device 10 by the lifting platform 32. When the drive roller drives the tire to rotate, each tire support roller 322 can horizontally support the tire and rotate with the tire, improving the stability of the tire.

[0046] Furthermore, to ensure the system for lifting the tire can stably lift the tire and reduce the axial friction between the tire and the tire support rollers 322, the lifting platform 32 preferably has a layout of five tire support rollers 322. Three of the tire support rollers 322 are parallel to the tire conveying direction and arranged in a triangular pattern within the first lifting channel 16, while the remaining two tire support rollers 322 are parallel to the conveying rollers 12 and arranged in the second lifting channel 17, symmetrically distributed on both sides of the first lifting channel 16. In this way, not only is a lifting platform 32 that can stably support the tire formed, but the rectangular detection gap formed between two of the three tire support rollers 322 arranged in a triangular pattern is located in the middle of the left conveyor roller group 14 and the right conveyor roller group 15. When the tire is lifted, the area of ​​the tire's underside exposed between the detection gap is also located in the middle of the left conveyor roller group 14 and the right conveyor roller group 15. This allows the appearance inspection equipment to be positioned in the center of the roller conveyor to take pictures of the tire's underside in order to obtain images of the underside with regular edges, which helps to improve the accuracy of defect detection. In addition, the lifting platform 32 composed of five tire support rollers 322 is more dispersed than the layout of the two conveyor rollers 12, which helps to reduce the axial friction force on the tire support rollers 322 during tire rotation, making the tire rotation process more stable.

[0047] Furthermore, to ensure that the lifting platform 32 remains level throughout the lifting process, see Appendix Figure 6 The lifting device 30 also includes a second base 33 and several linear guide mechanisms 34. The second base 33 is located below the first base 24 with a relative accommodating gap 245. The second driving member 31 is perpendicular to the second base 33 and its lower end is fixed to the second base 33. Several linear guide mechanisms 34 are evenly distributed around the second driving member 31 and their two ends are respectively connected to the second base 33 and the mounting plate 321. They can guide the mounting plate 321 to move in a straight line in the vertical direction relative to the second base 33, and disperse the interference of tire gravity on the horizontal state of the lifting platform 32 and the driving direction of the second driving member 31.

[0048] Specifically, see Appendix Figure 7The aforementioned linear guide mechanism 34 includes a guide post 341 and a linear bearing 342. The guide post 341 is perpendicular to the second base 33, and its lower end is fixedly connected to the horizontal plane of the second base 33 via a flange. The linear bearing 342 is sleeved on the side of the guide post 341 and slides with the guide post 341. The upper end of the linear bearing 342 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the mounting plate 321 via a flange. To allow the guide post 341 to slide relative to the linear bearing 342, the mounting plate 321 and the flange are provided with guide holes relative to the linear bearing 342. Under the constraint of the linear bearing 342, the mounting plate 321 can only move vertically upward along the guide post 341 under the thrust of the second drive member 31 along the Z-axis. When the second drive member 31 is unloaded and the output shaft moves downward, the mounting plate 321 can move vertically downward along the guide post 341, so that the connection between the output shaft and the mounting plate 321 is not subject to forces deviating from the Z-axis, further enhancing the protection of the second drive member 31.

[0049] Based on the above-mentioned rotating device and system for tire surface defect detection, the following effects can be basically achieved: A first driving member 231 pushes the driving roller from both sides of the detection station 11 toward the center of the detection station 11, thereby centering the tire and bringing the tire's axis closer to the center of gravity of the lifting platform 32; then, the second driving member 31 pushes the mounting plate 321 upward, causing the tire support roller 322 to rise from the gap of the conveying roller 12 and lift the tire to a certain height; then, the active roller 21 drives the tire to rotate, and the tire support roller 322 can stably support the tire, keeping it stable and horizontal during rotation. This helps the tire appearance inspection device to obtain tire appearance photos efficiently and completely, improving the efficiency and accuracy of tire appearance inspection.

[0050] Obviously, the above embodiments of this application are merely examples for clearly illustrating this application, and are not intended to limit the implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art can make other variations or modifications based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A rotating device for detecting tire surface defects, characterized in that, The device includes a first base, a drive mechanism, and several drive rollers. The first base has a hollowed-out accommodating gap. The several drive rollers are all perpendicular to the top of the first base and distributed circumferentially around the accommodating gap. The drive rollers are slidably connected to the top of the first base. The drive mechanism is driven to at least one of the drive rollers. The drive mechanism is used to drive the drive rollers to clamp a tire above the accommodating gap. The drive rollers include at least one active roller, which drives the tire to rotate when the tire is clamped by the drive rollers.

2. The rotating device for tire surface defect detection according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive rollers also include driven rollers.

3. The rotating device for tire surface defect detection according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least one of the drive rollers is equipped with a sensor for detecting the rotation angle of the tire.

4. The rotating device for tire surface defect detection according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive rollers are at least four in number.

5. The rotating device for tire surface defect detection according to claim 4, characterized in that, At least one first guide rail and at least one second guide rail are arranged parallel to each other on the top of the first base. The first guide rail and the second guide rail are distributed opposite to each other on both sides of the receiving gap. A pair of driving rollers can slide along the first guide rail, and another pair of driving rollers can slide along the second guide rail. The driving mechanism includes at least one first driving member. The first driving member is disposed on the side of the first base away from the receiving gap and is connected to at least one of the four driving rollers. The first driving member is used to drive the driving rollers to slide along the first guide rail or the second guide rail to clamp the tire between the driving rollers.

6. The rotating device for tire surface defect detection according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second guide rail has two sections, spaced apart. A sliding seat is provided at the lower end of the drive roller. One pair of sliding seats is slidably engaged with the first guide rail, and the other pair is slidably engaged with the two second guide rails. The drive mechanism further includes a transmission belt, at least four first guide wheels, at least four second guide wheels, and two third guide wheels. The third guide wheels are located at opposite ends of the second guide rails and are rotatably connected to the first base. The first guide wheels are correspondingly located at both ends of the first guide rail and at the opposite ends of the second guide rails, and are rotatably connected to the first base. The second guide wheels are symmetrically distributed circumferentially between the first and second guide rails around the accommodating gap and are rotatably connected to the first base. Both ends of the transmission belt are respectively sleeved with the third guide wheels, and the sides of the first guide wheels are in contact with the inner side of the transmission belt. The sides of the second guide wheels are in contact with the outer side of the transmission belt. At least one side of each sliding seat is fixedly connected to the transmission belt. The output end of the first drive member is fixedly connected to any one of the sliding seats.

7. A rotating system for detecting tire surface defects, characterized in that, The device includes a conveying device and a rotating device for detecting tire surface defects as described in any one of claims 1 to 6. The conveying device includes a plurality of parallel conveying rollers for conveying tires. The first base is disposed below the conveying rollers, and the drive rollers are all located above the conveying rollers and are capable of sliding along the gaps between adjacent conveying rollers.

8. The rotating system for tire surface defect detection according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes a lifting device, which comprises a second driving member and a lifting platform. The second driving member is disposed within the receiving gap. The lifting platform includes a mounting plate and at least two tire support rollers. The mounting plate is horizontally disposed at the output end of the second driving member. The two tire support rollers are fixed to the top of the mounting plate. The rolling surface of the tire support rollers forms a plane capable of supporting the lower tire sidewall, and the tire support rollers are capable of rotating around an axis. A plurality of parallel conveying rollers form a left conveying roller group and a right conveying roller group that are relatively distributed. A first lifting channel parallel to the tire conveying direction is formed between the left conveying roller group and the right conveying roller group. At least one tire support roller is parallel to the tire conveying direction and is disposed within the first lifting channel. A second lifting channel is formed between two adjacent driving rollers and between at least two adjacent conveying rollers. At least one tire support roller is parallel to the conveying roller and is disposed within the second lifting channel. The tire support rollers can be lifted above the conveying rollers by the second driving member.

9. The rotating system for tire surface defect detection according to claim 8, characterized in that, The number of tire support rollers is five. Three of the tire support rollers are arranged in the first lifting channel in a triangular pattern, parallel to the conveying direction of the tire. The other two tire support rollers are arranged in the second lifting channel, parallel to the conveying roller, and symmetrically distributed on both sides of the first lifting channel.

10. The rotating system for tire surface defect detection according to claim 8, characterized in that, The lifting device further includes a second base and several linear guide mechanisms. The second base is located below the first base, and the lower end of the second driving member is fixed to the top of the second base. Several linear guide mechanisms are distributed circumferentially around the second driving member, and the two ends of the linear guide mechanisms are respectively connected to the second base and the mounting plate. The linear guide mechanisms are used to make the mounting plate move in a straight line relative to the second base.

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