Device for opening valves, laser cleaning device, mould processing assembly, mould segment, method and computer program product

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for opening a valve of a ventilation opening of a mould segment for the moulding and / or vulcanisation of rubber, wherein the ventilation opening is bordered by a part of the mould segment adjacent to the valve, wherein the device is configured to irradiate the valve with laser radiation in order to open the valve, and wherein the laser radiation is CW laser radiation or pulsed laser radiation with a pulse duration greater than 200 ns. The invention also relates to a laser cleaning device, a mould processing assembly, a mould segment, a method and a computer program product.

Description

[0001] Valve opening device, laser cleaning device, mold processing arrangement, mold segment, method and computer program product

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the field of treating molds for rubber, particularly tire molds.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] Molds for molding and vulcanizing rubber, such as tire molds, must be maintained regularly to ensure the desired function of the mold and thereby ensure the desired production of a rubber article (e.g. a tire).

[0006] DE 10 2013 220 066 B3 discloses a method for cleaning a surface of a cavity in a tire mold or in a tire.

[0007] SUMMARY

[0008] Mold segments of a mold for molding and / or vulcanizing rubber may comprise valves, in particular valves that ensure the entry of gases (e.g. air) into the mold and / or the exit of gases from the mold, while preventing or reducing the exit of rubber.

[0009] MW:al These valves may become stiff or immobile after the mold segment has been used (for example, after multiple molding and / or vulcanization processes), and thus no longer provide the desired function. After the valve is closed during the molding and / or vulcanization process of a rubber molded part, it may happen that the valves no longer open after the part is removed from the mold.

[0010] In view of the situation described above, there is a need for a technique which allows opening of a valve of a vent of a mold segment while substantially avoiding one or more of the problems identified above.

[0011] This need is addressed by the independent claims. Some advantageous embodiments are specified in the dependent claims.

[0012] According to a first aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein, a device for opening a valve of a vent opening of a mold segment is provided.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the first aspect, a device for opening a valve of a ventilation opening of a mold segment for molding and / or vulcanizing rubber is provided, wherein the ventilation opening is delimited by a part of the mold segment adjacent to the valve. The device is configured to irradiate the valve with laser radiation to open the valve, and wherein the laser radiation is a continuous wave laser radiation or a pulsed laser radiation with a pulse duration greater than 200 ns. According to a second aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein, a laser cleaning device is provided.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the second aspect, a laser cleaning device is provided, comprising a device according to the first aspect or at least one embodiment thereof, wherein the laser cleaning device is configured to clean the mold segment.

[0015] According to a third aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein, a mold processing assembly is provided.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the third aspect, a mold processing assembly is provided, the mold processing assembly comprising: a mold segment for molding and / or vulcanizing rubber, wherein the mold segment has a vent opening and a valve for the vent opening; and an apparatus according to the first aspect or at least one embodiment thereof.

[0017] According to a fourth aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein, a method is provided.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the fourth aspect, a method is provided for opening a valve of a ventilation opening of a mold segment for molding and / or vulcanizing rubber, wherein the ventilation opening is delimited by a part of the mold segment adjacent to the valve, the method comprising: irradiating the valve with laser radiation to thereby open the valve; wherein the laser radiation is cw laser radiation (cw = continuous wave, i.e., continuous laser radiation) or pulsed laser radiation with a pulse duration greater than 200 ns. According to a fifth aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein, a computer program product is provided.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the fifth aspect, a computer program product comprising a program element is provided, wherein the program element, when executed on a processor device, controls a method according to the fourth aspect or at least one embodiment thereof.

[0020] According to a sixth aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein, a mold segment is provided.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the sixth aspect, a mold segment is provided which is designed for molding and / or vulcanizing rubber, the mold segment comprising: a valve; and a vent opening which is defined by a part of the mold segment adjacent to the valve; wherein the valve has a tarnish color corresponding to a temperature of at least 250°C.

[0022] DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Although certain disadvantages of prior technologies are noted herein, the claimed subject matter is not intended to be limited to implementations that overcome some or all of the noted disadvantages of the prior technologies. Furthermore, although certain advantages of the subject matter disclosed herein are noted or implied in the present disclosure, the claimed subject matter is not intended to be limited to implementations that have some or all of those advantages. Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein relate to a device for opening a valve of a vent opening of a mold segment. According to one embodiment, the device is configured to irradiate the valve with laser radiation to open the valve.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the vent opening is defined by a portion of the mold segment adjacent to the valve. As used herein, the term "adjacent" includes at least the meanings of "adjacent" and "abutting."

[0025] Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein further relate to a laser cleaning device comprising a device for opening a valve as described herein. According to one embodiment, the laser cleaning device is further configured to clean the mold segment.

[0026] Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein further relate to a mold processing assembly comprising a mold segment for molding and / or vulcanizing rubber, wherein the mold segment has a vent opening and a valve for the vent opening; and a device for opening the valve according to one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0027] Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein further relate to a method for opening a valve of a ventilation opening of a mold segment. According to one embodiment, the ventilation opening is delimited by a part of the mold segment adjacent to the valve. According to a further embodiment, the method comprises irradiating the valve with laser radiation to thereby open the valve. Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein further relate to a mold segment. According to one embodiment, the mold segment comprises a valve and a ventilation opening delimited by a part of the mold segment adjacent to the valve. According to a further embodiment, the valve has a tarnish color corresponding to a temperature of at least 250°C. In other words, according to one embodiment, the tarnish color of the valve proves that the valve has been heated to a temperature of at least 250°C.In other words, the valve having the tarnish color was opened according to one embodiment with an apparatus or method according to corresponding embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the laser radiation is a cw laser radiation or a pulsed laser radiation with a pulse duration greater than 200 ns.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the mold segment is provided for molding and / or vulcanizing rubber. According to another embodiment, the mold segment is part of a mold provided for molding and / or vulcanizing rubber. According to one embodiment, the mold segment is part of a tire mold provided for molding and / or vulcanizing a tire, in particular a pneumatic tire made of rubber.

[0030] At least some of the aspects and embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein are based on the idea that a valve of a vent opening of a mold segment can be opened by irradiation with suitable laser radiation.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the valve is designed to allow gases (e.g., air) to enter the mold segment through the vent opening. According to another embodiment, the valve is designed to allow gases (e.g., air) to exit the mold segment through the vent opening. According to another embodiment, the valve is designed to prevent or reduce the escape of rubber from the mold segment through the vent opening.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the valve is configured so that the valve is mechanically closed by the rubber (e.g., tire rubber) and opened by a biasing element (e.g., a spring) upon removal of the rubber. The spring is also referred to herein as a technical spring and, according to one embodiment, is configured to elastically deform upon application of a force and provide a restoring force that counteracts the applied force.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the valve which is to be opened by means of the device is hindered or restricted in its opening movement by a contamination, for example a rubber contamination.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the mold segment forms at least part of a tire mold. For example, according to one embodiment, a tire mold is formed from multiple mold segments.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the device is configured to create a temperature difference between the valve and the adjacent part of the mold segment. For example, according to one embodiment, the device is configured to heat the valve to a first temperature upon irradiation with the laser radiation and to heat the adjacent part of the mold segment to a second temperature upon irradiation with the laser radiation. According to one embodiment, the first temperature is higher than the second temperature. According to one embodiment, the device is configured to heat the valve to at least 250°C. For example, according to one embodiment, the device is configured to deliver laser irradiation of the valve, which heats the valve to a temperature of at least 250°C.According to a further embodiment, the device is configured to achieve a temperature difference between the first temperature and the second temperature of at least 100°C.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the device is configured to direct the laser radiation onto the valve and / or the adjacent part of the mold segment, wherein the valve heats up more than the part of the mold segment adjacent to the valve. According to one embodiment, the valve heats up to a temperature that is more than 100 Kelvin higher than a temperature of the adjacent part of the mold segment. In other words, according to one embodiment, the first temperature is more than 100°C higher than the second temperature.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the device is configured to irradiate the valve and the adjacent part of the mold segment with the same laser parameters. In other words, according to one embodiment, the irradiation of the mold segment with the laser radiation occurs regardless of whether the laser radiation is directed at the valve or at the adjacent part of the mold segment.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the greater heating of the valve compared to the heating of the adjacent part of the mold segment is based on at least one of the following principles:

[0039] - Different absorption of laser radiation by the valve and by the part of the mold segment adjacent to the valve; - Different specific heat capacity of the valve and the adjacent part of the mold segment;

[0040] - different absolute heat capacity of the valve and the adjacent part of the mold segment.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the mold segment, and in particular the valve and the adjacent part of the mold segment, are designed to enable differential heating of the valve and the adjacent part of the mold segment using the principles stated above. For example, according to one embodiment, the valve has a first absorption coefficient for the laser radiation, and the adjacent part of the mold segment has a second absorption coefficient for the laser radiation, wherein the first absorption coefficient is greater than the second absorption coefficient.

[0042] Furthermore, according to one embodiment, the valve has a first specific heat capacity, and the adjacent part of the mold segment has a second specific heat capacity, wherein the first specific heat capacity is lower than the second specific heat capacity. For example, according to one embodiment, the valve is formed from steel, and the adjacent mold segment is formed from aluminum.

[0043] Furthermore, according to one embodiment, the valve has a first absolute heat capacity and the adjacent part of the mold segment has a second absolute heat capacity, wherein the first absolute heat capacity is less than the second absolute heat capacity. For example, according to one embodiment, the valve has a first material thickness (ie a first thickness) and the adjacent part of the mold segment has a second material thickness (ie a second thickness), wherein the first material thickness is less than the second material thickness. According to one embodiment, the irradiation with the laser radiation is configured such that (ie the irradiation with the laser radiation takes place such that) the valve is heated homogeneously, while the heating of the mold segment takes place inhomogeneously.

[0044] It should be noted that, according to one embodiment, the irradiation of the valve and the adjacent part of the mold segment does not create a thermodynamic equilibrium state, at least not in the mold segment. Consequently, according to one embodiment, the greater heating of the valve compared to the heating of the adjacent part of the mold segment is due to the different heating dynamics. For example, with very short laser pulses, the heat penetration depth could be so small that the material thickness of the valve and the mold segment plays only a minor role in the heating of the valve and the mold segment.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the device is configured to perform the irradiation locally on the valve using different laser parameters than on the adjacent part of the mold segment. According to another embodiment, the device is configured to irradiate the valves locally with laser radiation. For example, the local irradiation of the valves can be performed such that the adjacent part of the mold segment is not irradiated with the laser radiation, or is only irradiated to a small extent. In other words, according to one embodiment, the valve is selectively irradiated with the laser radiation.

[0046] According to one embodiment, the laser radiation for opening the valve has at least one of the following laser parameters:

[0047] - a wavelength in a range between 0.5 pm and 10 pm (for example between 1 and 1.2 pm, for example 1 pm), for example 1030 nm or 1064 nm (pm = micrometre; nm = nanometre);

[0048] - a Rayleigh length in a range between 10 mm and 200 mm (for example 10 mm to 100 mm (mm = millimeters) - according to a further embodiment, the Rayleigh length is in a range between 20 mm to 60 mm, for example 40 mm;

[0049] - an area output in a range between 2 and 50 kW / cm 2 ;

[0050] - a beam profile of the laser radiation is a tophat profile.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the laser for generating the laser radiation is a laser with pulse durations in the millisecond range (1 ms to 1000 ms), for example with a wavelength of less than 5 micrometers (X < 5 pm). According to one embodiment, the laser is configured to generate quasi-continuous laser radiation, for example laser radiation with a pulse duration d of more than 100 milliseconds (d > 100 ms). According to one embodiment, the laser is a fiber-guided laser (guided via an optical fiber). According to another embodiment, the laser is a solid-state laser, or a neodymium (Nd) or ytterbium (Yb) doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) laser.

[0052] According to one embodiment, the device is configured to identify an unopened valve, wherein the valve opened by the device is the identified valve. For example, according to one embodiment, the device is configured to identify all unopened valves of the mold segment, wherein the device is further configured to open the unopened valves by irradiation with laser radiation. At this point, it should be noted that according to one embodiment, the mold may have several thousand valves. According to one embodiment, the opening of the unopened valves may occur automatically based on the identification of the unopened valves. According to one embodiment, the irradiation of the unopened valves may occur selectively by irradiating only the unopened valves.According to a further embodiment, the device can be configured to irradiate not only the unopened valve but also the adjacent part of the mold segment. In this way, positioning of the laser radiation on the unopened valve can be achieved with greater positioning inaccuracies, but at the expense of a smaller temperature difference between the valve and the adjacent part of the mold segment.

[0053] According to a further embodiment, the identification and a corresponding device can be dispensed with by irradiating the entire mold segment or only those parts of the mold segment for which there is a higher probability that unopened valves are located, such as in parts of the mold segment in which the unvulcanized tire is pushed laterally over the mold segment surface when the mold is closed.

[0054] According to one embodiment, the device is configured to generate the temperature difference regardless of a state of the valve. For example, according to one embodiment, the device is configured to generate the temperature difference regardless of whether the valve is in an open or closed state. The mold segment has a plurality of valves and the device is configured to generate the temperature difference between the valve and its adjacent part of the mold segment for each valve of the plurality of valves, regardless of a state of the valve. This can be done, for example, according to one embodiment by irradiating all valves with the laser radiation regardless of a state of the valves. According to one embodiment, the device (for opening a valve) is part of a laser cleaning device.For example, according to one embodiment, the generation of the temperature difference can be advantageously combined with the cleaning of the mold (or the mold segment).

[0055] For example, a laser cleaning device can be configured to be operable with laser parameters according to embodiments disclosed herein, thereby opening closed valves. For this purpose, the laser cleaning device can comprise the device for opening the valve as a separate device. According to a further embodiment, the laser cleaning device can be configured as a device for opening the valve. For example, according to one embodiment, the laser cleaning device is configurable (e.g., with regard to the laser parameters) to emit laser radiation onto the mold segment according to embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein.

[0056] According to one embodiment, laser radiation is irradiated over an entire region of the mold segment that has valves. This has the advantage that identification of the valves, or even identification of the closed valves, is not required. Rather, the mold segment (or the mold as a whole) is irradiated with laser radiation and constant laser parameters, and the closed valves are opened.

[0057] According to one embodiment, the mold is a tire mold, and the mold segment is a mold segment of a tire mold. According to one embodiment, the laser cleaning device is configured to clean an entire tire mold. In other words, according to one embodiment, the cleaning device is configured to clean the mold segment while it is joined to at least one other mold segment to form the tire mold. According to one embodiment, the laser cleaning device is configured to effect at least one of the following:

[0058] - the opening of the valve and the cleaning of the mold segment take place one after the other, for example the opening of the valve takes place after the cleaning of the mold segment;

[0059] - at least one of the laser source, laser beam path, galvo scanner, process head (herein also referred to as laser head) is used both for cleaning the mold segment and for opening the valve;

[0060] - when the valve is opened, the pulse duration is increased by at least a factor of 2 compared to cleaning the mold segment (for example, at least by a factor of 5 or, according to another embodiment, at least by a factor of 10);

[0061] - switching from pulsed laser operation when cleaning the mold segment to non-pulsed laser operation when opening the valve;

[0062] - When the valve is opened, the surface area of ​​the part of the mold segment surface simultaneously irradiated by the laser radiation is increased by a factor of at least 2, for example by a factor of at least 5, for example by a factor of at least 10, compared to when the mold segment is cleaned. This increase in the surface simultaneously irradiated by the laser radiation is achieved according to one embodiment by operating the laser radiation (the laser beam) outside the focus for opening the valves. In other words, according to one embodiment, for opening the valves, the focus of the laser radiation is positioned at a distance from the surface of the mold segment in which the valves are arranged.The positioning of the focus of the laser radiation relative to the surface of the mold segment can be achieved, for example, by positioning at least one of the process head, the focus position along a radiation path of the laser radiation, and the mold segment. According to one embodiment, a beam waist of the laser radiation can be enlarged to open the valves.

[0063] According to one embodiment, the laser cleaning device determines at least partially automatically the path of the laser radiation across the mold segment for opening the valves from the path of movement of the cleaning radiation across the mold segment for cleaning the mold segment. For example, the same path could be used to open the valves as for cleaning the mold segment. According to one embodiment, the valves can be opened by switching from pulsed to unpulsed laser operation, increasing the pulse duration during pulsed laser operation, and / or increasing the area simultaneously irradiated by the laser radiation.

[0064] Such an increase in area could be achieved, for example, by increasing the laser beam waist. Alternatively, the focus location could be shifted along the laser beam path, allowing the laser beam to impinge on the mold segment outside its focus.

[0065] According to a further embodiment, the laser cleaning device is configured to detect closed valves after cleaning the mold segment, wherein the valve (which is opened by the laser radiation) is one of the closed valves.

[0066] According to a further embodiment, the laser cleaning device is configured to signal to an operator that at least one closed valve has been detected. According to a further embodiment, the position of the closed valve is displayed to the operator. According to embodiments of the first aspect, the device is configured to provide the functionality of one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein and / or to provide the functionality required for one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein, in particular the embodiments of the first aspect, the second aspect, the third aspect, the fourth aspect, the fifth aspect, and / or the sixth aspect.

[0067] According to embodiments of the second aspect, the laser cleaning device is configured to provide the functionality of one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein and / or to provide the functionality as required for one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein, in particular the embodiments of the first aspect, the second aspect, the third aspect, the fourth aspect, the fifth aspect and / or the sixth aspect.

[0068] According to embodiments of the third aspect, the mold processing assembly is configured to provide the functionality of one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein and / or to provide the functionality required for one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein, in particular the embodiments of the first aspect, the second aspect, the third aspect, the fourth aspect, the fifth aspect, and / or the sixth aspect.

[0069] According to embodiments of the fourth aspect, the method is configured to provide the functionality of one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein and / or to provide the functionality as required for one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein, in particular the embodiments of the first aspect, the second aspect, the third aspect, the fourth aspect, the fifth aspect, and / or the sixth aspect. According to embodiments of the fifth aspect, the computer program product is configured to provide the functionality of one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein and / or to provide the functionality as required for one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein, in particular the embodiments of the first aspect, the second aspect, the third aspect, the fourth aspect, the fifth aspect, and / or the sixth aspect.

[0070] According to embodiments of the sixth aspect, the mold segment is configured to provide the functionality of one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein and / or to provide the functionality required for one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein, in particular the embodiments of the first aspect, the second aspect, the third aspect, the fourth aspect, the fifth aspect and / or the sixth aspect.

[0071] Exemplary implementations of the subject matter disclosed herein include, in particular, the embodiments and combinations of embodiments described below:

[0072] 1. A device for opening a valve of a vent opening of a mold segment for molding and / or vulcanizing rubber, wherein the vent opening is delimited by a part of the mold segment adjacent to the valve. The device is configured to irradiate the valve with laser radiation to open the valve, and wherein the laser radiation is a continuous wave laser radiation or a pulsed laser radiation with a pulse duration greater than 200 ns. 2. The device according to embodiment 1, wherein the mold segment forms at least part of a tire mold.

[0073] 3. The device according to any one of embodiments 1 or 2, wherein the device is configured to create a temperature difference between the valve and the adjacent part of the mold segment.

[0074] 4. The device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the device is configured to direct the laser radiation onto the valve and / or the adjacent part of the mold segment, wherein the valve heats up more than the part of the mold segment adjacent to the valve; in particular, wherein the valve heats up to a temperature that is more than 100° K higher than a temperature of the adjacent part of the mold segment.

[0075] 5. Device according to one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the device is configured to perform the irradiation of the valve and the adjacent part of the mold segment with the same laser parameters.

[0076] 6. Device according to one of embodiments 1 to 4, wherein the device is configured to carry out the irradiation locally on the valve with different laser parameters than on the adjacent part of the mold segment.

[0077] 7. The device according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the device is configured to deliver laser irradiation to the valve, which heats the valve to a temperature of at least 250°C. 8. The device according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the device is configured to identify an unopened valve; and wherein the valve is the identified valve.

[0078] 9. The device according to any one of embodiments 3 to 8, wherein the device is configured to generate the temperature difference independently of a state of the valve.

[0079] 10. Device according to one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the device is part of a laser cleaning device for cleaning a mold segment.

[0080] 11. Device according to one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the laser radiation further comprises at least one of the following laser parameters: a wavelength in a range between 0.5 pm and 10 pm; a Rayleigh length in a range between 10 mm and 200 mm; a surface power in a range between 2 and 50 kW / cm 2 A beam profile of the laser radiation is a tophat profile.

[0081] 12. A laser cleaning device comprising a device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 11, wherein the laser cleaning device is configured to clean the mold segment.

[0082] 13. The laser cleaning device of embodiment 12, wherein the laser cleaning device is configured to effect at least one of the following:

[0083] - the opening of the valve and the cleaning of the mold segment take place sequentially; - at least one of the laser source, laser beam path, galvo scanner, and process head is used for both cleaning the mold segment and opening the valve;

[0084] - when the valve is opened, the pulse duration is increased by at least a factor of 2 compared to cleaning the mold segment;

[0085] - switching from pulsed laser operation when cleaning the mold segment to non-pulsed laser operation when opening the valve;

[0086] - when the valve is opened, the surface area of ​​the part of the surface of the mold segment that is simultaneously irradiated by the laser radiation is increased by a factor of at least 2 compared to when the mold segment is cleaned.

[0087] 14. The laser cleaning device according to any one of embodiments 12 or 13, wherein the laser cleaning device is configured to detect closed valves after cleaning the mold segment; and wherein the valve is one of the closed valves.

[0088] 15. The laser cleaning device of embodiment 14, wherein the laser cleaning device is configured to signal to an operator that at least one closed valve has been detected.

[0089] 16. A mold processing assembly comprising a mold segment for molding and / or vulcanizing rubber, wherein the mold segment has a vent opening and a valve for the vent opening; and a device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 11 for opening the valve.

[0090] 17. Method for opening a valve of a ventilation opening of a

[0091] Mold segment for molding and / or vulcanizing rubber, wherein the ventilation opening is limited by a part of the mold segment adjacent to the valve, the method comprising:

[0092] Irradiating the valve with laser radiation to thereby open the valve; wherein the laser radiation is a cw laser radiation or a pulsed laser radiation with a pulse duration greater than 200 ns.

[0093] 18. A computer program product comprising a program element which, when executed on a processor device, controls a method according to embodiment 17.

[0094] 19. A mold segment configured for molding and / or vulcanizing rubber, the mold segment comprising: a valve; a vent opening defined by a portion of the mold segment adjacent to the valve; and wherein the valve has a tarnish color corresponding to a temperature of at least 250°C.

[0095] According to one embodiment, the program element is a non-transient program element. According to another embodiment, the computer program product is a non-transient computer program product.

[0096] As used herein, reference to a computer program product is considered equivalent to reference to a computer program comprising a program element and / or a computer-readable medium comprising a program element.

[0097] According to one embodiment, a program element comprises instructions for controlling a processor device (having one or more microprocessors, e.g., a computer system) to effect and / or coordinate the execution of a method described herein.

[0098] The (non-transient) program element may be implemented as computer-readable instruction code using any suitable programming language, such as JAVA, C#, Python, etc., and may be stored on a computer-readable medium (removable disk, volatile or non-volatile memory, embedded memory / processor, etc.). According to one embodiment, the instruction code is executable for programming a computer or any other programmable processor device to perform the intended functions. The computer program may be available on a network, such as the World Wide Web, from which it may be downloaded, for example.

[0099] Suitable components disclosed herein (e.g., the functionality of the control device) can be implemented using a computer program product (program element) or software. However, the components can also be implemented using one or more specific electronic circuits or hardware. Furthermore, these components can also be implemented in hybrid form, i.e., in a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0100] Unless otherwise stated, numerical values ​​are to be understood as including a ±5% window, ie for example a specification of a pulse duration of 200 ns comprises, according to one embodiment, a pulse duration within an interval of (200 ± 5%) ns = [190 ns; 210 ns] and a percentage of 50% comprises, according to one embodiment, a percentage within an interval of 50% ± 5% = [47.5%;

[0101] 52.5%]. According to a further embodiment, numerical values ​​are to be understood as including a ±10% window. Exemplary embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein are described below, with reference to, for example, a device for opening a valve, a laser cleaning device, a mold processing arrangement, a method, a computer program product, and a mold segment. It should be emphasized that any combination of features of different aspects, embodiments, and examples is, of course, possible. In particular, some embodiments are described with reference to a method, while other embodiments are described with reference to a device for opening or a laser cleaning device.Yet other embodiments are described with reference to a computer program product, while other embodiments are described with reference to a control device for interacting with elements of the opening device and / or the laser cleaning device. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate from the above and following description, claims, and drawings that, unless otherwise stated, features of various aspects, embodiments, and examples can be combined, and such combinations of features are to be considered as disclosed by this application. For example, even a feature relating to a method can be combined with a feature relating to a device, and vice versa.

[0102] Further advantages and features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following exemplary description of currently preferred embodiments, to which the claimed invention is not limited, however. The individual figures of the drawings in this document are to be considered merely schematic and not to scale. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0103] Fig. 1 shows an apparatus 100 for opening a valve 102 of a vent opening 104 of a mold segment 106 according to embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein.

[0104] Fig. 2 shows a top view of the mold segment 106 from Fig. 1.

[0105] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0106] It is noted that in different figures, similar or identical elements or components are provided with the same reference numerals, or with reference numerals that differ only in the first digit. Such features or components that are the same or at least functionally equivalent to the corresponding features or components in another figure are described in detail only at their first appearance in the following text, and the description is not repeated for subsequent appearances of these features and components (or the corresponding reference numerals).

[0107] Fig. 1 shows a mold segment 106 of a mold 107 for molding and vulcanizing rubber. The mold segment 106 has a vent opening 104 and a valve 102 for closing the vent opening 104. Fig. 1 further shows a device 100 for opening the valve 102 of the vent opening 104 of the mold segment 106, wherein the vent opening 104 is delimited by a part 108 of the mold segment 106 adjacent to the valve. According to one embodiment, the vent opening 104 is formed in a mold segment body 109 of the mold segment 106, for example as shown in Fig. 1. According to one embodiment, the mold 107 is a tire mold, for example a tire mold for molding and vulcanizing a pneumatic vehicle tire. According to one embodiment, the device 100 is configured to emit a laser radiation 110, wherein the laser radiation is a cw laser radiation or a pulsed laser radiation with a pulse duration greater than 200 ns.For example, according to one embodiment, the device 100 comprises a radiation source 111 that delivers the laser radiation 110 according to embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein and forms a laser spot 113 on the mold segment 106. The device 100 is further configured to open the valve 102 by irradiation with the laser radiation 110. According to one embodiment, the radiation source 111 is a separate component that is optically connected to a laser head 115, for example, via an optical fiber 117, for example, as shown in Fig. 1. According to one embodiment (not shown), the radiation source 111 is part of the laser head. According to another embodiment, the radiation source 111 is arranged separately from a laser head.

[0108] According to one embodiment, the apparatus 100 is configured to heat the valve 102 more than the adjacent portion 108 of the mold segment 106.

[0109] According to one embodiment, the vent opening 104 has a support surface 112 that tapers from an opening edge 114 into the vent opening, for example, as shown in Fig. 1. In this way, when the valve 102 expands relative to the vent opening 104, it is forced away from the adjacent part 108 of the mold segment 106 in a direction 116. This can facilitate the opening of the valve by the laser radiation 110.

[0110] According to one embodiment, the support surface 112 is conical and annularly closed, for example as shown in Fig. 1. According to one embodiment, the mold segment 106 has a biasing element 118 which biases the valve 102 into an open position, for example in the direction 116, for example as shown in Fig. 1. In other words, a force 120 must be exerted on the valve in order to close the valve 102, for example opposite to the direction 116. The biasing element 118 can be formed, for example, by a spring, for example as schematically shown in Fig. 1.

[0111] During use of the tire mold 107 to mold and vulcanize a tire, for example, a pneumatic vehicle tire, the force 120 is exerted by the tire rubber. If tire rubber then gets between the valve 102 and the mold segment 106 during the vulcanization process, the valve 102 can stick in the vent opening 104. Previously, in such a case, the valve was mechanically released. The device 100 now makes it possible to open a closed valve 102, in particular a closed valve 102 that is biased into the open position by a biasing element, by irradiating it with the laser radiation 110.

[0112] According to one embodiment, when irradiated with laser radiation 110, the valve 102 heats up to a temperature at which the material of the valve 102 tarnishes (for example, by forming a thin oxide layer) and thus changes color. The tarnish color of the valve therefore provides information about the maximum temperature to which the valve has been heated. According to one embodiment, the valve is heated with the laser radiation to a temperature of at least 250 degrees. Consequently, according to another embodiment, a tarnish color of the valve corresponds to a temperature of at least 250°C. According to one embodiment, the valve heats up to a temperature that is more than 100°C higher than the temperature of the adjacent part 108 of the mold segment 106.For example, according to one embodiment, a temperature gradient may be established across the valve, wherein an edge region 122 of the valve 102, which is opposite the mold segment 106 (for example, the support surface 112 of the mold segment 106), has a lower temperature than a center of the valve 102.

[0113] According to one embodiment, the valve 102 is made of steel, while the mold segment 106 (or the mold segment body 109) is made of aluminum. According to another embodiment, the mold segment 106 (or the mold segment body) can also be made of steel.

[0114] According to one embodiment, the specific laser parameters suitable for opening the valve may depend, for example, on the valve material, the material thickness, i.e., the thickness 124 of the valve, and / or the absorption coefficient of the valve. Experiments have shown that, in particular, a pulse duration of >200 ns enables the valve to be opened with laser radiation 110.

[0115] If the device 100 is configured to generate a laser spot 113 that extends beyond the valve 102 and thus also directly heats the adjacent part 108 of the mold segment 106, the appropriate laser parameters can also be selected depending on the material of the adjacent part 108 of the mold segment 106, the material thickness of the adjacent part 108 and / or the absorption coefficient of the adjacent part 108.

[0116] According to one embodiment, the device 100 has a control device 126 for controlling the laser radiation 110 (for example, for controlling the radiation source 111). According to one embodiment, the control device 126 is further configured to control at least one actuator 128. According to one embodiment, the at least one actuator 128 is configured to move the device 100 and the mold segment 106 relative to one another, for example, to move the laser radiation 110 (or the corresponding laser spot 113) and the mold segment 106 relative to one another, for example, as shown in Fig. 1. According to one embodiment, the at least one actuator 128 can comprise one or more actuators of the laser head 115, which are configured to move the laser head 115 relative to the mold segment 106.According to one embodiment, the at least one actuator comprises an actuator configured to act on at least one optical element of an optical arrangement configured to generate the laser radiation 110.

[0117] According to one embodiment, the device 100 is part of a tire mold cleaning device. For example, according to one embodiment, the device 100 and the controller 126 can be configured to generate a first laser radiation as the laser radiation 110 for opening the valves and to generate a second laser radiation for cleaning the mold segment 106. In other words, the device 100 can be operable to open the valve 102 using the laser radiation 110 and can also be operable to clean the mold 107. In other words, the device 100 can be a cleaning device for cleaning tire molds, which can be operated to open the valve 102, or vice versa. It is understood that, generally herein, the term "opening the valve 102" is equivalent to the term "moving the valve 102 from a closed state to an open state."According to one embodiment, the closed state is a state in which the edge region 122 of the valve 102 rests on the support surface 112.

[0118] According to one embodiment, the open state is a state in which the edge region 122 of the valve 102 is spaced from the support surface 112, for example as shown in Fig. 1.

[0119] According to one embodiment, it can be provided that the mold 107 or the mold segment 106 is cleaned, and after cleaning the mold segment 106, the valve 102 is opened. This procedure can be particularly advantageous in an embodiment according to which only closed valves are irradiated with the laser radiation 110.

[0120] According to one embodiment, the laser cleaning device 200 can be configured to detect closed valves. For example, the laser cleaning device 200 can have a suitable sensor device 129 for this purpose, for example at least one of a camera (for example, for imaging the valve 102 and the adjacent part 108 of the mold segment 106) and a light section sensor (for example, for creating a height profile of the valve 102 and the adjacent part 108 of the mold segment 106).

[0121] According to one embodiment, the laser cleaning device 200 is configured to detect closed valves after cleaning the mold segment 106. According to one embodiment, the laser cleaning device 200 may include a display device 130, wherein the laser cleaning device 200 (for example, by means of the control device 126) is configured to display the closed valves to an operator on the display device 130. According to one embodiment, it may be provided that the operator can start an opening process depending on the closed valves (for example, depending on the number, arrangement, etc. of the closed valves) (for example, a corresponding option is displayed to the operator on the display device 130), in which the closed valves are opened according to embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein.

[0122] According to one embodiment, the control device 126 comprises a processor device 132 and a memory device 134. According to one embodiment, the memory device 134 comprises a program element according to embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein, wherein the program element is configured to, when executed on the processor device 132, control a method according to embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein.

[0123] According to one embodiment, the control device is connected to other components of the device 100 (for example, to the laser head 115, the radiation source 111, to the at least one actuator 128, and / or to the display device 130) for signal transmission, for example, as indicated at 127 in Fig. 1. According to one embodiment, components of the device 100 can be controlled via the signal transmission connection 127. According to another embodiment, sensor data can be supplied to the control device 126 via the signal transmission connection 127, for example, from the sensor device 129.

[0124] Fig. 2 shows a top view of the mold segment 106 from Fig. 1.

[0125] According to one embodiment, a lateral extent 136 of a laser spot 113 is greater than a lateral extent 138 of the valve 102, for example, as shown in Fig. 2. According to another embodiment, the lateral extent 136 of the laser spot 113 is less than or equal to the lateral extent 138 of the valve (not shown in Fig. 2). The lateral extent of the laser spot 113, i.e., the light spot generated by the laser radiation on the mold segment 106 and the valves 102, is also referred to herein as the size of the simultaneously irradiated area.

[0126] A larger, simultaneously irradiated area has the advantage during cleaning that the mold segment 106 can be cleaned more efficiently, since a larger area of ​​the mold segment 106 can be cleaned with a single laser pulse than with a smaller spot size. However, the size of the simultaneously irradiated area is limited by the power required to clean the mold segment 106. On the other hand, for example, a larger, simultaneously irradiated area when the valve 102 is opened can bring the surface power of the laser radiation 110 into a desired range. According to one embodiment, the surface power is lower when the valve 102 is opened than when the mold segment 106 is cleaned.

[0127] According to one embodiment, the laser spot 113 has a round shape, for example, as shown in Fig. 2. According to another embodiment, the shape of the laser spot 113 may deviate from a round shape and may, for example, be approximately rectangular or square.

[0128] According to one embodiment, the valves are irradiated in a targeted manner with the laser radiation 110. In this context, "targeted irradiation" means that individual valves are identified and approached (for example, by means of the at least one actuator 128). Approaching in this context, according to one embodiment, means that the relative position of the device 100 and the mold segment 106 is changed such that the laser radiation 110 emitted by the device 100 falls on an area that encompasses the valve and, optionally, according to one embodiment, at least partially the adjacent part 108 of the mold segment 106. In other words, according to one embodiment, local irradiation of the valve does not preclude the adjacent part 108 of the mold segment 106 from also being irradiated with the laser radiation 110.For example, according to one embodiment (also with targeted (local) irradiation of the valve), the laser spot 113 extends over the valve 102 and, optionally at least partially, also over the adjacent part 108 of the mold segment 106, for example as shown in Fig. 2. According to one embodiment, the ventilation opening 104 and thus also the opening edge 114 are circular in shape, and the valve 102 is also circular in shape, for example as shown in Fig. 2.

[0129] Although some embodiments refer to a tire mold, these embodiments are generally applicable to a mold for molding and / or vulcanizing rubber and are hereby implicitly disclosed for such a more general case.

[0130] It should be noted that each entity disclosed herein (e.g., components, units, and devices) is not limited to a dedicated entity as described in some embodiments.

[0131] Rather, the subject matter described herein may be provided in various ways with varying levels of granularity at the device level and / or at the software module level while still providing the specified functionality.

[0132] Further, it should be noted that, according to embodiments, a separate entity (e.g., components, units, and devices) may be provided for each of the functions disclosed herein. According to other embodiments, one entity (e.g., components, units, and devices) may be configured to provide two or more functions as described herein. According to yet other embodiments, two or more entities (e.g., components, units, and devices) may be configured to jointly provide one function as described herein.

[0133] According to one embodiment, the control device includes a processor device having at least one processor for executing at least one program element, which may correspond to a corresponding software module. A definition of an optical arrangement or an optical geometry with reference to laser radiation can, of course, also be defined analogously with reference to a radiation path of the laser radiation, and vice versa. In this respect, any reference to laser radiation herein analogously discloses a reference to a radiation path of the laser radiation.

[0134] It should be noted that the embodiments described herein represent only a limited selection of possible embodiments of the present disclosure. Thus, it is possible to combine the features of various embodiments in a suitable manner, so that a person skilled in the art will consider a multitude of combinations of various embodiments to be disclosed with the embodiments explicitly disclosed here. Furthermore, it should be noted that terms such as "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. Terms such as "containing" or "comprising" do not exclude further features or method steps. Consequently, according to one embodiment, the term "comprising" or "containing" stands for "among other things." According to another embodiment, the term "comprising" or "containing" stands for "consisting of."According to one embodiment, the term "configured for" includes, among other things, the meaning "arranged and / or configured to".

[0135] It should also be noted that reference numerals in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims. Furthermore, it should be noted that reference numerals in the description and the description's reference to the drawings should not be construed as limiting the scope of the description. Rather, the drawings illustrate only one exemplary implementation of a particular combination of several embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein; any other combination of embodiments is equally possible and is to be considered disclosed in this application.

[0136] In summary, it can be stated:

[0137] Described is a device for opening a valve of a vent opening of a mold segment for molding and / or vulcanizing rubber, wherein the vent opening is delimited by a part of the mold segment adjacent to the valve. The device is configured to irradiate the valve with laser radiation to open the valve, and wherein the laser radiation is continuous wave laser radiation or pulsed laser radiation with a pulse duration greater than 200 ns. Furthermore, a laser cleaning device, a mold processing arrangement, a mold segment, a method, and a computer program product are described.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Device (100) for opening a valve (102) of a vent (104) of a mold segment (106) for molding and / or vulcanizing rubber, wherein the vent (104) is limited by a part (108) of the mold segment (106) adjacent to the valve (102), wherein the device (100) is configured to irradiate the valve (102) with a laser radiation (110) for opening the valve (102), and wherein the laser radiation (110) is a cw laser radiation or a pulsed laser radiation with a pulse duration greater than 200 ns.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the mold segment (106) forms at least a part of a tire mold.

3. Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the device (100) is configured to generate a temperature difference between the valve (102) and the adjacent part (108) of the mold segment (106).

4. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the device (100) is configured to direct the laser radiation (110) onto the valve (102) and / or the adjacent part (108) of the mold segment (106), wherein the valve (102) heats up more than the part (108) of the mold segment (106) adjacent to the valve (102); in particular wherein the valve (102) heats up to a temperature that is more than 100° K higher than a temperature of the adjacent part (108) of the mold segment (106).

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (100) is configured to perform the irradiation of the valve (102) and the adjacent part (108) of the mold segment (106) with the same laser parameters.

6. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the device (100) is configured to perform local irradiation on the valve (102) with different laser parameters than on the adjacent part (108) of the mold segment (106).

7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (100) is configured to provide laser irradiation of the valve (102) which heats the valve to a temperature of at least 250 °C.

8. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the device (100) is configured to identify an unopened valve (102); and wherein the valve (102) is the identified valve (102).

9. Device according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein the device (100) is configured to generate the temperature difference independently of any state of the valve (102).

10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (100) is part of a laser cleaning device (200) for cleaning the mold segment (106).

11. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the laser radiation (110) further comprises at least one of the following laser parameters: a wavelength in a range between 0.5 µjm and 10 µjm; a Rayleigh length in a range between 10 mm and 200 mm; a power output in a range between 2 and 50 kW / cm² 2 A beam profile of laser radiation is a tophat profile.

12. Laser cleaning device (200) comprising a device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the laser cleaning device (200) is configured to clean the mold segment (106).

13. Laser cleaning device according to claim 12, wherein the laser cleaning device (200) is configured to perform at least one of the following: - the opening of the valve (102) and the cleaning of the mold segment (106) take place sequentially; - at least one of the laser source (111), laser beam path, galvo scanner, process head is used both for cleaning the mold segment (106) and for opening the valve (102); - when the valve (102) is opened, the pulse duration is increased by at least a factor of 2 compared to cleaning the mold segment (106); - from pulsed laser operation when cleaning the mold segment (106) is switched to unpulsed laser operation when opening the valve (102); - when the valve (102) is opened, the surface area of ​​the part of the surface of the mold segment (106) simultaneously irradiated by the laser radiation (110) is increased by a factor of at least 2 compared to cleaning the mold segment (102).

14. Laser cleaning device according to one of claims 12 or 13, wherein the laser cleaning device (200) is configured to detect closed valves (102) after cleaning the mold segment (106); and wherein the valve (102) is one of the closed valves (102).

15. Laser cleaning device according to claim 14, wherein the laser cleaning device is configured to signal to an operator that at least one closed valve (102) has been detected.

16. Mold processing arrangement comprising a mold segment (106) for molding and / or vulcanizing rubber, wherein the mold segment has a vent opening (104) and a valve (102) for the vent opening (104); and a device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 11 for opening the valve.

17. Mold segment (106) designed for molding and / or vulcanizing rubber, the mold segment (106) comprising: a valve (102); a vent opening (104) which is bounded by a part (108) of the mold segment (106) adjoining the valve (102); and wherein the valve (102) has a temper color corresponding to a temperature of at least 250 °C.

18. Method for opening a valve (102) of a vent opening (104) of a mold segment (106) for molding and / or vulcanizing rubber, wherein the vent opening (104) is limited by a part (108) of the mold segment (106) adjacent to the valve (102), comprising the method: Irradiating the valve (102) with a laser radiation (110) in order to open the valve (102); wherein the laser radiation (110) is a cw laser radiation or a pulsed laser radiation with a pulse duration greater than 200 ns.

19. Computer program product comprising a program element which, when executed on a processor device (132), controls a method according to claim 18.

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