A FRAME REPAIR DEVICE INCLUDING A SUCTION SYSTEM WITH A FLEXIBLE CONTAINMENT SKIRT

Abstract

The present invention relates to a repair device (100) for a tire casing (1) containing damage (27), said repair device (100) comprising a treatment system (3) and a suction system (8) comprising a rigid hood (9) and a flexible skirt (11), said flexible skirt (11) cooperating with the rigid hood (9) so as to form a chamber (15) surrounding a rotating tool (6), said chamber (15) enabling the suction of particles generated during the treatment of the casing (1) by the treatment system (3), said rigid hood (9) having an outlet (10) connected to a suction device. The repair device (100) also includes an air blowing system (16) for introducing air into the chamber (15) at a flow rate equivalent to the suction flow rate (da) of the suction device in order to prevent deformation of the flexible skirt (11).The invention also relates to a method of implementing the repair device (100). Figure 4b.

Description

Title of the invention: DEVICE FOR REPAIRING A CARCASS COMPRISING A SUCTION SYSTEM HAVING A SOFT LOCKDOWN SKIRT

[0001] The present invention relates to the general field of devices and methods for repairing a tire casing to be retreaded.

[0002] More particularly, the present invention finds application in the field of repairing tire casings to be retreaded, during which particles are emitted and must be blown and / or vacuumed.

[0003] As is known, tires have, at their periphery, a tread designed to wear down during rolling, comprising one or more components made of rubber materials of varying thicknesses. A tread most often includes a molded pattern with cutouts separating raised elements, designed to improve the tire's grip on the road.

[0004] During tire rolling, the tread wears down and its thickness decreases. When the tread thickness is no longer sufficient to properly perform the various functions of the tire, it must then be replaced.

[0005] The retreading process makes it possible to avoid the complete replacement of a worn tire by replacing only the tread of said worn tire in order to extend its life.

[0006] Retreading a tire, particularly a tire intended for a heavy vehicle, most often includes a step of removing the tread from the worn tire using known processes, such as machining or grinding. The tire to be retreaded without its tread is usually called the "carcass".

[0007] The next step in a retreading process is to inspect the carcass to be retreaded for any damage, such as holes, rubber tears, cuts, or traces of corrosion of the reinforcing cords, and, where possible, to repair this damage, before laying a new tread on the carcass.

[0008] It is known to begin the repair of damage present on the carcass of a tire to be retreaded by digging out the superficial layer of rubber surrounding said damage to check the extent of the damage and to ensure that said tire can be properly repaired.

[0009] By way of example, when the carcass has a cut in its surface rubber layer, it is known to excavate said rubber layer over the entire extent of the cut, down to the underlying reinforcing cables, in order to verify that the reinforcing cables have not also been damaged. If the reinforcing cables are intact, the cavity is then filled with a rubber-based repair compound.

[0010] Other damage treatment operations can be carried out, such as, for example, brushing, grinding or blowing operations.

[0011] Most of the time, the tasks of detecting damage, treating damage, and checking the condition of reinforcement cables are carried out manually. In particular, damage treatment operations are generally performed by abrasion, using, for example, a wire-bristled brush operated by a technician. These manual treatment operations are often lengthy and tedious for the technician.

[0012] During the processing operations, numerous rubber particles are generated and disseminated not only in the processing area, but also throughout the surrounding workshop and, in particular, in the vicinity of the operator.

[0013] Suction solutions, such as suction hoods or suction arms, can be used to reduce the dissemination of rubber particles, but, most of the time, these solutions are not fully satisfactory and do not allow for the aspiration of all the emitted rubber particles, in particular when said rubber particles are propelled, by the processing operation, in directions opposite to the suction solutions and at high speeds.

[0014] Patent EP253251 IB 1 discloses a solution for extracting particles emitted during a grinding operation, comprising a hood cooperating with articulated brushes and creating a chamber connected to a suction device. The chamber created by such a device is not perfectly airtight, and the large volume of the chamber requires high suction power to ensure the removal of the emitted particles.

[0015] The objects assigned to the invention therefore aim to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks and to propose a repair device comprising a simple suction device, requiring little energy and not releasing any particles into the environment around said repair device.

[0016] The objects assigned to the invention are achieved by means of a device for repairing a tire casing characterized in that it comprises: a) a mandrel intended to receive and rotate said casing, b) a processing system comprising a rotary tool and a robot enabling the positioning of said rotary tool against an external surface of said carcass in an area to be treated within which there is damage to be repaired, c) a suction system, comprising successively along a central axis XX' defined by the intersection of two planes O and P perpendicular to each other: - a rigid hood forming a first wall extending along the direction of the central axis XX', said rigid hood comprising a first internal surface, an edge and an outlet connected to a suction device allowing the evacuation of air laden with particles with a suction flow rate, - a flexible skirt, fixed to the rigid hood and forming a second wall extending along the direction of the central axis XX' projecting from the rigid hood, said flexible skirt comprising a second internal surface and an end surface, said flexible skirt cooperating with the rigid hood so as to form an extended wall surrounding said rotating tool, d) a linear displacement system for moving, in a direction parallel to the central axis XX', said suction system in order to position the end surface of the flexible skirt in contact with the outer surface of the casing so as to obtain a chamber formed by the extended wall and said outer surface of the casing, said chamber having a volume V, (e) an air blowing system for introducing air into said chamber, said blowing system comprising: - a first blowing device propelling air towards the area to be treated, with an initial blowing flow rate, - a second blowing device propelling air, tangentially to the second internal surface of said flexible skirt, with a second blowing flow rate, said air blowing system having an adjustment device allowing the first and second blowing flow rates to be adjusted, to obtain a sum of said first and second blowing flow rates which is substantially equal to the suction flow rate.

[0017] Essentially, the repair device of the invention makes it possible to ensure good evacuation of the particles generated during the treatment of the damage, thus preventing fouling of sensitive elements of the repair device, such as electrical, electronic and mechanical systems.

[0018] Furthermore, directing the first blower towards the area to be treated helps to keep said contact area clean by preventing the accumulation of particles formed by the brushing system. In addition, using a blower system in the chamber keeps the particles formed by the treatment system suspended, thus facilitating their aspiration.

[0019] In addition, the linear movement system allows, on the one hand, the end surface of the flexible skirt to be positioned in contact with the frame regardless of the diameter of the rotary tool and, on the other hand, the suction system to be removed to free access to the processing system so as to make it easier to change the rotary tool.

[0020] Another advantage of the invention is related to the flexibility of the flexible skirt which allows the end surface to conform to the outer surface of the carcass even if the diameter of said outer surface does not exactly correspond to the shape of the end surface of the flexible skirt.

[0021] Furthermore, the orientation of the second blowing device, tangential to the second internal surface of the flexible skirt, makes it possible to clean said second internal surface of said flexible skirt, thus preventing its fouling by particles from the treatment.

[0022] Advantageously, the volume V of the chamber is at most equal to 4% of the volume of a cylinder having, on the one hand, a height equal to that of the carcass to be retreaded and, on the other hand, a diameter equal to that of the carcass to be retreaded.

[0023] The low volume V of the chamber makes it possible to obtain a particularly efficient suction system, with optimized airflows inside the chamber without having to use high suction powers.

[0024] Preferably, the flexible skirt is made of silicone, thermoplastic, elastomeric thermoplastic or, even more preferably, transparent polyvinyl chloride, allowing an operator to view the processing operation and thus intervene when an incident occurs.

[0025] Advantageously, the rigid hood and / or the flexible skirt include a lateral through opening made in the first wall and / or the second wall.

[0026] Thanks to the lateral through opening, the adjustment device is easier to use, the operator can simply adjust the first and second blowing flow rates so as to obtain a sum of the first and second blowing flow rates which is less than the suction flow rate, the missing blowing air flow rate being compensated by the air flow rate entering the chamber through the lateral through opening.

[0027] Preferably, the area of ​​the lateral through opening represents at least 3% and at most 4% of the area of ​​the extended wall.

[0028] Optimizing the area of ​​the lateral through opening makes it possible, on the one hand, to prevent particles from leaving the chamber without being sucked up, and, on the other hand, to guarantee a sufficiently large air intake to contribute to the balance between the first and second blowing flow rates and the suction flow rate.

[0029] Preferably, the first internal surface of the rigid hood is coated with an anti-adhesion coating, making it possible to avoid an accumulation of particles on said first internal surface of the rigid hood thus ensuring the total aspiration of all particles generated by the treatment device.

[0030] Preferably, the anti-adhesion coating is a fluoropolymer-based coating.

[0031] Preferably, the first blowing device comprises at least two blowing nozzles. The use of blowing nozzles makes it easy to direct the entire airflow from the first blowing device towards the damage, allowing the area to be evacuated and cleaned, while suspending the particles generated by the treatment system.

[0032] Preferably, the at least two blow nozzles are arranged and oriented symmetrically on either side of plane P.

[0033] Advantageously, the second blowing device comprises at least four and preferably at least eight holes made in the rigid hood, each of the holes having a drilling axis tangential to the second internal surface, each of the holes serving as an inlet orifice to introduce air into the chamber through said second blowing device.

[0034] The presence of several perforations and their tangential orientation to the second internal surface allows for a homogeneous air blowing which helps to prevent the adhesion and accumulation of particles on said second internal surface of the flexible skirt, while improving the suspension of particles generated by the treatment system.

[0035] Advantageously, the holes made in the rigid cover are positioned circumferentially according to a pitch, not necessarily constant, each of the holes being positioned at a distance d from the edge of the rigid cover, said distance being at most equal to twice the largest of the diameters of the holes.

[0036] Positioning the holes near the edge of the rigid hood allows a second blowing device close to the second internal surface and thus particularly effective in preventing the adhesion and accumulation of particles on said second internal surface.

[0037] Preferably, the holes are arranged and oriented symmetrically on either side of the plane P. The symmetrical positioning of the at least two blower nozzles and the holes makes it possible to obtain particularly homogeneous and efficient airflows.

[0038] Advantageously, the projection of the end surface of the flexible skirt into the plane O is an arc of a circle of radius R, allowing the end surface to more easily conform to the shape of the outer surface of the carcass to be treated.

[0039] Advantageously, the projection, in any plane perpendicular to the central axis XX', of the outer contour of the end surface of the flexible skirt is a continuous closed contour intersecting, on the one hand, plane P at two points b and d, and on the other hand, plane O at two points a and c, the length of segment [ac] being at least twice the length of segment [bd], so as to obtain an elongated shape closely surrounding the rotating tools such as grinding wheels or brushes, the first and second inner faces being positioned perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said grinding wheels. Thanks to this elongated shape surrounding the rotating tools, the chamber volume is reduced and the efficiency of the air blowing and suction systems is improved.

[0040] Preferably, the linear movement system comprises an automatic actuator cooperating with a linear guide to move the suction system along the central axis XX'. The linear movement system is thus particularly simple, robust and easy to implement.

[0041] The invention also relates to a method for repairing a carcass implementing the repair device described above, said method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) Positioning the carcass to be treated on the chuck and rotating said carcass to position the damage near the robot, b) use of the robot to position the rotary tool in contact with the outer surface of the carcass to be treated in the area to be treated including the damage, c) activation of the linear displacement system to bring the end surface of the flexible skirt into contact with the outer surface of the casing to be treated, d) simultaneous activation of the air blowing system and the suction system, use of the adjustment device to adjust the first and second blowing flow rates to obtain a sum of said first and second blowing flow rates that is substantially equal to the suction flow rate, e) Activation of the processing system to rotate the rotary tool and treat the damage, f) shutdown of the treatment system, the air blowing system and the suction system when the damage has been sufficiently treated, g) activation of the linear displacement system to remove the end surface from the outer surface, h) activation of the robot to remove the rotary tool from the outer surface, i) removal of the carcass to be treated, placement of a new carcass to be treated and start of a new cycle from step a).

[0042] Essentially, the repair process of the invention makes it possible to treat, in a simple manner, damage to a tire casing without polluting or clogging the repair equipment or the surrounding workshop, thus limiting maintenance costs.

[0043] Preferably, the carcass to be treated is a tire carcass to be retreaded.

[0044] Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in more detail from the following description and with the aid of the accompanying drawings, which are provided by way of illustration only and are not intended to be limiting, among which: - [Fig.l]: Overview and perspective view of the repair device according to the invention. - [Fig.2]: Partial detailed and perspective view of an embodiment of the repair device according to the invention. - [Fig.3]: Partial detailed and cross-sectional view, along a plane passing through plane O, of the blowing system and the suction system. - [Fig.4a]: Partial detailed view of the treatment system, the suction system and the blowing system with the rotary tool in contact with the outer surface of the tire to be retreaded in the area to be treated and the flexible skirt in retreat. - [Fig.4b]: Partial detailed view of the treatment system, the suction system and the blowing system with the rotary tool in contact with the outer surface of the tire to be retreaded, in the area to be treated, and with the end surface of the flexible skirt in contact with the outer surface. - [Fig.5]: Partial front view of the suction and blowing systems. - [Fig.5a]: View of the projection, in a plane perpendicular to the central axis XX', of the outer contour of the end surface of the flexible skirt. - [Fig.6]: Partial detailed and perspective view of the linear movement system, the processing system, the suction system and the blowing system. - [Fig.7]: Partial detailed and cross-sectional view, along axis AA visible in [Fig.5], of a hole in the second blowing device. - [Fig.8]: View of a projection, in two dimensions and along a radial direction, of the area to be treated.

[0045] In what follows, for the sake of clarity, the horizontal direction and the vertical direction correspond to the natural orientation of figures 1 to 7. Similarly, the terms "top", "bottom", "lower", "upper" and their variants should be understood with reference to the vertical direction of the figures.

[0046] In what follows, the circumferential or longitudinal direction designates the direction of rotation of the tire, the axial or transverse direction designates the direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the tire and the radial direction designates a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the tire.

[0047] As can be seen in [Fig. 1], the present invention relates to a repair device 100 for a tire casing 1 characterized in that it comprises a mandrel 2 for receiving and rotating said casing 1.

[0048] The chuck 2 may, for example, comprise a drum having a cylindrical external surface formed by segments that can move radially and concentrically, the radial movement and rotation of the drum being achieved by at least one electric, pneumatic, or hydraulic actuator. In a known manner, the radial movement of the segments allows the outer diameter of said cylindrical drum to coincide with the inner diameter of the frame 1. In some embodiments, the width of the chuck 2 may also be variable in order to adapt the width of said chuck 2 to the width of the frame 1. In other embodiments, the width of the chuck 2 is fixed, and adapting the width of the chuck 2 to the width of the frame 1 is achieved by interchanging said chuck 2 for another chuck 2 having a width corresponding to the width of said frame 1.

[0049] The repair device 100 also includes, as illustrated in [Fig.1] and [Fig.2], a processing system 3 comprising a rotary tool 6 and a robot 4 enabling the positioning of said rotary tool 6 against an external surface 7 of said casing 1 in a treatment area Zt within which there is damage 27 to be repaired.

[0050] As is known to those skilled in the art, the damage 27 to be repaired on the casing 1 includes, but is not limited to, holes, rubber tears, cuts or traces of corrosion of the reinforcing cables.

[0051] Rotary tools may be, for example, brushes, grinding wheels, milling cutters, drill bits, or any other type of tool for treating the damage 27 in the area to be treated Zt. The rotary tools may be driven by electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic motors. Brushes may have, for example, a diameter of 105 mm. Grinding wheels may have a diameter of, for example, 40, 50, or 60 mm.

[0052] As can be seen in [Fig.8], the projection, in two dimensions and along a radial direction, of the area to be treated Zt generally corresponds to a substantially rectangular shape surrounding the damage 27.

[0053] The robot 4 can be, for example, a Cartesian robot, a mechanical device with pneumatic cylinders, electric cylinders or electromagnetic cylinders, or as can be seen in [Fig.1], a poly-articulated robot.

[0054] As shown in [Fig. 1], [Fig. 2] or [Fig. 3], the repair device 100 further comprises a suction system 8, comprising successively along a central axis XX' defined by the intersection of two planes O and P perpendicular to each other: - a rigid hood 9 forming a first wall 12 extending along the direction of the central axis XX', said rigid hood 9 comprising a first internal surface 9a, an edge 20 and an outlet orifice 10 connected to a suction device allowing the evacuation of air laden with particles with a suction flow rate da, - a flexible skirt 11, fixed to the rigid hood 9 and forming a second wall 13 extending along the direction of the central axis XX' projecting from the rigid hood 9, said flexible skirt 11 comprising a second internal surface 1la and an end surface 11b, said flexible skirt 11 cooperating with the rigid hood 9 so as to form an extended wall 14 surrounding said rotating tool 6.

[0055] The suction device, not shown, may include a flexible or rigid hose, connected at one end to the outlet port 10 and at one end to a turbine, a fan, a piston system, a venturi system or any other system allowing the suction and evacuation of air laden with particles with a suction flow rate da.

[0056] The suction flow rate da can be adjusted either by modifying the efficiency of the system for drawing in and expelling air, or by using a manual or automatic air flow regulator. For example, the efficiency of the system for drawing in and expelling air can be adjusted by slowing the rotational speed of the turbine or fan when the suction device includes a turbine or fan.

[0057] The attachment of the flexible skirt 11 to the rigid hood 9 can be done either by positioning the end surface 11b against the edge 20 of the rigid hood 9, or, as can be seen in [Fig.2] or [Fig.3], by overlapping a part of the flexible skirt 11 around the rigid hood 9.

[0058] The attachment of the flexible skirt 11 to the rigid hood 9 can be done, for example, by gluing, bolting, shrink-fitting or any other similar means of attachment.

[0059] As shown in [Fig.6], the repair device 100 also includes a linear displacement system 17 for moving, in a direction parallel to the central axis XX', said suction system 8 in order to position the end surface 11b of the flexible skirt 11 in contact with the outer surface 7 of the casing 1 so as to obtain a chamber 15 formed by the extended wall 14 and said outer surface 7 of the casing 1, said chamber 15 having a volume V.

[0060] The positioning of the flexible skirt 11 in contact with the outer surface 7 can be achieved automatically using a positioning system, not shown, which could be, for example, a presence sensor, a pressure sensor, a laser sensor, or a vision system. Thus, regardless of the diameter of the tool rotary 6 used, the linear displacement system 17 ensures that the flexible skirt 11 is brought into contact with the outer surface 7.

[0061] As can be seen in [Fig.2] or [Fig.3], the repair device 100 further comprises an air blowing system 16 for introducing air into said chamber 15, said blowing system comprising: - a first blowing device 18 propelling air towards the area to be treated Zt, with a first blowing flow rate dsl, - a second blowing device 19 propelling air, tangentially to the second internal surface lia of said flexible skirt 11, with a second blowing flow rate ds2, said air blowing system 16 having an adjustment device 21 allowing the first and second blowing flow rates dsl, ds2 to be adjusted to obtain a sum of said first and second blowing flow rates dsl, ds2 which is substantially equal to the suction flow rate da.

[0062] The first and second blowing devices 18, 19 comprise a device for blowing air, which may be, for example, a turbine, a fan, a piston or blade compressor.

[0063] The first blowing device 18 and the second blowing device 19 can be two independent devices or a single device distributing the blown air into said first and second blowing devices 18, 19 using flaps or valves cooperating with pipes and a distributor having a "Y" shape.

[0064] The first and second blowing flow rates dsl, ds2 can be adjusted by modulating the efficiency of the first and second blowing devices 18, 19, by modifying, for example, the rotational speed of the turbine or fan when the first and second blowing devices are turbine systems or fans.

[0065] Manual or automatic flow regulators, cooperating with air flow sensors, can also be used to adjust the first and second blowing flow rates dsl, ds2.

[0066] Advantageously, the volume V of the chamber 15 is at most equal to 4% of the volume of a cylinder having, on the one hand, a height equal to that of the carcass 1 to be retreaded and, on the other hand, a diameter equal to that of the carcass 1 to be retreaded.

[0067] As can be seen in [Fig.4b], the volume V of the chamber 15 may vary slightly depending on the value of the diameter of the outer surface 7 of the casing 1.

[0068] Preferably, the flexible skirt 11 is made of silicone, thermoplastic, elastomeric thermoplastic or, even more preferably, transparent polyvinyl chloride.

[0069] By way of example, the thickness of the flexible skirt 11 can be 2mm in order to obtain good flexibility, allowing, on the one hand, said flexible skirt 11 to more easily conform to the outer surface 7 of the carcass 1, and on the other hand, to easily form said flexible skirt 11 during its manufacture.

[0070] According to the invention, the transparent polyvinyl chloride, preferably chosen, can have, for example, a Shore A hardness of 80, a tear strength of 50N / mm and an elongation at break of 340%.

[0071] Advantageously, the rigid hood 9 and / or the flexible skirt 11 include a lateral through opening 26 made in the first wall 12 and / or the second wall 13.

[0072] The lateral through-opening 26 can be, for example, circular, rectangular, or oblong. In the embodiment illustrated in [Fig. 6], the lateral through-opening 26 allows the drive shaft of the rotary tool 6 to extend so that this drive shaft can be connected to a rotary drive system. In this embodiment, the lateral through-opening 26 has a longitudinal slot shape to allow the linear motion system 17 to move the suction system 8 without interfering with the rigid hood 9 or the flexible skirt 11.

[0073] Preferably, the area of ​​the lateral through opening 26 represents at least 3% and at most 4% of the extended wall 14.

[0074] Preferably, the first internal surface 9a of the rigid hood 9 is coated with an anti-adhesion coating, which may preferably be a fluoropolymer-based coating, which may be, for example, Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) or Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP), or more specifically a product of the Xylan brand.

[0075] In other embodiments, the anti-adhesion coating may be a silicone-based coating.

[0076] As can be seen in [Fig.3] or [Fig.5], the first blowing device 18 comprises at least two blowing nozzles 22.

[0077] In the embodiment illustrated in [Fig.6], the blow nozzles 22 are screwed into a part comprising a channel cooperating with said blow nozzles 22 to convey the air into the chamber 15 and towards the area to be treated Zt.

[0078] In other embodiments, the blow nozzles 22 are connected directly to flexible or rigid pipes through which the air that is blown into the chamber 15 passes.

[0079] The blowing nozzles 22 are preferably nozzles forming a cylindrical or rectangular directional air jet, allowing air to be blown in the direction of the area to be treated Zt with high speed and with a pressure generally greater than 0.03N / mm2.

[0080] Preferably, the at least two blowing nozzles 22 are arranged and oriented symmetrically on either side of the plane P.

[0081] Advantageously, the second blowing device 19 comprises at least four and preferably at least eight holes 25 made in the rigid hood 9, each of the holes 25 having a drilling axis tangential to the second internal surface lia, each of the holes 25 serving as an inlet orifice to introduce air into the chamber 15 by said second blowing device 19.

[0082] As can be seen in [Fig.7], by tangential drilling axis, a drilling axis must be understood as not forming, in a plane comprising the drilling axis and perpendicular to the first internal surface 9a, an angle al greater than 5 degrees and preferably not forming an angle al greater than 2 degrees with a plane tangent to the second internal surface lia.

[0083] Each of the holes 25 made in the rigid hood 9 is connected to the device for blowing air, by means of, for example, flexible or rigid pipes or a part comprising one or more channels.

[0084] Also advantageously and as can be seen in [Fig.5], the holes 25 made in the rigid cover 9 are positioned circumferentially with a pitch, not necessarily constant, each of the holes 25 being positioned at a distance d from the edge 20 of the rigid cover 9, said distance d being at most equal to twice the largest of the diameters of the holes 25.

[0085] According to the invention, the distance d, being at most equal to twice the largest of the diameters of the holes 25, makes it possible to obtain outlet orifices of the holes 25 located near the second internal surface lia in order to improve the efficiency of the blowing of said holes 25 on the internal surface 1 la and thus prevent the adhesion of particles on said internal surface lia.

[0086] Preferably and as shown in [Fig.5], the holes 25 are arranged and oriented symmetrically on either side of the plane P.

[0087] Advantageously, the projection of the end surface 11b of the flexible skirt 11 into the plane O is an arc of a circle of radius R.

[0088] The radius R is preferably substantially equal to the radius of the outer surface 7 of the casing 1, thus ensuring good sealing of the chamber 15. The flexibility of the flexible skirt 11 also makes it possible to maintain the sealing of the chamber 15, even when the radius R is slightly different from the radius of the outer surface 7.

[0089] When the radius of the outer surface 7 of the carcass 1 is too far from the radius R, the flexible skirt 11 can be interchanged with another flexible skirt 11 having a radius R closer to the radius of the outer surface 7.

[0090] Advantageously, and as illustrated in [Fig.5a], the projection, in any plane perpendicular to the central axis XX', of the outer contour of the end surface 11b of the flexible skirt 11 is a continuous closed contour intersecting, on the one hand, the plane P at two points b and d, and on the other hand, the plane O at two points a and c, the length of the segment [ac] being at least twice as large as the length of the segment [bd].

[0091] The projection, in any plane perpendicular to the central axis XX', of the end surface 11b, forms two closed and continuous contours. By outer contour is to be understood the contour furthest from the central axis XX'.

[0092] The outer contour may have, for example, a substantially oblong shape, a rectangular shape, or an elliptical shape, allowing the chamber 15 to conform to the geometry, generally in the form of circular discs, of the rotating tools 6.

[0093] As shown in [Fig.6], the linear displacement system 17 preferably includes an automatic actuator 23 cooperating with a linear guide 24 to move the suction system 8 along the central axis XX'.

[0094] The automatic actuator 23 can be, for example, an electric cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder.

[0095] By way of example, the linear guide 24 may include: - a rail cooperating with a smooth slide or a ball slide, - a rod or tube cooperating with a smooth bushing or a ball bushing, - a profiled rail cooperating with wheels or rollers.

[0096] The invention also relates to a method for repairing a carcass 1 implementing the repair device 100 described above, said method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) Positioning the frame 1 to be treated on the chuck 2 and rotating said frame 1 to position a damage 27 near the robot 4, b) use of robot 4 to position the rotary tool 6 in contact with the outer surface 7 of the casing 1 to be treated in the area to be treated Zt including the damage 27, c) activation of the linear displacement system 17 to bring the end surface 11b of the flexible skirt 11 into contact with the outer surface 7 of the casing 1 to be treated, d) simultaneous activation of the air blowing system 16 and the suction system 8, using the adjustment device 21 to adjust the first and second blowing flow rates dsl, ds2 to obtain a sum of said first and second blowing flow rates dsl, ds2 which is substantially equal to the suction flow rate da, e) activation of the processing system 3 to rotate the rotary tool 6 and treat the damage 27, f) shutdown of the treatment system 3, the air blowing system 16 and the suction system 8 when the damage 27 has been sufficiently treated, g) activation of the linear displacement system 17 to remove the end surface 11b from the outer surface 7, h) activation of robot 4 to remove the rotary tool 6 from the outer surface 7, i) removal of the carcass 1 to be treated, placement of a new carcass 1 to be treated and start of a new cycle from step a).

[0097] The adjustment of the first and second flow rates dsl, ds2 with the adjustment device 21 can be done visually by observing the shape of the flexible skirt 11, which must not be deformed when the air supply system 16 and the suction system 8 are activated. When the first and second flow rates dsl, ds2 are too high relative to the suction flow rate da, the flexible skirt 11 moves outwards in directions relative to the central axis XX'. Conversely, when the first and second flow rates dsl, ds2 are too low relative to the suction flow rate da, the flexible skirt 11 retracts inwards in directions relative to the central axis XX'.

[0098] In other embodiments, the flow rate adjustment can be done using flow meters to determine the different flow rates.

[0099] Preferably, the carcass 1 to be treated is a tire carcass to be retreaded.

[0100] The inventors implemented the repair device 100 using the process of the invention to treat a carcass 1 of a heavy truck tire of size 315 / 80 R22.5.

[0101] In this example of an embodiment of the method of the invention, the diameter of the outer surface 7 of the carcass 1 of the heavy-duty tire is equal to 1050 mm and the height of the carcass 1 is 300 mm.

[0102] The repair device 100 implemented in this example comprises the following elements and characteristics: - a flexible skirt 11 having a circular arc of radius R equal to 525 mm and said flexible skirt 11 is made of transparent polyvinyl chloride (PVC) having a Shore A hardness of 80, a tear resistance of 50N / mm and an elongation at break of 340%, - the projection, in a plane perpendicular to the central axis XX', of the end surface 11b of the flexible skirt 11 corresponds to a closed contour having, on the one hand, a segment [ac] whose length is equal to xx mm and on the other hand a segment [bd] whose length is equal to yy mm, - the first internal surface 9a is coated with a coating from the Xylan brand, - the volume V of chamber 15 is equal to 4.5% of the volume of a cylinder with a diameter of 1050 mm and a height of 300 mm, - the rigid hood 9 includes a lateral through opening 26 representing 3.1% of the area of ​​the extended wall 14, - the first blowing device 18 comprises two commercially available blowing nozzles 22, - the second blowing device 19 includes 8 holes 25 of diameter 3 mm arranged 8 mm from the edge 20 of the rigid hood 9.

[0103] In this example, the inventors manually adjusted the different flow rates using the adjustment device 21 and observing the shape of the flexible skirt 11.

[0104] A flexible, undeformed skirt 11 was obtained with the following settings: - a first blowing flow rate dsl equal to 28Nm3 / h, corresponding to a flow rate of 14Nm3 / h for each of the blowing nozzles 22, (as is known to those skilled in the art, the unit of measurement Nm3 / h corresponds to normo-cubic meters blown per hour and measured at a temperature of 15°C and under 1 atmosphere, i.e. 101325Pa), - a second blowing flow rate ds2, corresponding to the flow rate of the 8 holes 25, of 136 Nm3 / h, - a suction flow rate of 510Nm3 / h from the suction system 8, - and a residual flow rate through the lateral through opening 26 of 346Nm3 / h.

[0105] With these settings, during the implementation of the invention, no particles generated by the treatment operation escaped from chamber 15 and the particles present in the area to be treated Zt were indeed suspended before being aspirated by the suction system 8.

[0106] In addition, no particle was deposited and remained stuck on the extended wall 14 formed by the first and second walls 12, 13.

Claims

1. Demands Repair device (100) for a tire casing (1) characterized in that it comprises: a) a chuck (2) intended to receive and rotate said frame (1), b) a processing system (3) comprising a rotary tool (6) and a robot (4) for positioning said rotary tool (6) against an external surface (7) of said frame (1) in a treatment area (Zt) within which there is damage (27) to be repaired, c) a suction system (8), comprising successively along a central axis (XX') defined by the intersection of two planes (O) and (P) perpendicular to each other: - a rigid hood (9) forming a first wall (12) extending along the direction of the central axis (XX'), said rigid hood (9) comprising a first internal surface (9a), an edge (20) and an outlet orifice (10) connected to a suction device allowing the evacuation of air laden with particles with a suction flow rate (da), - a flexible skirt (11), fixed to the rigid cover (9) and forming a second wall (13) extending along the direction of the central axis (XX') projecting from the rigid cover (9), said flexible skirt (11) comprising a second internal surface (11a) and an end surface (11b), said flexible skirt (11) cooperating with the rigid cover (9) so as to form an extended wall (14) surrounding said rotating tool (6), d) a linear displacement system (17) for moving, in a direction parallel to the central axis (XX'), said suction system (8) in order to position the end surface (11b) of the flexible skirt (11) in contact with the outer surface (7) of the casing (1) so as to obtain a chamber (15) formed by the extended wall (14) and said outer surface (7) of the casing (1), said chamber (15) having a volume V, (e) an air blowing system (16) for introducing air into said chamber (15), said blowing system comprising: - a first blowing device (18) propelling air towards the area to be treated (Zt), with a first blowing flow rate (dsl), - a second blowing device (19) propelling air, tangentially to the second internal surface (lia) of said flexible skirt (11), with a second blowing flow rate (ds2), said air blowing system (16) having an adjustment device (21) allowing the first and second blowing flow rates (dsl, ds2) to be adjusted to obtain a sum of said first and second blowing flow rates (dsl, ds2) which is substantially equal to the suction flow rate (da).

2. Repair device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the volume V of the chamber (15) is at most equal to 4% of the volume of a cylinder having, on the one hand, a height equal to that of the casing (1) to be retreaded and, on the other hand, a diameter equal to that of the casing (1) to be retreaded.

3. Repair device (100) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the flexible skirt (11) is made of silicone, thermoplastic, elastomeric thermoplastic or, preferably, transparent polyvinyl chloride.

4. Repair device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the rigid hood (9) and / or the flexible skirt (11) comprise a lateral through opening (26) made in the first wall (12) and / or the second wall (13).

5. Repair device (100) according to claim 4, wherein the area of ​​the lateral through opening (26) represents at least 3% and at most 4% of the area of ​​the extended wall (14).

6. Repair device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first internal surface (9a) of the rigid cover (9) is coated with an anti-adhesion coating.

7. Repair device (100) according to claim 6, wherein the anti-adhesion coating is a fluoropolymer-based coating.

8. Repair device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first blowing device (18) comprises at least two blowing nozzles (22).

9. Repair device (100) according to claim 8 in which the at least two blow nozzles (22) are arranged and oriented symmetrically on either side of the plane (P).

10. Repair device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the second blowing device (19) comprises at at least four and preferably at least eight holes (25) made in the rigid hood (9), each of the holes (25) having a drilling axis tangential to the second internal surface (lia), each of the holes (25) serving as an inlet orifice to introduce air into the chamber (15) by said second blowing device (19).

11. Repair device (100) according to claim 10, wherein the holes (25) made in the rigid cover (9) are positioned circumferentially with a pitch, not necessarily constant, each of the holes (25) being positioned at a distance d from the edge (20) of the rigid cover (9), said distance d being at most equal to twice the largest of the diameters of the holes (25).

12. Repair device (100) according to claim 11 in which the holes (25) are arranged and oriented symmetrically on either side of the plane (P).

13. Repair device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12 wherein the projection of the end surface (11b) of the flexible skirt (11) into the plane (O) is an arc of a circle of radius R.

14. Repair device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein the projection, in any plane perpendicular to the central axis (XX'), of the outer contour of the end surface (11b) of the flexible skirt (11) is a continuous closed contour intersecting, on the one hand, the plane (P) at two points b and d, and on the other hand, the plane (O) at two points a and c, the length of segment [ac] being at least twice as large as the length of segment [bd].

15. Repair device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the linear displacement system (17) comprises an automatic actuator (23) cooperating with a linear guide (24) to move the suction system (8) along the central axis (XX').

16. A method for repairing a casing (1) implementing the repair device (100) of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) positioning the casing (1) to be treated on the mandrel (2) and rotating said casing (1) to position a defect (27) in the vicinity of the robot (4), b) using the robot (4) to position the rotary tool (6) in contact with the outer surface (7) of the casing (1) to be treated in the area to be treated (Zt) comprising the defect (27),

17. c) activation of the linear displacement system (17) to bring the end surface (11b) of the flexible skirt (11) into contact with the outer surface (7) of the casing (1) to be treated, d) simultaneous activation of the air blowing system (16) and the suction system (8), use of the adjustment device (21) to adjust the first and second blowing flow rates (dsl, ds2) to obtain a sum of said first and second blowing flow rates (dsl, ds2) which is substantially equal to the suction flow rate (da), e) activation of the treatment system (3) to rotate the rotary tool (6) and treat the damage (27), f) shutdown of the treatment system (3), the air blowing system (16) and the suction system (8) when the damage (27) is sufficiently treated, g) activation of the linear displacement system (17) to remove the end surface (11b) from the outer surface (7), h) activation of the robot (4) to remove the rotating tool (6) from the outer surface (7), i) removal of the carcass (1) to be treated, placement of a new carcass (1) to be treated and start of a new cycle from step a). Method of hollowing out a carcass (1) according to claim 16, wherein the carcass (1) to be treated is a tire carcass to be retreaded.

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