Electronic tag attachment device and electronic tag attachment method

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronic tag attachment device that can efficiently manufacture tires with electronic tags attached. [Solution] The electronic tag attachment device 50 of the embodiment is an electronic tag attachment device 50 for attaching an electronic tag 3 to a tire, and is characterized by comprising: a covering device 10 that covers the electronic tag 3 with rubber to make a covered electronic tag 5 containing one electronic tag 3 inside; a tire member placement device 51 on which a tire member that will become part of the tire is placed; and a transfer and attachment device 60 that holds and moves the covered electronic tag 5 in the covering device 10 and attaches it to the tire member placed in the tire member placement device 51.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic tag attachment apparatus and an electronic tag attachment method. [Background Art]

[0002] In recent years, attaching RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags to various articles to identify and manage the articles has been under consideration. An RFID tag includes a chip storing data and an antenna transmitting and receiving data. Data in an RFID tag can be read and written remotely using radio waves.

[0003] Generally, an RFID tag is coated with a covering material to protect the chip and the antenna. When an RFID tag is to be provided on a tire, it is preferable to use rubber, which is the same material as the tire, as the covering material. Accordingly, coating an RFID tag with rubber by the method described in Patent Document 1 has been conventionally proposed. Specifically, it is a method of arranging RFID tags at equal intervals on a long rubber belt using a first feeding device, placing a small rubber sheet on each RFID tag using a second feeding device to cover the RFID tag, and cutting out each individual RFID tag together with the surrounding rubber from the rubber belt. By this method, a coated RFID tag, which is an RFID tag coated with rubber, is completed.

[0004] Conventionally, a plurality of coated RFID tags completed in this manner are collectively conveyed to a post-process and attached to tires in the post-process. For example, a plurality of completed coated RFID tags are arranged on a long resin film, wound into a roll together with the resin film, and conveyed to a post-process. Then, each coated RFID tag is removed from the resin film and attached to a tire in the post-process.

[0005] Furthermore, conventionally, long rubber components containing multiple RFID tags were manufactured, and these long rubber components were sometimes wound into rolls and transported to subsequent processes. In such cases, the long rubber components were cut in the subsequent process, cutting out the coated RFID tags, which were then attached to the tires. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2022-530998 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] The conventional method of transporting rubber-coated RFID tags to a downstream process, where each coated RFID tag is removed and attached to a tire, was labor-intensive during transportation and in the downstream process. Furthermore, implementing this method required the addition of specialized equipment to the downstream process, which was costly. Moreover, if RFID tags were only attached to a portion of the tires manufactured, the equipment costs for producing such a small number of tires became substantial and uneconomical.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an electronic tag attachment device and an electronic tag attachment method that can efficiently manufacture tires with electronic tags attached. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention includes embodiments shown below.

[0010] [1] An electronic tag attachment device for attaching an electronic tag to a tire, comprising: a covering device that covers the electronic tag with rubber to form a covered electronic tag containing one electronic tag inside; a tire member placement device on which a tire member that will become part of the tire is arranged; and a transfer and attachment device that holds and moves the covered electronic tag in the covering device and attaches it to the tire member arranged in the tire member placement device.

[0011] [2] The electronic tag attachment device according to [1], wherein the tire member placement device is a device on which the bead filler as the tire member is placed.

[0012] [3] The electronic tag attachment device according to [1] or [2], wherein the transfer attachment device comprises a holding portion for holding the coated electronic tag, the holding portion comprising a suction portion for sucking air and a sponge member provided at the tip of the suction portion, and the coated electronic tag is adsorbed onto the sponge member by sucking air into the suction portion.

[0013] [4] The electronic tag attachment device according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the transfer and attachment device comprises a holding unit for holding the coated electronic tag, an imaging device for capturing images, and a control unit for controlling the transfer and attachment device based on the images captured by the imaging device, wherein the imaging device captures the coated electronic tag placed on the coating device, the control unit controls the transfer and attachment device based on the captured images to hold the coated electronic tag placed on the coating device with the holding unit, the imaging device captures a reference portion of the tire member placed on the tire member placement device, and the control unit controls the transfer and attachment device based on the captured images to attach the coated electronic tag with the holding unit to the position on the tire member placed on the tire member placement device based on the reference portion.

[0014] [5] An electronic tag attaching method for attaching an electronic tag to a tire, comprising the steps of: producing a covered electronic tag including one said electronic tag inside by covering said electronic tag with rubber in a covering device; arranging a tire member that becomes a part of said tire on a tire member arrangement tool; and holding and moving said covered electronic tag in said covering device, and affixing said covered electronic tag to said tire member arranged on said tire member arrangement tool. Effects of the Invention

[0015] According to the electronic tag attaching device and electronic tag attaching method of the embodiment, a tire with an electronic tag attached thereto can be efficiently manufactured. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] A top view of an electronic tag. [Figure 2] A top view of a covered electronic tag. [Figure 3] A top view of an electronic tag attaching device. [Figure 4] A diagram showing the state of an electronic tag on a conveyor. [Figure 5] A right side view of an electronic tag covering device. [Figure 6] A right side view of a carry-out section. [Figure 7] A rear view of a tire member arrangement tool. [Figure 8] A right side view of a tire member arrangement tool. [Figure 9] A diagram showing a distal end of a hand. [Figure 10] A diagram showing a second holding section with a sponge member facing downward. [Figure 11] A diagram of a distal end surface of the second holding section viewed from a direction perpendicular to the distal end surface. [Figure 12] A diagram of a suction surface of a sponge member viewed from a direction perpendicular to the suction surface. [Figure 13] A flow chart relating to production of a covered electronic tag. [Figure 14] A flowchart for attaching a coated electronic tag to a bead filler. [Figure 15] A diagram showing the top of the bead filler. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0017] Embodiments are described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described below are merely examples, and any appropriate modifications made without departing from the spirit of the present invention shall be included in the scope of the present invention.

[0018] First, an electronic tag 3 and a coated electronic tag 5 will be described. The electronic tag 3 of the present embodiment is an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag. As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic tag 3 is an elongated member composed of a rectangular chip 3a and spiral antennas 3b extending from both sides of the chip 3a. A storage device for storing information is mounted on the chip 3a. The antennas 3b are used for wireless communication with an external read / write device. The external read / write device can read information stored in the storage device of the chip 3a and write information to the storage device of the chip 3a via the antennas 3b.

[0019] The antennas 3b are provided on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the electronic tag 3 relative to the chip 3a. The width of the antenna 3b (the length in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the electronic tag 3) is smaller than the width of the chip 3a. The antennas 3b are provided at the center in the width direction of the chip 3a. The length of the electronic tag 3 in the longitudinal direction is, for example, 30 to 70 mm. The maximum length of the electronic tag 3 in the width direction (that is, the length of the chip 3a in the width direction) is, for example, 2 to 5 mm.

[0020] The coated electronic tag 5 shown in Figure 2 is an electronic tag 3 covered with rubber. The coated electronic tag 5 has a flattened rectangular shape. The longitudinal direction of the coated electronic tag 5 coincides with the longitudinal direction of the internal electronic tag 3. The longitudinal and transverse lengths of the coated electronic tag 5 are longer than the longitudinal and transverse lengths of the electronic tag 3.

[0021] The rubber covering the electronic tag 3 is cut from the upper and lower rubber tapes 1 and 2, which will be described later. The type of rubber used for the upper and lower rubber tapes 1 and 2 is not limited. For example, it could be rubber used for any component of a tire, or it could be rubber specially developed for covering the electronic tag 3. The width of the upper and lower rubber tapes 1 and 2 (the length in the left-right direction on the electronic tag covering device 10, which will be described later) is the same as the length in the longitudinal direction of the completed covered electronic tag 5.

[0022] Next, the configuration of the electronic tag attachment device 50 of this embodiment will be described. The electronic tag attachment device 50 of this embodiment is a device for attaching a covered electronic tag 5 to a bead filler 8 (see Figure 7), which is a tire component.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3, the electronic tag attachment device 50 of this embodiment includes an electronic tag covering device 10 that covers the electronic tag 3 with rubber to make a covered electronic tag 5, a tire member placement device 51 on which a bead filler 8, which is a tire member, is placed, and a transfer and attachment device 60 that holds and moves the covered electronic tag 5 completed by the electronic tag covering device 10 and attaches it to the bead filler 8 placed on the tire member placement device 51.

[0024] The electronic tag coating device 10 and the tire member placement device 51 are positioned in close proximity, and the transfer and attachment device 60 is positioned to operate between the electronic tag coating device 10 and the tire member placement device 51. Specifically, the tire member placement device 51 is positioned in front of the electronic tag coating device 10 and to the right of the electronic tag coating device 10. The transfer and attachment device 60 is positioned to the right of the electronic tag coating device 10 and behind the tire member placement device 51.

[0025] In this specification, "front" refers to the direction in which the electronic tag 3 and the coated electronic tag 5 are transported in the electronic tag coating device 10, and "rear" refers to the opposite direction. "Left" and "right" refer to the view of the electronic tag coating device 10 from the rear. The front, rear, left, and right directions are shown in each figure.

[0026] The electronic tag coating device 10 is a device that sandwiches multiple electronic tags 3 between upper and lower rubber tapes 1 and 2 to form a tag continuum 4, and cuts the tag continuum 4 to cut out a coated electronic tag 5 containing one electronic tag 3 inside. Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the process in which electronic tags 3 become coated electronic tags 5 as they are transported forward in the electronic tag coating device 10.

[0027] As shown in Figure 5, the electronic tag coating apparatus 10 of this embodiment includes a conveyor belt 11 for transporting the lower rubber tape 1, the tag continuum 4, and the coated electronic tag 5; a lower rubber tape feeding device 20 for feeding the lower rubber tape 1 onto the conveyor belt 11; an upper rubber tape feeding device 25 for feeding the upper rubber tape 2 onto the lower rubber tape 1; an electronic tag placement tray 30 on which the electronic tag 3 is placed to be placed on the lower rubber tape 1; a crimping device 40 for crimping the lower rubber tape 1 and the upper rubber tape 2 with the electronic tag 3 in between to form the tag continuum 4; a cutting device 45 for cutting the tag continuum 4 to cut out the coated electronic tag 5; and an output unit 35 from which the completed coated electronic tag 5 is discharged. The following describes each of the devices included in the electronic tag coating apparatus 10 in detail.

[0028] The conveyor belt 11 is a conveying device that transports the lower rubber tape 1, the tag continuum 4, and the coated electronic tag 5 forward. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the conveyor belt 11 is equipped with a conveyor belt 13 that circulates between two rotating rollers 12 at the front and rear. The lower rubber tape 1, the tag continuum 4, and the coated electronic tag 5 are transported on this conveyor belt 13.

[0029] The lower rubber tape dispensing device 20 is equipped with a rotating shaft 21 located below the conveyor belt 11. A lower rubber tape roll 6, on which a long length of lower rubber tape 1 is wound in a roll shape, is fitted onto the rotating shaft 21. As the rotating shaft 21 rotates, the lower rubber tape roll 6 rotates, and the lower rubber tape 1 is pulled out from the lower rubber tape roll 6.

[0030] Furthermore, the lower rubber tape feeding device 20 is equipped with multiple conveying rollers 22 located between the rotating shaft 21 and the rear end of the conveying conveyor 11. The lower rubber tape 1, pulled out from the lower rubber tape roll 6, passes through these conveying rollers 22 and is placed on the conveying conveyor 11 from a location behind and below the conveying conveyor 11.

[0031] The lower rubber tape 1 is wound up with a resin tape attached to one side to form a lower rubber tape roll 6. Although not shown in the diagram, a peeling device for removing the resin tape from the lower rubber tape 1 after it has been pulled out from the lower rubber tape roll 6 is provided near the rotating shaft 21. The lower rubber tape 1, with the resin tape removed, is supplied to the conveyor belt 11.

[0032] The upper rubber tape dispensing device 25 is equipped with a rotating shaft 26 located below and behind the conveyor belt 11. An upper rubber tape roll body 7, on which a long upper rubber tape 2 is wound in a roll shape, is fitted onto the rotating shaft 26. The rotation of the rotating shaft 26 causes the upper rubber tape roll body 7 to rotate, and the upper rubber tape 2 is pulled out from the upper rubber tape roll body 7. The upper rubber tape 2 is an upper rubber component that is placed on top of the electronic tag 3.

[0033] Furthermore, the upper rubber tape feeding device 25 is equipped with multiple conveyor rollers 27 located at a height higher than the conveyor belt 11. The upper rubber tape 2, pulled out from the upper rubber tape roll 7, travels via these conveyor rollers 27 and reaches the crimping device 40, which is located on the conveyor belt 11, from a location above the conveyor belt 11.

[0034] The upper rubber tape 2 is also wound up with a resin tape attached to one side to form the upper rubber tape roll 7. Although not shown in the diagram, a peeling device is provided to peel the resin tape from the upper rubber tape 2. The upper rubber tape 2, with the resin tape removed, is supplied to the crimping device 40.

[0035] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the electronic tag placement tray 30 is positioned slightly forward of the rear end of the conveyor belt 11, protruding to the right from the right end of the conveyor belt 11 (i.e., towards the transfer and attachment device 60). The top surface of the electronic tag placement tray 30 is flat.

[0036] The crimping device 40 is located on the conveyor belt 11 and in front of the electronic tag placement tray 30. The crimping device 40 includes a cylindrical crimping roller 41 (see Figure 5) and a lifting device that moves the crimping roller 41 up and down. The rotation axis of the crimping roller 41 extends in the left-right direction. The crimping roller 41 is a roller that rolls and presses down on the upper rubber tape 2 on the conveyor belt 11 to crimp the upper and lower rubber tapes 1 and 2 together.

[0037] The cutting device 45 is located on the conveyor belt 11 and in front of the crimping device 40. The cutting device 45 is equipped with a blade 46 (see Figure 5) capable of cutting the rubber portion of the tag continuum 4. In this embodiment, the blade 46 is a circular blade 46 that rotates and moves left and right to cut the tag continuum 4. The cutting device 45 is equipped with a frame 47, and the circular blade 46 moves inside the frame 47.

[0038] As shown in Figure 6, the discharge section 35 is provided with a cover 36 that covers the conveyor belt 13 of the transport conveyor 11 from above. The cover 36 extends forward from the frame 47 of the cutting device 45. The cover 36 is made of metal, but a sponge sheet is attached to the underside of the front end 36a of the cover 36. At the front end 36a of the cover 36, the gap between the top surface of the conveyor belt 13 and the underside of the cover 36 is narrow. This gap is just enough for one coated electronic tag 5 to pass through. A lifting device 48, such as an air cylinder, is provided at the front end of the frame 47 of the cutting device 45, and the height of the cover 36 above the conveyor belt 13 can be changed by operating this lifting device 48. The discharge section 35 is also provided with a detector (not shown) that detects coated electronic tags 5 that have come forward beyond the front end 36a of the cover 36.

[0039] The electronic tag coating device 10 operates based on control by a control unit (not shown). This control unit controls not only the electronic tag coating device 10 but also the entire electronic tag attachment device 50, including the transfer and attachment device 60. The operation of the electronic tag coating device 10 will be described later.

[0040] A tire member placement device 51 is provided in close proximity to the electronic tag coating device 10. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the tire member placement device 51 is equipped with two rollers 52 at a predetermined height. When the bead filler 8 is set (placed) on these rollers 52, the highest point of the radial inner end 8a of the bead filler 8 is positioned slightly higher than the midpoint between the two rollers 52.

[0041] As shown in Figure 3, the transfer and attachment device 60 is positioned on a stand 63 located to the right of the electronic tag coating device 10. As shown in Figures 3 and 9, the transfer and attachment device 60 includes a hand 64 that operates between the electronic tag coating device 10 and the tire member placement device 51, a first holding part 61 and a second holding part 62 attached to the tip of the hand 64, and an imaging device 65 attached near the tip of the hand 64. The hand 64, the first holding part 61, the second holding part 62, and the imaging device 65 operate based on the control of the control unit described above.

[0042] The first holding unit 61 is the part that holds the electronic tag 3 by means of suction or other methods. The first holding unit 61 can hold one electronic tag 3 at a time. The specific configuration of the first holding unit 61 is omitted.

[0043] The second holding section 62 is the part that holds the coated electronic tag 5. The second holding section 62 can hold one coated electronic tag 5 at a time. The second holding section 62 comprises a main body 62a and a sponge member 62b attached to the front end surface (the lower surface in Figures 9 and 10) of the main body 62a. A suction section 62c is formed inside the main body 62a, into which air is drawn. The suction section 62c is an air passage. The tip of the suction section 62c opens to the front end surface of the main body 62a. The front end surface of the main body 62a is a single plane and has a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction, as shown in Figure 11.

[0044] A rectangular sponge member 62b is attached to the front end of the main body 62a. The sponge member 62b has a mounting surface that contacts the front end of the main body 62a and an adsorption surface 62e on the opposite side of the mounting surface. The mounting surface and the adsorption surface 62e of the sponge member 62b have a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction. The longitudinal and transverse directions of the mounting surface and the adsorption surface 62e coincide with the longitudinal and transverse directions of the main body 62a. The sponge member 62b has a suction hole 62d that penetrates the sponge member 62b from the mounting surface side to the adsorption surface 62e side, maintaining the same shape and size. The cross-sectional shape of the suction hole 62d (shape on the cross-section perpendicular to the suction hole 62d) is an elongated hole that extends in the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the sponge member 62b. The suction hole 62d is also an air passage.

[0045] A suction device (not shown) is connected to the suction section 62c of the main body 62a as part of the transfer and attachment device 60. When the suction device is activated while the suction surface 62e of the sponge member 62b is in close contact with the coated electronic tag 5, air is sucked out of the suction holes 62d of the sponge member 62b and the suction section 62c of the main body 62a, and the coated electronic tag 5 is attracted to the suction surface 62e of the sponge member 62b. The second holding section 62 continues to hold the electronic tag 5 while the air is being sucked out. When the air suction stops, the second holding section 62 releases the electronic tag 5.

[0046] Furthermore, the imaging device 65 is a camera that captures two-dimensional images. The control unit performs image processing on the images captured by the imaging device 65 and recognizes predetermined elements within the processed images. These predetermined elements include the electronic tag 3, the coated electronic tag 5, and the reference portion of the bead filler 8. Based on this recognition, the control unit controls the hand 64 and other components.

[0047] The method for attaching electronic tags using the electronic tag attachment device 50 configured as described above will now be explained. In general terms, first, coated electronic tags 5 are manufactured in the electronic tag coating device 10. The general method for manufacturing coated electronic tags 5 is as follows: Multiple electronic tags 3 are placed on the lower rubber tape 1 on the conveyor belt 11 by the transfer and attachment device 60, and the upper rubber tape 2 is placed on top of these electronic tags 3 in the crimping device 40, and the upper and lower rubber tapes 1 and 2 are crimped together to form a tag continuum 4. This tag continuum 4 is then cut by the cutting device 45 to cut out multiple coated electronic tags 5. The completed coated electronic tags 5 are held and transported by the transfer and attachment device 60 and attached to the bead filler 8.

[0048] Before the start of manufacturing of the coated electronic tag 5, setup is performed in the electronic tag coating apparatus 10. Specifically, first, the lower rubber tape roll 6 is set in the lower rubber tape feeder 20, and the upper rubber tape roll 7 is set in the upper rubber tape feeder 25. Next, the front end of the lower rubber tape 1, pulled out from the lower rubber tape roll 6, is placed on the conveyor belt 13 of the transport conveyor 11 and transported to below the crimping roller 41 by the operation of the transport conveyor 11. At the same time, the front end of the upper rubber tape 2, pulled out from the upper rubber tape roll 7, is guided to a position slightly behind the crimping roller 41. Next, the crimping roller 41 descends. Next, the front end of the upper rubber tape 2 is guided to the position of the crimping roller 41 and attached to the lower rubber tape 1. Next, the conveyor belt 13 of the transport conveyor 11 moves forward, and the upper and lower rubber tapes 1 and 2 are crimped together below the crimping roller 41. The conveyor belt 13 of the transport conveyor 11 continues to move forward, and the crimping roller 41 continues to crimp the upper and lower rubber tapes 1 and 2 until the overlapping arrangement of the upper and lower rubber tapes 1 and 2 is stable. Once the overlapping arrangement of the upper and lower rubber tapes 1 and 2 is stable, the conveyor belt 13 of the transport conveyor 11 stops.

[0049] As part of the setup, the worker places a number of electronic tags 3 on the electronic tag placement tray 30. The number of electronic tags 3 may be placed on the electronic tag placement tray 30 with the packages still in place, or they may be removed from their packages and placed individually on the electronic tag placement tray 30.

[0050] After setup, the manufacturing of the coated electronic tags 5 begins. For the sake of explanation, we will assume that the manufacturing of the coated electronic tags 5 has progressed to a certain extent. When the manufacturing of the coated electronic tags 5 has progressed to a certain extent, multiple electronic tags 3 are arranged at equal intervals in the front-to-back direction on the lower rubber tape 1 on the conveyor belt 11, a continuous tag structure 4 is located between the crimping device 40 and the cutting device 45, and multiple coated electronic tags 5 are arranged between the cutting device 45 and the front end 36a of the cover 36. The flow from this state will be explained based on Figures 13 and 14. Note that the flow in Figures 13 and 14 is executed automatically by the control unit unless otherwise specified.

[0051] First, the first holding unit 61 of the transfer and attachment device 60 moves onto the electronic tag placement tray 30 (S1 in Figure 13). Next, the imaging device 65 of the transfer and attachment device 60 takes an image of the electronic tag placement tray 30 (S2 in Figure 13). Then, the control unit recognizes one electronic tag 3 from among the many electronic tags 3 shown in the captured image. Following the instructions of the control unit that has recognized the electronic tag 3, the first holding unit 61 moves to the position of the recognized electronic tag 3, holds that electronic tag 3, and lifts it up (S3 in Figure 13).

[0052] Next, the first holding unit 61 moves onto the lower rubber tape 1 on the conveyor belt 11 while still holding the electronic tag 3 (S4 in Figure 13). Then, the first holding unit 61 places the held electronic tag 3 next to the electronic tags 3 already lined up on the lower rubber tape 1 and releases its hold (S5 in Figure 13). In this way, the first holding unit 61 moves one electronic tag 3 in a single operation.

[0053] Next, the imaging device 65 of the transfer and attachment device 60 takes an image of the newly placed electronic tag 3 (S6 in Figure 13). Based on the captured image, the control unit determines whether the placement of the electronic tag 3 is satisfactory or not (S7 in Figure 13). If the determination is satisfactory (Yes in S7), the operation of the first holding unit 61 is temporarily stopped, and the process proceeds to the next step. If the determination is unsatisfactory (No in S7), the control unit issues an alarm and stops the electronic tag coating device 10.

[0054] If the determination of the placement state of the electronic tag 3 is successful (Yes in S7), the conveyor belt 13 of the transport conveyor 11 moves forward by a distance of 1 pitch (S8 in Figure 13). Here, 1 pitch is the distance between two "tag midpoints" where the midpoint of two adjacent electronic tags 3 in the tag continuum 4 is defined as the "tag midpoint". Figure 4 shows 1 pitch as P.

[0055] This forward movement causes the lower rubber tape 1 and the electronic tag 3 to advance by a distance of one pitch. This forward movement also causes the crimping of the upper and lower rubber tapes 1 and 2 with the electronic tag 3 in between to advance by one pitch in the crimping device 40. Furthermore, this forward movement causes the tag continuum 4 to advance by a distance of one pitch ahead of the crimping device 40. In addition, the leading portion of the electronic tag 3 in the tag continuum 4 moves forward beyond the cutting position of the cutting device 45.

[0056] In this state, with the leading electronic tag 3 portion of the tag continuum 4 advanced beyond the cutting position, the tag continuum 4 is cut by the cutting device 45 (S9 in Figure 13). As a result of this cutting, the leading electronic tag 3 portion of the tag continuum 4 is cut out as a single coated electronic tag 5, extending beyond the cutting position. The length of the cut-out coated electronic tag 5 in the front-to-back direction corresponds to one pitch of the tag continuum 4.

[0057] The length of the cut-out coated electronic tag 5 in the left-right direction is the length of the coated electronic tag 5 in the longitudinal direction, and the length of the coated electronic tag 5 in the front-back direction is the length of the coated electronic tag 5 in the short direction. The longitudinal and short directions of the coated electronic tag 5 coincide with the longitudinal and short directions of the electronic tag 3 inside.

[0058] Here, the upper and lower rubber tapes 1 and 2 are made with the same width (length in the left-right direction on the electronic tag coating device 10) as the longitudinal length of the coated electronic tag 5. Therefore, the width of the tag continuum 4 (length in the left-right direction on the electronic tag coating device 10) is also the same as the longitudinal length of the coated electronic tag 5. As a result, by simply cutting the tag continuum 4 in the left-right direction, it is possible to cut out coated electronic tags 5 with a longitudinal length that conforms to the standard.

[0059] In S8 above, when the conveyor belt 13 moves forward by a distance of one pitch, one coated electronic tag 5 appears in front of the front end 36a of the cover 36 at the discharge section 35, as shown in Figure 6. When the detector detects the coated electronic tag 5 (S10 in Figure 14), the second holding section 62 of the transfer and attachment device 60 moves to the discharge section 35 (S11 in Figure 14). Next, the imaging device 65 of the transfer and attachment device 60 photographs the coated electronic tag 5 that has appeared from the front end 36a of the cover 36 (S12 in Figure 14). After the photograph, the control unit recognizes the coated electronic tag 5 from the captured image.

[0060] The second holding unit 62, in accordance with the instructions of the control unit which has recognized the coated electronic tag 5, moves to the position of the coated electronic tag 5, holds the coated electronic tag 5, and lifts it up (S13 in Figure 14). At the same time that the second holding unit 62 lifts the coated electronic tag 5, the lifting device 48 operates in accordance with the instructions of the control unit and the cover 36 lowers. At this time, the coated electronic tag 5 to be lifted may be stuck to the subsequent coated electronic tag 5, but if the subsequent coated electronic tag 5 is under the cover 36, and the second holding unit 62 lifts the coated electronic tag 5 that is sticking out from the cover 36, the cover 36 will lower and press down on the subsequent coated electronic tag 5, so the lifted coated electronic tag 5 can be separated from the subsequent coated electronic tag 5. Furthermore, when peeling it off, the subsequent coated electronic tag 5 (the coated electronic tag 5 located under the cover 36) comes into contact with the underside of the cover 36. However, because a sponge sheet is attached to the underside of the cover 36, the coated electronic tag 5 does not easily adhere to the underside of the cover 36. The cover 36 remains in a raised position except when lifting the coated electronic tag 5.

[0061] Next, the second holding unit 62 moves to the tire member placement machine 51 while still holding the covered electronic tag 5 (S14 in Figure 14). By this time, one bead filler 8 has been manually set on the two rollers 52 of the tire member placement machine 51 by an operator. Next, the imaging device 65, under the automatic control of the control unit, takes an image of a predetermined location on the tire member placement machine 51 (S15 in Figure 14).

[0062] Here, the predetermined location is a place where, when photographed, the reference portion of the bead filler 8 will inevitably be captured in the image. The reference portion is a part that serves as a reference when determining the position to which the coated electronic tag 5 is attached, and is, for example, an uneven surface on the bead filler 8 or one of the edges of the bead filler 8. Either reference portion needs to be recognizable by the control unit when it is photographed by the imaging device 65 and the image is processed. Regardless of the size of the bead filler 8, it is preferable that the reference portion is a part where the direction and distance from the two rollers 52 remain almost constant when the bead filler 8 is placed over the two rollers 52. In this embodiment, the reference portion is the highest part of the outer edge 9a (see Figure 15) in the radial direction of the bead filler of the flare tape 9 attached to the surface of the bead filler 8. In this embodiment, the predetermined location photographed by the imaging device 65 is a place between the two rollers 52 and slightly higher than the two rollers 52.

[0063] The flare tape 9 is a component that wraps around the bead filler 8 in the circumferential direction between the radial inner and outer ends of the bead filler 8. Because the flare tape 9 has thickness, a step is formed at the radial outer end 9a of the flare tape 9 of the bead filler, and this step appears in the image captured by the imaging device 65. The radial outer end 9a of the flare tape 9 of the bead filler traces an arc that wraps around the bead filler 8 in the circumferential direction, and the reference portion of this embodiment (the highest point of the radial outer end 9a of the flare tape 9 of the bead filler) is located between the two rollers 52 and slightly higher than the two rollers 52. Therefore, when the imaging device 65 photographs the area between the two rollers 52 and slightly higher than the two rollers 52, this reference portion is captured.

[0064] The flare tape 9 is applied where the folded end of the carcass ply meets the bead core, and its role is to protect the bead filler 8 from the end of the carcass ply cord.

[0065] The control unit performs image processing on the captured image to make the reference portion easier to recognize. The control unit then recognizes the reference portion appearing in the processed image and determines the attachment position of the coated electronic tag 5 based on that reference portion (S16 in Figure 14). For example, the control unit determines the attachment position of the coated electronic tag 5 to be a position a predetermined distance away from the reference portion in a predetermined direction. In this embodiment, the attachment position of the coated electronic tag 5 is a position a predetermined distance outside the bead filler in the radial direction from the reference portion (the highest point of the outer edge 9a of the bead filler of the flare tape 9). When the coated electronic tag 5 is attached to that position, a small gap (for example, 5 mm or less) is created between the flare tape 9 and the coated electronic tag 5.

[0066] Next, the second holding part 62 presses the coated electronic tag 5 it is holding onto the determined attachment position (S17 in Figure 14), and then releases the coated electronic tag 5. During this attachment, the sponge member 62b at the tip of the second holding part 62 deforms along the curvature of the surface of the bead filler 8 and the steps formed in the flare tape 9, so that the second holding part 62 can firmly press the coated electronic tag 5 onto the attachment position and adhere it without being affected by these curvatures or steps. In this way, the second holding part 62 holds, moves, and attaches one coated electronic tag 5 to the bead filler 8 in a single operation.

[0067] Next, the camera 65 of the transfer and attachment device 60 takes a picture of the coated electronic tag 5 attached to the attachment position (S18 in Figure 14). Based on the captured image, the control unit determines whether the attachment of the coated electronic tag 5 is satisfactory (S19 in Figure 14). If the determination is unsatisfactory (No in S19), the control unit issues an alarm and stops the electronic tag attachment device 50. If the determination is satisfactory (Yes in S19), the operator removes the bead filler 8 from the tire component placement machine 51. The control unit then checks whether the attachment of the required number of coated electronic tags 5 to the bead fillers 8 has been completed (S20 in Figure 14). If it is not completed (No in S20), steps S1 to S20 are executed again. If it is completed (Yes in S20), the control unit terminates.

[0068] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0069] The electronic tag attachment device 50 of this embodiment includes an electronic tag covering device 10 that covers an electronic tag 3 with rubber to create a covered electronic tag 5 containing one electronic tag 3 inside, a tire member placement device 51 on which a tire member that will become part of a tire is placed, and a transfer and attachment device 60 that holds and moves the covered electronic tag 5 in the electronic tag covering device 10 and attaches it to the tire member placed in the tire member placement device 51.

[0070] Due to this configuration, the entire process from manufacturing the coated electronic tag 5 in the electronic tag coating device 10 to attaching the coated electronic tag 5 to the tire material can be performed as a single continuous operation. Therefore, there is no need to install a dedicated device for attaching the coated electronic tag 5 to the tire in a later process such as the tire molding process. Furthermore, the man-hours required for transporting the coated electronic tag 5 to a later process, and the man-hours required for attaching the coated electronic tag 5 to the tire in a later process, are eliminated. As a result, tires with attached electronic tags 3 can be manufactured efficiently.

[0071] Furthermore, since the bead filler 8 does not expand or contract easily during the tire molding process, if the tire component to which the coated electronic tag 5 is attached is the bead filler 8, problems such as misalignment of the coated electronic tag 5 are less likely to occur in the molded tire.

[0072] Furthermore, the second holding unit 62 of the transfer and application device 60 includes a suction unit 62c for sucking in air and a sponge member 62b provided at the tip of the suction unit 62c. By sucking air into the suction unit 62c, the coated electronic tag 5 is attracted to the sponge member 62b. In this way, since the force of air suction is used to hold the coated electronic tag 5 and magnetic force is not used, the electronic tag 3 can be prevented from being affected by magnetic force. In addition, the part that comes into contact with the coated electronic tag 5 and the bead filler 8 is the sponge member 62b, and it can deform to conform to the curvature and unevenness of the surface of the bead filler 8. Therefore, the second holding unit 62 can firmly press and adhere the coated electronic tag 5 to the application position of the bead filler 8 without being affected by curvature or steps.

[0073] Furthermore, the transfer and application device 60 includes a second holding unit 62, an imaging device 65, and a control unit. The imaging device 65 photographs the coated electronic tag 5 located in the discharge unit 35 of the electronic tag coating device 10. Based on the captured image, the control unit controls the transfer and application device 60 to hold the coated electronic tag 5 located in the discharge unit 35 with the second holding unit 62. This allows the second holding unit 62 to accurately hold the coated electronic tag 5. In addition, the imaging device 65 photographs a reference portion of the bead filler 8, and based on the captured image, the control unit controls the transfer and application device 60 to apply the coated electronic tag 5 to the position based on the reference portion of the bead filler 8. This allows the coated electronic tag 5 to be applied to the correct position on the bead filler 8.

[0074] Furthermore, a cover 36 is provided on the discharge section 35 of the electronic tag coating device 10, and the forward movement of the coated electronic tags 5 is controlled so that only one coated electronic tag 5 emerges from under the cover 36, while subsequent coated electronic tags 5 remain under the cover 36. Therefore, the second holding section 62 can hold only the one coated electronic tag 5 that emerges from under the cover 36, and prevents it from holding subsequent coated electronic tags 5 together with it.

[0075] Furthermore, the electronic tag attachment method of this embodiment includes the steps of: manufacturing a coated electronic tag 5 by coating the electronic tag 3 with rubber in the electronic tag coating device 10; placing a tire component that will become part of the tire in the tire component placement device 51; and holding and moving the coated electronic tag 5 in the electronic tag coating device 10 and attaching it to the tire component placed in the tire component placement device 51. As a result, the coated electronic tag 5 completed in the electronic tag coating device 10 can be immediately attached to the tire component. Therefore, tires with the electronic tag 3 attached can be manufactured efficiently.

[0076] Various modifications can be made to the above embodiments. One of the modification examples described below may be applied to the above embodiments, or two or more may be applied to the above embodiments in combination. The combinations can be freely chosen.

[0077] <Example of change 1> The tire component to which the covered electronic tag 5 is attached may be a tire component other than the bead filler 8. Tire components refer to components that make up a part of the tire, such as tread rubber, sidewall rubber, inner liner, carcass ply, and belt.

[0078] <Example of change 2> The electronic tag coating apparatus and electronic tag coating method are not limited to the above-described apparatus and method. Any apparatus and method capable of coating the electronic tag 3 with rubber to ultimately produce a coated electronic tag 5 is acceptable.

[0079] <Example of change 3> The flows in Figures 13 and 14 can be modified as appropriate. For example, in the electronic tag coating device 10, first multiple electronic tags 3 are arranged on the lower rubber tape 1, and then the conveyor belt 13 moves forward one pitch at a time, and each time it moves forward, the tag continuum 4 may be cut by the cutting device 45.

[0080] <Example of change 4> In the flowcharts of Figures 13 and 14, some or all of the tasks that are performed by an operator may be performed by an automatically controlled device. For example, the tasks of applying the bead filler 8 to the tire component placement machine 51 and removing the bead filler 8 from the tire component placement machine 51 may be performed by an automatically controlled device.

[0081] <Example of change 5> The shape of the electronic tag is not limited to that shown in Figure 1. Furthermore, electronic tags other than RFID tags may be covered with rubber using the apparatus and method of this embodiment. An electronic tag is a tag equipped with a chip that stores information, and in which information can be read and / or written to the chip even when covered with rubber. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0082] 1...Lower rubber tape, 2...Upper rubber tape, 3...Electronic tag, 3a...Chip, 3b...Antenna, 4...Tag continuum, 5...Coated electronic tag, 6...Lower rubber tape roll, 7...Upper rubber tape roll, 8...Bead filler, 8a...Radial inner end, 9...Flare tape, 9a...Radial outer end of bead filler, 10...Electronic tag coating device, 11...Conveyor, 12...Rotating roller, 13...Conveyor belt, 20...Lower rubber tape feeding device, 21...Rotating shaft, 22...Conveyor roller, 25...Upper rubber tape feeding device 26…Rotating shaft, 27…Conveyor roller, 30…Electronic tag placement tray, 35…Discharge section, 36…Cover, 36a…Front end, 40…Crimping device, 41…Crimping roller, 45…Cutting device, 46…Blade, 47…Frame, 48…Lifting device, 50…Electronic tag attachment device, 51…Tire component placement device, 52…Roller, 60…Transfer and attachment device, 61…First holding section, 62…Second holding section, 62a…Main body, 62b…Sponge component, 62c…Suction section, 62d…Suction hole, 62e…Adsorption surface, 63…Base, 64…Hand, 65…Photography device

Claims

1. In an electronic tag attachment device for attaching electronic tags to tires, A covering device that covers the aforementioned electronic tag with rubber to create a covered electronic tag containing one of the aforementioned electronic tags inside, A tire member placement device on which a tire member that will become part of the tire is placed, A transfer and attachment device that holds and moves the coated electronic tag in the coating device and attaches it to the tire member placed in the tire member placement device, An electronic tag attachment device equipped with the following features.

2. The electronic tag attachment device according to claim 1, wherein the tire member placement device is a device on which a bead filler, as the tire member, is placed.

3. The transfer and attachment device includes a holding unit for holding the coated electronic tag, The electronic tag attachment device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holding portion comprises a suction portion for sucking in air and a sponge member provided at the tip of the suction portion, and the coated electronic tag is adsorbed onto the sponge member by sucking air into the suction portion.

4. The transfer and attachment device comprises a holding unit for holding the coated electronic tag, an imaging device for capturing an image, and a control unit for controlling the transfer and attachment device based on the image captured by the imaging device. The imaging device photographs the coated electronic tag placed in the coating device, and based on the captured image, the control unit controls the transfer and attachment device to hold the coated electronic tag placed in the coating device with the holding unit. The imaging device photographs a reference portion of the tire member placed on the tire member placement device, and based on the captured image, the control unit controls the transfer and attachment device to attach the coated electronic tag to the position on the tire member placed on the tire member placement device based on the reference portion using the holding unit. The electronic tag attachment device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. In an electronic tag attachment method for attaching electronic tags to tires, In a coating apparatus, the steps include: manufacturing a coated electronic tag containing one electronic tag inside by coating the electronic tag with rubber; The steps include: placing a tire member, which will become part of the tire, into a tire member placement device; The steps include: holding and moving the coated electronic tag in the coating device and attaching it to the tire member placed in the tire member placement device; An electronic tag attachment method comprising the following features.

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