Tire heating press and tire manufacturing method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tire heating press and a tire manufacturing method. The tire heating press is configured as a column-type press having two cavities arranged adjacent to each other, and having a lower and an upper part, the upper part being movable vertically relative to the lower part to open and close the cavities by at least one drive device. According to the present invention, the tire heating press has at least two fixed columns. The tire manufacturing method enables joint control of adjacent cavities.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tire heating press having two cavities arranged adjacent to each other, and the tire heating press is designed as a column type press having at least two columns.

[0002] The present invention also relates to a tire manufacturing method using the tire heating press.

Background Art

[0003] A tire heating press has at least one cavity in which the supplied green tire is vulcanized using heat and pressure. This cavity is opened when the tire is loaded and unloaded, and is closed when the tire is vulcanized.

[0004] A tire heating press having two cavities arranged adjacent to each other is already known, and the cost and the required space can be reduced as compared with the case of using two tire heating presses each having only one cavity.

[0005] In a production site, the required space for installing a tire heating press is an important characteristic of the tire heating press. The smaller the required space, the more tire heating presses can be installed within a given area.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a tire heating press having two cavities arranged side by side, having at least two columns, and having a smaller required space as compared with a conventional configuration.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] This object is achieved by the tire heating press according to claim 1.

[0008] A further object of the present invention is to provide a tire manufacturing method in which two cavities of a tire heating press can operate in a common operating mode.

[0009] This objective is achieved by the tire manufacturing method described in claim 13.

[0010] The dependent claims claim advantageous embodiments of the present invention.

[0011] The features of the tire heating press and tire manufacturing method disclosed below are part of the present invention in all possible combinations.

[0012] The tire heating press according to the present invention is configured as a column-type press and has two cavities and at least two columns arranged adjacent to each other.

[0013] In embodiments of the present invention, the support column is configured as a fixed support column. Compared to a swivel or telescopic support column, a fixed support column allows the tire heating press to occupy less space. As a result, during the operation of the tire heating press, it is not necessary to secure space in front of or behind the tire heating press for swiveling and opening the top of the press, or space below the tire heating press for lowering the support column.

[0014] In embodiments of the present invention, the fixed support column is neither rotatable nor extendable, and is fixed and immovable in all functional states of the assembled tire heating press.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present invention, the tire heating press has just two support columns.

[0016] The tire heating press is divided into a lower and an upper section, with the upper section being movable vertically relative to the lower section to open and close the cavity.

[0017] In embodiments of the present invention, at least two support columns are configured to guide the upper part of the press (the upper member of the press).

[0018] At least two of the support columns are positioned so that their longitudinal direction extends vertically.

[0019] In embodiments of the present invention, these support columns are configured as circular guides.

[0020] In embodiments of the present invention, these support columns are fixedly connected to the lower part of the press (the lower member of the press), and the upper part of the press is guided to move along the support columns. Preferably, in these embodiments of the present invention, the support columns are configured as fixed support columns.

[0021] In another embodiment of the present invention, the support column is rigidly connected to the upper part of the press and guided in the area below the press. In such an embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the support column is retractable into the floor on which the tire heating press is installed.

[0022] The tire heating press according to the present invention has at least one drive device for moving the upper part of the press relative to the lower part of the press.

[0023] In embodiments of the present invention, at least one drive unit can be operated electrically and / or hydraulically.

[0024] In embodiments of the present invention, at least one drive device is implemented as a cylinder, particularly a hydraulic cylinder.

[0025] However, embodiments with other drive mechanisms are also conceivable. The important thing is that these are suitable for lifting the weight of the top of the press vertically or lowering it in a controlled manner.

[0026] In an embodiment of the present invention comprising a single drive unit, this drive unit is preferably positioned in the center between two support columns.

[0027] In an embodiment of the present invention, a separate drive device is assigned to each of at least two struts and is arranged in the region of each strut.

[0028] In an embodiment of the present invention, the assigned drive devices are arranged near their respective struts.

[0029] In another embodiment of the present invention, the drive device is integrated within at least one strut.

[0030] In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention having at least one cylinder as a drive device, this cylinder is arranged such that force is directly transmitted to the floor on which the tire heating press is installed.

[0031] Parts of adjacent cavities arranged on the press upper part are mechanically connected to each other such that they can move integrally.

[0032] By the mechanical connection between the cavities, in an embodiment of the present invention, two cavities can be moved together. This means that during the vulcanization process, particularly when opening and closing the cavities, a plurality of cavities can be controlled synchronously.

[0033] In an embodiment of the present invention, a hood-shaped part of the cavity is arranged on the press upper part.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, adjacent cavities are arranged very close to each other. Thereby, the width of the tire heating press can be made particularly narrow. Preferably, the adjacent parts of the cavities on the press upper part are arranged close to each other to the extent that they do not quite touch each other.

[0035] In an embodiment of the present invention, all struts are arranged between the outward-facing side ends of the cavities, and as a result, the width of the tire heating press is defined by the adjacent cavities.

[0036] In embodiments of the present invention, the support columns are positioned entirely within the area defined by the minimum rectangle surrounding the cavity in a plan view. This means that the width and depth of the tire heating press are defined by the width and depth of the cavity and are not increased by the support columns erected outside the cavity.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least two support columns are positioned in the space between the two cavities. This allows the width of the tire heating press to be particularly narrow.

[0038] If all the support columns are positioned in the space between the two cavities, the cavities can be freely accessed from the outside, for example, without the columns obstructing passages for loading and / or unloading equipment.

[0039] In embodiments of the present invention, the cavity has a circular or circular contour when viewed from above.

[0040] In embodiments of the present invention, the space between cavities arises from the free space between the cavities in a plan view and the two tangents that are tangent to points outside the two cavities on one side.

[0041] In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, at least one support column is positioned in the front space between the cavities, and at least one support column is positioned in the rear space between the cavities.

[0042] In embodiments of the present invention, at least two support columns are arranged on a straight line passing through the center of gravity of the top of the press.

[0043] In embodiments of the present invention, the position of the support column may also be one that is displaced outward from the space between the cavities in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the line connecting the centers of the cavities.

[0044] In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the present invention, at least one support in the front space is arranged symmetrically with respect to at least one support in the rear space in a plan view, and the line connecting the centers of the cavities functions as the axis of symmetry.

[0045] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support columns are positioned on a horizontal line that intersects perpendicularly with a line connecting the centers of the cavities at their center. In the symmetrical design of the top of the press, this horizontal line corresponds to a line passing through the center of gravity of the top of the press.

[0046] Preferably, at least two support columns and at least one drive unit are positioned on this straight line. This allows for uniform movement of both cavities at the top of the press.

[0047] In another embodiment of the present invention, at least one fixed support is positioned laterally adjacent to the cavity. For example, the fixed support is positioned adjacent to the outside of the cavity on a straight line connecting the centers of the cavities.

[0048] In another embodiment of the present invention, at least one fixed support is positioned laterally adjacent to the cavity, and at least one further fixed support is positioned in the space between the cavities.

[0049] In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention having at least one cylinder as a drive mechanism, the upper part of the tire heating press has at least one extension connected to the cavity and projecting upward over the cavity. This provides the stroke necessary to fully open the cavity and allows the tire heating press to be mounted on the floor. The mounting point of the at least one cylinder provided on the upper part of the press is set upward to such an extent that the extension can achieve the required stroke.

[0050] In an embodiment of the tire heating press according to the present invention, the tire heating press has at least one loading and / or unloading device.

[0051] The tire manufacturing method according to the present invention comprises at least the following steps: - A step of opening together two cavities of a tire heating press that are positioned adjacent to each other. - A step of loading one green tire into each cavity using at least one loading device, - The step of closing the two cavities together, - Steps to vulcanize the tire in two cavities, - The step of opening the two cavities together, - A step of removing material from two cavities using at least one removal device.

[0052] In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, since the cavity is loaded and / or unloaded simultaneously, the loading and / or unloading process can be carried out more quickly.

[0053] According to the present invention, in a preferred embodiment of the tire manufacturing method, the tire heating press according to the present invention is used.

[0054] The following diagrams illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0055] [Figure 1] This is a side view of the tire heating press according to the present invention, as seen from the front. [Figure 2] This is a side view of the tire heating press according to the present invention, taken from a viewpoint rotated 90° from Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a plan view of the tire heating press according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0056] Figure 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the tire heating press 1 according to the present invention.

[0057] The tire heating press 1 has a press upper section 2, a press lower section 3, and at least two support columns 4, 5. The upper section 2 is movable relative to the lower section 3 and is guided along the vertically aligned support columns 4, 5. In the diagram shown, only the first support column 4 is visible, and the second support column 5 is hidden by the first support column.

[0058] The tire heating press 1 has two cavities 6 and 7 that are located adjacent to each other, and these are shown in the open position.

[0059] Figure 2 shows a side view of the tire heating press 1 shown in Figure 1, rotated by 90°.

[0060] Next to the first support column 4 and the second support column 5 are cylinder-shaped drive units 8 and 9, which are used to move the upper press 2 relative to the lower press 3 and open and close the cavities 6 and 7. The support columns 4 and 5 are positioned within the width defined by the cavities 6 and 7 and are therefore located in the space between the cavities 6 and 7.

[0061] In the illustrated embodiment, the drive units 8 and 9 are positioned adjacent to the outside of the support columns 4 and 5, respectively. However, an embodiment in which at least one of the drive units 8 and 9 is positioned between the support columns 4 and 5 is also conceivable.

[0062] The drive units 8 and 9 are each attached to the upper part 2 of the press by fastening elements 10.

[0063] The drive units 8 and 9, the support columns 4 and 5, and the lower press section 3 are firmly connected to each other via a frame structure.

[0064] Figure 3 is a plan view showing one embodiment of the tire heating press 1 according to the present invention.

[0065] The cavity portions 6 and 7 located in the upper part 2 of the press are mechanically and firmly connected to each other by connecting elements 11. Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, the connecting elements 11 form a sleeve that runs along the support columns 4 and 5, and the upper part 2 of the press is guided along the support columns 4 and 5.

[0066] Cavities 6 and 7 are located directly adjacent to each other.

[0067] The drive units 8 and 9 are positioned adjacent to the outside of the support columns 4 and 5 and are each connected to the upper part 2 of the press by connecting elements 11.

[0068] The support columns 4 and 5 are positioned in the center of the space between the cavities 6 and 7, with the first support column 4 positioned in the front space 12 and the second support column 5 positioned in the rear space 13.

[0069] In the plan view, the intermediate space is enclosed by the adjacent sides and tangents C1 and C2 of the opposing cavities 6 and 7.

[0070] In the illustrated advantageous embodiment, the support columns 4 and 5 are spaced so that the diameter of the sleeve running along each of the support columns 4 and 5 is approximately equal to, or slightly less than, the distance between the cavities 6 and 7 at each location. This reduces the depth of the tire heating press 1 compared to designs in which the support columns are spaced further apart.

[0071] In another embodiment of the present invention, the upper press 2 is guided along the columns 4 and 5 by another element. For example, this could be a pin that runs within grooves in the columns 4 and 5, or an element that partially surrounds the columns 4 and 5.

[0072] In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, in a cross-sectional view in plan, the centers of the support columns 4 and 5 and the drive units 8 and 9 lie on a straight line B perpendicular to line A connecting the centers of the cavities 6 and 7. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1. Tire heating press 2 Press top 3 Press bottom 4 1st pillar 5 Second pillar 6, 7 Cavities 8, 9 Drive unit 10 Fastening elements 11 Connecting elements 12 Front space 13 Posterior space C1, C2 tangent

Claims

1. A tire heating press (1) is configured as a column-type press having two cavities (6, 7) arranged adjacent to each other, A tire heating press (1) having a press lower part (3) and a press upper part (2), wherein the press upper part (2) is movable perpendicularly to the press lower part (3) to open and close the cavity (6, 7) by at least one drive device (8, 9), A tire heating press (1) characterized by having at least two fixed support columns (4, 5).

2. The tire heating press (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least two support columns (4, 5) are configured to guide the upper part (2) of the press.

3. The tire heating press (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a separate drive device (8, 9) is assigned to each of the at least two support columns (4, 5), and the drive devices (8, 9) are arranged in the area of ​​each support column (4, 5).

4. The tire heating press (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the adjacent cavity portions (6, 7) located on the upper part (2) of the press are mechanically connected to each other, thereby allowing these portions to move together.

5. The tire heating press (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that all the support columns (4, 5) are positioned between the side ends of the outward-facing cavities (6, 7), and as a result, the width of the tire heating press (1) is defined by the adjacent cavities (6, 7).

6. The tire heating press (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the support columns (4, 5) are completely located within a region defined by the smallest rectangle surrounding the cavity (6, 7) in a plan view.

7. The tire heating press (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the at least two support columns (4, 5) are arranged in the space between the two cavities (6, 7).

8. The tire heating press (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that at least one support column (4) is arranged in the front space (12) between the cavities (6, 7), and at least one support column (5) is arranged in the rear space (13) between the cavities (6, 7).

9. The tire heating press (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that, in a plan view, the at least one support column (4) in the front space (12) is arranged symmetrically with respect to the at least one support column (5) in the rear space (13), and the line (A) connecting the centers of the cavities (6, 7) functions as an axis of symmetry.

10. The tire heating press (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, in a plan view, the support columns (4, 5) are arranged on a horizontal line (B) that intersects perpendicularly at the midpoint of the line (A) connecting the centers of the cavities (6, 7).

11. The tire heating press (1) according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that at least two support columns (4, 5) are arranged on a straight line passing through the center of gravity of the upper part of the press (2).

12. The tire heating press (1) according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the at least one drive device (8, 9) is arranged on a straight line passing through the position of the support column (4, 5).

13. A tire manufacturing method, a. A step of opening together the two cavities (6, 7) of the tire heating press (1) which are arranged adjacent to each other. b. A step of loading one green tire into each of the cavities (6, 7) using at least one loading device, c. The step of closing the two cavities (6, 7) together, d. A step of vulcanizing the tire in the two cavities (6, 7), e. The step of opening the two cavities (6, 7) together, f. A step of removing materials from the two cavities (6, 7) using at least one unloading device, A method that includes at least [something].

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that it uses the tire heating press (1) described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

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