Method of using an injection sealant to improve the dynamic balance of a tire

Abstract

A method of applying a sealant layer to an inner surface of a tire and the resulting tire are disclosed. Prior to applying the sealant, first and second balance light points on first and second sides of the tire are identified. A start position of the sealant bead adjacent the first side of the tire is determined as a function of the position of the first balance light point. An end position of the sealant bead adjacent the second side of the tire is determined as a function of the position of the second balance light point. Application of the sealant layer improves tire balance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a method of applying a sealant layer to the inner surface of a tire to improve the balance of the tire.

Background Art

[0002] Typical prior art tire sealant cells used to apply the sealant layer are described in International Publication No. 2019123272 (A1) and International Publication No. 2019123275 (A1).

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] There is a need for an improved method for applying a sealant layer to the inner surface of a tire such that the sealant layer improves the balance of the tire.

[0004] The present disclosure relates to a method for improving the inherent balance of a tire when a sealant layer is applied to the tire, and to an improved tire manufactured by such a process.

[0005] In one embodiment, a method of applying a sealant layer to the inner surface of a tire comprises: (a) identifying a circumferential position of a first balance light spot on a first side of the tire as a first angle θ measured about the axis of rotation of the tire from physical indicators of the tire; T and identifying a circumferential position of a first balance light spot on a first side of the tire as a first angle θ measured about the axis of rotation of the tire from physical indicators of the tire; (b) determining a circumferential position of a second balance light spot on a second side of the tire as a second angle θ measured about the axis of rotation of the tire from physical indicators of the tire; B and determining a circumferential position of a second balance light spot on a second side of the tire as a second angle θ measured about the axis of rotation of the tire from physical indicators of the tire; (c) determining a target start position of a sealant bead adjacent to the first side of the tire as a target start angle θ measured about the axis of rotation of the tire from physical indicators of the tire, wherein the target start angle θ is determined as a function of the first angle θ; S and determining a target start position of a sealant bead adjacent to the first side of the tire as a target start angle θ measured about the axis of rotation of the tire from physical indicators of the tire, wherein the target start angle θ is determined as a function of the first angle θ; S is determined as a function of the first angle θ; T and determining a target start position of a sealant bead adjacent to the first side of the tire as a target start angle θ measured about the axis of rotation of the tire from physical indicators of the tire, wherein the target start angle θ is determined as a function of the first angle θ; (d) Determine the target end position of the seal bead adjacent to the second side of the tire as a target end angle θ measured around the axis of rotation of the tire from a physical indicator E where the target end angle θ E is determined as a function of a second angle θ B in a determining step, and (e) Apply the seal bead to the inner surface of the tire in a helical pattern starting at an actual start position selected based on a target start angle θ S and ending at an actual end position selected based on a target end angle θ E . The method can include this step.

[0006] Applying the seal bead can improve both the static and dynamic balance of the tire as compared to the static and dynamic balance of the tire before application of the seal bead.

[0007] In any of the above methods, the target start angle θ S can be determined by the function θ S = θ T + 90°.

[0008] In any of the above methods, the target end angle θ E can be determined by the function θ E = θ B - 90°.

[0009] In any of the above methods, the actual start angle and the actual end angle may each be within an acceptable spotting error range of the target start angle and the target end angle, respectively.

[0010] In any of the above methods, the acceptable spotting error range may be plus or minus 45 degrees.

[0011] In any of the above methods, the acceptable spotting error range may be plus or minus 30 degrees.

[0012] In any of the above methods, the acceptable spotting error range may be plus or minus 15 degrees.

[0013] In any of the above methods, the physical indicator may be a barcode disposed on a first sidewall that defines a first side of the tire.

[0014] In another embodiment, a tire manufactured by any of the above methods can include a tread portion and first and second sidewall portions extending radially inwardly from the tread portion. The tire has a first balance light spot position on a first side of the tire before sealant application measured as a first angle θ around the axis of rotation of the tire from a physical indicator on the tire, and a second balance light spot position on a second side of the tire before sealant application measured as a second angle θ around the axis of rotation of the tire from the physical indicator on the tire. The inner surface of the tire can define an internal cavity of the tire between the first sidewall portion and the second sidewall portion. A helically wound sealant bead having a starting position closest to the first sidewall and an ending position closest to the second sidewall can be placed on the inner surface. The starting position may be within a range of 45 degrees to 135 degrees from the first balance light spot position θ with respect to the winding direction of the sealant bead, and the ending position may be within a range of 45 degrees to 135 degrees from the second balance light spot position θ with respect to the winding direction of the sealant bead. T and a second balance light spot position on a second side of the tire before sealant application measured as a second angle θ around the axis of rotation of the tire from a physical indicator on the tire. B The inner surface of the tire can define an internal cavity of the tire between the first sidewall portion and the second sidewall portion. A helically wound sealant bead having a starting position closest to the first sidewall and an ending position closest to the second sidewall can be placed on the inner surface. The starting position is the first balance light spot position θ with respect to the winding direction of the sealant bead. T from 45 degrees to 135 degrees, and the ending position may be within a range of 45 degrees to 135 degrees from the second balance light spot position θ with respect to the winding direction of the sealant bead. B from 45 degrees to 135 degrees.

[0015] In another embodiment of the above tire, the starting position may be within a range of 60 degrees to 120 degrees from the first balance light spot position θ with respect to the winding direction of the sealant bead, and the ending position may be within a range of 60 degrees to 120 degrees from the second balance light spot position θ with respect to the winding direction of the sealant bead. T from 60 degrees to 120 degrees, and the ending position may be within a range of 60 degrees to 120 degrees from the second balance light spot position θ with respect to the winding direction of the sealant bead. B from 60 degrees to 120 degrees.

[0016] In another embodiment of the tire, the starting position may be within the range of 75 degrees to 105 degrees with respect to the winding direction of the sealant bead at the first balance light point position θ T and the ending position may be within the range of 75 degrees to 105 degrees with respect to the winding direction of the sealant bead at the second balance light point position θ B .

[0017] Numerous objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

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[0019] Here, embodiments of the present disclosure will be referred to in detail, and one or more of the drawings are described herein. Each drawing is provided for the purpose of explaining the present disclosure and is not limiting. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield further embodiments.

[0020] Accordingly, the present disclosure is intended to cover modifications and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. Other objects, features, and aspects of the present disclosure are disclosed in the following detailed description or will be apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that this discussion is only illustrative of exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit the broader aspects of the present disclosure.

[0021] Terms such as "connected," "attached," "joined," "mounted," "fastened," etc. should be construed to mean any manner of joining two objects, including the use of any fasteners such as screws, nuts and bolts, bolts, pins and clevises, etc. that allow for a stationary, translational, or pivotal relationship, but not limited thereto, including any type of welding such as conventional MIG welding, TIG welding, friction welding, brazing, soldering, ultrasonic welding, torch welding, induction welding, etc., the use of any resin, adhesive, epoxy, etc., being integrally formed as a single part, any mechanical fitting such as friction fit, interference fit, sliding fit, rotatable fit, pivotal fit, etc., any combination thereof, etc.

[0022] Unless otherwise specified, any part of the apparatus of the present disclosure can be made from any suitable or preferred material including, but not limited to, metal, alloy, polymer, polymer blend, wood, composite, or any combination thereof.

[0023] Overall process: FIG. 1 schematically shows a top view of a tire sealant cell system 100, and FIG. 2 schematically shows a perspective view of the tire sealant cell system 100. The tire sealant cell system 100 may also be referred to herein as the tire sealant cell 100. The tire sealant cell system 100 is configured to automatically apply a sealant layer 102 to an inner surface portion 112 of a tire 110. The sealant layer 102 may be configured to automatically seal holes (not shown) in the tire 110 that may be caused by road debris such as nails (not shown). The sealant layer 102 is neither solid nor liquid and remains in a semi-viscous state. The sealant layer 102 can bind to road debris that has entered the tire 110 and bind to itself when the road debris is removed, preventing air from escaping from the cavity 114 of the tire 110. The inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110 may also be referred to herein as the inner surface 112 of the tire 110. The cavity 114 of the tire 110 may also be referred to herein as the interior 114 of the tire 110. The inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110 may be defined to face the tread portion 116 of the tire 110 and may at least partially extend over the sidewalls 118a and 118b of the tire 110. The tread portion 116 of the tire 110 may also be referred to herein as the outer tread surface 116 of the tire 110. The tire sealant cell system 100 can provide higher output at a better ratio than existing systems.

[0024] The sealant layer 102 may be composed of, for example, DOW (registered trademark) sealant. In certain embodiments, the sealant layer 102 may be a DOW (registered trademark) sealant having a weight ratio of 10:1, including a part A component (not shown) and a part B component (not shown) that are stored separately and mixed together during application. In other embodiments, the ratio can be adjusted. The initial curing time of the sealant layer 102 may be one day, and the complete curing is 28 days. The tire 110 can be moved before the one-day mark as long as care is taken not to significantly deform the tire 110. Therefore, handling the tire 110 through the tread portion 116 can be useful as further disclosed below.

[0025] Tires (e.g., a first tire 110A, a second tire 110B, a third tire 110C, etc.) interact with the tire sealant cell system 100 by being sequentially received first by the supply conveyor 130 of the tire sealant cell system 100. The tires exit the tire sealant cell system 100 via the discharge conveyor 132 of the tire sealant cell system 100.

[0026] The supply conveyor 130 can include a tire identification station 140. The tire identification station 140 can include a first conveyor belt 142 for moving the tire 110 along the supply conveyor 130. The tire identification station 140 can further include a bar code reader BCR:bar code reader, 144 configured to scan the tire code 120, see FIG. 7, of the tire 110. The tire code 120 may also be referred to herein as the bar code 120. The bar code reader 144 may also be referred to herein as the scanner 144. The bar code reader 144 may be, for example, a DataLogic BCR array or the like. The tire code 120 may be unique to the tire 110 and may be imprinted or defined on the outer surface of the tire 110 as shown in FIG. 3. The tire code 120 may further be associated with specific information regarding the tire 110 such as the width of the tire, the tread depth, the sidewall height, the opening diameter, etc.

[0027] The supply conveyor 130 may further include a first weighing station 150. The first weighing station 150 can include a second conveyor belt 152 for moving the tire 110 along the supply conveyor 130. The first weighing station 150 is configured to weigh and record the weight of the tire 110 before applying the sealant layer 102 into the tire 110.

[0028] The supply conveyor 130 can further include a tire positioning station 160. The tire positioning station 160 can include a third conveyor belt 162 for moving the tire 110 along the supply conveyor 130. The tire positioning station 160 can further include a scanner 164 configured to identify the position of the center 122 of the tire 110. The center 122 of the tire 110 may also be referred to herein as the axis of rotation 122 of the tire 110, as shown in FIG. 3. In certain optional embodiments, the scanner 164 may be, for example, a Fanuc irVision camera, which may be paired with a polarized blue light (not shown) to assist in the identification of the center 122 of the tire 110. According to this embodiment, the third conveyor belt 162 may be colored blue (e.g., such as a Fanuc irVision camera) to increase the effectiveness of the scanner 164.

[0029] The tire sealant cell system 100 may further include a tire handling robot 200, at least one application stand 300, and a dispensing robot 400. The at least one application stand 300 may also be referred to herein as at least one sealant application stand 300. As shown, the at least one application stand 300 includes a first application stand 300A and a second application stand 300B. The first and second application stands 300A, 300B may be the same and will be further described with respect to the at least one application stand 300.

[0030] The first and second coating stands 300A and 300B can be arranged adjacent to each other such that a tire (e.g., the first tire 110A, the second tire 110B, the third tire 110C, etc.) can be received on the first and second coating stands 300A and 300B with the rotation axis 122 of the tire oriented substantially horizontally. The tires received on the first and second coating stands 300A and 300B can be end-to-end aligned such that the tread portions 116 face each other. The tire handling robot 200 may be arranged on one side of the first and second coating stands 300A and 300B. The dispensing robot 400 may be positioned on the opposite side of the first and second coating stands 300A and 300B. Thus, when the tire 110 is received by one of the first or second coating stands 300A and 300B, one sidewall of the tire 110 faces the tire handling robot 200 and the other sidewall of the tire 110 faces the dispensing robot 400.

[0031] The tire handling robot 200 can be configured to pick up the tire 110 from the supply conveyor 130, or more specifically, from the third conveyor belt 162 of the tire positioning station 160, using the tire gripping tool 202 of the tire handling robot 200, and place the tire 110 on the unoccupied one of the first or second coating stands 300A and 300B. The tire gripping tool 202 is configured to engage the tread portion 116 of the tire 110 when moving the tire 110. The gripping force of the tire gripping tool 202 can be adjusted based on the tire cord 120.

[0032] In certain embodiments, the tire handling robot 200 can further include a scanner 204. When the tire handling robot 200 places the tire 110 on one of at least one application stand 300, the tire gripping tool 202 releases the engagement of the tire 110, and the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110 can be scanned (e.g., an initial scan or a pre-scan) using the scanner 204 held by the tire handling robot 200 while the tire 110 is being rotated by at least one application stand 300. In other embodiments, the dispensing robot 400 may include a scanner for performing an initial scan.

[0033] The dispensing robot 400 may be configured to apply the sealant bead 104 to the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110 using the dispensing tool 402 of the dispensing robot 400 while the tire 110 is being rotated by one of at least one application stand 300 (as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4). The sealant bead 104 may be dispensed as a continuous ribbon on the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110 by the dispensing tool 402 while the tire 110 is being rotated by one of at least one application stand 300 to form the sealant layer 102. The sealant bead 104 preferably has a substantially rectangular shape. The width of the sealant bead 104 may be in the range of 6 mm to 18 mm, preferably 6 mm to 10 mm. The thickness of the sealant bead may be in the range of 3 mm to 5 mm, preferably about 4 mm. In one embodiment, the sealant bead may have a width of 8 mm and a thickness of 4 mm. In other embodiments, the width and thickness of the sealant bead 104 may be different.

[0034] The dispensing robot 400 can utilize the initial scan of the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110 performed by either the tire handling robot 200 or the dispensing robot 400 as described above to calculate, for example, the movement path in the x, y, and z coordinates for dispensing the sealant bead 104.

[0035] The dispensing robot 400 may include at least one sensor 410 disposed on the dispensing tool 402 of the dispensing robot 400. The at least one sensor 410 can be configured to detect the position of the dispensing tool 402 relative to the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110. The at least one sensor 410 may be further configured to detect the distance 420 between the dispensing tool and the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110. In certain embodiments, the at least one sensor 410 can be utilized to perform an initial scan of the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110 while the tire 110 is being rotated by at least one application stand 300.

[0036] Once the dispensing robot 400 has completed depositing the sealant bead 104 on the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110 to form the sealant layer 102, one of the tire handling robot 200 or the dispensing robot 400 can be configured to scan (e.g., final scan or post-scan) the sealant layer 102 to determine whether the gauge (e.g., thickness) of the sealant layer 102 or the sealant bead 104 is within a set criterion (e.g., the minimum allowable gauge of the sealant layer 102). For example, the gauge must be sufficient so that the sealing performance is not adversely affected. Thus, in certain embodiments, the scanner 204 of the tire handling robot 200 can be utilized to scan the sealant layer 102 on the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110. In other embodiments, the at least one sensor 410 can be utilized to scan the sealant layer 102 on the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110.

[0037] The tire sealant cell system 100 may perform a final scan and record data corresponding to the gauge of the sealant layer 102 on the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110 in correlation with data corresponding to the position of the sealant layer 102 on the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110. As shown in FIG. 17, the tire sealant cell system 100 may further include a display 518 configured to display a visual image 530 representing the sealant layer 102 on the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110. The visual image 530 may include a generally color-coded visual indicator 532 corresponding to whether the gauge of the sealant layer is within a set criterion. The visual image 530 may show a flat version of the tire 110 divided, for example, into 5 mm × 5 mm sections. Each section may include the visual indicator 532.

[0038] In certain alternative embodiments, at least one sensor 410 may be utilized to scan the gauge of the sealant bead in real time as the sealant bead 104 is applied to the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110 and transmit the relevant data to be displayed on the display 518.

[0039] When the final scan is complete, the tire handling robot 200 may pick up the completed tire 110 from the first or second application stand 300A, 300B and place the tire 110 on the discharge conveyor 132. More specifically, the tire handling robot 200 may place the tire 110 on the discharge receiving station 170 of the discharge conveyor 132. The discharge receiving station 170 may include a fourth conveyor belt 172 for moving the tire 110 along the discharge conveyor 132.

[0040] The discharge conveyor 132 can further include a second weighing station 180. The second weighing station 180 can include a fifth conveyor belt 182 for moving the tire 110 along the discharge conveyor 132. The second weighing station 180 is configured to weigh the tire 110 after applying the sealant layer 102 into the tire 110. The change in weight of the tire 110 may be determined based on data from the first weighing station 150 and the second weighing station 180. The change in weight may be recorded, stored, and aggregated, and may be used as a baseline data set associated with a specific tire via the tire code 120.

[0041] The discharge conveyor 132 can further include a final station 190. The final station 190 can include a sixth conveyor belt 192 for moving the tire 110 along the discharge conveyor 132. The tire 110 can exit the tire sealant cell system 100 from the final station 190. In other embodiments, the tire 110 can exit the tire sealant cell system 100 from the second weighing station 180.

[0042] The tire sealant cell system 100 further includes a plurality of electronic flow (eFlow) drum pumps 106, each pump containing one of two components used to generate the sealant for the sealant bead 104. The sealant for the sealant bead 104 is provided to the dispensing robot 400 from at least two of the plurality of eFlow drum pumps 106 at a given time, and each of the at least two eFlow drum pumps contains a different one of the two components used to generate the sealant for the sealant bead 104. The two components are mixed by the dispensing robot 400 immediately before applying the sealant bead 104 to the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110.

[0043] Tires (e.g., the first tire 110A, the second tire 110B, the third tire 110C, etc.) can continuously enter and exit the tire sealant cell system 100. For example, one tire may be on each of six conveyor belts and the first and second application stands 300A, 300B at a given time. The dispense robot 400 can move back and forth between the first application stand 300A and the second application stand 300B and apply the sealant bead 104 into the tire placed on a given application stand before moving to the other. For example, the tire handling robot 200 may place the first tire 110A on the first application stand 300A, and then an initial scan may be performed. While the dispense robot 400 applies the sealant bead 104 to the inner surface portion 112 of the first tire 110A, the tire handling robot 200 can proceed to position the second tire 110B on the second application stand 300B. When the dispense robot 400 completes the application of the sealant bead 104 to the first tire 110A, the dispense robot 400 can move to the second application stand 300B and start applying the sealant bead 104 to the inner surface portion 112 of the second tire 110B. When the final scan of the first tire 110A is performed, the tire handling robot 200 may proceed to remove the first tire 110A from the first application stand 300A and place the first tire 110A on the discharge conveyor 132. Next, the tire handling robot 200 may proceed to place the third tire 110C on the first application stand 300A. When the dispense robot 400 completes the application of the sealant bead 104 to the second tire 110B, the dispense robot 400 can return to the first application stand 300A and start applying the sealant bead 104 to the inner surface portion 112 of the third tire 110C. When the final scan of the second tire 110B is performed, the tire handling robot 200 can proceed to remove the second tire 110B from the second application stand 300B and place the second tire 110B on the discharge conveyor 132.The application of the sealant layer 102 to the tire can generally proceed continuously in this general manner. By including the first and second application stands 300A, 300B, the efficiency or throughput of the tire sealant cell system 100 is increased.

[0044] Tire handling robot: FIG. 5 schematically shows a front view of the tire handling robot 200, and FIG. 6 schematically shows a side view of the tire handling robot 200.

[0045] The tire handling robot 200 can include an articulated arm assembly 210 having at least three degrees of freedom axes. The proximal end 212 of the articulated arm assembly 210 may be coupled to a surface mounting plate 220 configured to be coupled to a support surface. The tire gripping tool 202 and the scanner 204 may be coupled to the distal end 214 of the articulated arm assembly 210. The proximal end 212 may also be referred to herein as the proximal arm member 212, and the distal end 214 may also be referred to herein as the distal arm member 214.

[0046] The tire handling robot 200 can further include a first arm portion 230 and a second arm portion 232 coupled to the distal end 214 of the articulated arm assembly 210. The first arm portion 230 may also be referred to herein as the first arm 230, and the second arm portion 232 may also be referred to herein as the second arm 232. The tire gripping tool 202 may be coupled to the first arm portion 230, and the scanner 204 may be coupled to the second arm portion 232. Thus, the first arm portion 230 may carry the tire gripping tool 202, and the second arm portion 232 may carry the scanner 204. In certain embodiments, at least one of the first arm portion 230 or the tire gripping tool 202 may consist of a pneumatic double-ended cylinder.

[0047] The tire gripping tool 202 can include a rubber bumper 240 attached to an end of the tire gripping tool 202 to provide additional grip when engaging the tread portion 116 of the tire 110.

[0048] As described above, the tire handling robot 200 is configured to pick up the tire 110 from the tire positioning station 160 using the tire gripping tool 202 such that the tire gripping tool 202 engages the tread portion 116 of the tire 110. The gripping force applied to the tread portion 116 of the tire 110 by the tire gripping tool 202 is adjusted based on the tire code 120 scanned by the tire identification station 130. The tire handling robot 200 then places the tire 110 on one of the application stands 300A or 300B available to receive the tire 110 and is configured to disengage the tire gripping tool 202 from the tire 110. Once disengaged, the tire handling robot 200 may insert the scanner 204 into the cavity 114 of the tire 110 and perform an initial scan.

[0049] Sealant application stand: FIG. 7 schematically shows a perspective view of at least one application stand 300, FIG. 8 schematically shows a side view of at least one application stand 300, and FIG. 9 schematically shows a rear view of at least one application stand 300. The first and second application stands 300A, 300B may be identical and may be further described by describing at least one application stand 300.

[0050] At least one application stand 300 can include an upper stabilizing bar 310 and a plurality of drive rollers (not shown) disposed below the upper stabilizing bar 310. The upper portion of the inner diameter 124 of the tire 110 may be configured to rest on the upper stabilizing bar 310. A portion of the tread portion 116 of the tire 110 can be configured to rest on the plurality of drive rollers. The plurality of drive rollers may be configured to rotate the tire 110 about its axis of rotation 122, for example, during scanning of the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110 and during application of the sealant bead 104 to the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110.

[0051] At least one application stand 300 can further include a plurality of bead spreader fingers 320 configured to spread the bead 126 of the tire 110 so that the dispensing robot 400 can be easily accessed by the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110. The upper stabilizing bar 310 and the plurality of drive rollers may act downwardly simultaneously to allow the plurality of bead spreader fingers 320 to reach into the cavity 114 of the tire 110. When the plurality of bead spreader fingers 320 are in place, the upper stabilizing bar 310 and the plurality of drive rollers can act upwardly simultaneously to engage the plurality of bead spreader fingers 320 with the bead 126 of the tire 110 such that the bead 126 seats within the plurality of bead spreader fingers 320. Once seated, the plurality of bead spreader fingers 320 are actuated to move away from the tire 110, thereby being able to spread the bead 126 of the tire 110 by a set distance.

[0052] At least one application stand 300 can further include a plurality of lateral stabilizing arms 330 configured to pivot and engage the tread portion 116 of the tire 110. Each of the plurality of lateral stabilizing arms 330 can include a roller configured to rotatably engage the tread portion 116 of the tire 110. The plurality of lateral stabilizing arms 330 can be configured to engage the tread portion 116 of the tire 110 prior to rotation of the tire 110 by the plurality of drive rollers.

[0053] All movements of at least one application stand 300, except for the upper stabilizing bar 310 and the plurality of lateral stabilizing arms 330, can be realized using a servo motor. The upper stabilizing bar 310 and the plurality of lateral stabilizing arms 330 may utilize an air cylinder whose pressure is controlled using a proportional valve.

[0054] At least one application stand 300 can further include a sensor 340 coupled to the upper stabilizing bar 310. The sensor 340 can be configured to sense the rotational position of the tire 110 by detecting a physical indicator on the rotating tire 110 passing through the sensor 340. The physical indicator can be, for example, a tire code 120 defined on the tire 110. The sensor 340 can be, for example, a sensor such as a BANNER® QS30PDPQ sensor.

[0055] Dispensing robot: FIG. 10 schematically shows a side view of a dispensing robot 400, FIG. 11 schematically shows a front view of the dispensing robot 400, and FIG. 12 schematically shows a bottom view of the dispensing robot 400. FIG. 13 schematically shows a side view of the dispensing tool 402 of the dispensing robot 400 from FIG. 10. FIG. 14 schematically shows a bottom view of the dispensing tool 402 of the dispensing robot 400 from FIG. 12. FIG. 15 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of the dispensing tool 402 of the dispensing robot 400.

[0056] The dispensing robot 400 may include an articulated arm assembly 430 having at least three degrees of freedom axes. The proximal end 432 of the articulated arm assembly 430 may be coupled to a surface mounting plate 440 configured to be coupled to a support surface. The dispensing tool 402 may be coupled to the distal end 434 of the articulated arm assembly 430. Thus, the dispensing tool 402 is configured to be held by the distal end 434 of the articulated arm assembly 430 of the dispensing robot 400. The proximal end 432 may also be referred to herein as the proximal arm member 432, and the distal end 434 may also be referred to herein as the distal arm member 434.

[0057] The dispensing robot 400 may further include a mixing valve 450 disposed in one of the articulated arm assembly 430 or the dispensing tool 402. The mixing valve 450 may be configured to be coupled to two of the plurality of eFlow drum pumps 106 via a first sealant component metering dispenser 452 and a second sealant component metering dispenser 454. The first and second sealant component metering dispensers 452, 454 may be gear meters such as NORDSON® servo-driven gear meters. In other alternative embodiments, the first and second sealant component metering dispensers 452, 454 may be GRACO® HFR pumps (e.g., characterized by a hydraulic reciprocating piston). As best seen in FIGS. 10 and 11, the first and second sealant component metering dispensers 452, 454 may be attached to the articulated arm assembly 210. The first and second flexible conduits 455 and 457 can connect the first and second sealant component metering dispensers 452, 454 to the sealant nozzles 460, respectively, as schematically seen in FIG. 3.

[0058] The first shut-off valve 459 may be disposed between the first sealant component metering dispenser 452 and the sealant nozzle 460 to block the flow of the first sealant component. The second shut-off valve 461 may be disposed between the second sealant component metering dispenser 454 and the sealant nozzle 460 to block the flow of the second sealant component. The shut-off valves 459 and 461 are preferably snap-back valves. The operating principle of the snap-back valve is that when the valve is shut off, a negative pressure is generated to draw back the sealant material to achieve a rapid shut-off and / or prevent the dripping of the sealant material.

[0059] The first on / off valve 465 may be located upstream of the first sealant component metering dispenser 452. The second on / off valve 467 may be located upstream of the second sealant component metering dispenser 454. The on / off valve may be a pancake-type valve.

[0060] The dispense tool 402 can include a sealant nozzle 460. The sealant nozzle 460 can include a nozzle tip 462 configured to dispense the sealant bead 104. At least one sensor 410 may be disposed on the dispense tool 402 and may be configured to sense the position of the nozzle tip 462 relative to the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110.

[0061] At least one sensor 410 of the dispensing robot 400 may include a first sensor 412 and a second sensor 414 located on both sides of the sealant nozzle 460. The first sensor 412 may also be referred to herein as the first distance sensor 412, and the second sensor 414 may also be referred to herein as the second distance sensor 414. As shown in FIG. 13, the first and second sensors 412, 414 may be configured to visually recognize along the length 464 of the sealant nozzle 460 such that the distance 420 from the nozzle tip 462 to the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110 can be detected by at least one of the first sensor 412 or the second sensor 414. The first and second sensors 412, 414 may be, for example, LJV KEYENCE (registered trademark) profilometers.

[0062] In an embodiment as seen in FIG. 14, one of the first and second sensors 412, 414 may be located upstream of the sealant nozzle 460 with respect to the rotational direction of the tire 110 with respect to the sealant nozzle 460, and the other of the first and second sensors may be located downstream of the sealant nozzle with respect to the rotational direction of the tire 110. In FIG. 14, assuming that the tire rotation direction is from left to right, the first sensor 412 is the upstream sensor and the second sensor 414 is the downstream sensor.

[0063] The nozzle tip 462 has a tip axis 463 that defines the direction in which the bead of the sealant 104 is dispensed from the nozzle tip 462. Each of the first and second distance sensors 412 and 414 has sensing axes 413 and 415 arranged parallel to the dispensing axis 463 of the nozzle tip 462, respectively.

[0064] One of the first and second distance sensors, in the illustrated embodiment the first distance sensor 412, is disposed beside the sealant nozzle 460 such that as the nozzle tip 462 traverses the width of the inner surface 112 of the tire 110 in the transverse direction, the dispensing axis 463 of the nozzle tip 462 and the sensing axis 413 of the first distance sensor 412 intersect the inner surface 112 along a common circumference line of the inner surface 112. The other of the first and second distance sensors, in the illustrated embodiment the second distance sensor 414, is disposed rearward (e.g., within a range of 11 to 16 mm rearward) relative to the sealant nozzle 460 in the transverse direction such that the nozzle tip 462 precedes the second distance sensor 414 when the nozzle tip 462 traverses the width of the inner surface 112 in the transverse direction. For example, as seen in the schematic view of FIG. 4, the nozzle tip 462 is shown to move in the transverse direction from left to right in the figure to place the sealant bead 104.

[0065] The first and second sensors 412 and 414, in combination with a controller 500 further described below, enable the nozzle tip 462 to be oriented perpendicular to the inner surface 112 of the tire 110. The controller receives distance signals from the first and second distance sensors 412 and 414 and is configured to determine the orientation of the sealant nozzle 460 such that the dispensing axis 463 is maintained perpendicular to the inner surface 112 of the tire 110 when the nozzle tip 462 traverses the width of the inner surface 112 in the transverse direction, based on the geometry of the inner surface 112 of the tire 110.

[0066] As described above, in certain optional embodiments, at least one of the first sensor 412 or the second sensor 414 can be utilized to scan the gauge of the sealant bead in real time as the sealant bead 104 is applied to the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110 and transmit associated data to be displayed on the display 518. For example, one of the first sensor 412 or the second sensor 414 may be configured to scan the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110, and the other sensor may scan the sealant bead 104 immediately after application to the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110.

[0067] The sealant nozzle 460 may further include a static mixer 470 disposed between the nozzle tip 462 and the first and second sealant component metering dispensers 452, 454. The static mixer 470 may also be referred to herein as an internal static mixer 470. As shown in FIG. 15, the static mixer 470 may include a plurality of irregular internal passages to create a complete mixing of the two sealant components before exiting the sealant nozzle tip 462. The static mixer 470 can have a length in the range of 12 to 18 inches, preferably about 16 inches.

[0068] The first and second sealant component metering dispensers 452, 454 may be directly connected to the static mixer 470. In certain alternative embodiments, the first and second sealant component metering dispensers 452, 454 may be coupled to the static mixer 470 using the first and second flexible conduits 455 and 457.

[0069] The dispense tool 402 can further include an air nozzle 480 disposed adjacent to the nozzle tip 462 and configured to eject an air stream 482 directed at the sealant bead 104 to assist in adhering a bead of sealant material to the inner surface portion 112 of the tire 110 (as shown in FIG. 14). In certain embodiments, the air stream 482 may be planar.

[0070] In certain optional embodiments, the dispense robot 400 may include a camera 483 mounted on the dispense tool 402, whereby an operator can view the sealant bead 104 on the display 518 as it is being dispensed.

[0071] Controller: FIG. 16 schematically shows the controller 500 of the tire sealant cell system 100. The controller 500 can generate command signals for controlling the operations of various components of the tire sealant cell system 100 (e.g., the tire identification station 140, the first weighing station 150, the tire positioning station 160, the discharge receiving station 170, the second weighing station 180, the final station 190, the tire handling robot 200, the first and second coating stations 300A, 300B, and the dispensing robot 400). These command signals are schematically shown in FIG. 16 by virtual lines connecting the controller 500 to the various components, with arrows indicating the flow of the command signals from the controller 500 to each component.

[0072] As disclosed herein, it will be understood that data from the various foregoing components may be transmitted to the controller 500 from the various foregoing components, as schematically shown by virtual lines and arrows.

[0073] For example, the command signals from the controller 500 to the tire identification station 140, the first weighing station 150, the tire positioning station 160, the discharge receiving station 170, the second weighing station 180, and the final station 190 can control the respective movements of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth conveyor belts 142, 152, 162, 172, 182, and 192. The data from the tire identification station 140 to the controller 500 can include the tire code 120 scanned by the barcode reader 144. The data from the first weighing station 150 to the controller 500 can include the weight of the tire 110 (e.g., the first tire 110A, the second tire 110B, the third tire 110C, etc.) before the application of the sealant layer 102. The data from the tire positioning station 160 to the controller 500 may include the position of the tire 110 on the third conveyor belt 162 that can be utilized by the tire handling robot 200 to engage the tire 110. The data from the second weighing station 180 to the controller 500 may include the weight of the tire 110 (e.g., the first tire 110A, the second tire 110B, the third tire 110C, etc.) after the application of the sealant layer 102. The controller 500 can store the weights before and after the tire 110 in relation to the tire code 120 for use when applying the sealant layer 102 to future tires having the same tire code 120.

[0074] Furthermore, for example, the command signal from the controller 500 to the tire handling robot 200 can control the movement of the articulated arm assembly 210, the tire gripping tool 202, and the scanner 204, and can also control the functionality of the scanner 204. The data from the tire handling robot 200 to the controller 500 can include the respective positions of the articulated arm assembly 210, the tire gripping tool 202, and the scanner 204, as well as the output from the scanner 204 associated with the tire 110, which can be utilized to plot the movement path of the dispensing robot 400 in the x, y, and z coordinates for applying the sealant bead 104 to the tire 110.

[0075] Furthermore, for example, the command signal from the controller 500 to each of the first and second application stations 300A, 300B can control the respective movements of the plurality of drive rollers, the upper stabilizing bar 310, the plurality of bead spreader fingers 320, and the plurality of lateral stabilizing arms 330 associated with each respective application station. The data from each of the first and second application stations 300A, 300B to the controller 500 can include the respective positions of the plurality of drive rollers, the upper stabilizing bar 310, the plurality of bead spreader fingers 320, and the plurality of lateral stabilizing arms 330 associated with each respective application station.

[0076] Finally, for example, the command signal from the controller 500 to the dispensing robot 400 can control the movement of the articulated arm assembly 430 and the dispensing tool 402, and can also control the discharge of the sealant bead 104 from the dispensing tool 402 and the discharge of the air stream 482 from the air nozzle 480, and can control the functionality of at least one sensor 410. The data from the dispensing robot 400 to the controller 500 can include the positions of the articulated arm assembly 430 and the dispensing tool 402, as well as the output from at least one sensor 410 associated with at least one of the tire 110, the sealant bead 104, or the sealant layer 102.

[0077] The controller 500 includes, or may be associated with, an input / output module or control panel 516 having a processor 510, a computer-readable medium 512, a database 514, and a display 518. An example of the display 518 is also shown in FIG. 17. An input / output device 520, such as a keyboard or other user interface, is provided so that a human operator can input commands to the controller. It is understood that the controller 500 described herein may be a single controller having all of the described functionality, or may include a plurality of controllers in which the described functionality is distributed among the plurality of controllers.

[0078] The various operations, processes, or algorithms described in connection with the controller 500 can be implemented directly in hardware, in a computer program product 522 such as a software module executed by the processor 500, or in a combination of the two. The computer program product 522 can reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, or any other form of computer-readable medium 512 known in the art. An exemplary computer-readable medium 512 can be coupled to the processor 500 so that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the memory / storage medium. Alternatively, the medium can be integral to the processor. The processor and the medium can reside in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC can reside within a user terminal. Alternatively, the processor and the medium can reside as discrete components within the user terminal.

[0079] As used herein, the term "processor" can refer to at least a general-purpose or special-purpose processing device and / or logic that can be understood by those skilled in the art, including but not limited to microprocessors, microcontrollers, state machines, etc. The processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors cooperating with a DSP core, or any other such configuration combination.

[0080] As used herein, the terms "controller", "control circuit", and "control circuitry" refer to, embody, or otherwise include a machine such as a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gates or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed and programmed to perform or cause the performance of the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be a microcontroller, or a state machine, or combinations thereof. The processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors cooperating with a DSP core, or any other such configuration combination.

[0081] Method for applying a sealant layer to the inner surface of a tire: A method of applying a sealant layer to the inner surface of a tire is (a) picking up a first tire 110A with a tire handling robot 200 and placing the first tire 110A on a first application stand 300A with the rotation axis 122 of the first tire 110A oriented substantially horizontally; (b) When the first tire 110A is rotated by the first application stand 300A, the inner surface 112 of the first tire 110A is scanned by the scanner 204 held by the tire handling robot 200, and (c) To form the sealant layer 102 on the inner surface 112 of the first tire 110A, when the first tire 110A is rotated by the first application stand 300A, the dispensing tool 402 held by the dispensing robot 400 is used to apply the sealant bead 104 to the inner surface 112 of the first tire 110A, and (d) When the first tire 110A is rotated by the first application stand 300A, the sealant layer 102 of the first tire 110A can be scanned using the scanner 204 held by the tire handling robot 200.

[0082] The tire handling robot 200 of the present method can include a first arm portion 230 having a tire gripping tool 202 and a second arm portion 232 having a scanner 204. According to the present method, after the first tire 110A is placed on the first application stand 300A, the tire handling robot 200 can release the first tire 110A from the tire gripping tool 202, and then the tire handling robot 200 can insert the scanner 204 into the cavity 114 of the first tire 110A.

[0083] In step (a), the tire gripping tool 202 can grip the tread portion 116 of the first tire 110A.

[0084] The method can further include, after step (d), picking up the first tire 110A from the first application stand 300A using the tire handling robot 200 and placing the first tire 110A on the discharge conveyor 132.

[0085] The method can further include weighing the first tire 110A on the first weighing station 150 of the supply conveyor 130 and weighing the first tire 110A again on the second weighing station 180 of the discharge conveyor 132 before step (a) to determine the change in weight of the first tire 110A.

[0086] The method includes picking up the second tire 110B with the tire handling robot 200, placing the second tire 110B on the second application stand 300B with the rotation axis 122 of the second tire 110B oriented substantially horizontally, scanning the inner surface portion 112 of the second tire 110B with the scanner 204 held by the tire handling robot 200 when the second tire 110B is rotated by the second application stand 300B, applying the sealant bead 104 to the inner surface portion 112 of the second tire 110B with the dispensing tool 402 held by the dispensing robot 400 when the second tire 110B is rotated by the second application stand 300B to form the sealant layer 102 on the inner surface portion 112 of the second tire 110B, and scanning the sealant layer 102 of the second tire 110B with the scanner 204 held by the tire handling robot 200 when the second tire 110B is rotated by the second application stand 300B.

[0087] The first and second application stands 300A, 300B may be arranged adjacent to each other such that the tread portion 116 of the first tire 110A on the first application stand 300A faces the tread portion 116 of the second tire 110B on the second application stand 300B, one sidewall of each tire faces the tire handling robot 200, and the other sidewall of each tire faces the dispensing robot 400. The tire handling robot 200 can perform the scanning process from one side of the first and second tires 110A, 110B. The dispensing robot 400 may perform the application process from the opposite side of the first and second tires 110A, 110B.

[0088] The method may further include, before step (a), scanning the first tire 110A using the barcode reader 144 to identify the tire code 120. The tire gripping tool 202 can grip the tread portion 116 of the first tire 110A, and the gripping force is adjusted based on the tire code 120.

[0089] The method may further include, during step (c), sensing the gauge of the sealant bead 104 when the sealant bead 104 is placed on the inner surface portion 112 of the first tire 110A, and correlating and recording data corresponding to the gauge of the sealant bead 104 with data corresponding to the position of the sealant bead 104 on the inner surface portion 112 of the first tire 110A.

[0090] The method may further include displaying on the display 518 a visual image 530 representing the sealant bead 104 on the inner surface portion 112 of the first tire 110A. The visual image 530 (shown in FIG. 17) may include a visual indicator 532 corresponding to whether the gauge of the sealant bead 104 is within the set standard.

[0091] A further method of applying a sealant layer to the inner surface of a tire: A further method of applying a sealant layer to the inner surface of a tire is (a) providing a tire sealant cell 100, wherein when the tires 110A, 110B, 110C are received on the first and second sealant application stands with the rotation axis 122 of the tire being substantially horizontally oriented, the first and second sealant application stands 300A, 300B arranged adjacent to each other such that the tires are aligned end to end with the tread regions 116 of the tires facing each other, a tire handling robot 200 located on one side of the first and second sealant application stands, and a dispensing robot 400 arranged on the opposite side of the first and second sealant application stands from the tire handling robot, the providing step. (b) The step of picking up the first tire 110A by the tire handling robot 200 and placing the first tire 110A on the first sealant application stand 300A; (c) The step of applying a sealant bead 104 to the inner surface 112 of the first tire 110A using a dispensing tool 402 held by the dispensing robot 400 when the first tire 110A is rotated by the first sealant application stand 300A to form a sealant layer 102 on the inner surface 112 of the first tire 110A; (d) The step of picking up the second tire 110B by the tire handling robot 200 and placing the second tire 110B on the second sealant application stand 300B; (e) The step of applying a sealant bead 104 to the inner surface 112 of the second tire 110B using a dispensing tool 402 held by the dispensing robot 400 when the second tire 110B is rotated by the second sealant application stand 300B to form a sealant layer 102 on the inner surface 112 of the second tire 110B can be included.

[0092] The method can further include, between step (b) and step (c), the step of pre-scanning the inner surface portion 112 of the first tire 110A with a scanner 204 held by the tire handling robot 200 when the first tire 110A is rotated by the first sealant application stand 300A.

[0093] In step (e), when the first tire 110A is rotated by the first sealant application stand 300A, the sealant layer 102 of the first tire 110A is post-scanned by the scanner 204 held by the tire handling robot 200. Next, the first tire 110A is removed from the first sealant application stand 300A by the tire handling robot 200 and placed on the discharge conveyor 132. Then, the third tire 110C is picked up by the tire handling robot 200 and placed on the first sealant application stand 300A. Next, when the third tire 110C is rotated by the first sealant application stand 300A, the inner surface portion 112 of the third tire 110C can be pre-scanned by the scanner 204 held by the tire handling robot 200.

[0094] The method further includes, after step (d) and before removing the second tire 110B from the second sealant application stand 300B, when the first tire 110A is rotated by the first sealant application stand 300A, post-scanning the sealant layer 102 of the first tire 110A using the scanner 204 held by the tire handling robot 200. Next, the first tire 110A is removed from the first sealant application stand 300A by the tire handling robot 200 and placed on the discharge conveyor 132. Then, the third tire 110C is picked up by the tire handling robot 200 and placed on the first sealant application stand 300A. Next, when the third tire 110C is rotated by the first sealant application stand 300A, the inner surface portion 112 of the third tire 110C is pre-scanned by the scanner 204 held by the tire handling robot 200.

[0095] This method can further include pre-scanning the inner surface portion 112 of the first tire 110A with the scanner 204 held by the tire handling robot 200 when the first tire 110A is rotated by the first sealant application stand 300A before step (c), and post-scanning the sealant layer 102 of the first tire 110A with the scanner 204 held by the tire handling robot 200 when the first tire 110A is rotated by the first sealant application stand 300A after step (c).

[0096] The tire handling robot 200 can include a first arm portion 230 having a tire gripping tool 202 and a second arm portion 232 having a scanner 204. After placing the first tire 110A on the first sealant application stand 300A, the tire handling robot 200 can release the first tire 110A from the tire gripping tool 202, and then the tire handling robot 200 can insert the scanner 204 into the cavity 114 of the first tire 110A.

[0097] The method can further include weighing the first tire 110A on the first weighing station 150 of the supply conveyor 130 before step (b), removing the first tire 110A from the first sealant application stand 300A with the tire handling robot 200 after step (c), placing the first tire 110A on the discharge conveyor 132, re-weighing the first tire 110A on the second weighing station 180 of the discharge conveyor 132, and determining the weight change of the first tire 110A.

[0098] This method can further include scanning the first tire 110A with the barcode reader 144 to identify the tire code 120 before step (b). In step (b), the tire gripping tool 202 held by the tire handling robot 200 can grip the tread portion 116 of the first tire 110A, and the gripping force can be adjusted based on the tire code 120.

[0099] The method can further include, during step (c), sensing the gauge of the sealant bead 104 when the sealant bead 104 is placed on the inner surface portion 112 of the first tire 110A, and correlating and recording data corresponding to the gauge of the sealant bead 104 with data corresponding to the position of the sealant bead 104 on the inner surface portion 112 of the first tire 110A.

[0100] The method can further include displaying on the display 518 a visual image 530 representing the sealant bead 104 on the inner surface portion 112 of the first tire 110A. The visual image 530 can include a visual indicator 532 corresponding to whether the gauge of the sealant bead 104 is within a set criterion.

[0101] A method for applying a sealant layer to the inner surface of a tire while balancing the tire: The tire sealant cell system 100 can also be used to improve the balance of the tire 110, so that less additional balance is required when the tire is mounted on the wheel. As schematically shown in FIG. 18, the tire 110 includes an indicator 120 which may be a bar code physically disposed on the tire. This indicator 120 can be used as a reference point for identifying the circumferential position on the tire. Any other physical feature on the tire can also be used as a reference point.

[0102] Before the tire 110 is received on the supply conveyor 130, the tire can be tested for dynamic balance on a dynamic balancer schematically shown as 600 in FIG. 1. An example of a typical dynamic balancer is the Model FDB-6142T dynamic balancer available from Kokusai, Inc. of Indianapolis, Indiana. The dynamic balancer 600 rotates the tire and measures the forces and moments caused by the mass / geometry irregularities of the tire. In a typical dynamic balancer, the tire is horizontally oriented so as to rotate about a vertical axis during testing, and the sidewall of the tire with the barcode indicator 120 is positioned upward. This upward sidewall has conventionally been referred to as the "top" side of the tire, and when attached to a wheel, the corresponding flange of the wheel is called the top flange. The opposite side of the tire is called the "bottom" side. It will be understood that these are simply for convenience and do not require the tire to be actually oriented in a particular way.

[0103] During dynamic balancing, the outward inertial force (also known as the "static" force) and the out-of-plane moment (also known as the "couple") are combined via vectors, and net mass vectors are generated on each of the upper and lower sides. The values of these net mass vectors indicate how much mass (balance weight) is required to balance the tire so that no force or moment is generated when the tire is spun, and where it must be circumferentially located relative to the barcode indicator 120. The dynamic balancer 600 measures the balance of the tire only since the tire is not yet mounted on the wheel. The positions of these net mass vectors are stored in a database as angles relative to the position of the barcode indicator 120 and are often referred to as the "light spots" of the tire. Two "light spots" are determined, one on the "upper" side of the tire and one on the "lower" side of the tire. This information is associated with each individual tire identified by its barcode indicator 120. Thus, when each tire is tested on the dynamic balancer 600, its barcode is read and all balance data, including the angular positions of the upper and lower light spots relative to the barcode indicator 120, is written to a database that can be the database 514 or another database accessible by the controller 500.

[0104] Later, when each tire reaches one of the application stands, such as 300A or 300B, the barcode indicator 120 is read and information regarding the angular positions of the upper and lower light spots is retrieved from the database. In the example shown, the application stand holds the tire in a position that rotates about a horizontal axis, and as noted above, only the terms "upper" and "lower" and the names referring to the data retrieved from the database are required for the tire to be oriented in a particular way during the application of the sealant bead 104.

[0105] The following is an explanation of a method by which a sealant bead can be applied to improve the dynamic balance of a tire. To understand the disclosed method, it is useful to consider how the sealant bead 104 can be laid to form the sealant layer 102 in a method of improving the dynamic balance of a tire.

[0106] FIG. 18 schematically shows a virtual sealant layer 102 arranged symmetrically with respect to a center line also known as the equatorial plane EP of the tire. The non-crosshatched portion of FIG. 18 represents a sealant bead having a starting end 104a and a stopping end 104b located at the same angular position on the tire. Such a sealant layer has no effect on the static balance of the tire since the weight of the sealant layer is uniformly distributed with respect to the axis of rotation of the tire. However, although the sealant bead is arranged in a spiral and the starting and ending portions of the bead are laterally offset on both sides of the tire, at different angular positions, this arrangement causes dynamic imbalance in the tire. These laterally offset unbalanced portions of the sealant bead are the portions located laterally outside the imaginary lines L1 and L2 parallel to the equatorial plane EP, as shown in FIG. 18. Instead of starting and ending the sealant bead at the same angular position, when the starting and ending portions of the sealant bead overlap, the dynamic imbalance of the sealant layer is minimized. Such an overlapping portion of the sealant bead 104 is shown in the crosshatched region 104c. When there is an overlap of plus or minus 180°, the dynamic imbalance from only the spirally wound sealant bead 104 is minimized. The following method utilizes the arrangement and degree of overlap of the sealant bead in combination with a tire having known upper and lower light point positions to optimize the improvement of the overall dynamic balance of a tire having a sealant bead.

[0107] As can be seen from the figure, the dynamic balance of the first side of the tire can be optimized using the starting angular position of the sealant bead adjacent to the first or "upper" side of the tire, and then the dynamic balance of the second or "lower" side of the tire adjacent to the end of the sealant bead can be optimized using the ending angular position of the sealant bead.

[0108] Figure 19 is a schematic view of a tire 110 attached to one of the application stands, such as 300A or 300B, with the tire's axis of rotation oriented horizontally. Figure 19 is a view facing the first or upper sidewall of the tire with the barcode indicator 120. In the following description, all angles are measured counterclockwise from the barcode indicator 120 when looking at the upper surface or barcode side of the tire. In Figure 19, it is understood that the tire 110 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction during the application of the sealant bead 104, and thus, the sealant bead 104 is actually wound in the counterclockwise direction from its starting end 104a to its stopping end 104b, as indicated by arrow 121 in Figure 19.

[0109] First, here, the angular positions of the upper and lower light spots for each individual tire, designated as θ T and θ B respectively, are obtained from the database. This can be described as identifying the circumferential position of the first balance light spot on the first side of the tire as the first angle θ T measured around the axis of rotation of the tire from the physical indicator 120 on the tire, and identifying the circumferential position of the second balance light spot on the second side of the tire as the second angle θ B measured around the axis of rotation of the tire from the physical indicator 120.

[0110] Next, the target starting position of the sealant bead 104 adjacent to the first side of the tire is determined as the target starting angle θ S measured around the axis of rotation of the tire from the physical indicator 120. The target starting angle θ S is the first angle θ Tis determined as a function. More specifically, the target start angle θ S is determined by the following function: θ S = θ T + 90°. This orientation of the start angle aligns the heaviest part of the sealant winding adjacent to the first or upper side of the tire with the upper tire light point.

[0111] Also, the target end position of the sealant bead adjacent to the second side of the tire is the target end angle θ E measured around the axis of rotation of the tire from the physical indicator 120 and is determined as E The target end angle θ B is determined as a function of the second angle θ E More specifically, the target end angle θ E is determined by the following function: θ B = θ S - 90°. This orientation of the end angle aligns the heaviest part of the sealant winding adjacent to the second or lower side of the tire with the lower tire light point.

[0112] The sealant bead starts at an actual start position selected based on the target start angle θ E and ends at an actual end position selected based on the target end angle θ

[0113] It will be understood that the target start angle and the target end angle are theoretically the optimal start angle and end angle. However, due to inaccuracies in the control of the machines at the coating stands such as 300A or 300B, there are inevitable errors in the actual start and end positions. In this specification, this error is referred to as a "spotting error".

[0114] As described above, the application stand 300A or 300B starts and stops the application of the sealant bead 104 based on a photo-eye that triggers the barcode indicator 120. The biggest problem regarding the accuracy of the spotting at the start and end points is the waiting time of the sealant pump system that causes a delay between the commanded application of the sealant and the actual application.

[0115] For any given tire, the required accuracy of the sealant start and stop positions depends on the value of the imbalance of the tire with respect to the impact that can be achieved by the arrangement of the sealant layer 102. Generally, the greater the imbalance of the tire, the lower the accuracy of the actual sealant start position and the actual sealant stop position with respect to the target start position and the target stop position in order to improve the dynamic balance of the tire after the arrangement of the sealant layer 102. The actual start position or the actual stop position that is plus or minus 45 degrees from the target start position or the target stop position, respectively, does not at least increase the dynamic imbalance of the tire. A spotting error of less than 45 degrees improves the dynamic balance of the tire. Therefore, the maximum allowable spotting error range with respect to the actual start angle is within plus or minus 45 degrees from the target start angle. Similarly, the maximum allowable spotting error range with respect to the actual end angle is within plus or minus 45 degrees from the target end angle.

[0116] Preferably, the allowable spotting error is within plus or minus 30 degrees. More preferably, the allowable spotting error is within plus or minus 15 degrees.

[0117] The tire 110 manufactured by any of the above methods can include a tread portion 116 and first and second sidewall portions 118a and 118b extending radially inward from the tread portion. The tire has a first balance light spot position on the first side of the tire before sealant application measured as a first angle θ around the axis of rotation of the tire from the physical indicator 120 on the tire T and a second angle θ around the axis of rotation of the tire from the physical indicator 120 on the tire BIt can have the second balance light spot position on the second side of the tire before the application of the sealant measured as such. The inner surface 112 of the tire can define the inner cavity 114 of the tire between the first sidewall portion 118a and the second sidewall portion 118b. The helically wound sealant bead 104 may be placed on the inner surface 112, and the sealant bead 104 has a starting position closest to the first sidewall and an ending position closest to the second sidewall. The starting position may be within a range of 45 degrees to 135 degrees from the first balance light spot position θ T in the winding direction of the sealant bead, and the ending position may be within a range of 45 degrees to 135 degrees from the second balance light spot position θ B in the winding direction of the sealant bead.

[0118] More preferably, the starting position may be within a range of 60 degrees to 120 degrees in front of the first balance light spot position θ T in the winding direction of the sealant bead, and the ending position may be within a range of 60 degrees to 120 degrees behind the second balance light spot position θ B in the winding direction of the sealant bead.

[0119] Even more preferably, the starting position may be within a range of 75 degrees to 105 degrees in front of the first balance light spot position θ T in the winding direction of the sealant bead, and the ending position may be within a range of 75 degrees to 105 degrees behind the second balance light spot position θ B in the winding direction of the sealant bead.

[0120] Therefore, it is understood that the apparatus and method of the present invention can easily achieve the mentioned objects and advantages as well as those inherent to this specification. Specific preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described for the purposes of this disclosure, but many changes can be made by those skilled in the art in the arrangement and configuration of the parts and processes, and such changes are encompassed within the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method of applying a sealant layer to the inner surface of a tire, comprising: (a)The first angle θ measured about the axis of rotation of the tire from a physical indicator as a reference point for identifying the circumferential position on the tire Ｔ as the circumferential position of a first balance light point which is a position on the first sidewall side of the tire where balance weight addition is required to balance the tire on the first sidewall side is specified; (b)The circumferential position of a second balance light point, which is a position on the second sidewall side of the tire where balance weight addition is required to balance the tire on the second sidewall side, as a second angle θ measured around the rotation axis of the tire from the physical index Ｂ determined as (c) The target start position of the sealant bead adjacent to the first sidewall side of the tire is the target start angle θ measured around the rotation axis of the tire from the physical index. Ｓ It is determined by, Ｓ The target start angle θ Ｔ is determined as a function of the first angle θ (d) determining a target end position of the sealant bead adjacent to the second sidewall side of the tire as a target end angle θ measured around the rotation axis of the tire from the physical index Ｅ wherein the target end angle θ Ｅ is determined as a function of the second angle θ Ｂ and determining; (e) starting from the actual starting position selected based on the target starting angle θ Ｓ and applying the sealant bead to the inner surface of the tire in a helical pattern that ends at the actual ending position selected based on the target ending angle θ Ｅ ​ A method including

2. The application of the sealant bead in step (e) improves both the static and dynamic balance of the tire as compared to the static and dynamic balance of the tire before application of the sealant bead, The method according to claim 1.

3. In step (c), the target start angle θ Ｓ is given by the following function: θ Ｓ = θ Ｔ is determined by θ Ｔ + 90°, In step (d), the target end angle θ Ｅ is given by the following function: θ Ｅ = θ Ｂ determined by θ Ｅ - 90° The method according to claim 1.

4. The actual start angle and the actual end angle are each within the respective allowable spotting error ranges of the target start angle and the target end angle, The method according to claim 1.

5. The allowable spotting error range is plus or minus 15 degrees, The method according to claim 4.

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