Tool for laying stays in passages provided on a tool for manufacturing a toroidal object, and pneumatic tyre reinforced by stays laid by said laying tool

Abstract

The present invention relates to a specific tool for laying wires or stays in order to form a reinforcement of the tyre. The laying tool (20) is configured to lay reinforcing elements (108) in passages (15) provided on a tool for manufacturing a toroidal object and comprises at least two pressers (21), each of which comprises a fork (23) which can be moved between a retracted position away from the manufacturing tool and an extended position close to said tool, and a hammer (24) which can be moved relative to the fork (23). The fork (23) is configured to lay the reinforcing wire(s) forming the reinforcing element (108) at a laying pitch of between 2.5 mm and 10 mm.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] TITLE: Tooling for installing stays in designated passages on a tooling for manufacturing a toroidal object and pneumatic tire reinforced by stays installed by said installation tooling

[0003] Technical field of the invention

[0004] The present invention relates to the general field of manufacturing toroidal tires, and more particularly to pneumatic tires intended to equip the wheels of a vehicle.

[0005] More specifically, the present invention relates to a particular tool for laying wires or stays to constitute a reinforcement of the tire.

[0006] The term "tire" refers to a tire designed to form a cavity by cooperating with a mounting support, for example, a rim, this cavity being capable of being pressurized to a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure. A tire according to the invention has a substantially toroidal structure of revolution around a principal axis of the tire, this principal axis coinciding with the axis of rotation of the tire.

[0007] Prior art

[0008] Generally, a tire comprises a crown with two axial ends, each extended radially inwards by a sidewall and then by a bead designed to come into contact with a rim. The assembly defines an internal toroidal cavity.

[0009] More specifically, the crown comprises, radially from the outside in, a tread, designed to make contact with the ground via a tread surface, and a crown reinforcement designed to strengthen the crown of the tire. A carcass reinforcement connects the two sidewalls and is anchored, in each bead, to a circumferential reinforcing element, most often of the bead type.

[0010] In order to improve the behavior, particularly the drift resistance, of pneumatic tires, the Applicant had the idea of ​​implanting a stiffening structure within the toroidal inflation cavity that delimits the tire.

[0011] Reference can be made in this regard to documents WO 2019 / 1 15917 - Al and WO 2020 / 128225 - Al.

[0012] The tire described in these documents comprises a crown extended radially inward on each side of the tire's median plane by first and second sidewalls, and then by first and second bead sections designed to contact a mounting surface, such as a rim. Each first and second bead section includes a circumferential reinforcing element to allow the tire to grip the mounting surface.

[0013] The tire includes an internal surface defining a toroidal cavity for inflating the tire once it is mounted on the mounting support.

[0014] The tire described in these documents includes a stiffening structure comprising first wire stiffening elements extending continuously in the toroidal cavity from the first bead to the apex and second wire stiffening elements extending continuously in the toroidal cavity from the second bead to the apex.

[0015] Each first and second wire stiffening element is attached to each bead from which it extends by a bead interface between the wire stiffening element and a portion of the bead's inner surface. Similarly, each first and second wire stiffening element is attached to the tire's crown by a crown interface between the wire stiffening element and a portion of the crown's inner surface.

[0016] These wire stiffening elements are commonly called "stays." The advantage of using wire stiffening elements is that they provide a lightweight and hysteresis-free stiffening structure. Using identical wire stiffening elements ensures a homogeneous distribution of stress between them. It is common practice to integrate the manufacturing of the stiffening structure into the tire assembly process itself.

[0017] Reference can be made to document EP 0 580 055 - Al, which describes a method and a machine for placing a single reinforcing wire onto a rigid core. The wire is laid in contiguous loops using an eyelet that moves back and forth around the core. Pressers are used to apply the ends of the loops to the rigid core as they are placed.

[0018] We are also familiar with document EP 1 231 050 - B 1, which proposes a swing arm for manufacturing a pneumatic reinforcement from a wire. This document also proposes the use of pressers to apply the ends of the hoops to the rigid core.

[0019] Devices for manufacturing pneumatic reinforcement from a wire typically include a presser on one side and a presser on the opposite side. Each presser grips the wire, fed at each end by a guide, and presses it onto the core. The guide is configured to trace a network of curves or arches.

[0020] By "presser" we mean a setting device comprising, in a known manner, a fork and a hammer.

[0021] The fork is movable between a retracted position away from the core and an advanced position closer to the core. A return mechanism or spring is generally used to hold the fork in the advanced position. The fork presses the wire with sufficient force to ensure proper adhesion at the desired location. The movement of the wire guide mechanism allows it to hook the wire onto the fork when it is in the retracted position. The fork is then moved to the advanced position.

[0022] The hammer moves between a retracted position away from the core and a forward position closer to the core. A return mechanism or spring is typically used to hold the hammer in the forward position. The hammer anchors the wire in the corresponding groove on the core. The hammer is moved toward the core after the fork has pressed the wire against it. The hammer presses down on the wire and holds it in place when the fork is moved to the retracted position.

[0023] The operation of the guide element and the pressers is known from the prior art, in particular from documents EP 0 580 055 - Al and EP 1 231 050 - B 1 and will not be described further.

[0024] Furthermore, in order to produce such cable-stayed bandages, the Applicant has developed specific manufacturing equipment.

[0025] In this regard, reference can be made to document FR 3 120 814 - A l which proposes a tool with a grooved core for the manufacture of pneumatic tires reinforced by stays which pass through the inflation cavity.

[0026] The tooling described in this document includes a core with groove-type passages intended to receive reinforcement elements, called "stays", which are designed to permanently integrate the structure of the bandage and extend each into the cavity of the bandage by connecting a summit anchor point located in the top of the bandage to a lateral anchor point located in one of the sides or ridges of the bandage.

[0027] The use of such a core allows the stays to be positioned at the desired locations within the volume reserved by the core and consequently in the region of space which will subsequently become the cavity of the bandage after the said bandage has been formed and the core removed.

[0028] However, the tools known for installing stays are difficult to use for installing stays in the grooves of the inner molding part, known as "PIM" or tire core.

[0029] Furthermore, in the prior art, the installation pitch in the lower zone is between 0.5mm and 1mm. The known forks are therefore made with a low-height end section configured to achieve such an installation pitch.

[0030] By "no laying", we mean the distance resulting from the sum of the gap between two adjacent wires and the diameter of the wire.

[0031] However, such a spacing does not allow for a good thickness of rubber between two adjacent grooves.

[0032] Furthermore, some stays, such as those used in document WO 2019 / 1 15917, have a pitch greater than 1mm and cannot be placed in the corresponding groove with a standard presser known from the prior art.

[0033] In order to allow the installation on a core of reinforcing wires or stays, the Applicant has developed a specific installation tool.

[0034] There is a need to address the aforementioned disadvantages and improve existing solutions to allow placement on a core of reinforcing wires or stays with a laying pitch greater than 1mm.

[0035] Description of the invention

[0036] The invention aims to obtain a good thickness of rubber between two adjoining grooves of a tire.

[0037] More specifically, the invention also aims to precisely control the height of the loop formed between two adjacent wires in order to ensure correct placement of the wires in the corresponding groove.

[0038] The invention relates to a placement tool configured to place reinforcement elements on a manufacturing tool for a toroidal object comprising a wall having an internal surface which delimits a cavity.

[0039] The tooling for manufacturing the toroidal object includes a receiving surface having a shape conjugate to the internal surface of the wall of the toroidal object and comprising a plurality of passages which extend under the receiving surface and are configured to receive at least one reinforcing element or guy wire connecting a summit anchor point located at a vertex of the toroidal object to a lateral anchor point located in one of the flanks or bulges of the toroidal object, and which open onto said receiving surface.

[0040] The toroidal object is intended to be molded on the receiving surface of the tooling for manufacturing the toroidal object.

[0041] The setting tooling includes at least one first presser or setting element located on a first side and a second presser located on a second side, opposite the first side, each presser being configured to grasp a reinforcing wire brought into lateral areas by a guiding element, thus making the continuous reinforcing wire go and come back in one piece from one lateral area of ​​the manufacturing tooling to another lateral area via a summit area, so as to form a loop around the corresponding presser and define a going wire and a returning wire forming a reinforcing element.

[0042] Each presser includes a movable fork between a retracted position away from the manufacturing tooling and an advanced position closer to the manufacturing tooling and a movable hammer relative to the fork between a retracted position away from the manufacturing tooling and an advanced position closer to the manufacturing tooling.

[0043] The tooling fork is configured to lay the reinforcing wire(s) forming the reinforcement element with a laying pitch between 2.5mm and 10mm, preferably equal to 6mm.

[0044] In other words, the circumferential distance between each groove is between 2.5mm and 10mm, preferably 6mm. This ensures a sufficient amount of rubber between each groove.

[0045] Such a fork allows a constant pitch of between 2.5mm and 10mm, preferably equal to 6mm, which improves mechanical resistance in the cured tire.

[0046] Indeed, such a spacing ensures a good thickness of rubber between the two adjacent threads.

[0047] In general, the installation tooling according to the invention allows the size of the loop to be controlled and the guy wires to be installed in an automated manner.

[0048] Advantageously, the fork comprises a laying head configured to create the loop between the forward and return wires of a reinforcing element. The laying head is delimited by a lower surface, for example, an extension of an arm, an upper surface supporting the return wire, and an end surface comprising an anchor portion or hook extending from the upper surface to the lower surface and a notch located axially below the anchor portion, supporting the forward wire. During the installation of the stay, the forward wire is inserted into the notch of the laying head and wound around the anchor portion until the return wire is in contact with the upper surface of the laying head.

[0049] For example, the notch is connected to the lower surface by a rounded portion.

[0050] According to one embodiment, the notch of the fork of the first presser is located in a radial mounting axis while the notch of the fork of the second presser is located in a mounting axis offset from the radial mounting axis by a distance between 1mm and 6mm, preferably equal to 3mm.

[0051] This asymmetry of the forks on either side of the core is necessary because the stay wires cross at the apex. Therefore, there is one more step between the two sides.

[0052] For example, the fork includes a movable arm comprising a first end attached to a mechanism configured to slide said arm, and in which the end portion extends from said arm on the side opposite the first end. The end portion has, for example, but not limited to, a height less than the height of the arm.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the tooling for installing the reinforcement elements is configured to allow the installation of a single reinforcement element or wire per pass or groove.

[0054] Such a fork allows for a consistent tread pitch between 2.5mm and 10mm, preferably 6mm, which improves mechanical strength in the cured tire. Indeed, this tread pitch ensures sufficient rubber thickness between the two adjacent cords.

[0055] For example, the anchoring portion has a height or air gap between 1mm and 12mm.

[0056] For example, the anchoring portion has a width between 2mm and 8mm. The width is the dimension taken along an axis perpendicular to the height and length. For example, the anchoring portion forms an angle for positioning the return wire on the anchoring portion with the fork extension axis of between 20° and 40°, preferably equal to 30°.

[0057] According to another embodiment, the tooling for installing the reinforcement elements is configured to allow the installation of two reinforcement elements or wires per pass or groove.

[0058] For example, the anchoring portion has a height or air gap between 1mm and 8mm.

[0059] Such a fork allows a loop of sufficient size, between 2.5mm and 8mm, preferably equal to 3.5mm in order to guarantee the placement of the outgoing and return wires in the same groove side by side, without overlapping.

[0060] For example, the anchoring portion has a width between 2mm and 8mm.

[0061] For example, the anchor portion forms an angle for positioning the return wire on the anchor portion with the fork extension axis of between 20° and 40°, preferably equal to 30°.

[0062] In another aspect, the invention relates to an assembly comprising a tool for manufacturing a toroidal object, including a wall having an internal surface that delimits a cavity, and a placement tool as described above. The tool for manufacturing the toroidal object includes a receiving surface having a shape conjugate to the internal surface of the wall of the toroidal object and comprising a plurality of passages extending under the receiving surface and configured to receive at least one reinforcing element connecting a summit anchor point located at a vertex of the toroidal object to a lateral anchor point located in one of the flanks or ridges of the toroidal object, and opening onto said receiving surface, the toroidal object being intended to be molded onto the receiving surface of the tool for manufacturing the toroidal object.The reinforcement element is put in place in the corresponding passage using the installation tooling as described previously.

[0063] Preferably, the object is a toroidal tire. Such a tire preferably constitutes a pneumatic tire intended to equip a wheel of a vehicle, to ensure the connection of said vehicle with the ground.

[0064] For example, the toroidal tire includes a crest intended to form a tread, a first annular bead and a second annular bead designed to allow the tire to be hooked onto a mounting support, and a first flank and a second flank which connect the crest to the first and second bead respectively, the crest, the first and second flanks and the first and second bead together forming the wall having the concave internal surface which delimits the cavity of the tire.

[0065] The tooling comprises a toroidal core having, around its central axis, the receiving surface which has a shape conjugate to the internal surface of the bandage wall and which comprises for this purpose a radially external apex zone intended to receive constituent components of the apex of the bandage, and, on either side axially of said apex zone, a first lateral zone folded towards the central axis and intended to receive constituent components of the first sidewall and the first bead, as well as a second lateral zone folded towards the central axis and intended to receive constituent components of the second sidewall and the second bead, so that the core materializes a volume which is delimited externally by the receiving surface and which corresponds to the cavity of the bandage, the core comprising the plurality of passages which extend inside the reserved volume, under the receiving surface,and which open onto said receiving surface in such a way that each of said passages connects the apex zone of the receiving surface to one of the first and second lateral zones so that the core can receive, within said passages, the reinforcing elements, which are designed to be permanently integrated into the structure of the bandage and to extend each within the cavity of the bandage by connecting an apex anchor point located in the apex of the bandage to a lateral anchor point located in one of the sides or ridges of the bandage. Preferably, the passages for reinforcing elements are formed by grooves, preferably blind, which are cut from the receiving surface into the thickness of the reserved volume so as to present a continuous opening along the profile of the receiving surface, from the apex zone to the relevant lateral zone.

[0066] In another aspect, the invention relates to a toroidal tire comprising a crown for forming a tread, a first annular bead and a second annular bead designed to allow the tire to be attached to a mounting support, and a first flank and a second flank that connect the crown to the first and second bead respectively. The crown, the first and second flanks, and the first and second bead together form the wall having the concave inner surface that delimits the tire cavity. The tire includes reinforcing elements designed to be permanently integrated into the tire structure and to extend into the tire cavity by connecting a summit anchor point located in the crown of the tire to a lateral anchor point located in one of the flanks or bead of the tire.The reinforcement elements are distributed uniformly in azimuth around the central axis, with a spacing between 2.5mm and 10mm, preferably equal to 6mm.

[0067] Brief description of the drawings

[0068] Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example, and made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0069] [Fig IA] illustrates a cross-sectional view in a radial plane of an example of a guyed bandage;

[0070] [Fig IB] illustrates a partial perspective view of the guyed bandage in figure IA;

[0071] [Fig IC] is a detailed view of figure IB;

[0072] [Fig 2] illustrates in perspective an example of tooling with a receiving surface comprising a plurality of passages or grooves for the manufacture of a pneumatic tire reinforced by stays; [Fig. 3] illustrates in partial perspective a laying tooling according to a first embodiment for laying stays in the grooves of the receiving surface of the tooling of figure 2;

[0073] [Fig 3A] is a detail of figure 3;

[0074] [Fig 4] is a detail view of a fork of the setting tool of figure 3, according to a foreground;

[0075] [Fig 5] is a detail view of a fork of the setting tool of figure 3, along a second plane, perpendicular to the first plane;

[0076] [Fig 6] illustrates in partial perspective a laying tool according to a second embodiment for laying stays in the grooves of the receiving surface of the tool of figure 2;

[0077] [Fig 6A] is a detail of figure 6, illustrating a fork of a first presser of the setting tooling of figure 6;

[0078] [Fig 7] is a detail view of a fork of a second presser of the setting tooling of Figure 6; and

[0079] [Fig 8] is a detail view of a fork of the setting tool of figure 3, according to a foreground.

[0080] Detailed description of at least one embodiment

[0081] Figures 3 to 8 illustrate a tool 20 intended for laying stays on a toroidal bandage 100, as illustrated in figures IA, IB and IC.

[0082] Such a 100 tire is preferably a pneumatic tire intended to equip a wheel of a vehicle, to ensure the connection of said vehicle with the ground.

[0083] The 100 tire has a shape of revolution around an axis called "central axis" XI -XI which corresponds substantially, in practice, to the axis of rotation of the wheel.

[0084] This central axis Xl -Xl defines three directions classically used by the man of the art: an axial direction, a radial direction and a circumferential direction.

[0085] By "axial direction" we mean a direction collinear with the central axis Xl -Xl of the bandage 100, that is to say collinear with the axis of rotation of the bandage 100. By "radial direction" we mean a direction which extends along a radius of the bandage 100, that is to say any direction which is secant and perpendicular to the central axis Xl -Xl.

[0086] By "circumferential direction" we mean a direction which is perpendicular to both the axial direction and to a radius of the band 100, and which corresponds, in a plane normal to the central axis Xl - Xl, to the tangent to a circle whose center is on the axis of rotation of the band 100.

[0087] The tire 100 comprises, in a manner known per se, a top 101 intended to form a tread, a first annular bead 102 and a second annular bead 103 designed to allow the tire 100 to be attached to a mounting support, such as a rim.

[0088] The bandage 100 further includes a first flank 104 and a second flank 105 which connect the apex 101 respectively to the first ridge 102 and the second ridge 103.

[0089] By simple convention, we can consider that, in a meridian plane P =Sea, the limit between the apex 101 and the flank 104, 105 considered corresponds to the axially outermost point of the external surface of the bandage 100 for which the angle between the tangent to the external surface of the bandage 100 and a line parallel to the central axis X l -Xl is equal to 30°.

[0090] By "meridian plane" P = Mer, or radial plane, is understood to be a plane parallel to, and containing, the central axis Xl-Xl. Such a meridian plane is normal to the circumferential direction.

[0091] By "equatorial plane" P = Eq, we mean a plane normal to the central axis Xl -Xl and which passes through the radially outermost point of the bandage, which is preferably located axially halfway between the axially outermost points of the bandage 100.

[0092] The said equatorial plane P =Eq therefore axially divides the bandage 100 into two toroidal halves, preferably substantially equal, called, by analogy with the terrestrial globe, "hemispheres".

[0093] The summit 101, the first and second flanks 104, 105 and the first and second ridges 102, 103 together form a wall 106 presenting a concave internal surface 106_in which delimits an internal cavity 107 of the bandage 100.

[0094] In practice, the internal cavity 107 of the tire 100 is toric, and advantageously forms the inflation cavity of the tire 100, which is intended to receive a fluid under pressure, such as air, to support the apex 101 of the pneumatic tire 100 relative to the rim.

[0095] Preferably, as can be seen in Figures IA, IB and IC, each ridge 102, 103 is located axially recessed from the most axially salient position of the corresponding flank 104, 105, i.e., the ridge 102, 103 is closer to the equatorial plane P = Eq that the flank 104, 105 to which said bulge is connected. Thus, the flank 104, 105 forms, between the apex 101 and the corresponding bulge 102, 103, in section in the meridian plane P = Sea, a profile generally convex outwards and whose end forming the bulge 102, 103 is axially re-entrant, so that the cavity 107 presents, in section in the said meridian plane, substantially a shape of (capital Omega).

[0096] The bandage 100 includes reinforcing elements 108, called "stays", designed to permanently integrate the structure of the bandage 100 and extend into the internal cavity 107 of said bandage by connecting a summit anchor point 109 located at the top 101 of the bandage 100 to a lateral anchor point 110 located in one of the flanks 104, 105 or the ridges 102, 103 of the bandage 100.

[0097] As illustrated in figures IA, IB, IC, the summit anchor points 109 and lateral 110 of each stay 108 are located at the same azimuth around the central axis Xl-Xl of the band 100, so that the stays 108 extend along radial planes containing the central axis Xl-Xl of the band 100.

[0098] The stays 108 can represent different configurations, including a variety of orientations, without departing from the scope of the invention. Each stay 108 is preferably contained within a single hemisphere, in that no stay 108 crosses the equatorial plane P = Eq inside the internal cavity 107 of the bandage 100.

[0099] Each stay 108 is intended to work in tension and therefore to connect the summit anchorage point 109 to the corresponding lateral anchorage point 110 along a straight segment, that is to say, geometrically forming a taut or quasi-taut rope, under the arc which is formed by the internal surface 106_in of the wall 106 between the summit anchorage point 109 and the lateral anchorage point 110 in the bandage 100 at rest, and this so that the stay opposes the mutual separation of said anchorage points 109, 110 from each other, and thus increases the lateral rigidity of the bandage 100.

[0100] The 108 stays are, as illustrated, distributed in azimuth around the central axis Xl-Xl, here, uniformly, according to a constant repeating angular pitch.

[0101] Figure 2 illustrates an example of tooling 1 for the manufacture of the pneumatic tire 100 reinforced by stays.

[0102] Tooling 1 comprises a toroidal core 10 having, around its central axis X2-X2, an external surface 10 = out, called receiving surface, which has a shape conjugate to the internal surface 106 = in of the wall 106 of the bandage 100.

[0103] The external surface l O out comprises a radially external summit zone 1 1, intended to receive constituent components of the summit 101 of the bandage 100, and, on either side axially of said summit zone 1 1, a first lateral zone 12 folded towards the central axis X2-X2 of the core 10 and intended to receive constituent components of the first flank 104 and the first bead 102, as well as a second lateral zone 13 intended to receive constituent components of the second flank 105 and the second bead 103.

[0104] In this way, the core 10 materializes a volume, called "reserved", which is externally delimited by the receiving surface 10 = out and which corresponds to the internal cavity 107 of the bandage 100.

[0105] The core 10 can thus occupy, and therefore temporarily reserve, during the manufacture of the bandage 100, the volume whose shape and dimensions correspond to the internal cavity 107, volume which will become the internal cavity 107 of the bandage when the core 10 has been removed from said bandage 100, during the demolding operation which will complete the manufacturing cycle of the bandage 100.

[0106] It should be noted that, in practice, the central axis X2-X2 of the core 10, around which said core 10 forms a ring, will coincide with the central axis X1 -X1 of the band 100 made on the core 10. For convenience of description, one can therefore designate indifferently either one by the expression "central axis".

[0107] As illustrated, the core 10 comprises a plurality of passages 15 or grooves which extend inside the reserve volume, under the receiving surface 10 = out, and which open onto said reception area 10 =out so that each of said passages 15 connects the summit zone 11 of the receiving surface 10 = out to one of the first and second lateral zones 12, 13 so that the core 10 can receive, inside said passages 15, the reinforcement elements 108 of the bandage 100.

[0108] The passages 15 thus correspond to empty spaces that are provided in the core 10, inside the reserve volume, to accommodate the stays 108, and thus allow each stay 108 to pass through the receiving surface 10 = out, a first time to enter the reserved volume, here through the lateral zone 12, 13, and a second time to exit the reserved volume, here in the summit zone 11, or vice versa.

[0109] Advantageously, regardless of the configuration of the stays 108, the core 10 according to the invention allows the said stays 108 to be implanted in the volume reserved by the core 10, and therefore in the space which will become the internal cavity 107 of the tire 100, prior to the formation of the tire 100, according to a distribution and arrangement which will correspond substantially, or even exactly, to the distribution and arrangement which the said stays 108 will have within the finished tire 100, ready to be mounted on the rim, since the stays 108 remain in place inside the internal cavity 107, in the desired position, and attached to the tire 100, when the core 10 is removed. Thanks to the use of such a core 10, it is therefore ensured that the tire 100 will have a well controlled and reproducible configuration from one tire 100 to another.

[0110] Furthermore, the stays 108 being thus sheltered in the passages 15 of the core 10 during the laying of the constituent components of the wall 106 of the bandage 100, there is no risk of accidentally moving, tearing or damaging said stays 108 during the manufacturing process of the wall 106 of the bandage 100.

[0111] In a particularly preferential way, it may be possible to choose to arrange the passages 15 according to open demoldable shapes, allowing the production of a permanent, reusable core 10, which can be extracted from the bandage 100, after manufacture of said bandage 100, without damage to the stays 108, and then reused to manufacture the next bandage.

[0112] Accordingly, the passages 15 for stays 108 will preferably be formed by grooves cut from the receiving surface l O out into the thickness of the reserved volume so as to present a continuous opening along the profile of the receiving surface 10 = out, from the summit zone 1 1 to the lateral zone 12, 13 concerned.

[0113] Advantageously, since each groove 15 creates, at the level of the receiving surface 10 =out, a slot-type opening extending along the entire length of the receiving surface l O out going from the lateral anchor point 1 10 of the relevant stay 108 to the summit anchor point 109 of said stay 108, it is possible to engage the stay 108 in the passage 15 with an installation tool 20 according to the invention before the installation of the constituent components of the wall 106 of the bandage 100, simply by sliding said stay 108 into the corresponding groove 15, from the outside of the core 10, so that the stay 108 passes through the receiving surface l O out to sink into the reserved volume, in the direction of the central axis X2-X2 of the core 10.

[0114] Advantageously, after we have placed 10 on the receiving surface =out, the constituent components of the wall 106 of the bandage 100, so that the wall 106 will cover the grooves 15, it will be possible to extract the core 10 from the inside of the bandage 100, by progressively bringing out the stays 108, now fixed to the wall 106 and therefore integrated into the bandage 100, through the openings of the grooves 15 of the core 10, and thus leaving the stays 108 in their final place in the internal cavity 107 of the bandage 100.

[0115] For ease of description, and to avoid overloading the figures, the same reference "15" will be used to designate the passages for stays 108 and the grooves which constitute a specific preferred shape of said passages for stays 108.

[0116] We could also consider other shapes for the grooves, for example, that they be blind.

[0117] The installation tool 20 according to the invention is intended for use in a device for manufacturing a pneumatic reinforcement from a spool of known wire. The manufacturing device allows the installation of the stays 108, during which at least one reinforcing wire, intended to form a stay 108, is passed through each passage 15 of the core 10 of the manufacturing tool 1.

[0118] Preferably, a single continuous reinforcing wire, single-strand or multi-strand, is used to form several stays 108, preferably more than 25%, more than 50%, or even the entire number of stays 108 of the bandage 100.

[0119] To achieve this, the continuous reinforcing wire is preferably arranged in a serpentine fashion through successive passages 15, here by inserting said reinforcing wire into the grooves 15, under the receiving surface 10 = out, and bringing said reinforcing wire out over the receiving surface 10 =out in the apex zone 11 and in the lateral zones 12, 13, at the desired anchor points 109, 110, by making the continuous reinforcing wire go and return in one continuous movement from one lateral zone 12 of the core 10 to the other lateral zone 13 via the apex zone 11, so as to form undulations, for example of substantially symmetrical amplitude with respect to the equatorial plane P = EQ.

[0120] Preferably, it is the loops forming the extremes of the undulations of the continuous reinforcing wire coil, and which therefore correspond to the transition zones between two successive stays 108 belonging to the same hemisphere, that form the portions of the stays 108 which will become captive to lateral anchorage structures placed on the lateral zones 12, 13, to form the lateral anchorage points 110 of the stays, while the intermediate portions of the continuous reinforcing wire which connect two successive stays 108 belonging to two different hemispheres, emerging from the groove 15 of the first stay in order to traverse the summit zone 11 of the receiving surface 10 = out and cross the equatorial plane P = EQ then plunge back into groove 15 of the second stay 108, will find themselves captive to a summit anchoring structure.

[0121] The manufacturing process is known and will not be described further.

[0122] As illustrated in detail in Figures 3, 3A, 4 and 5, the cable-laying tooling 20 is configured to allow the laying of a single cable 108 per groove 15.

[0123] The laying tool 20 comprises a presser 21 on one side and a presser (not visible in the figures) on a second side, opposite the first side. Each presser 21 grips the wire brought into the lateral zones 12, 13 by a guiding member (not shown) of the manufacturing device, thus moving the continuous reinforcing wire 108 from one lateral zone 12 of the core 10 to the other lateral zone 13 via the top zone 11 in a single movement, so as to form a loop 110A around the corresponding presser 21 and define a forward wire 108A and a return wire 108B. The fork 23 then presses the wire 108 onto the core 10 of the manufacturing tool 1.

[0124] Each presser 21 or setting device includes a fork 23 and a hammer 24.

[0125] The fork 23 is movable between a retracted position away from the core 10 and an advanced position closer to the core 10, as shown in Figures 3 and 3A. A return element (not shown) or spring is generally used to hold the fork 23 in the advanced position. The fork 23 presses the wire 108 with sufficient force to ensure that the wire adheres correctly to the desired location. The movement of the wire guide allows it to hook the wire onto the fork when it is in the retracted position. The fork 23 is then moved to the advanced position.

[0126] The hammer 24 is movable between a retracted position away from the core 10, visible in Figure 3, and a forward position closer to the core 10. A return mechanism or spring (not shown) is generally used to hold the hammer 24 in the forward position. The hammer 24 anchors the wire 108 in the corresponding groove 15 provided on the core 10. Thus, the hammer 24 is moved towards the core 10 after the fork 23 has pressed the wire 108 against the core 10. The hammer 24 presses on the wire 108 and retains it when the fork 23 is moved to the retracted position.

[0127] The operation of the guide element and the pressers is known from the prior art, in particular from documents EP 0 580 055 - Al and EP 1 231 050 - B l, and will not be described further.

[0128] The fork 23 includes a movable arm 23a comprising a first end attached to a mechanism (not shown) configured to slide said arm 23a.

[0129] The fork further comprises an end portion 23b extending from the arm 23a on the side opposite the first end. The end portion 23b is, in this context, in a non-limiting manner, shorter in height than the arm 23a.

[0130] The end part 23b includes a laying head 25 configured to make the loop 1 10A between the outbound wire 108A and the return wire 108B of a guy wire 108.

[0131] The laying head 25 is delimited by a lower surface 25a in the extension of the arm 23a, an upper surface 25b forming a support for the return wire 108B and an end surface 26.

[0132] The end surface 26 includes an anchor portion 26a extending from the upper surface 25b to the lower surface 25a and a notch 26b located axially below the anchor portion 26a to retain the go wire 108A.

[0133] The notch 26b is connected to the lower surface 25a by a rounded portion 26c. During the installation of the guy wire, the forward wire 108A is inserted into the notch 26b of the installation head 25 and wound around the anchor portion 26a until the return wire 108B is in contact with the upper surface 25b of the installation head.

[0134] The height H 1 or air gap of the anchoring portion 26a is between 1mm and 12mm.

[0135] The laying pitch P, that is to say the sum of the distance between each groove 15 and the diameter of the wire is between 2.5mm and 10mm, preferably equal to 6mm.

[0136] The width L1 of the anchor portion 26a is between 2mm and 8mm. The width is the dimension taken along an axis perpendicular to the height and length.

[0137] The angle al of positioning the return wire 108B on the anchoring portion 26a is between 20° and 40°, preferably equal to 30°.

[0138] Such a 20-inch fork allows for a consistent tread pitch between 2.5mm and 10mm, preferably 6mm, which improves mechanical strength in the cured tire. Indeed, this tread pitch ensures sufficient rubber thickness between the two adjacent cords.

[0139] In the embodiment illustrated in detail in figures 6, 6A, 7 and 8, in which the same elements bear the same references, the rigging tooling 20' for the stays is configured to allow the rigging of two stay wires 108 through groove 15.

[0140] The setting tool 20' comprises a presser 21' on one side and a presser 22', visible in figure 7, on a second side, opposite the first side. Each presser 21', 22' grasps the wire brought into the lateral zones 12, 13 by a guiding member (not shown) of the manufacturing device, thus making the continuous reinforcing wire 108 go and return in one piece from one lateral zone 12 of the core 10 to the other lateral zone 13 via the top zone 11, so as to form a loop 110A around the corresponding presser 21', 22' and define a going wire 108A and a returning wire 108B.

[0141] Each presser 21', 22' or setting element comprises a fork 23' and a hammer 24'. The fork 23' has a shape similar to the fork 23 described with reference to the first embodiment.

[0142] The fork 23' is movable between a retracted position away from the core 10 and an advanced position closer to the core 10, as shown in Figures 6 and 6A. A return element (not shown) or spring is generally used to hold the fork 23' in the advanced position. The fork 23' presses the wire 108 with sufficient force to ensure that the wire adheres correctly to the desired location. The movement of the wire guide allows it to hook the wire onto the fork when it is in the retracted position. The fork 23' is then moved to the advanced position.

[0143] The hammer 24' is movable between a retracted position away from the core 10, visible in Figure 6, and a forward position closer to the core 10. A return mechanism or spring (not shown) is generally used to hold the hammer 24' in the forward position. The hammer 24' anchors the wire 108 in the corresponding groove 15 provided on the core 10. Thus, the hammer 24' is moved towards the core 10 after the fork 23 has pressed the wire 108 against the core 10. The hammer 24' presses on the wire 108 and holds the wire when the fork 23' is moved to the retracted position.

[0144] The fork 23' includes a movable arm 23a' comprising a first end attached to a mechanism (not shown) configured to slide said arm 23a'.

[0145] The fork further comprises an end portion 23b' extending from the arm 23a' on the opposite side to the first end. The end portion 23b' has, here, in no way limiting the definition, a height less than the height of the arm 23a'.

[0146] The end part 23b' includes a laying head 25' configured to make the loop 1 10A between the outward wire 108A and the return wire 108B of a guy wire 108.

[0147] The laying head 25' is delimited by a lower surface 25a' extending from the arm 23a', an upper surface 25b' forming a support for the return wire 108B, and an end surface 26'. The end surface 26' includes an anchor portion 26a' extending from the upper surface 25b' to the lower surface 25a' and a notch 26b' located axially below the anchor portion 26a to retain the forward wire 108A.

[0148] The notch 26b' is connected to the lower surface 25a' by a rounded portion 26c'.

[0149] During the installation of the guy wire, the forward wire 108A is inserted into the notch 26b' of the setting head 25' and wound around the anchor portion 26a' until the return wire 108B is in contact with the upper surface 25b' of the setting head.

[0150] The height H2 or air gap of the anchoring portion 26a' is between 1mm and 8mm.

[0151] The laying pitch P, that is to say the sum of the distance between each groove 15 and the diameter of the wire is between 2.5mm and 10mm, preferably equal to 6mm.

[0152] The width (not visible in the figures) of the anchor portion 26a' is between 2mm and 8mm. The width is the dimension taken along an axis perpendicular to the height and length.

[0153] The angle a2 for positioning the return wire 108B on the anchoring portion 26a' is between 20° and 40°, preferably equal to 30°.

[0154] The notch 26b' of the fork 20' of the first presser 21' is located in a radial positioning axis Al while the notch 26b' of the fork 20' of the second presser 22', visible in figure 7, is located in a positioning axis A2 offset from the radial positioning axis Al by a distance D between 1mm and 6mm, preferably equal to 3mm.

[0155] Such asymmetry in the forks on either side of core 10 is necessary because the stay wires cross at the apex. Therefore, there is one more step between the two sides.

[0156] Such asymmetry is also applicable to the pressers of the tooling of the first embodiment.

[0157] Such a 20' fork allows for a sufficiently sized loop 110A, between 2.5 mm and 8 mm, preferably 3.5 mm, to ensure that the forward wire 108A and the return wire 108B are laid side-by-side in the same groove 15, without overlapping. Generally, the laying tool according to the invention allows for controlling the loop size and installing the guy wires in an automated manner.

[0158] Of course, the invention is by no means limited to the variant embodiments described above, the person skilled in the art being able in particular to isolate or freely combine the aforementioned characteristics, or to substitute equivalents for them.

Claims

, figured for placing reinforcement elements (108) on a tool (1) for manufacturing a toroidal object (100) comprising a wall (106) having an internal surface (106 = in) which delimits a cavity (107), the tooling (1) for manufacturing the toroidal object (100) comprising a receiving surface (10 = out) possessing a conjugate shape to the internal surface (106 = in) of the wall (106) of the toroidal object (100) and comprising a plurality of passages (15) which extend under the receiving surface (10 = out) and configured to receive at least one reinforcing element (108) connecting a summit anchor point (109) located at a vertex (101) of the toroidal object (100) to a lateral anchor point (110) located in one of the flanks (104, 105) or bulges (102, 103) of the toroidal object (100), and which open onto said receiving surface (10 =out), the toroidal object (100) being intended to be molded on the receiving surface (lO out) of the tooling (1) for manufacturing the toroidal object (100), the tooling (20, 20') for setting comprising at least a first presser (21; 21') located on a first side and a second presser (22') located on a second side, opposite the first side, each presser (21, 21', 22') being configured to grasp a reinforcing wire brought into lateral zones (12, 13) by a guiding member, thus making said continuous reinforcing wire go and return in one continuous movement from a lateral zone (12) of the manufacturing tooling (1) to another lateral zone (13) via a top zone (11), so as to form a loop (110A) around the corresponding presser (21, 21', 22') and define a going wire (108A) and a return wire (108B) forming a reinforcing element (108), each presser (21, 21', 22') includes a fork (23,23') movable between a rearward position away from the manufacturing tooling (1) and an advanced position, closer to the manufacturing tooling (1) and a hammer (24, 24') movable relative to the fork (23, 23') between a retracted position away from the manufacturing tooling (1) and an advanced position, brought close to the manufacturing tooling (1), characterized in that the fork (23, 23') of the tooling (20, 20') is configured to lay the reinforcing wire(s) forming the reinforcing element (108) according to a laying pitch between 2.5mm and 10mm, preferably equal to 6mm.

2. Tooling (20, 20') according to claim 1, wherein the fork (23, 23') comprises a setting head (25, 25') configured to form the loop (110A) between the forward wire (108A) and the return wire (108B) of a reinforcing element (108), the setting head (25, 25') being delimited by a lower surface (25a, 25a'), an upper surface (25b, 25b') forming a support for the return wire (108B) and an end surface (26, 26') comprising an anchoring portion (26a, 26') extending from the upper surface (25b, 25b') to the lower surface (25a, 25a') and a notch (26b, 26b') located axially below the anchoring portion (26a, 26a') and forming support for the forward wire (108A).

3. Tooling (20, 20') according to claim 2, wherein the notch (26b, 26b') of the fork (20, 20') of the first presser (21, 21') is located in a radial mounting axis (Al) while the notch (26b, 26b') of the fork (20, 20') of the second presser (22') is located in a mounting axis (A2) offset from the radial mounting axis (Al) by a distance (D) between 1mm and 6mm, preferably equal to 3mm.

4. Tooling (20, 20') according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the fork (23, 23') comprises a movable arm (23a, 23a') comprising a first end integral with a mechanism configured to slide said arm (23a, 23a'), and wherein the end part (23b, 23b') extends from said arm (23a, 23a') on the side opposite the first end.

5. Tooling (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tooling for setting (20) the reinforcement elements (108) is configured to allow the setting of a single reinforcement element (108) per pass (15).

6. Tooling (20) according to claims 2 and 5, in which the anchoring portion (26a) has a height (Hl) between 1mm and 12mm.

7. Tooling (20) according to claims 2 and 5 taken in combination with any of the preceding claims, wherein the anchoring portion (26a) has a width (Ll) between 2mm and 8mm.

8. Tooling (20) according to claims 2 and 5 taken in combination with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the anchoring portion (26a) forms an angle (al) for positioning the return wire (108B) on the anchoring portion (26a) with the extension axis of the fork (20) between 20° and 40°, preferably equal to 30°.

9. Tooling (20') according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tooling for setting (20') the reinforcement elements (108) is configured to allow the setting of two reinforcement elements (108) per pass (15).

10. Tooling (20') according to claims 2 and 9, the anchoring portion (26a') has a height (H2) between 1mm and 8mm.

11. Tooling (20') according to claims 2 and 9, wherein the anchoring portion (26a') has a width between 2mm and 8mm.

12. Tooling (20') according to claims 2 and 9, wherein the anchoring portion (26a') forms an angle (a2) for positioning the return wire (108B) on the anchoring portion (26a') with the extension axis of the fork (20') between 20° and 40°, preferably equal to 30°.

13. Set comprising: - a tool (1) for manufacturing a toroidal object (100) comprising a wall (106) having an internal surface (106= in) which delimits a cavity (107), the tooling (1) for manufacturing the toroidal object (100) comprising a receiving surface (10 = out) possessing a conjugate shape to the internal surface (106 = in) of the wall (106) of the toroidal object (100) and comprising a plurality of passages (15) which extend under the receiving surface (10 = out) and configured to receive at least one reinforcing element (108) connecting a summit anchor point (109) located at a vertex (101) of the toroidal object (100) to a lateral anchoring point (110) located in one of the flanks (104, 105) or bulges (102, 103) of the toroidal object (100), and which open onto said receiving surface (10 = out), the toroidal object (100) being intended to be molded on the receiving surface (lO out) of the tooling (1) for manufacturing the toroidal object (100), and - a tooling (20, 20') for installation according to any one of the preceding claims.

14. Assembly according to claim 13, wherein the object (100) is a toroidal tire band.

15. Assembly according to claim 14, wherein the toroidal tire (100) comprises a crest (101) for forming a tread, a first annular bead (102) and a second annular bead (103) designed to allow the tire (100) to be attached to a mounting support, and a first flank (104) and a second flank (105) which connect the crest (101) respectively to the first bead (102) and the second bead (103), the crest (101), the first and second flanks (104, 105) and the first and second bead (102, 103) together forming the wall (106) having the inner surface (106 =in) concave which delimits the cavity (107) of the bandage (100), said tooling (1) comprising a toroidal core (10) having, around its central axis (X2-X2), the receiving surface (10 = out) which has a conjugate shape on the internal surface (106 = in) of the wall (106) of the bandage and which for this purpose includes a radially external apex zone (11) intended to receive constituent components of the apex (101) of the bandage (100), and, on either side axially of said apex zone (11), a first lateral zone (12) folded towards the central axis (X2-X2) and intended to receive constituent components of the first flank (104) and the first bead (102) as well as a second lateral zone (13) folded towards the central axis (X2-X2) and intended to receive constituent components of the second flank (105) and the second bead (103), so that the core (10) materializes a volume which is delimited externally by the receiving surface (10= out) and which corresponds to the cavity (107) of the bandage, the core (10) comprising the plurality of passages (15) which extend inside the reserved volume, below the receiving surface (10 = out), and which open onto said reception area (10 = out) so that each of said passages (15) connects the apex area (11) of the receiving surface to one of the first and second lateral areas (12, 13) so that the core (10) can receive, within said passages (15), the reinforcement elements (108), which are designed to permanently integrate the structure of the bandage (100) and extend each into the cavity (107) of the bandage by connecting an apex anchor point (109) located in the apex (101) of the bandage to a lateral anchor point (110) located in one of the sides (104, 105) or the ridges (102, 103) of the bandage (100).

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