Tire manufacturing apparatus, method, and program

Abstract

This tire manufacturing apparatus comprises: an acquisition unit (400) that acquires, at a first position relative to the outer circumferential surface of a first green member, first measurement information on deflection of a first green tire formed by assembling a first band member, and that acquires, at a second position that is shifted from the first position and relative to the outer circumferential surface of a second green member, second measurement information on deflection of a second green tire formed by assembling a second band member; and a calculation unit (402) that calculates, on the basis of the acquired first measurement information and second measurement information, position information indicating the positions, of the band members relative to the outer circumferential surfaces of the green members, at which the deflection is smaller than the deflection in the radial direction at the first position and the second position; and a control unit (404) that outputs control information for controlling the positions of the green members and the band members so that the positions of the band members relative to the green members of the green tire to be subsequently formed correspond to the calculated position information.

Description

Tire manufacturing apparatus, method, and program 【0001】 This disclosure relates to tire manufacturing apparatus, methods, and programs. 【0002】 A widely used method for forming a green tire involves gripping an annular BT band, consisting of a belt and tread rubber attached to its outside, with an O-ring on its inner circumference, and placing a cylindrical green case, which has carcass ply folded on both sides around a pair of bead cores, on a shaping drum that is cantilevered horizontally. Then, the O-ring is moved until the inner surface of the BT band corresponds to the outer surface of the green case, narrowing the width between the bead cores, causing the green case to bulge into a toroidal shape and come into contact with the inner surface of the BT band, and then pressing the BT band to conform to the outer surface of the green case. 【0003】 When forming green tires in this way, the roundness of the formed green tire may gradually decrease (from the beginning of production) due to factors such as the passage of time and the manufacturing environment. For this reason, it is necessary to periodically adjust the assembly position of the green case and the BT band. However, while increasing the frequency of adjusting the assembly position of the green case and BT band, which is done by stopping production, can improve the accuracy of the roundness, it is undesirable because it reduces productivity. On the other hand, decreasing the frequency of adjustment increases the variability in the accuracy of the roundness, which is also undesirable. In response to these facts, a tire molding method has been proposed in which the green case and BT band are assembled eccentrically according to the runout of the formed green tire (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-111890). 【0004】When manufacturing a green tire, which is a raw tire before vulcanization, the green tire is formed by assembling while aligning the center positions of both the green case and the BT band. However, due to factors such as aging and manufacturing environment, the roundness of the formed green tire may decrease (gradually from the beginning of manufacturing). Therefore, it is required to periodically adjust the assembly position of the green case and the BT band. However, increasing the frequency of adjusting the assembly position of the green case and the BT band, which is performed by stopping production, can improve the roundness accuracy but is not preferable because productivity decreases. On the other hand, decreasing the frequency of adjustment is not preferable because the variation in roundness accuracy increases. Also, the constituent materials of the green tire vary depending on the tire type. Therefore, even if the assembly position of the green case and the BT band is uniformly adjusted so as to be eccentric according to the runout of the formed green tire, the roundness of the formed green tire may not be improved. Therefore, there is room for improvement in order to improve the roundness of the green tire. 【0005】 In view of the above facts, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a tire manufacturing apparatus, method, and program capable of improving the accuracy regarding the roundness of a green tire as compared with the case of being eccentric by an amount corresponding to the runout of the green tire. 【0006】A first aspect of this disclosure is a tire manufacturing apparatus comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires first measurement information indicating a measured value of the radial runout of a first green tire formed by assembling an annular first band member made of tire material to the outer circumferential surface of a first green member at a first position relative to the outer circumferential surface of the first green member, and second measurement information indicating a measured value of the radial runout of a second green tire formed by assembling a second band member different from the first band member to the outer circumferential surface of a second green member different from the first green member at a second position moved by a predetermined distance in a predetermined direction from the first position relative to the outer circumferential surface of the second green member different from the first green member; a calculation unit that calculates position information indicating the position of the band member relative to the outer circumferential surface of the green member where the runout is smaller than the radial runout at the first and second positions, based on the first measurement information and the second measurement information acquired by the acquisition unit; and a control unit that outputs control information to control the position of at least one of the green member and the band member so that the position of the band member relative to the green member of the next green tire to be formed becomes the position information calculated by the calculation unit. 【0007】 The second embodiment is a tire manufacturing apparatus of the first embodiment, wherein the predetermined distance is a value statistically determined such that the runout at the outer circumference of the green tire formed by movement is smaller than a predetermined runout threshold. 【0008】 The third embodiment is a tire manufacturing apparatus according to the first or second embodiment, wherein the second measurement information is a plurality of measurement information obtained by measuring the radial runout of each of a plurality of second green tires that have been moved by a predetermined distance in a plurality of different directions. 【0009】 The fourth embodiment is a tire manufacturing apparatus according to any one of the first to third embodiments, wherein the control unit includes control that repeatedly performs the actions of controlling the calculation unit to calculate the position information and outputting the control information. 【0010】 The fifth embodiment is a tire manufacturing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment, wherein the control unit terminates the control that is to be repeatedly executed based on a predetermined termination condition. 【0011】The sixth aspect is a tire manufacturing method in which a processor performs the process of forming a green tire, wherein the processor acquires first measurement information indicating a measured value of the radial runout of a first green tire formed by assembling an annular first band member made of tire material to the outer circumferential surface of a first green member at a first position relative to the outer circumferential surface of the first green member, and second measurement information indicating a measured value of the radial runout of a second green tire formed by assembling a second band member different from the first band member to the outer circumferential surface of a second green member different from the first green member at a second position moved by a predetermined distance in a predetermined direction from the first position relative to the outer circumferential surface of the second green member, and calculates position information indicating the position of the band member relative to the outer circumferential surface of the green member where the runout is smaller than the radial runout at the first and second positions based on the acquired first and second measurement information, and outputs control information to control the position of at least one of the green member and the band member so that the position of the band member relative to the green member of the next green tire to be formed is the calculated position information. 【0012】The seventh aspect is a program for causing a processor to perform the process of forming a green tire, wherein the program causes the processor to: acquire first measurement information indicating a measured value of the radial runout of a first green tire formed by assembling an annular first band member made of tire material to the outer surface of a first green member at a first position relative to the outer surface of the first green member; and second measurement information indicating a measured value of the radial runout of a second green tire formed by assembling a second band member different from the first band member to the outer surface of a second green member at a second position moved by a predetermined distance in a predetermined direction from the first position relative to the outer surface of a second green member different from the first green member; calculate position information indicating the position of the band member relative to the outer surface of the green member where the runout is smaller than the radial runout at the first and second positions based on the acquired first and second measurement information; and output control information that controls the position of at least one of the green member and the band member so that the position of the band member relative to the green member of the next green tire to be formed is the calculated position information. 【0013】 According to this disclosure, the accuracy regarding the roundness of the green tire can be improved. According to the first, sixth, and seventh embodiments, the accuracy regarding the roundness of the green tire can be improved compared to the case where the eccentricity is increased by an amount corresponding to the runout of the green tire. According to the second embodiment, the reduction in the roundness of the green tire formed at the second position can be suppressed compared to the case where the magnitude of the runout of the formed green tire is not considered. According to the third embodiment, the accuracy regarding the roundness of the next green tire formed can be improved compared to the case where a green tire with one second position is applied. According to the fourth embodiment, the accuracy regarding the roundness of the green tire can be improved compared to the case where repeated control is not performed. According to the fifth embodiment, the computational load on the device can be reduced compared to the case where repeated control is continued. 【0014】This is a schematic plan view showing the second molding machine of the embodiment. This is a schematic side view showing the second molding machine of the embodiment. This is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the BT band and the green case. This is a conceptual diagram showing the positional adjustment between the green case and the BT band. This is a block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the control device. This is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device. This is a conceptual diagram showing the positional adjustment of the BT band relative to the green case. This is a conceptual diagram showing multiple adjustments of the positional adjustment of the BT band relative to the green case. This is a flowchart showing an example of the information processing flow in the control device. 【0015】 Hereinafter, embodiments of the technology of this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Components and processes that perform the same function or operation will be given the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and redundant explanations may be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, this disclosure is not limited in any way to the embodiments described below, and can be implemented with appropriate modifications within the scope of the purpose of this disclosure. 【0016】 In this embodiment, an example of a tire manufacturing apparatus according to the present disclosure will be described in which a tire molding machine is applied. Specifically, an example of applying the technology of the present disclosure to a tire molding apparatus that molds a tire in a so-called two-stage manner, in which a BT band, which is an annular band member made of a belt and tread rubber, is placed on the outside of a green case, which is a green member that is expanded in a toroidal shape on a shaping drum, and these are assembled together. A known tire molding machine is a tire molding machine that consists of a first molding machine that forms a green case and a second molding machine that forms a green tire using the green case. In the second molding machine, a BT band made of a belt and tread is formed, and the BT band is assembled to the green case to form a green tire. Since the configuration of the first molding machine is well known, a detailed explanation will be omitted. 【0017】Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of the second molding machine. Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the second molding machine. Figure 3 is a view of the BT band and the green case from the axial direction of the green case. Figure 3 also shows the state in which the O-ring has been moved to a position where the inner surface of the BT band corresponds to the outer surface of the green case. In the figures, the rotation centers of the BT band and the green case are indicated as BC and GC. 【0018】 The second molding machine 10 comprises a shaping drum 11, a BT drum 13, an O-ring 12, and an O-ring displacement device 18. The shaping drum 11 is a device that supports the green case 1 on its circumference. The BT drum 13 is a device that forms an annular BT band 2 by attaching a belt and its radially outer tread rubber to its circumference. The O-ring 12 is a device that grips the BT band 2 formed on the BT drum 13 on its inner circumference and moves the inner surface of the BT drum 13 to a position corresponding to the outer surface of the green case 1 waiting on the shaping drum 11. The O-ring displacement device 18 is a device that displaces the O-ring 12. The O-ring displacement device 18 consists of an O-ring reciprocating drive mechanism, which is composed of, for example, a servo motor (not shown) and a ball screw 33 (see Figure 3) connected thereto, and a linear guide 34 that guides the displacement of the O-ring. 【0019】 In the second molding machine 10, the BT drum 13 is cantilevered and rotationally driven by the BT drum drive support 17. The shaping drum 11 is cantilevered and rotationally driven by the shaping drum drive support 16. The O-ring displacement device 18 is configured to reciprocate the displacement of the O-ring 12 between a position 12b where its inner circumferential surface corresponds to the outer circumferential surface of the BT drum 13 and a position 12a where its inner circumferential surface corresponds to the outer circumferential surface of the shaping drum 11. 【0020】The O-ring 12 comprises an O-ring base 21 that is displaced by an O-ring displacement device 18, and an O-ring body 22 that grips the BT band 2. The O-ring body 22 has a plurality of gripping segments 15 arranged circumferentially on its inner circumference, each of which is displaceable radially inward or outward. The O-ring body 22 is configured to grip the BT band 2 located on its inner circumference by displacing the gripping segments 15 radially inward. On the other hand, the O-ring body 22 is configured to release the BT band 2 from gripping by displacing the plurality of gripping segments 15 radially outward. 【0021】 The shaping drum 11 includes a beadlock section 31 and a bladder 32. The beadlock sections 31 are located on both axial sides and are configured to lock the bead core 3 of the green case 1 from the radially inward side. The bladder 32 is stretched between the left and right beadlock sections 31 and is configured to bulge radially outward. These beadlock sections 31 are provided so that they can move apart from and approach each other in the axial direction. 【0022】 Furthermore, the tire molding machine described above is configured to allow for variable positioning of the O-ring body 22 relative to the O-ring base 21 (position in the height direction and position in the width direction intersecting the height). By configuring the position of the O-ring body 22 to be variable, the center of the O-ring body 22 can be made to coincide approximately with the shaping drum 11. 【0023】 The following outlines the manufacturing method for a tire, which uses a tire molding machine configured as described above to form a green tire. To mold a green tire, first, a cylindrical green case 1 is formed in the first molding machine. In the first molding machine, the green case 1 is formed by folding both sides of the carcass, which is located radially outward of the inner liner, around a pair of bead cores, and placing a pair of sidewall rubbers on both sides of its outer circumference. 【0024】The green case 1 formed by the first molding machine is placed outside the shaping drum 11 of the second molding machine 10. In the shaping drum 11, the bead core 3 of the green case 1 is locked by the bead lock portion 31, and then the bead lock portions 31 are brought closer to each other while maintaining the locked state. When bringing them closer, the shaping drum 11 narrows the width between the bead cores 3 and expands the bladder 32, causing the green case 1 to bulge out in a toroidal shape. The maximum bulge diameter of the green case 1 at this time is set to be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the corresponding BT band 2. 【0025】 Meanwhile, in the BT drum 13, the belt and tread are sequentially attached to the outer circumference to form the BT band 2, and the O-ring 12 is moved to a position 12b where its inner surface corresponds to the outer surface of the BT band 2. After this movement, the gripping segment 15 of the O-ring 12 is reduced in diameter so that the O-ring 12 grips the BT band 2 from the outer circumference. After this, the BT drum 13 is reduced in diameter so that the BT drum 13 and the O-ring 12 are removed from the BT band 2 while still gripping the BT band 2. In other words, the first molding machine reduces the diameter of the BT drum 13 so that the O-ring 12 gripping the BT drum 2 is removed from the BT drum 13. 【0026】 Next, the O-ring 12 is moved to a position 12a corresponding to the outer surface of the green case 1, where the inner surface of the BT band 2 has already bulged in a toroidal shape. Prior to this movement, the position of the O-ring body 22 is adjusted so that the radial center of the O-ring body 22 coincides with the radial center of the shaping drum 11 of the green case 1 at a predetermined axial position, for example, an axial position equidistant from the pair of beadlock portions 31 of the shaping drum 11. 【0027】 After moving the O-ring 12 to position 12a, the green case 1 is further expanded so that its outer surface contacts the inner surface of the BT band 2. Then, the gripping segment 15 of the O-ring 12 is expanded to release the grip of the BT band 2 from the O-ring 12, and the remaining BT band 2, supported by the green case 1, is pressed against the outer surface of the green case 1 to complete the formation of the green tire. 【0028】 Next, the bladder 32 of the shaping drum 11 is reduced in diameter to remove the finished green tire from the shaping drum 11 and transport it to the next vulcanization process. 【0029】 A position adjustment unit 20 is provided as a mechanism to enable fine adjustment of the position of the O-ring body 22 (see Figure 3). The position adjustment unit 20 allows adjustment of the position of the O-ring body 22 in the vertical direction, which is the tire height direction, and in the horizontal direction, which is the tire width direction, which intersects the height, by two-dimensional movement such as a so-called XY stage system. In other words, the position adjustment unit 20 can move the O-ring body 22 up and down and left and right relative to the O-ring base 21. 【0030】 The position adjustment unit 20 adjusts the position of the O-ring body 22 by a specified distance in a specified direction, according to the information specified by the control device 4, which will be described later. That is, the position of the O-ring body 22 is moved by a specified distance (a small distance) in a direction obtained by at least one of the directions obtained by the vertical direction of the tire height and the horizontal direction of the tire width which intersects the height. This position adjustment unit 20 makes it possible to fine-tune the relative position between the green case 1 and the BT band 2. This fine-tuning corresponds to making the position of the BT band 2 equal to or eccentric to the position of the green case 1. 【0031】 In this embodiment, the case in which the relative position between the green case 1 and the BT band 2 is finely adjusted by adjusting the position of the O-ring body 22 will be described as an example. However, the technology of this disclosure is not limited to adjusting the position of the O-ring body 22. That is, the tie manufacturing apparatus of this disclosure only needs to be able to finely adjust the relative position between the green case 1 and the BT band 2, and for example, the relative position between the green case 1 and the BT band 2 may be finely adjusted by adjusting the position of the green case 1. 【0032】 The position adjustment unit 20 is connected to a control device 4, which operates as an information processing device. The control device 4 calculates the direction and distance for adjusting the position of the O-ring body 22 in the position adjustment unit 20, and controls the position adjustment unit 20. 【0033】 Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram showing that the relative position between the green case 1 and the BT band 2 has been adjusted by the position adjustment unit 20. Figure 4 shows the state in which the relative position (i.e., relative height) between the green case 1 and the BT band 2 has been adjusted vertically by the position adjustment unit 20. State GC-DOWN indicates that, due to the adjustment by the position adjustment unit 20, the center GC of the green case 1 is lower than the center BC of the BT band 2. State GC-UP indicates that, due to the adjustment by the position adjustment unit 20, the center GC of the green case 1 is higher than the center BC of the BT band 2. 【0034】 Figure 5 shows a schematic configuration of the control device 4. The control device 4 can be a general-purpose computer device equipped with a processor, such as a server device or a personal computer (PC). 【0035】 The control device 4 includes a computer main unit 40, which comprises a CPU 40A, RAM 40B, ROM 40C, and I / O 40D, all of which are connected to each other via a bus 40E. An auxiliary storage device 45, which can be implemented using an HDD and non-volatile flash memory, is connected to the bus 40E. In addition, a communication unit 41 for communicating with external devices, an input unit 42 for the user to input data, and a display unit 43 for the user to confirm the data are connected to the I / O 40D. Note that if the control device 4 is configured to be operable by a client terminal (not shown), the input unit 42 and the display unit 43 are not mandatory components. 【0036】 The auxiliary storage device 45 is capable of storing program 45P. The control device 4 reads program 45P from the auxiliary storage device 45, loads it into RAM 40B, and executes the processing. As a result, the control device 4, having executed program 45P, operates as a device that performs processing to support the manufacture of green tires with high roundness. Program 45P may also be provided on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM. 【0037】Furthermore, the auxiliary storage device 45 stores various data 45D used by the control device 4. The auxiliary storage device 45 also stores a program 45P. 【0038】 The control device 4 reads program 45P from the auxiliary storage device 45, loads it into the RAM 40B, and executes the processing. After executing program 45P, the control device 4 operates as an information processing device that outputs information to support the manufacturing of green tires. 【0039】 The communication unit 41 can exchange information with external devices (not shown) via wired or wireless connection communication. 【0040】 A measuring unit 44 for measuring the radial runout (RRO) of the green tire can be connected to the above I / O 40D. Connecting the measuring unit 44 to the control device 4 is not mandatory. For example, input may be made from the input unit 42 instead of the measuring unit 44. The measuring unit may also measure the fluctuation of the radial force of the green tire and the maximum value of said force fluctuation (RFV). 【0041】 Furthermore, the control device 4 can be connected to a network (not shown), and can be configured to exchange data and comments with each other via this network (not shown). Examples of networks (not shown) include communication lines that can be connected by wired or wireless means, such as telephone lines, LANs, WANs, the Internet, or wide-area Ethernet networks. In this embodiment, the case in which the control device 4 controls the position adjustment unit 20 is described (Figures 3 and 5), but the control device 4 may also be linked to the position adjustment unit 20 by a drive control device 29 that operates as the control device 4, as illustrated in Figure 2. 【0042】In addition, the device related to the control of the present disclosure may be realized including a configuration by a network environment including a virtual network in which a part of the network and a part or all of the devices are virtualized on a virtual space called a so-called cloud. For example, the control device 4 may be formed on a virtual space called a so-called cloud, and a client terminal known as a client-server system may be connected to the control device 4 via a network not shown in the figure to operate the control device 4. Further, in order to ensure the redundancy of the control device 4, a plurality of control devices 4 may be connected via a network. 【0043】 By the way, it is preferable that a green tire, which is a raw tire before vulcanization, has high roundness accuracy. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as described below, a tire manufacturing apparatus capable of forming a green tire while improving roundness in real time is provided. 【0044】 FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 4. As shown in FIG. 6, the CPU 40A of the computer main body 40 of the control device 4 functions as a tire manufacturing apparatus that realizes the tire manufacturing method of the present disclosure by executing the program 45P. The control device 4 includes functional units that function as an acquisition unit 400, an arithmetic unit 402, and a control unit 404, respectively. The acquisition unit 400 is an example of the acquisition unit of the present disclosure. The arithmetic unit 402 is an example of the arithmetic unit of the present disclosure. The control unit 404 is an example of the control unit of the present disclosure. Further, the control device 4 is an example of a device including the acquisition unit, the arithmetic unit, and the control unit of the present disclosure. 【0045】The acquisition unit 400 is a component of the control device 4 that has the function of acquiring information related to improving the roundness of the manufactured green tire. The acquisition unit 400 acquires first measurement information indicating the measured value of the radial runout of the green tire to be improved, for example, a green tire formed at a certain point in time, which is designated as the first green tire. The first green tire is a green tire formed by assembling an annular first BT band made of tire material to the outer surface of the first green case at a first position relative to the outer surface of the first green case. In the first green tire, the position of the green tire state indicating the positional relationship between the green case and the BT band, for example, the relative position, is designated as the first position. The acquisition unit 400 also acquires second measurement information indicating the measured value of the radial runout of the second green tire, for a green tire formed at a second position which is moved by a predetermined direction and distance from the first position, which is designated as the second green tire. The second green tire manufactured at the second position is a green tire formed by assembling a second BT band, different from the first BT band, to the outer surface of the second green case, which is different from the first green case, at a second position that is moved a predetermined distance in a predetermined direction from the first position. 【0046】 The position indicated by the transition from the first position to the second position when forming the second green tire is, here, indicated by a position moved by a predetermined direction and distance from the first position, which is shown as the green tire. The predetermined distance is a small distance such that the runout at the outer circumference of the formed green tire is less than a predetermined runout threshold, which is within the allowable runout range. Therefore, the second green tire, adjusted from the first position to the second position of the first green tire, is formed with fine adjustments within the predetermined allowable runout range. Thus, the formed second green tire will never be outside the allowable runout range. The predetermined distance can be determined by applying a statistically calculated value such that the runout at the outer circumference of the green tire is less than a predetermined runout threshold, which is within the allowable runout range. 【0047】The calculation unit 402 is a component in the control device 4 that has a function of calculating the positional relationship between the green case and the BT band for improving the roundness of the green tire, for example, the positional information of the raw tire state of the relative position. The positional information of the raw tire state is information indicating the position of the BT band with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the green case where the runout in the radial direction is smaller than the runouts at the first position and the second position described above. That is, the calculation unit 402 calculates positional information indicating the position of the BT band with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the green case where the runout in the radial direction is smaller than the runouts at the first position and the second position, based on the first measurement information and the second measurement information acquired by the acquisition unit 400. 【0048】 The control unit 404 is a component in the control device 4 that has a function of outputting control information for controlling the position of the BT band with respect to the green case in the next green tire to be formed. The control information is information indicating that at least one of the positions of the green case and the BT band is controlled so that the position of the BT band with respect to the green case in the next green tire to be formed becomes the positional information calculated by the calculation unit 402. 【0049】 Here, the calculation of the position of the green case and the BT band for improving the roundness of the green tire executed by the calculation unit 502 will be described. 【0050】 FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing the adjustment of the position of the BT band with respect to the green case. In FIG. 7, the adjustment of the position of the BT band with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the green case is shown as the movement of the center BC of the BT band. In FIG. 7, the relationship between the center BC0 of the BT band in the previously formed green tire (referred to as the first green tire) and the center BC1 of the BT band in the green tire (referred to as the second green tire) formed by moving the BT band in a predetermined direction is shown. The second green tire formed by moving as the center BC1 of the BT band is a candidate green tire formed for calculating the position of the green case and the BT band of the green tire for improving the roundness. 【0051】In the first green tire formed earlier, a measurement value of radial runout, Rro0, is obtained, and in the second green tire formed by moving the BT band center BC1, a measurement value of Rro1 is obtained. Here, the movement of the BT band is defined as an upward movement in the direction of angle R1 with respect to the horizontal CL, and a movement of a small distance L1. Furthermore, the case where the measured radial runout of both is Rro0 > Rro1 will be explained. 【0052】 The radial runout of the second green tire is smaller than that of the first green tire. Therefore, the next green tire to be manufactured should be formed by adjusting the position information in a direction that includes the direction of movement toward the second green tire, that is, by adjusting the position of the BT band relative to the outer surface of the green case, in order to improve the roundness. For example, the angle Rx on the side of the direction of movement toward the second green tire should be set with the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement toward the second green tire as the reference. The distance, which is the amount of movement, may be determined by the change in magnitude from the measured value of the radial runout of the first green tire Rro0 to the measured value of the radial runout of the second green tire Rro1. For example, it may be set so that as the amount of change increases, the distance approaches the threshold (for example, half of the amount of movement toward the second green tire) to the distance L1. On the other hand, if the radial runout of the second green tire is larger than that of the first green tire, the angle Ry on the side opposite to the direction of movement toward the second green tire should be set. 【0053】 By applying the positional information calculated in this way—that is, the position of the BT band relative to the outer surface of the green case—when forming the green tire, it is expected that a green tire with improved roundness can be formed. 【0054】The above-mentioned second green tire can improve the accuracy of the calculated position information by forming multiple second green tires with a common amount of movement in multiple different directions, considering the relative relationship between the green case and the BT band. That is, by forming multiple candidate second green tires and increasing the total number of measurements obtained for each, the accuracy of the position information improves as the total number increases. For example, it is preferable to form three or more types of second green tires with relative relationships moved in three or more different directions. From the viewpoint of reducing the total number of second green tires to be formed, considering the relative relationship between the green case and the BT band from a directional perspective, it is more preferable to form four types of second green tires with relative relationships moved in four different directions. 【0055】 Figure 8 is a conceptual diagram showing multiple adjustments to the position of the BT band relative to the green case. In Figure 8, to reduce the computational load, a unit rectangular area of ​​length L2 corresponding to the distance L1 mentioned above is set, and the center BC of the BT band is placed at its center. The movement is performed using this unit rectangular area. Specifically, unit rectangles are placed above, below, left, and right with the position of the first green tire as the center (measured value Rro0 at center BC0), and information regarding the positions of the four candidate second green tires (centers BC1-4) is set, and measured values ​​of radial deviation (Rro1-4) are obtained. 【0056】 As shown in Figure 8, by forming a second green tire in each of the up, down, left, and right directions, each measurement value covers all directions of movement and includes components in directions that contribute to improving roundness. In other words, from the above measurement values, it is possible to obtain a trend for identifying the direction that contributes to improving roundness in relation to the movement of the relative relationship between the green case and the BT band. Therefore, from the measurement values ​​of the second green tire that is eccentric in the up, down, left, and right directions, it is possible to estimate the position (direction and distance) that will contribute to improving the roundness of the next green tire to be formed. 【0057】The position information that contributes to improving the roundness (direction and distance), that is, the position of the next green tire to be formed, can be calculated using the following function f, which takes into account each of the up, down, left, and right directions, to determine the angle Rx indicating the direction and the distance Lx indicating the magnitude of the direction. f(Rx, Lx) = a・D1 + b・D2 + c・D3 + d・D4 + CST where D1 is the measured value Rr01, D2 is the measured value Rr02, D3 is the measured value Rr03, D4 is the measured value Rr0, and CST is a constant. 【0058】 The function f may calculate an angle R indicating direction, and based on the calculated direction, it may also calculate a distance L indicating the magnitude of the direction. Furthermore, the function f is not limited to the above formula, as long as it can derive positional information indicating the position of the next green tire to be formed, taking into account each of the up, down, left, and right directions. For example, a system may be applied that takes multiple measured values ​​as input and outputs unknown positional information, using a model that has been trained with multiple measured values ​​and their corresponding optimal positional information as training data, such as a neural network. 【0059】 Next, we will explain the information processing performed by the control device 4. In the control device 4, as a process to support the formation of green tires, measured values ​​indicating the runout of the already formed green tires are acquired, the position information of the green tires to be formed next is calculated, and information is output to control the tire forming apparatus based on this position information. 【0060】 Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the information processing flow in the control device 4. The flowchart shown in Figure 9 is an example of the processing flow of program 45P stored in the control device 4. The processing by program 45P is executed by the CPU 40A of the control device 4. The information processing shown in Figure 9 is an example of the processing executed by the tire manufacturing method and program of this disclosure. 【0061】In step S100, the CPU 50A, acting as the acquisition unit 400 described above, executes a process to acquire initial information related to the green tire. Here, the initial information related to the tire is information related to improving the roundness of the formed green tire. In step S100, the CPU acquires a measured value of the runout of the first green tire formed at a first position where the relative position of the green case and the BT band is first position. In step S100, information indicating the tire type of the formed first green tire is also acquired. The measured value acquired in step S100 is first measurement information indicating the measured value of the radial runout of the first green tire. This first measurement information includes information indicating the tire type. 【0062】 Next, in step S110, the CPU 50A, acting as an acquisition unit 400, acquires a measured value of the runout of the second green tire that has been moved from the first position to the second position. That is, in step S110, similar to the first green tire, second measurement information is acquired that indicates the measured value of the radial runout of the second green tire formed at the second position after being moved from the first position. 【0063】 The information acquired in steps S100 and S110 may be obtained by reading input data from the user's input unit 42, or by obtaining it from the measurement unit 44 that measures the vibration of the green tire. Alternatively, the information may be obtained by reading pre-measured data from a storage device (not shown). 【0064】 Next, the CPU 50A, as the calculation unit 402, performs the above-mentioned calculation of position information. First, in step S120, the CPU 50A, as the calculation unit 402, identifies the direction from the center to the outer circumference of the green tire whose swing is below a threshold (for example, minimum). Specifically, as described above, using the first measurement information of the first green tire and the second measurement information of the second green tire, it calculates information indicating the direction of movement of the BT band relative to the outer surface of the green case, where the swing tends to be smaller than that of the first green tire. Here, the above calculation can be performed using the function f described above. 【0065】In step S120, if second measurement information for multiple second green tires is acquired, the acquired information may be selected from those below a threshold, for example, the smallest second measurement information. 【0066】 Next, in step S130, the CPU 50A, as the calculation unit 402, identifies a distance in the direction from the center of the tire toward the outer circumference. Specifically, it calculates information indicating a distance that represents the magnitude of the movement in the direction in which the roundness of the first green tire is expected to improve. The distance identified in step S130 can be a distance of less than or equal to the predetermined minute distance (for example, distance L2) mentioned above. This distance may be determined according to the amount of change between the measured value of the first green tire and the measured value of the second green tire, as described above. 【0067】 As described above, the position information is determined. Specifically, the CPU 50A calculates position information that shows the positional relationship between the green case and the BT band, which improves the roundness of the green tire. As mentioned above, the position information is related to the green tire to be formed next time, and indicates the position of the BT band relative to the outer surface of the green case where the runout is smaller than the radial runout at the first position of the first green tire. 【0068】 Furthermore, the determination of the direction and distance of movement described above is not limited to being processed separately. For example, the position of the next green tire to be formed may be determined by moving from the position of the first green tire, for example, by deriving coordinates indicating the position. 【0069】 Next, in step S140, the CPU 50A, acting as the control unit 404, records and outputs position information indicating direction and distance, associated with the tire type. That is, the CPU 50A outputs control information to control the position of the BT band relative to the green case in the next green tire to be formed. The control information indicates that the position of at least one of the green case and the BT band should be controlled so that the position of the BT band relative to the green case in the next green tire to be formed matches the position information described above. 【0070】The position information associated with the above tire types may be stored in a memory such as the auxiliary storage device 45, or it may be transmitted to an internal or external database for recording and storage. The information to be recorded may also include control information. Furthermore, the output of the information in step S140 may be displayed on the display unit 43, or transmitted to an external device via the communication unit 41. This includes the output of control information to the tire molding device. 【0071】 Recording positional information associated with tire types is effective when forming multiple tire types in a tire molding machine. For example, when forming a green tire of a different tire type from the green tire currently being formed, the recorded positional information can be read and the information output to be set in the tire molding machine. 【0072】 Next, in step S150, the CPU 50A, acting as the control unit 404, determines whether the roundness has converged. Convergence of roundness can be determined, for example, by determining whether the measured value indicating the runout of at least one of the first and second green tires has reached a predetermined threshold. 【0073】 If the CPU 50A makes a positive judgment in step S150, it proceeds to step S170; if it makes a negative judgment, it proceeds to step S160. 【0074】 In step S160, the CPU 50A, acting as the control unit 404, acquires measurement values ​​for the green tire formed with the position information described above as the green tire at the first position, and then returns to step S110. The CPU 50A then repeatedly executes the process described above to obtain position information and control information for improving the roundness of the next green tire to be formed. 【0075】 Furthermore, the determination of whether the roundness has converged as described above may be made by applying termination conditions such as reaching a predetermined number of repetitions, elapsed a predetermined time, or reaching a threshold value for the change in the measured runout obtained through the repetitive process. 【0076】On the other hand, if a positive determination is made in step S150, in step S170, the CPU 50A, as the control unit 404, performs a process to record history information indicating the history of the repeatedly executed process, associating it with the tire type, and then terminates this processing routine. When the above-described process is repeated, the information recorded here may include position information indicating the positions of the first to the last movement for multiple movements to second positions, as history information indicating the result of the current repeated processing. Alternatively, the information recorded in step S140 may be recorded with information indicating the time series. 【0077】 The CPU 50A may also terminate this processing routine by performing the process of outputting the position information in step S140 described above, that is, the process of outputting the position information of the next green tire to be formed. 【0078】 As explained above, the tire manufacturing apparatus according to this disclosure makes it possible to obtain positional information indicating the direction of movement of the BT band relative to the outer surface of the green case, in which the runout tends to be smaller than that of the first green tire, by using the measurement information of the runout of the formed first green tire and the measurement information of the runout of the second green tire formed at a second position moved from the first position of the first green tire. Therefore, by forming the green tire at the position determined by the obtained positional information, that is, the position of the BT band relative to the outer surface of the green case, it is expected that a green tire with improved roundness can be formed. 【0079】 Furthermore, regarding the position of the BT band relative to the outer surface of the green case, it is possible to sequentially control the position of the next green tire to be formed using measured values ​​related to the runout of the first and second green tires. This makes it possible to form the green tires while improving their roundness in real time during the manufacturing stage. As a result, the relative positional relationship, such as the misalignment between the green case 1 and the BT band 2, can be kept small in the formed green tires, thereby improving uniformity. 【0080】Although the technology of this disclosure has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the technology of this disclosure is not limited to the scope described in the embodiments above. Various modifications or improvements can be made to the embodiments above without departing from the gist of the work, and such modified or improved forms are also included in the technical scope of the technology of this disclosure. 【0081】 Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes processing performed by executing a program stored in an auxiliary storage device, at least some of the program processing may be implemented in hardware. Also, the program processing flow described in the above embodiment is just one example, and unnecessary steps may be deleted, new steps added, or the processing order changed, without departing from the main point. 【0082】 Furthermore, in order to have a computer execute the processing described in the above-described embodiment, a program in which the above-described processing is written in code that can be processed by a computer may be stored on a storage medium such as an optical disc and distributed. 【0083】 In the embodiments described above, a CPU was used as an example of a general-purpose processor. However, in these embodiments, the term "processor" refers to a broader type of processor, including general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, AS IC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, Programmable Logic Device, etc.). 【0084】 Furthermore, the operation of the processor in the above-described embodiment may not be performed by a single processor, but may be performed by multiple processors working together, or by multiple processors located in physically separate locations working together. 【0085】All documents, patent applications, and technical standards described herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual document, patent application, and technical standard were specifically and individually noted to be incorporated by reference. 【0086】 The SDGs have been proposed to realize a sustainable society. One embodiment of this invention is considered to be a technology that could contribute to "No. 9" and other goals. 【0087】 The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-216946, filed on 11 December 2024, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Furthermore, all documents, patent applications, and technical standards described herein are incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as if each individual document, patent application, and technical standard were specifically and individually indicated as being incorporated by reference.

Claims

1. A tire manufacturing apparatus comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires first measurement information indicating a measured value of the radial runout of a first green tire formed by assembling an annular first band member made of tire material to the outer surface of a first green member at a first position relative to the outer surface of the first green member, and second measurement information indicating a measured value of the radial runout of a second green tire formed by assembling a second band member different from the first band member to the outer surface of a second green member, at a second position moved by a predetermined distance in a predetermined direction from the first position relative to the outer surface of a second green member different from the first green member; a calculation unit that calculates position information indicating the position of the band member relative to the outer surface of the green member where the runout is smaller than the radial runout at the first and second positions, based on the first measurement information and the second measurement information acquired by the acquisition unit; and a control unit that outputs control information to control the position of at least one of the green member and the band member so that the position of the band member relative to the green member of the next green tire to be formed becomes the position information calculated by the calculation unit.

2. The tire manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance is a value statistically determined such that the runout at the outer circumference of the green tire formed by movement is smaller than a predetermined runout threshold.

3. The tire manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second measurement information is a plurality of measurement information obtained by measuring the radial deviation of each of a plurality of second green tires that have been moved by a predetermined distance in a plurality of different directions.

4. The tire manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes control that repeatedly performs the actions of controlling the calculation unit to perform calculations on the position information and outputting the control information.

5. The tire manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit terminates the control that is to be repeatedly executed based on a predetermined termination condition.

6. A tire manufacturing method comprising a processor that performs the process of forming a green tire, wherein the processor acquires first measurement information indicating a measured value of the radial runout of a first green tire formed by assembling an annular first band member made of tire material to the outer surface of a first green member at a first position relative to the outer surface of the first green member, and second measurement information indicating a measured value of the radial runout of a second green tire formed by assembling a second band member different from the first band member to the outer surface of a second green member different from the first green member at a second position moved by a predetermined distance in a predetermined direction from the first position relative to the outer surface of a second green member different from the first green member, and calculates position information indicating the position of the band member relative to the outer surface of the green member where the runout is smaller than the radial runout at the first and second positions based on the acquired first measurement information and second measurement information, and outputs control information that controls the position of at least one of the green member and the band member so that the position of the band member relative to the green member of the next green tire to be formed becomes the calculated position information.

7. A program for a processor to perform the process of forming a green tire, the program causing the processor to: acquire first measurement information indicating a measured value of the radial runout of a first green tire formed by assembling an annular first band member made of tire material to the outer surface of a first green member at a first position relative to the outer surface of the first green member; and second measurement information indicating a measured value of the radial runout of a second green tire formed by assembling a second band member different from the first band member to the outer surface of a second green member, at a second position moved by a predetermined distance in a predetermined direction from the first position relative to the outer surface of a second green member different from the first green member; calculate position information indicating the position of the band member relative to the outer surface of the green member where the runout is smaller than the radial runout at the first and second positions based on the acquired first and second measurement information; and output control information to control the position of at least one of the green member and the band member so that the position of the band member relative to the green member of the next green tire to be formed is the calculated position information.

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