Multi-Position Belt Drum for Tire Tread Winding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for manufacturing vehicle tires, particularly the winding of tread onto a preformed tire carcass, often result in material damage and manufacturing inaccuracies due to the need to transfer the tire carcass between drums.

Innovation Solution

A method where the tread is wound directly onto a conventional cylindrical belt drum with multiple positions for different tire components, allowing for precise and efficient winding without the need for transferring the tire carcass, using a drive device to move the belt drum between positions and incorporating spiral winding and different rubber compounds for improved tire construction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the tire carcass is transferred to another drum for winding the tread, then the winding process can be performed, but the bead area of the green tire becomes damaged and manufacturing inaccuracies occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewinding process capabilityVSAvoidtire carcass positioning accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the tread winding function with the existing belt drum used for carcass building, eliminating the need for a separate transfer drum. The belt drum is equipped with multiple winding heads that can wind tread material directly onto the green tire while it remains on the same drum, thus merging two functions into one device and avoiding transfer operations that cause damage and positioning errors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of manufacture

If the tire carcass is transferred to another drum for winding the tread, then the winding process can be performed, but the bead area of the green tire becomes damaged

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewinding process capabilityVSAvoidbead area damage
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the tread winding function with the existing belt drum used for carcass building, eliminating the need for a separate transfer drum. The belt drum is equipped with multiple winding heads that can wind tread material directly onto the green tire while it remains on the same drum, thus merging two functions into one device and avoiding transfer operations that cause damage and positioning errors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Productivity

If multiple positions for different tire components are used, then the winding process can be performed at multiple positions simultaneously, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoverall cycle timeVSAvoidbelt drum configuration
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the belt drum multi-functional by equipping it with multiple winding heads at different positions, each capable of winding different tire components (tread, sidewalls, etc.). This universal design allows the single drum to perform multiple operations simultaneously, increasing productivity without requiring separate specialized drums for each component.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent divides the tire manufacturing process into multiple parallel operations by placing winding heads at different positions around the belt drum. Each winding head operates independently on different segments of the tire or different tire components simultaneously, effectively segmenting the production process to reduce overall cycle time while using a single integrated drum structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2687358B1Method for manufacturing vehicle tyres
Publication Date: 2015.11.18 CONTINENTAL REIFEN DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
  • EP2687358B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

The method involves applying a belt layer on movable belt drums (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11). The drums are moved into a first position (17) for winding a wound bandage, second and third positions (20, 23) for winding a material layer with parts of a tread, and a fourth position (14) for winding the belt layer for removal of a produced belt-tread package by a transport device (13). The package is transferred to an embossing drum. A tire carcass with the package is cleaned by the embossing drum. A vehicle tire is manufactured by an existing manufacturing method.