Radially Collapsible Tyre Building Can Segments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tyre carcass building groups suffer from surface and structural defects due to misalignments between drum and can surfaces, require cumbersome handling, and are expensive to produce and manage.
Innovation Solution
A building can system with radially collapsible and expandable modules, featuring a motor-driven supporting shaft, building drum, and pantograph devices for precise radial positioning of segments to ensure alignment and quality, reducing defects and handling complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If fixed-diameter building cans are used for tyre carcass building, then the rolling and pressing operations can be performed, but misalignments between drum and can surfaces occur due to play and wear, causing surface and structural defects
Solution Approach 1:
The building can is designed with radially collapsible and expandable segments that can dynamically adjust their position. The segments are movable relative to each other along radial directions, allowing the can to expand to match the drum surface precisely during operation and collapse for easy removal, eliminating misalignment issues caused by fixed-diameter cans
Solution Approach 2:
The building can is divided into multiple collapsible segments that can move independently. Each segment can be adjusted radially to maintain precise alignment with the drum surface, and the segmented structure allows the can to collapse into a compact form for removal without affecting the overall alignment precision
2Ease of operation
If building cans are moved away from the building drum after rolling, then the plies can be deformed and folded back, but the removal process is difficult due to partial bonding between plies and cans, generating tensioning and deformations
Solution Approach 1:
The building can transitions from an expanded state during rolling to a collapsed state for removal. The radially collapsible segments allow the can to shrink in diameter, breaking the bonding contact with the plies and enabling easy removal without causing tensioning or deformation to the tyre carcass
Solution Approach 2:
The segmented structure allows each section of the building can to collapse independently toward the central axis. This segmentation enables the can to reduce its overall volume and detach from the plies smoothly, preventing unwanted tensioning and deformations during the removal process
3Productivity
If fixed-diameter building cans are used and moved away for storage, then the building operation can be completed, but large spaces are required for manoeuvring and storage, increasing production costs
Solution Approach 1:
The building can dynamically changes its volume by collapsing radially inward after use. The segments move toward the central axis, reducing the can's external dimensions from a large expanded diameter to a compact collapsed form, minimizing the space required for storage and manoeuvring while maintaining full functionality during the building operation
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsed building can segments nest together in a compact configuration, with each segment fitting within the overall footprint of the others. This nesting arrangement significantly reduces the space required for storage and handling compared to fixed-diameter cans that require large areas for manoeuvring and storage
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system produces high-quality tyre carcasses with reduced defects, improved handling, and lower production costs by maintaining precise alignment and minimizing space requirements through collapsible can design and precise actuation.
Implementation Method 1
a pantograph device (43) for radially positioning the segments (35)
Implementation Method 2
actuated by a corresponding pantograph device (43)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A tyre carcass (2) is produced using a building can (25) having an attachment shaft (26) rotatable about its own axis (4), a sleeve (33) surrounding the attachment shaft and formed from a ring of first tile-like segments (34) and a ring of second tile-like segments (35) circumferentially alternating with the first segments (34); each second segment (35) being hinged to a corresponding first segment (34) so as to rotate with respect to the corresponding first segment (34) about a hinge axis (37) parallel to the axis (4) of the attachment shaft (26); a first actuator device (43) being provided for radially displacing the first segments (34) from and towards an extracted operating position, wherein they delimit part of a cylindrical carcass-building surface (2), and a second actuator device (44) for rotating each of the second segments (35) about the corresponding hinge axis (37) from and towards an operating position, wherein the second segments (35) extend between the first segments (34) forming the remaining part of the cylindrical carcass-building surface (2).