Disc Stitcher Design for Tire Sidewall Folding Around Beads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire building machines face difficulties in consistently folding the sidewall around the radial inner side of the bead due to limited space, requiring manual intervention or two-stage processes, which are inefficient and cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
A tire building machine with a retractable bead-lock segment and a disc-shaped stitcher with a concave second side that allows closer proximity to the drum, combined with a secondary operational member driven by Eddy current, enabling efficient folding and stitching of the sidewall without additional drive means.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the bead-lock members are in the release position to allow sidewall folding, then the space between the bead and bead-lock members is only a few millimeters which is insufficient to accommodate a conventional stitching roller, but if the drum halves are moved away in the axial direction to allow folding, then the stitching process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The bead-lock members are designed to be movable between a first position (engaging the bead) and a second position (retracted to allow sidewall folding). This dynamic positioning enables the same drum structure to serve multiple functions: securing the bead during normal operation and facilitating sidewall folding when needed, thereby eliminating the need for separate drum halves or complex axial movement mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The drum halves with retractable bead-lock members serve multiple functions: they act as both bead-locking mechanisms during normal operation and as space-providing structures during sidewall folding operations. This multi-functionality replaces the need for separate specialized components, simplifying the overall device while maintaining both bead security and folding capability.
2Productivity
If a conventional stitching roller is used to stitch the sidewall, then the stitching process is simple, but the limited space of a few millimeters between the bead and bead-lock members prevents the stitching roller from being accommodated
Solution Approach 1:
The bead-lock members dynamically retract to the second position during sidewall folding operations, creating sufficient space for the stitching roller to be introduced and positioned. This dynamic clearance allows the stitching roller to access the limited space between the bead and drum circumference, enabling efficient stitching without requiring permanent enlargement of the available space.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves the constraint resolution from the radial dimension (where the limited few-millimeter space exists) to the axial dimension by making the bead-lock members retractable. This dimensional approach allows the stitching roller to operate in the radial space during folding operations while maintaining bead security during normal operation, effectively managing space utilization across different operational phases.
3Manufacturing precision
If manual intervention is used to fold the sidewall around the bead, then the folding can be done with sufficient precision, but the process becomes time-consuming and less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The stitcher is designed with a concave second side that automatically guides and presses the sidewall around the bead during the stitching operation. The concave surface provides self-alignment and automatic positioning of the sidewall, eliminating the need for manual intervention while maintaining precision. The stitching action itself performs the folding function that would otherwise require manual manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The folding and stitching operations are merged into a single integrated action. The concave second side of the stitcher simultaneously performs the folding motion and the stitching function, combining what would traditionally be separate manual folding steps with the automated stitching process. This integration maintains the precision of manual folding while achieving the efficiency of automated operation.
4Ease of operation
If a two-stage tire building process is used with a smaller diameter drum for sidewall folding, then the sidewall can be folded around the bead, but the tire components have to be transferred to a shaping drum which adds complexity and time
Solution Approach 1:
The bead-locking function and the sidewall folding function are merged into a single drum structure with retractable bead-lock members. This integration allows the same drum to perform both bead securing and sidewall folding operations, eliminating the need for separate smaller diameter drum and shaping drum sequence. The retractable mechanism enables the drum to adapt its configuration for folding operations without requiring a complete stage change.
Solution Approach 2:
The drum structure dynamically adapts its configuration through the retractable bead-lock members, transitioning from a bead-securing configuration to a sidewall-folding configuration. This dynamic adaptability replaces the static two-stage process with a single flexible stage, eliminating transfer time while maintaining the necessary folding capability through controlled retraction of the bead-lock members.
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
Facilitates seamless folding and stitching of the sidewall around the bead, reducing manual intervention and eliminating the need for two-stage processes, thereby enhancing efficiency and precision in tire component assembly.
Implementation Method 1
the rotation of the positioning member is arranged to be driven by Eddy current generated between said positioning member and the primary stitching member
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a tire building machine and a method for stitching a tire component, wherein the tire building machine comprises a tire building drum (2) and a stitcher (106), wherein the tire building drum comprises bead-lock segments (42) which are retractable into a recessed position relative to the rest of the tire building drum, wherein the stitcher (106) comprises a disc¬ shaped stitching body having a first side (161) for pressing on the tire component during stitching and a second side (162) opposite to the first side, wherein the second side is concave, wherein the stitcher is positionable relative to the tire building drum (2) such that the concave second side fits at least partially over a transition between the bead-lock segments (42) in the recessed position and the rest of the tire building drum (2).