Integrated Valve Air Vent for Tire Curing Mold
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of separate valve members and springs in multiple air vent holes of a tire curing mold is time-consuming, reducing production efficiency and requiring significant man-hours.
Innovation Solution
A rubber article mold with air discharge portions featuring a hole structure that includes an inflow area, a discharge area, and an intermediate area, where a valve member with specific lead-in, trunk, and lead-out parts provides predetermined clearances to prevent rubber entry while allowing air discharge from the molding-surface side to the back-surface side, manufactured using an additive fabrication process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate valve members and springs are installed in multiple air vent holes, then air discharge function is improved, but manufacturing time and man-hours increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the valve member and spring into a single integrated assembly that is pre-assembled as one unit. This merging of components reduces the number of separate installation steps from installing two distinct parts (valve member plus spring) to installing one integrated assembly, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency while maintaining the air discharge function.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve member and spring are pre-assembled into a complete assembly before installation into the mold. This preliminary action of pre-assembly allows the components to be prepared and positioned correctly in advance, reducing the time and complexity of the final installation process during mold manufacturing.
2Reliability
If separate valve members and springs are installed in multiple air vent holes, then air discharge function is improved, but the number of installation steps and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the valve member and spring into a single integrated assembly, reducing the installation process from multiple separate steps to a single installation action. This decreases the overall complexity of the installation process while preserving the functional benefits of having both components.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If rubber enters the air vent holes, then spews are formed on the tire surface, but preventing rubber entry requires additional sealing mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The valve member is designed to automatically seal the air vent hole when rubber approaches, using the pressure differential and mechanical movement of the valve member itself. This self-actuating mechanism prevents rubber entry without requiring external sealing systems or additional complex control mechanisms, thereby reducing overall device complexity while effectively preventing spew formation.
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
This solution reduces the need for manual spew removal, improves tire appearance, and enhances production efficiency by eliminating the need for separate valve member installation, ensuring effective air discharge and minimizing rubber entry into the air vent holes.
Implementation Method 1
casting a laser beam at metal powder and laminating sintered layers
Implementation Method 2
casting a laser beam at metal powder and laminating sintered layers
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4C
Figure 5~7
AI summary
A rubber article mold capable of discharging air from a molding-surface side to a back-surface side during curing while restraining the entry of rubber into an air vent hole and a method for producing such a rubber article mold are provided. The rubber article mold includes air discharge means for discharging air from a molding-surface side for molding a rubber article to a back-surface side. The air discharge means includes a hole penetrating from a molding surface to a back surface of the rubber article mold and a valve member disposed within the hole in such a manner as to provide a predetermined clearance between the valve member and a hole wall forming the hole. The hole has an inflow area where the air on the molding-surface side flows in, a discharge area for discharging the air having flowed in from the inflow area to the back-surface side, and an intermediate area smaller in diameter than the inflow area and the discharge area and communicating with the inflow area and the discharge area. The valve member has a lead-in part on the molding-surface side, a lead-out part on the back-surface side, and a trunk part connecting the lead-in part with the lead-out part and smaller in diameter than the lead-in part and the lead-out part.