Spike Setting Gun Sensor Unit for Accurate Tire Studding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current spike setting guns for pneumatic vehicle tires often malfunction, leading to incorrect spike separation, jamming, and incomplete tread studding, resulting in additional time and expense for quality control and subsequent spike insertion.
Innovation Solution
A sensor unit with two light barriers arranged one above the other is integrated between the gun head and separating device, emitting parallel light beams to detect single spike separation and prevent excess spikes, connected to an electronic evaluation unit for automatic process interruption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a singulation device with two stop mechanisms is used to separate spikes, then spike separation is achieved, but malfunctions can lead to incorrect separation (multiple or no spikes)
Solution Approach 1:
A sensor unit with two light barriers provides feedback about the number of spikes separated by the singulation device. The evaluation unit processes this feedback information to detect malfunctions (multiple or no spikes separated) and triggers corrective actions such as repeating the singulation process or interrupting the spiking process, thereby ensuring reliable spike separation
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical singulation device is supplemented with an optical detection system (light barriers and sensors) that replaces mechanical verification methods. This optical system provides non-contact detection of spike separation, improving reliability without interfering with the mechanical separation process
2Productivity
If multiple spikes are separated simultaneously, then the singulation process continues, but spikes jam in the gun head requiring interruption
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor unit continuously monitors spike separation and provides immediate feedback when multiple spikes are detected. The evaluation unit uses this feedback to interrupt the spiking process before jamming occurs, preventing productivity losses from interruptions while maintaining high singulation speed through continuous monitoring
3Productivity
If no spike is separated during singulation, then the process continues, but the gun remains unloaded causing missing spikes in the tread
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor unit detects when no spike has been separated during the singulation process and provides feedback to the evaluation unit. This triggers an automatic repetition of the singulation process, ensuring the gun is properly loaded and preventing missing spikes in the final tread product while maintaining high spiking speed
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary verification of spike separation using light barriers before the spike enters the gun head. If verification fails (no spike detected), the system repeats the singulation process in advance, ensuring proper loading before the actual spiking operation and preventing defects in the final product
4Measurement precision
If a sensor unit with two light barriers is added, then spike separation accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor unit with light barriers acts as an intermediary between the mechanical singulation device and the control system. This intermediary provides non-intrusive optical detection that accurately measures spike separation without adding complex mechanical verification mechanisms, maintaining system simplicity while improving measurement precision
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
Ensures accurate spike separation, reduces jamming, and minimizes the need for subsequent spike insertion, enhancing operational efficiency and preventing damage to the spike setting gun.
Implementation Method 1
two superimposed light barriers, the light sources of which preferably emit parallel light beams that pass through the feed tube
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The invention relates to a device with a spike-setting gun for spiked the treads of vehicle pneumatic tires (1), comprising a setting device which has a spike-setting bolt (2), and with a feeding device (4) with a feeding tube (5) or hose for feeding the spikes (20) to a gun head (3), wherein the feeding device (4) has a singulation device (6) with two stop devices (8, 9) arranged one above the other at a defined distance from each other for separating or singulating spikes (20). A sensor unit (7, 7') is provided between the gun head (3) and the singulation device (6), which has at least one light barrier, the light beam (13, 13', 13'') of which detects the feed tube (5) or hose.traversed the feed hose and which is connected to an electronic evaluation unit which evaluates the signals of the sensor unit (7, 7') and, if necessary, ensures a repetition of the singulation process or interrupts the spiking process.