Tire Building Drum Roller Lever with Ramp Pre-Positioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional tire building processes face issues with unintentional creases and material displacement during the turning up of tire sidewalls, particularly with sensitive thin materials, due to counter-rotating movements and wear of side-curved bellows or roller lever systems, leading to production defects and frequent replacements.

Innovation Solution

A device with a roller lever system featuring a ramp-shaped component with an S-shaped contour, raised by a separate pneumatic cylinder, ensures the roller lever is pre-positioned without contact with surrounding components, minimizing wrinkles and using a second pneumatic cylinder for the working stroke to firmly connect the sidewall to the tire bead, along with a locking mechanism to prevent collisions and a non-stick coating for smooth operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a roller lever system is used to turn up tire sidewalls, then the sidewalls can be folded around the bead cores, but the counter-rotating movement of the rollers causes wrinkles and material displacement in the green tire

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesidewall folding capabilityVSAvoidtire surface quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The roller lever is pre-positioned in a retracted state before the turning-up operation begins. This preliminary retraction prevents the roller from contacting surrounding components and eliminates the counter-rotating movement that causes wrinkles. The roller is only engaged with the tire structural part when needed for the actual folding operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The roller lever system is divided into functionally independent components: the roller lever itself, the lifting roller, and the pneumatic cylinder system. This segmentation allows the roller lever to be independently controlled and positioned, separating the functions of positioning (retraction) and operation (folding), thereby preventing unwanted contact and rotation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Extent of automation

If side-curved bellows are used to press sidewalls against the curved carcass, then the turning-up process can be automated, but the bellows are subject to high wear and tear requiring frequent replacement

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveturning-up process automationVSAvoidbellows service life
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The pneumatic bellows system is replaced with a mechanically actuated roller lever system driven by pneumatic cylinders. The roller lever provides direct mechanical contact and control, eliminating the high-wear flexible bellows components while maintaining automation through pneumatic actuation. This substitution improves reliability by using more durable mechanical parts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the fundamental operating parameters of the turning-up system from inflatable bellows pressure to controlled pneumatic cylinder extension. This parameter change allows for precise control of the roller lever position and force application, providing consistent performance without the degradation and wear associated with flexible bellows materials.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If the roller lever contacts surrounding components during movement, then the roller can be actuated, but the contact generates counter-rotating movement that pushes tire building parts into gaps causing impermissible wrinkling

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroller lever actuationVSAvoidunintentional creases in sidewall
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The harmful contact between the roller and surrounding components is eliminated by extracting or removing this interaction from the system. The roller lever is designed to move independently in a retracted state, separated from other components. Only the necessary contact with the tire structural part remains, while unwanted contacts that cause counter-rotation are completely avoided.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The lifting roller acts as an intermediary element between the pneumatic cylinder and the roller lever. It provides a controlled interface that raises the roller lever to the pre-position without direct contact with surrounding components, mediating the actuation process to prevent harmful interactions and counter-rotating movements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 effectively prevents production defects by ensuring the roller lever only contacts the tire structural part, allowing for even rolling and expanded dimension manufacturing, reducing wear and the need for frequent replacements, while maintaining precise control and minimizing material displacement.

Implementation Method 1

the roller lever (5) has on its underside the lifting roller (7), to which the ramp-shaped component (12) is arranged opposite

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRamp mechanism: Inclined Plane

Implementation Method 2

the roller lever system is spread apart via a pneumatic drive, which consists of two separate pneumatic cylinders. Compressed air is applied to the two pneumatic cylinders separately

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPneumatic actuation: Pressurisation

Implementation Method 3

the roller is now essentially exclusively in contact with the resting tire structural part and thus rolls along the tire structural part in the initial phase of the working stroke

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRolling contact: Roller

Implementation Method 4

a non-stick coating for smooth operation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectNon-stick coating: Lubrication

Data Source

PatentEP2509778B1Tire element turn-up device on a tire building drum with roller arm
Publication Date: 2014.08.13 CONTINENTAL REIFEN DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
  • EP2509778B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2509778B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2509778B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a device for turning up a tyre-building part on a tyre-building drum using a roller lever. In order to produce a device for turning up a tyre-building part on a tyre-building drum, by means of which the tyre-building part is turned up without defects, in particular an unintended crease formation in the lateral wall, according to the invention the roller lever (5) comprises a lifting roller (7) on the side thereof directed towards the drum axis (3) of the tyre-building drum (2), opposite which a ramp-shaped component (12) is arranged. As the tyre-building part (1) is turned up, the roller lever (5) is raised by means of the lifting roller (7) to a pre-position, wherein, as the roller lever (5) is lifted to the pre-position, the crimping roller (6) is spaced in such a way that the crimping roller (6) is substantially exclusively in contact with the tyre-building part (1) and the roller rolls along the tyre-building part (6).