Tire Building Drum Radial Sector Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire-building drums have limited adjustability in diameter, making it difficult to change the drum size while maintaining the overall shape, which restricts flexibility in producing tires of different sizes and requires multiple drums for varying diameters, leading to space and time inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A drum with radially movable sectors and separate adjustment mechanisms allows for precise diameter control, enabling repeated expansion and retraction while maintaining the drum's configuration, using expansion and adjustment means that can move sectors perpendicular to the axis, ensuring robust radial support and load absorption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the drum diameter is adjusted by moving sectors radially, then the drum can accommodate different tire sizes, but it becomes difficult to maintain the overall shape of the drum and the adjustment is complex
Solution Approach 1:
The drum is divided into multiple independent sectors that can move radially relative to each other. Each sector is equipped with its own adjustment mechanism, allowing individual radial movement while maintaining the overall cylindrical shape through coordinated control of all sectors
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustment mechanism serves multiple functions: it adjusts the radial position of sectors to change drum diameter, maintains the overall cylindrical shape through synchronized movement, and provides load absorption during operation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate mechanisms for each purpose
2Productivity
If multiple drums with different diameters are used to produce various tire sizes, then each drum can be optimized for specific tire production, but it increases space requirements and time loss for dismounting/mounting drums
Solution Approach 1:
The drum transitions from a static structure with fixed diameter to a dynamic structure where the diameter can be continuously adjusted by moving sectors radially. This allows a single drum to perform the function of multiple fixed-diameter drums, eliminating the need for physical drum replacement when changing tire sizes
Solution Approach 2:
The drum diameter parameter is made variable through the radial movement of sectors. By changing the radial position of sectors, the effective drum diameter is adjusted to match different tire size requirements, replacing the need for multiple drums with different fixed parameters
Data Source
AI summary
A drum is provided for building a green tire casing. The drum includes sectors, an expander, and an adjuster. The sectors form a circumferential face of the drum. The expander moves the sectors in a radial direction such that, at any given time, all the sectors extend at a same distance from an axis of the drum. The adjuster moves the sectors in the radial direction separately from movement of the sectors caused by the expander. Movement of the sectors by the adjuster is such that, at any given time, all the sectors extend at an equal distance from the axis of the drum. The expander is usable to move the sectors regardless of a position of the sectors caused by an operation of the adjuster.