Tire Inner Surface Inspection via Rotating Mirror Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing illumination devices struggle to detect linear concave and convex portions on the inner peripheral surface of tires due to shadows and limited inspection area, and fail to effectively identify air stagnation bulges, which can lead to tire instability and air leakage.
Innovation Solution
An illumination device that rotates with the tire, using a light source unit positioned along the inner surface to irradiate light towards the circumferential direction, combined with a photographing system that includes a mirror to reflect light and capture the inner surface, allowing for comprehensive inspection of the tire's inner peripheral surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a light source unit is positioned to illuminate the inner peripheral surface of the tire, then the inspection area is increased, but shadows are cast that prevent detection of linear concave and convex portions
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of photographing the inner peripheral surface directly from the inside, the invention uses a mirror positioned in a recessed portion to reflect and invert the light path. The photographing means photographs the reflected light from the mirror, which provides a shadow-free view of the inner peripheral surface, enabling detection of linear concave and convex portions while maintaining comprehensive inspection area coverage
2Area of stationary object
If the mirror is deeply inserted into the recessed portion to increase the photographed region, then the inspection coverage is improved, but the tip portion of the mirror cannot approach the inner peripheral surface of the tire
Solution Approach 1:
The invention positions the mirror in a recessed portion that extends in the radial direction, allowing the mirror to be inserted deeply without interfering with the circumferential inspection coverage. By utilizing the radial dimension for mirror placement, the photographing means can capture the entire inner peripheral surface in the circumferential direction while the mirror tip remains sufficiently close to the inner peripheral surface for effective reflection
3Productivity
If the photographing means rotates with the tire to inspect the entire inner surface, then inspection efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines the photographing means with the mirror in a single integrated inspection portion that rotates together with the tire. This merging of components allows the entire inner peripheral surface to be inspected during one rotation cycle, significantly improving inspection efficiency while avoiding the complexity of multiple separate stationary photographing stations
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 enables accurate detection of abnormal tire shapes and air stagnation bulges, improving inspection efficiency and accuracy by illuminating and photographing the tire's entire inner surface without shadows, thus ensuring tire stability and preventing air leakage.
Implementation Method 1
the mirror which reflects the light from the inner peripheral surface of the tire to the photographing means
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are an illumination device and an inspection device of a tire that can easily detect abnormality of the shape of the manufactured tire. A photographing portion 18,19 photographs a inner peripheral surface of a tire T, while a driving portion 12 relatively rotates the tire T and a inspection portion 20 around an axis of the tire T, in the state of irradiating a light from a light source unit 36 disposed along the inner peripheral surface of the tire T toward the circumferential direction of the tire T.