Tire Rubber Positioning via Drum Inversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional apparatuses for manufacturing tire component members face challenges in accurately positioning sheet-shaped rubber members on molding drums, leading to positional misalignment and increased apparatus size, especially when dealing with large rubber members.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a first conveyor, a second conveyor, sensors for detecting end portion positions, a moving part to adjust the molding drum's position, and a control unit to ensure precise alignment of the sheet-shaped rubber member on the molding drum, preventing size increases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If the position of the member supply conveyor is controlled on the basis of the sectional shape detected by a displacement sensor, then the positioning can be automated, but the position detection accuracy deteriorates due to sensor errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a camera to capture an image of the sheet-shaped rubber member and creates a digital copy (image data) of its position. This optical copy is then processed by the control unit to determine the actual position, replacing direct mechanical sensor measurement and eliminating sensor-induced positioning errors while maintaining automation.
2Manufacturing precision
If a moving mechanism part is added to move the member supply conveyor for position correction, then the positioning accuracy can be improved, but the apparatus size increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of moving the member supply conveyor laterally to correct positioning (conventional approach), the patent inverts the approach by moving the molding drum in the lateral direction to meet the rubber member at its actual position. This eliminates the need for a large lateral movement mechanism on the conveyor while achieving the same positioning correction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the positioning correction function from the member supply conveyor system and transfers it to the molding drum positioning system. By removing the lateral movement mechanism from the conveyor and using only forward movement, the apparatus size is reduced while maintaining positioning accuracy.
3Productivity
If the sheet-shaped rubber member is made large to cover the molding drum, then the manufacturing capacity is improved, but the apparatus size increases due to larger moving mechanism parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by keeping the member supply conveyor compact (without large lateral movement capability) and instead enabling the molding drum to move laterally to accommodate variations in rubber member positioning. This allows large rubber members to be processed without requiring a proportionally large apparatus.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for manufacturing a tire component member includes a first conveyor configured to convey a sheet-shaped rubber member; a second conveyor configured to receive the sheet-shaped rubber member from the first conveyor and to convey the same to a molding drum; sensors configured to detect a position of an end portion in a width direction of the sheet-shaped rubber member to move from the first conveyor to the second conveyor; a moving part configured to move the molding drum in the width direction of the sheet-shaped rubber member, and a control unit configured to move the molding drum in the width direction of the sheet-shaped rubber member and to bond the sheet-shaped rubber member to a predetermined position on the molding drum, in correspondence to the position of the end portion in the width direction of the sheet-shaped rubber member detected by the sensors.