Tyre Building Drum Alignment via Dynamic Positioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing tire manufacturing assemblies face challenges in reducing costs while maintaining quality, as they require precise alignment and movable servers, which increase complexity and costs.

Innovation Solution

The assembly allows for one building drum to be placed out of line but parallel with another, using a transfer ring and movable building drums, enabling simpler server designs and cost reduction by eliminating the need for movable conveyor belts and using a servomotor-driven spindle nut structure for accurate vertical movement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If building drums are precisely aligned with common shafts and transport rails, then tyre manufacturing quality is maintained, but assembly complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment precisionVSAvoidassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the building drums dynamically adjustable in position along the transport rail, allowing them to move between a first position for receiving tyre components and a second position for discharging components. This dynamic positioning capability enables the system to maintain manufacturing precision while reducing the need for complex fixed alignment mechanisms, as the drums can be repositioned as needed rather than requiring permanent precise alignment infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If servers are designed to be movable towards building drums, then various tyre sizes can be manufactured, but server complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetyre size adaptabilityVSAvoidserver complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics to the building drums themselves rather than to the servers. The building drums are made movable along the transport rail, which dynamically adjusts the positioning relationship between servers and building drums. This approach achieves tyre size adaptability while keeping servers simpler, as the adaptability is provided by the movable building drums rather than by complex movable servers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of making the servers movable towards the building drums to achieve adaptability, the patent inverts the approach by making the building drums movable along the transport rail. This reversal of which component is made movable simplifies the server design while still achieving the desired versatility for manufacturing various tyre sizes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Manufacturing precision

If carcass drums are rotated to precise operative positions, then correct alignment with building drums is achieved, but positioning complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment precisionVSAvoidpositioning complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent reduces positioning complexity by making the entire building drum movable along the transport rail rather than requiring precise rotational positioning of carcass drums. The dynamic linear movement of the building drum provides the necessary alignment flexibility without the complexity of precise rotational positioning mechanisms, simplifying the overall positioning system while maintaining manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP2086750B1Assembly for and method of making a tyre component
Publication Date: 2011.01.05 VMI HOLLAND BV
  • EP2086750B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2086750B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3

AI summary

Assembly (1) for making at least a part of a tyre. The assembly (1) comprises a first building unit (3) having a first building drum (4) for a first tyre component and a second building unit (1) having a second building drum (2) for a second tyre component differing from the first tyre component. The assembly further comprises transfer means (5) for transferring tyre components between the first (4) and second (2) building drum. At least one of the building drums can be placed in an operative position in which the axis of rotation of the one building drum is out of line, but parallel, with the axis of rotation of the other building drum placed in an operative position.