Methods and apparatus for forming tread strips in closed-loop system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10737451-B2
Application number	US-201415538984-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2014
Priority date	Dec 31, 2014
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

Particular embodiments of the invention include a closed-loop tread strip forming unit (100) and methods for forming tread strips using a closed-loop unit. Embodiments of such forming units include a tread strip extruder (110) located at a pre-cure end of the closed-loop tread strip forming unit. Such units include an uncured tread strip handling assembly (120) configured to transport the first uncured tread strip from the first tread strip extruder and to a first tread strip mold member (130). The unit further includes a curing press (150) having an inlet and an outlet, a pre-cure mold handling assembly (140) configured to insert the loaded tread strip mold member into the curing press, a post-cure mold handling assembly (160) configured to receive the loaded tread strip mold member from the outlet of the curing press, a return assembly (170) configured to transfer the first tread strip mold member to the pre-cure end to complete a closed-loop.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A closed-loop tread strip forming unit, comprising:
a first tread strip extruder configured to extrude a first uncured tread strip having a length extending between a first tread strip end and a second tread strip end, the first tread strip extruder located at a pre-cure end of the closed-loop tread strip forming unit;
an uncured tread strip handling assembly configured to transport the first uncured tread strip from the first tread strip extruder and to a first tread strip mold member;
a curing press having a pair of opposing platens, the pair of opposing platens displaceable between open and closed arrangements;
the curing press having an inlet configured to receive the first tread strip mold member with the first uncured tread strip and an outlet configured to discharge the first tread strip mold member with a first cured tread strip produced from the first uncured tread strip using a curing process within the curing press;
a pre-cure mold handling assembly configured to both receive the first tread strip mold member containing the first uncured tread strip from the uncured tread strip handling assembly and insert the first tread strip mold member containing the first uncured tread strip into the curing press through the inlet for arrangement between the pair of opposing platens;
a post-cure mold handling assembly configured to receive the first tread strip mold member from the outlet of the curing press, the first tread strip mold member containing the first uncured tread strip in a cured state, the post-cure mold handling assembly configured to transfer the first tread strip mold member with the first cured tread strip to a return assembly,
the return assembly configured to transfer the first tread strip mold member from a post-cure end to the pre-cure end to form a closed-loop about the closed-loop tread strip forming unit,
a tread strip demolding device configured to remove the first cured tread strip from the first tread strip mold member unloaded from the curing press.

2. The closed-loop tread strip forming unit of claim 1 , where the first tread strip extruder is configured to extrude a heated tread strip, and where the uncured tread strip handling assembly and the pre-cure mold handling assembly are configured such that the first uncured tread strip is inserted into the curing press while in a heated state.

3. The closed-loop tread strip forming unit of claim 1 , where the uncured tread strip handling assembly includes:
a conveyor configured to translate the first uncured tread strip received from the first tread strip extruder and to a location for application to the first tread strip mold member.

4. The closed-loop tread strip forming unit of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second tread strip extruder configured to extrude a second uncured tread strip having a second tread strip length extending between opposing ends,
where the uncured tread strip handling assembly is configured to transport the second uncured tread strip from the second tread strip extruder and to a second tread strip mold member.

5. The closed-loop tread strip forming unit of claim 4 , where the uncured tread strip handling assembly includes:
a first tread strip storage member configured both to receive the first uncured tread strip from the first tread strip extruder and to supply the first uncured tread strip to the conveyor;
a second tread strip storage member configured to both receive the second uncured tread strip from the second extruder and to supply the second uncured tread strip to the conveyor,
where the first tread strip storage member articulates between a first tread strip receiving position and a first tread strip discharging position, such that in the first tread strip receiving position the first tread strip storage member is configured to receive the first uncured tread strip from the first tread strip extruder and in the first tread strip discharging position the first tread strip storage member is configured to transfer the first uncured tread strip to the conveyor, where in the first discharging position the first tread strip storage member is separated from communication with the first tread strip extruder,
where the second tread strip storage member articulates between a second tread strip receiving position and a second tread strip discharging position, such that in the second tread strip receiving position the second tread strip storage member is configured to receive the second uncured tread strip from the second tread strip extruder and in the second tread strip discharging position the second tread strip storage member is configured to transfer the second uncured tread strip to the conveyor, where in the second discharging position the second tread strip storage member is separated from communication with the second tread strip extruder.

6. The closed-loop tread strip forming unit of claim 4 , where the first and second tread strip mold members are of different designs for forming different tread strip designs.

7. The closed-loop tread strip forming unit of claim 3 , where the uncured tread strip handling assembly further includes an inverting unit, the inverting unit configured to convey the first uncured tread strip between an upper elevation and a lower elevation, where the first uncured tread strip is in a first arrangement when arranged at the upper elevation and where the first uncured tread strip is in a second arrangement when arranged at the lower elevation, where the first uncured tread strip in the first arrangement is inverted relative to the first uncured tread strip in the second arrangement.

8. The closed-loop tread strip forming unit of claim 7 , where the location for applying the first uncured tread strip to the tread strip mold member is at the lower elevation of the inverting unit.

9. The closed-loop tread strip forming unit of claim 3 , where the uncured tread handling assembly includes a fabric application unit configured to apply a fabric to the first uncured tread strip.

10. The closed-loop tread strip forming unit of claim 1 , further comprising a tread strip discharging unit configured to receive and transfer the first cured tread strip from the tread strip demolding device.

11. The closed-loop tread strip forming unit of claim 10 , where the tread strip discharging unit is attached to a conveyor including a mold member-receiving portion configured to receive the tread strip mold member from the post-cure mold handling assembly.

12. The closed-loop tread strip forming unit of claim 1 , where each end of the first tread strip mold member includes a cutting element at each of both opposing ends of the first tread strip mold member.

13. The closed-loop tread strip forming unit of claim 1 , where a length of the first tread strip mold member is configured to form multiple tire treads.

14. The closed-loop tread strip forming unit of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional platens arranged adjacent to one of the pair of opposing platens.

15. A method for forming tire tread strips using a closed-loop tread strip forming unit, comprising:
extruding an uncured tread strip using an extruder, the uncured tread strip having a length extending between a first tread strip end and a second tread strip end, where the extruding occurs at a pre-cure end of the closed-loop tread strip forming unit;
transporting the uncured tread strip to a tread strip mold member contained within the closed-loop tread strip forming unit;
arranging the uncured tread strip along the tread strip mold member to form a loaded tread strip mold member;
inserting the loaded tread s

Assignees

• Pan Chinglin
• Michelin & Cie

Inventors

• Pan Chinglin

Classifications

• B29C35/0277

  Apparatus with continuous transport of the material to be cured (B29C35/025, B29C35/06, B29C35/10, B29C35/14 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29D30/52

  Unvulcanised treads, e.g. on used tyres; Retreading (apparatus for forming {treads by extrusion B29C48/00; apparatus for} vulcanising treads B29C35/02; apparatus characterised by the means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00) · CPC title

• B29C33/44

  with means for, or specially constructed to facilitate, the removal of articles, e.g. of undercut articles · CPC title

• B29D30/0606

  Vulcanising moulds not integral with vulcanising presses (for solid tyres B29D30/02) · CPC title

• B29C35/02

  Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing {during moulding, e.g. in a mould}(cold vulcanisation B29C35/18 {; vulcanising tyres, presses therefor B29D30/0601}) · CPC title