Method for loading a green tyre for bicycle in a vulcanisation mould and apparatus for moulding and vulcanising

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10987887-B2
Application number	US-201716472785-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2017
Priority date	Dec 28, 2016
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

A green tyre (2) for bicycles is built, comprising at least one carcass ply (4) having axially opposite end flaps (4a) engaged with respective bead cores (5) and a tread band (6) applied in a radially outer position around said at least one carcass ply (4). The built tyre (2) removed from the building drum, is profiled so as to translate the tread band (6) in a radially outer direction with respect to the bead cores (5), so as to impart a cross-sectional convex profile to the tyre (2) in a radially outer direction. The profiled tire is engaged by means of a transfer member (31) comprising a gripping device (30) which holds it hanging and loads it into a vulcanisation mould (101) by axially positioning an axial centreline plane (M) of the green tyre at an axial reference (51) arranged at a predetermined height along a reference axis (K) of a central body (103) of the vulcanisation mould (101).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for loading a green tyre for a bicycle in a vulcanisation mould, comprising:
picking up the green tyre and hanging the green tyre by a gripping device defining a gripping axis (Z);
aligning the gripping device, which holds the green tyre, up to a geometric axis of rotation (X) of the green tyre with a reference axis (K) of a central body of the vulcanisation mould;
arranging the green tyre in a radially outer position with respect to the central body of the vulcanisation mould;
axially positioning the green tyre with respect to the central body, wherein an axial centreline plane (M) of the green tyre is arranged at an axial reference arranged at a predetermined height along the reference axis (K) of the central body;
exerting a thrust action by the central body, wherein the thrust action is directed radially outwards on a radially inner surface of the green tyre;
keeping the green tyre in position on the central body by the thrust action; and
disengaging the gripping device from the green tyre to release the green tyre on the central body with the axial centreline plane (M) centred and positioned in an axial position corresponding to the predetermined height,
wherein picking up the green tyre comprises activating at least one gripping area of a gripping sector of the gripping device against a radially outer surface of the green tyre, and the gripping device retains the green tyre from the exterior; and
wherein activating the gripping area against the radially outer surface of the green tyre comprises exerting an attraction force (A) on the radially outer surface of the green tyre moving away from the geometric axis of rotation (X).

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein activating the gripping area against the radially outer surface of the green tyre comprises contacting the gripping area with the radially outer surface of the green tyre.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the attraction force (A) is exerted by a pneumatic suction action generating a predetermined degree of vacuum between the radially outer surface of the green tyre and the at least one gripping area.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein disengaging the gripping device from the green tyre comprises deactivating the at least one gripping area to release the radially outer surface.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein disengaging the gripping device from the green tyre further comprises deactivating the pneumatic suction action to release the radially outer surface.

6. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising exerting a thrust action by a profiling unit, wherein the thrust action of the profiling unit is directed radially outwards on a radially inner surface of the green tyre for expanding the green tyre from the interior up to reaching an expanded configuration prior to picking up the green tyre.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein picking up the green tyre comprises activating at least one gripping area of a gripping sector of the gripping device against a radially outer surface of the green tyre in the expanded configuration to retain the green tyre from the exterior and keep the green tyre in the expanded configuration.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the gripping sector is arranged circumferentially around the gripping axis (Z) and defines an annular gripping portion.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising selecting an annular gripping band (B) of the green tyre arranged around the geometric axis of rotation (X) at a predetermined height along the geometric axis of rotation (X) itself and activating the at least one gripping area of the annular gripping portion against the radially outer surface of the annular gripping band (B).

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein during the activation of the gripping device, the green tyre is retained by the gripping device and hangs only at the annular gripping band (B).

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the axial centreline plane (M) of the green tyre symmetrically divides the annular gripping band (B) with respect thereto.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein axially positioning the green tyre with respect to the central body comprises carrying out a relative axial translation movement between the gripping device and the central body to arrange the axial centreline plane (M) at the predetermined height along the reference axis (K) of the central body.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein axially positioning the green tyre with respect to the central body further comprises handling the central body between a vulcanisation position, wherein the central body is arranged within the vulcanisation mould, and a gripping position, wherein the central body is arranged outside the vulcanisation mould and positioned radially inside the green tyre.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the central body exerts the thrust action on the radially inner surface of the green tyre when the central body reaches the gripping position and the axial centreline plane (M) is arranged at the predetermined height.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein disengaging the gripping device from the green tyre, hanging the green tyre in position on the central body arranged in the gripping position, and retaining from the interior by the thrust action exerted by the central body.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein handling the central body from the vulcanisation position to the gripping position, wherein the central body exerts the thrust action on the radially inner surface of the green tyre and, while keeping the green tyre in position on the central body by the thrust action, handling the central body from the gripping position to the vulcanisation position for vulcanising the green tyre.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein exerting the thrust action by the central body comprises radially expanding at least one portion of the central body to contact a radially inner surface of the green tyre.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the green tyre is kept with the geometric axis of rotation (X) arranged transversely with respect to a horizontal geometric plane.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein picking up the green tyre by the gripping device is with the gripping axis (Z) and the geometric axis of rotation (X) arranged transversely with respect to a horizontal geometric plane.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein axially positioning the green tyre with respect to the central body is transversely arranged with respect to a horizontal geometric plane.

Assignees

• Pirelli

Inventors

• Conti Davide Lupo
• Lodi Bruno
• Bosio Gian Luigi

Classifications

• B29D30/0603 Primary

  Loading or unloading the presses · CPC title

• B29D2030/0022

  Handling green tyres, e.g. transferring or storing between tyre manufacturing steps · CPC title

• B29D2030/0647

  Supporting or transferring tyres using an assembly of a bladder and side rings · CPC title

• B29D30/0645

  Devices for inserting vulcanising cores, i.e. bladders, into the tyres; Closing the press in combination herewith · CPC title

• B29D2030/0622

  the pressing devices being collapsable, e.g. annular elements consisting of a plurality of sectors · CPC title