Device and method for producing unvulcanized ring-shaped rubber member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11745455-B2
Application number	US-202017596552-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2020
Priority date	Jun 17, 2019
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

In a method for producing an unvulcanized ring-shaped rubber member a front edge portion of a band-like rubber member conveyed by a conveyor is disposed on an outer circumferential surface of a forming drum, and the forming drum is rotated to wind a length of the band-like rubber member on the outer circumferential surface and a rear edge portion is held by rear edge holding portions arranged side by side in a width direction. Using distribution data on a length of the band-like rubber member in the width direction, an amount of movement of movement portions in a front-rear direction is controlled to adjust the degree of elongation around the held portion of the rear edge portion in the front-rear direction that is held by each of the rear edge holding portions, and the front and rear edge portions are bonded to produce a ring-shaped rubber member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for producing an unvulcanized ring-shaped rubber member, the device comprising:
a transport conveyor that transports an unvulcanized band-like rubber member toward a forming drum;
a front edge arrangement mechanism that holds and disposes a front edge portion of the band-like rubber member onto an outer circumferential surface of the forming drum;
a rear edge bonding mechanism that holds and bonds a rear edge portion of the band-like rubber member to the front edge portion on the outer circumferential surface; and
a control unit configured to control movement of the transport conveyor, the front edge arrangement mechanism, and the rear edge bonding mechanism,
the front edge portion and the rear edge portion of the band-like rubber member wound around the outer circumferential surface being bonded by a preset allowable bonding margin,
the rear edge bonding mechanism comprising a plurality of holding portions arranged side by side in a width direction of the band-like rubber member, and movement portions that individually move each of the holding portions in a front-rear direction of the band-like rubber member, and

before bonding the rear edge portion to the front edge portion, the control unit controlling an amount of movement of each of the movement portions in the front-rear direction using distribution data on a length of the band-like rubber member in the width direction, and thus a degree of elongation around a held portion of the rear edge portion in the front-rear direction that is held by each of the holding portions being adjusted; wherein
the rear edge bonding mechanism comprises a pressing bar disposed on a side of a top surface of the rear edge portion and extending in the width direction,
the rear edge portion is pressed by moving the pressing bar toward the top surface of the rear edge portion, and thus the rear edge portion is bonded to the front edge portion on the outer circumferential surface, and
the control unit is configured to control the movement portions such that a movement velocity of each of the movement portions in the front-rear direction is identical.

2. The device for producing an unvulcanized ring-shaped rubber member according to claim 1 , wherein each of the holding portions includes an adsorption pad that adsorbs the top surface of the rear edge portion to hold the rear edge portion.

3. The device for producing an unvulcanized ring-shaped rubber member according to claim 2 , wherein each of the holding portions includes a needle shaped body capable of piercing from a position on the side of the top surface of the rear edge portion to a position midway in a thickness direction of the band-like rubber member.

4. A method for producing an unvulcanized ring-shaped rubber member, the method comprising:
conveying an unvulcanized band-like rubber member toward a forming drum by a transport conveyor;
disposing a front edge portion of the band-like rubber member on an outer circumferential surface of the forming drum;
winding a predetermined length of the band-like rubber member on the outer circumferential surface of the forming drum by rotating the forming drum; and
bonding the front edge portion on the outer circumferential surface and a rear edge portion of the band-like rubber member by a preset allowable bonding margin,
the rear edge portion being held by a plurality of holding portions arranged side by side in a width direction of the band-like rubber member to allow each of the holding portions to move in a front-rear direction individually by respective movement portions, and
before bonding the rear edge portion to the front edge portion, a control unit controlling an amount of movement of the respective movement portions in the front-rear direction using distribution data on a length of the band-like rubber member in the width direction, and thus a degree of elongation around a held portion of the rear edge portion in the front-rear direction that is held by each of the holding portions being adjusted;
wherein the control unit is configured to control the movement portions such that a movement velocity of each of the movement portions in the front-rear direction is identical.

5. A device for producing an unvulcanized ring-shaped rubber member, the device comprising:
a transport conveyor that transports an unvulcanized band-like rubber member toward a forming drum;
a front edge arrangement mechanism that holds and disposes a front edge portion of the band-like rubber member onto an outer circumferential surface of the forming drum;
a rear edge bonding mechanism that holds and bonds a rear edge portion of the band-like rubber member to the front edge portion on the outer circumferential surface; and
a control unit configured to control movement of the transport conveyor, the front edge arrangement mechanism, and the rear edge bonding mechanism,
the front edge portion and the rear edge portion of the band-like rubber member wound around the outer circumferential surface being bonded by a preset allowable bonding margin,
the rear edge bonding mechanism comprising a plurality of holding portions arranged side by side in a width direction of the band-like rubber member, and movement portions that individually move each of the holding portions in a front-rear direction of the band-like rubber member, and
before bonding the rear edge portion to the front edge portion, the control unit controlling an amount of movement of each of the movement portions in the front-rear direction using distribution data on a length of the band-like rubber member in the width direction, and thus a degree of elongation around a held portion of the rear edge portion in the front-rear direction that is held by each of the holding portions being adjusted;
wherein the control unit is configured to control the movement portions such that a movement velocity of each of the movement portions in the front-rear direction is identical.

Assignees

• Yokohama Rubber Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kondo Masatomo
• ZENYOJI Chihiro
• KUNIMORI Teruaki
• OISHI Jyumpei
• Hasegawa Haruhisa

Classifications

• B29D30/3007 Primary

  by feeding a sheet perpendicular to the drum axis and joining the ends to form an annular element (bending sheets and joining the edges B29C53/42) · CPC title

• B29D30/26

  Accessories or details, e.g. membranes, transfer rings · CPC title

• B29D2030/2685

  by using mechanical means, e.g. jaws, grippers, pressing bars · CPC title

• B29D2030/2692

  by using suction means, e.g. vacuum producing devices · CPC title

• B29D30/30 Primary

  Applying the layers; Guiding or stretching the layers during application {(applying tread bands to carcasses B29D30/58; retreading B29D30/54)} · CPC title