Device and method for producing unvulcanized band-shaped rubber member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11850814-B2
Application number	US-202017596554-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2020
Priority date	Jun 17, 2019
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

A manufacturing device for an unvulcanized band-shaped rubber member is provided. A position sensor detects, across a width direction of the band-shaped rubber member, leading and trailing ends of the band-shaped rubber member placed in a flat state on a conveyor, holding portions arranged side by side in the width direction hold at least one of the leading or trailing ends, with movement portions allowing the holding portions to move individually in a front-rear direction, the leading and the trailing ends are held by the leading and trailing end holding mechanisms, respectively, and a control unit controls a displacement of the movement portions in the front-rear direction based on data from the position sensor and a target length to adjust elongation in the front-rear direction at or near a held portion held by each of the holding portions to achieve the target length of the band-shaped rubber member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A manufacturing device for an unvulcanized band-shaped rubber member configured to elongate the band-shaped rubber member to a target length, comprising:
a placement portion onto which the band-shaped rubber member cut at a predetermined length is placed in a flat state;
a position sensor that detects, across a width direction of the band-shaped rubber member, a leading end and a trailing end of the band-shaped rubber member placed in the flat state, the position sensor that detects the leading end being a same position sensor that detects the trailing end;
a control unit into which detection data from the position sensor is input;
a leading end holding mechanism that holds the leading end; and
a trailing end holding mechanism that holds the trailing end,
at least one of the leading end holding mechanism and the trailing end holding mechanism comprising a plurality of holding portions arranged side by side in the width direction of the band-shaped rubber member, and movement portions that each move one of the plurality of holding portions individually in a front-rear direction of the band-shaped rubber member, a displacement of each of the movement portions in the front-rear direction being controlled by the control unit based on the detection data and the target length to adjust a degree of elongation in the front-rear direction at or near a held portion of the band-shaped rubber member held by each of the plurality of holding portions, wherein
the leading end holding mechanism and the trailing end holding mechanism are both positioned on a same side of the band-shaped rubber member relative to the flat state of the band-shaped rubber member,
each of the holding portions is disposed below a respective block base,
at least one height adjustment portion is interposed between at least one of the holding portions and the respective block base, and
the vertical position of each of the holding portions is set depending on a cross-sectional shape of the band-shaped rubber member by using the height adjustment portion.

2. The manufacturing device for an unvulcanized band-shaped rubber member according to claim 1 , wherein the position sensor is individually installed for each of the plurality of holding portions.

3. The manufacturing device for an unvulcanized band-shaped rubber member according to claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of holding portions is a suction pad that suctions a top surface of the band-shaped rubber member.

4. The manufacturing device for an unvulcanized band-shaped rubber member according to claim 3 , wherein a placement surface of the placement portion is a placement surface onto which the band-shaped rubber member placed in the flat state is attached without being shifted in the front-rear direction and the band-shaped rubber member being in a state with no expansion or contraction in the front-rear direction.

5. The manufacturing device for an unvulcanized band-shaped rubber member according to claim 4 , comprising a pressing roller that rolls on the top surface of the band-shaped rubber member placed in the flat state before the position sensor detects, across the width direction of the band-shaped rubber member, the leading end and the trailing end of the band-shaped rubber member.

6. The manufacturing device for an unvulcanized band-shaped rubber member according to claim 5 , wherein the placement portion is a conveyance conveyor that conveys the band-shaped rubber member.

7. The manufacturing device for an unvulcanized band-shaped rubber member according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of holding portions is a suction pad that suctions a top surface of the band-shaped rubber member.

8. The manufacturing device for an unvulcanized band-shaped rubber member according to claim 1 , wherein a placement surface of the placement portion is a placement surface onto which the band-shaped rubber member placed in the flat state is attached without being shifted in the front-rear direction and the band-shaped rubber member being in a state with no expansion or contraction in the front-rear direction.

9. The manufacturing device for an unvulcanized band-shaped rubber member according to claim 8 , comprising a pressing roller that rolls on a top surface of the band-shaped rubber member placed in the flat state before the position sensor detects, across the width direction of the band-shaped rubber member, the leading end and the trailing end of the band-shaped rubber member.

10. The manufacturing device for an unvulcanized band-shaped rubber member according to claim 1 , wherein the placement portion is a conveyance conveyor that conveys the band-shaped rubber member.

11. The manufacturing device for an unvulcanized band-shaped rubber member according to claim 1 , wherein the leading end is in the flat state when detected by the position sensor.

12. The manufacturing device for an unvulcanized band-shaped rubber member according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the leading end holding mechanism and the trailing end holding mechanism comprising the plurality of holding portions arranged side by side in the width direction of the band-shaped rubber member is the leading end holding mechanism.

13. The manufacturing device for an unvulcanized band-shaped rubber member according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the leading end holding mechanism and the trailing end holding mechanism comprising the plurality of holding portions arranged side by side in the width direction of the band-shaped rubber member is both the leading end holding mechanism and the trailing end holding mechanism.

14. A method of manufacturing an unvulcanized band-shaped rubber member in which the band-shaped rubber member cut at a predetermined length is elongated to a target length, the method comprising:
detecting across a width direction of the band-shaped rubber member, by a position sensor, a leading end and a trailing end of the band-shaped rubber member placed in a flat state on a placement portion, and inputting detection data from the position sensor into a control unit, the position sensor that detects the leading end being a same position sensor that detects the trailing end; and
by configuring at least one of a leading end holding mechanism that holds the leading end and a trailing end holding mechanism that holds the trailing end to comprise a plurality of holding portions arranged side by side in the width direction of the band-shaped rubber member, and movement portions that each move one of the plurality of holding portions individually in a front-rear direction of the band-shaped rubber member, holding the leading end by the leading end holding mechanism, and holding the trailing end by the trailing end holding mechanism, controlling, by the control unit, based on the detection data and the target length, a displacement of each of the movement portions in the front- rear direction to adjust a degree of elongation in the front-rear direction at or near a held portion of the band-shaped rubber member held by each of the plurality of holding portion; wherein
each of the holding portions is disposed below a respective block base, and
by attaching at least one of the holding portions to the respective block base by interposing a height adjustment portion, the vertical position of each of the holding portions is set depending on a cross-sectional shape of the band-shaped rubber member.

15. A manufacturing device for an unvulcanized band-shaped rubber member configured to elongate the band-shaped rubber member to a target length, comprising:
a placement portion onto which

Assignees

• Yokohama Rubber Co Ltd

Inventors

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

Classifications

• 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

• B29D30/0061

  Accessories, details or auxiliary operations not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B29D30/26

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

• 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

• B29D30/44

  Stretching or treating the layers before application on the drum (during application B29D30/30) · CPC title