Versatile sipe machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12122113-B2
Application number	US-202218275464-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2022
Priority date	Feb 3, 2021
Publication date	Oct 22, 2024
Grant date	Oct 22, 2024

Abstract

A sipe forming assembly is provided. The sipe forming assembly includes a plunge cutting assembly, a leading roller assembly positioned upstream of the plunge cutting assembly, and a trailing roller assembly positioned downstream of the plunge cutting assembly. The plunge cutting assembly includes a blade and a linear actuator configured to actuate the blade to cut a sipe in a tire tread. The leading roller assembly includes a first leading roller and a second leading roller positionable relative to the first leading roller. The second leading roller and the first leading roller are configured to cooperate to clamp the tire tread between the first leading roller and the second leading roller. The trailing roller assembly includes a first trailing roller and a second trailing roller configured to cooperate to clamp the tire tread between the first trailing roller and the second trailing roller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly for cutting sipes into a tire tread, the assembly comprising: a roller assembly configured to translate the tire tread along a tread plane at a feed speed; a plunge cutting assembly comprising: a linear actuator defining an axis along which the linear actuator is configured to operate; and a blade operably coupled to the linear actuator and configured to cut a sipe into the tire tread along the axis; and a controller operably coupled to the roller assembly and the plunge cutting assembly, the controller configured to actuate the linear actuator during tread travel based on elapsed time and the feed speed.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the roller assembly comprises:
a leading roller assembly positioned upstream of the plunge cutting assembly, the leading roller assembly comprising:
a first leading roller; and
a second leading roller positionable relative to the first leading roller and configured to clamp the tire tread between the first leading roller and the second leading roller; and

a trailing roller assembly positioned downstream of the plunge cutting assembly, the trailing roller assembly comprising:
a first trailing roller; and
a second trailing roller positionable relative to the first trailing roller and configured to clamp the tire tread between the first trailing roller and the second trailing roller.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , further comprising a rotation assembly operably coupled to the plunge cutting assembly, the rotation assembly configured to rotate the blade relative to a lateral axis of the tire tread.

4. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the plunge cutting assembly further comprises a cut plate operably coupled to the rotation assembly and configured to rotate as the blade rotates, the cut plate positioned opposite to the blade such that the cut plate engages with a surface of the tire tread opposite to the surface of the tire tread being cut by the blade, the cut plate providing a substantially flat surface against which the blade cuts the sipe.

5. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the leading rollers and the trailing rollers cooperate with the plunge cutting assembly to evenly space sipe cuts on the tire tread.

6. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first leading roller and the second leading roller is driven by a roller driving actuator.

7. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the blade is removably coupled to the plunge cutting assembly.

8. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a rotation assembly operably coupled to the plunge cutting assembly and configured to rotate the blade relative to a lateral axis of the tire tread; and
a cut plate operably coupled to the rotation assembly and configured to rotate as the blade rotates, the cut plate positioned opposite to the blade such that the cut plate engages with a surface of the tire tread opposite to the surface of the tire tread being cut by the blade.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the blade comprises a blade edge having a first blade edge characteristic with a first profile, a second blade edge characteristic with a second profile, and a third blade edge characteristic with a third profile, wherein the third profile of the third blade edge characteristic is a different profile from the first profile of the first blade edge characteristic and the second profile of the second blade edge characteristic.

10. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first profile of the first blade edge characteristic corresponds to the second profile of the second blade edge characteristic.

11. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first profile and the second profile form a sawtooth profile and the third profile forms a linear profile.

12. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first profile and the second profile form a sinusoidal profile and the third profile forms a linear profile.

13. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first profile and the second profile form a sinusoidal profile and the third profile forms a sawtooth profile.

14. A sipe forming assembly comprising:
a plunge cutting assembly comprising:
a blade assembly comprising a plurality of blades and a plurality of rotary actuators, each of the plurality of blades operably coupled to a rotary actuator of the plurality of rotary actuators, each of the rotary actuators configured to independently rotate each of the plurality of blades relative a lateral axis of a tire tread; and
a linear actuator operably coupled to the blade assembly and configured to actuate the blade assembly such that each of the plurality of blades cut a sipe in the tire tread;

a roller assembly configured to translate the tire tread along a tread plane at a feed speed; and
a controller operably coupled to the roller assembly and the plunge cutting assembly, the controller configured to actuate each of the rotary actuators and the linear actuator based on the feed speed.

15. The sipe forming assembly of claim 14 , wherein the plunge cutting assembly is configured to operate the blade to cut sipes at between 50-100% of a thickness of the tire tread.

16. The sipe forming assembly of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of blades comprise a blade edge, the blade edge having an edge characteristic.

17. The sipe forming assembly of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to rotate one of the plurality of blades to a first angle and configured to rotate another one of the plurality of blades to a second angle, the first angle being different from the second angle.

18. The sipe forming assembly of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of blades is removably coupled to the plunge cutting assembly.

Assignees

• Bridgestone Bandag Llc

Inventors

• Kost Troy A
• Jones Jim L
• Otting Robert G
• Koepke Logan M

Classifications

• B26D2001/006

  the cutting blade having a special shape, e.g. a special outline, serrations · CPC title

• B26D2001/0053

  having a special cutting edge section or blade section · CPC title

• B26D1/0006

  Cutting members therefor · CPC title

• B26D1/04

  having a linearly-movable cutting member (B26D1/46, B26D1/547 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29D2030/0613

  Means, e.g. sipes or blade-like elements, for forming narrow recesses in the tyres, e.g. cuts or incisions for winter tyres · CPC title