Device for assembling the spokes of a tire for a wheel by means of pushers that are actuated and elastically suspended by levers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12479238-B2
Application number	US-202218710507-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2022
Priority date	Nov 15, 2021
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

A device for assembling an airless tire ( 2 ) comprising a hub ( 3 ) of central axis (Z 3 ), a peripheral annular band ( 4 ) and a plurality of spokes ( 5 ) that connect the hub ( 3 ) to the peripheral annular band ( 4 ) comprises a plurality of pressing sub-assemblies ( 10 ) each comprising pushers ( 11, 12 ) for pressing the feet ( 6, 7 ) of the spokes ( 5 ) against the hub ( 3 ) and the peripheral annular band ( 4 ) respectively, as ( 20 ) and each hold a lever ( 15, 16 ) that makes it possible to transmit a clamping force (F 15 , F 16 ) to the pusher ( 11, 12 ) while ensuring elastic radial suspension of the pusher ( 11, 12 ) vis-à-vis the traveller ( 13, 14 ) and therefore against the foot ( 6, 7 ) of the spoke and the hub ( 3 ) or the peripheral annular ring ( 4 ) well as travellers ( 13, 14 ) that are mounted radially movably under the control of a drive system respectively.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An assembly device for manufacturing a tire that comprises a hub having a central axis, a peripheral annular band coaxial with the hub, and a plurality of spokes that connect the hub to the peripheral annular band and that each comprise a first foot fastened on a radially outer face of the hub forming a first receiving face and a second foot fastened on a radially inner face of the peripheral annular band forming a second receiving face, the assembly device comprising:
a plurality of pressing sub-assemblies that are each assigned to fastening a separate spoke and each comprise at least one pusher arranged to press one of the first and second feet of a given spoke against the receiving face of the hub or the peripheral annular band respectively that corresponds to the first or second foot of the spoke,
wherein each of the pressing sub-assemblies comprises at least one traveller that is mounted radially movably relative to the central axis, under the control of a drive system, and that holds a lever that extends radially from an anchor point, via which the lever is rigidly connected to the traveller, to a bearing member that is situated axially at a distance from the anchor point along the central axis, and via which the lever bears against the pusher in a contact area that is situated on a back of the pusher, radially opposite the foot and the receiving face, and that is also contained in an axial range occupied by the foot along the central axis, so that, when the drive system radially moves the traveller, the lever carried by the traveller transmits to the pusher, by means of the bearing member, a clamping force that presses the pusher, and therefore the foot of the spoke, against the receiving face, and provides through an elastic bending capacity of the lever, elastic radial suspension of the pusher vis-à-vis the traveller and therefore against the foot of the spoke and the receiving face.

2 . The assembly device according to claim 1 , wherein the lever is separate from the pusher, and
wherein the bearing member has, in a radial plane containing the central axis, a rounded profile that allows the bearing member to roll on the back of the pusher, in order to accommodate variations in orientation of the lever relative to the back of the pusher when the lever tilts and/or deforms in bending.

3 . The assembly device according to claim 1 , wherein the anchor point is formed by a pivot connection, an axis of which is orthoradial relative to the central axis.

4 . The assembly device according to claim 3 , wherein the lever comprises a first branch that extends on one side relative to the axis of the pivot connection, in order to connect the anchor point to the bearing member, and a second branch that extends on an opposite side relative to the axis of the pivot connection, in order to connect the anchor point to a stop member arranged to bear against the traveller, against an adjustable stop, which is held by the traveller.

5 . The assembly device according to claim 1 , wherein the contact area that exists between the bearing member of the lever and the back of the pusher is strictly contained in a central axial range that is centered on an axial range occupied by the pusher and an axial extent of which represents less than 40% of an extent of the axial range occupied by the pusher.

6 . The assembly device according to claim 1 , wherein the pusher is radially guided by a first guide situated at a first axial end of the pusher and by a second guide separate from the first guide and situated at a second axial end of the pusher opposite the first end, so that the contact area between the bearing member and the back of the pusher is situated between the first and second guides, at a distance from the first and second guides.

7 . The assembly device according to claim 1 , wherein the pusher is moved by a single lever, the anchor point of which is situated axially outside an axial range occupied by the pusher.

8 . The assembly device according to claim 1 , wherein at least some of the pressing sub-assemblies each comprise a first traveller that holds a first lever that bears against the back of a first pusher arranged to press the first foot of the given spoke against the hub, and a second traveller that holds a second lever that bears against the back of a second pusher arranged to press the second foot of the given spoke against the peripheral annular band.

9 . The assembly device according to claim 8 , wherein the drive system is designed so as to allow selective generation of either a simultaneous movement of the first traveller and the second traveller against the first foot of the given spoke and the second foot of the given spoke respectively, or a separate movement of the first and second travellers one after the other.

10 . The assembly device according to claim 1 , wherein the assembly device further comprises a shared drive system, common to a plurality of the pressing sub-assemblies, the shared drive system comprising a ring that is provided with a spiral guide, which is centered on and rotatably mounted about the central axis, and which interacts with a traveller of each of the pressing sub-assemblies in order to convert a rotation of the ring into a radial translation of the traveller.

11 . The assembly device according to claim 10 , wherein the spiral guide forms a plurality of concentric guide turns, and the traveller has a base provided with a plurality of coupling tabs with a shape conjugate to the guide turns and that are radially offset from each other so as to interact with the plurality of concentric guide turns.

12 . The assembly device according to claim 8 , wherein the assembly device further comprises a shared drive system, common to a plurality of the pressing sub-assemblies, the shared drive system comprising a ring that is provided with a spiral guide, which is centered on and rotatably mounted about the central axis, and which interacts with a traveller of each of the pressing sub-assemblies in order to convert a rotation of the ring into a radial translation of the traveller, and
wherein the drive system comprises at least one first ring provided with a spiral guide, which at least one first ring is rotatably mounted about the central axis and interacts simultaneously with the first travellers of the pressing sub-assemblies, to convert a rotation of the at least one first ring into a radial translation of the first travellers, and a second ring provided with a spiral guide, which second ring is rotatably mounted about the central axis and coaxial with the first ring, and simultaneously interacts with the second travellers of the pressing sub-assemblies to convert a rotation of the second ring into a radial translation of the second travellers.

13 . The assembly device according to claim 1 , wherein the assembly device comprises as many pressing sub-assemblies distributed about the central axis as there are spokes in the tire.

Assignees

• Michelin & Cie

Inventors

• Bessac Christophe
• Chevrel Lucie
• Delorme Jean-Claude
• Bunge Yorrick

Classifications

• B60B1/00

  Spoked wheels; Spokes thereof (non-metallic B60B5/00 {; spoked wheels comprising rail-engaging elements B60B17/001; making wheel spokes B21F39/00}) · CPC title

• B60B9/26

  comprising resilient spokes · CPC title

• B60B31/005 Primary

  especially for spoked wheels · CPC title

• B29D30/02 Primary

  Solid tyres {; Moulds therefor} · CPC title