Direct address laser ablation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9778633-B2
Application number	US-201114304179-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2011
Priority date	Dec 22, 2011
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A system and method for selectively removing tire material from the bead portions of a cured tire to reduce one or more harmonics of at least one uniformity parameter are disclosed. According to aspects of the present disclosure, tire material is selectively removed using a plurality of direct address commands. The direct address commands specify ablation parameters for discrete ablation segments at specific angular locations around the bead of the tire. The direct address commands are generated by analyzing the desired ablation pattern for the bead of the tire. The ablation device can then be controlled to selectively remove tire material in discrete ablation segments at identified addresses pursuant to the direct address commands to achieve the desired ablation pattern on one or more tracks along the bead portion of the tire using a single pass of the ablation device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for reducing one or more harmonics of at least one uniformity parameter in a cured tire, comprising:
receiving an ablation pattern for a bead of the tire, the ablation pattern defining a desired ablation depth relative to an angular location around the bead and calculated to correct for one or more harmonics of at least one uniformity parameter for the tire;
identifying a plurality of addresses for the bead, each address being associated with a specific angular location on the bead of the tire;
analyzing the ablation pattern to determine a plurality of direct address commands to achieve the ablation pattern, the plurality of direct address commands specifying ablation parameters for a plurality of discrete ablation segments at one or more addresses along the bead of the tire; each of the plurality of discrete ablation segments having similar ablation sensitivity characteristics, the discrete ablation segments stacked into a plurality of discrete layers;
controlling the ablation device to selectively remove tire material from the bead in discrete ablation segments pursuant to the direct address commands to achieve the ablation pattern.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ablation sensitivity characteristics comprise an ablation segment depth associated with the discrete ablation segments.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the ablation segment depth of the plurality of discrete ablation segments is associated with about full operating power of the ablation device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the ablation pattern to determine a plurality of direct address commands comprises:
assigning a discrete ablation segment to an address based at least in part on ablation sensitivity characteristics associated with the ablation segment; and
generating a direct address command for each discrete ablation segment assigned to an address.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the ablation pattern to determine a plurality of direct address commands comprises:
assigning one or more discrete ablation segments to at least one of the plurality of addresses in a first ablation segment layer based at least in part on an ablation segment depth associated with the discrete ablation segments;
subtracting the ablation segment depth of the discrete ablation segments in the first layer from the desired ablation depth at each address to achieve an adjusted ablation depth for each address; and
assigning discrete ablation segments to at least one of the plurality of addresses in a second ablation segment layer based at least in part on the adjusted ablation depth.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the angular locations associated with the addresses of the discrete ablation segments in the first layer are shifted relative to the angular locations associated with the addresses of the discrete ablation segments in the second layer.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the discrete ablation segments are arranged in at least four ablation segment layers to achieve the ablation pattern.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the method comprises adjusting the ablation sensitivity characteristics of the discrete ablation segments such that at least four ablation segment layers are required to achieve the ablation pattern.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein each direct address command specifies a laser power, laser scan rate, bitmap or a radial location on the bead for an ablation segment.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises selectively removing material to achieve a plurality of ablation patterns for the bead, each pattern in the plurality of ablation patterns designed for ablation at a different track location on the bead in at least one or more of the bead seat, low flange zone and high flange zone of the bead.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the tire material is selectively removed to achieve the plurality ablation patterns using a single pass of the ablation device around the bead.

12. A uniformity correction system for reducing the magnitude of one or more harmonics of at least one uniformity parameter in a tire according to an ablation pattern for a bead of the tire, the ablation pattern defining a desired ablation depth relative to an angular location around the bead, the system comprising:
a tire fixture on which a tire can be securely mounted;
an ablation device configured to provide ablation of the bead of a tire mounted on the tire fixture;
a control system coupled to the ablation device, the control system configured to control the ablation device pursuant to a plurality of direct address commands to selectively remove material in discrete ablation segments at specific angular addresses along the bead to achieve the ablation pattern, the discrete ablation segments stacked into a plurality of discrete layers;
wherein the control system controls the ablation device to selectively remove tire material according to a plurality ablation patterns for the bead using a single pass of the ablation device around the bead, each ablation pattern in the plurality of ablation patterns designed for ablation at a different track location in at least one or more of the bead seat, low flange zone and high flange zone of the bead.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of direct address commands specify ablation parameters for discrete ablation segments at one or more addresses along the bead of the tire, each of the plurality of discrete ablation segments having similar ablation sensitivity characteristics.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the control system is configured to analyze the ablation pattern to determine the plurality of direct address commands.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the system comprises a second ablation device configured to provide ablation of a second bead of a tire mounted on the tire fixture, the control system configured to independently control ablation of the second bead with the second ablation device.

Assignees

• Nicholson Verner Steve
• Stone James Edward
• Michelin & Cie

Inventors

• Nicholson Verner Steve
• Stone James Edward

Classifications

• G05B15/02 Primary

  electric · CPC title

• B23K2203/50

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B23K2203/42

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B23K26/082

  Scanning systems, i.e. devices involving movement of the laser beam relative to the laser head · CPC title

• B29D2030/0638

  Correcting by removing material, e.g. by grinding · CPC title