METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONSTRUCTING A RADIAL TIRE

• US 20090272484A1
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental AG
• Inventors: Winkler, Jens, Seevers, Joern, Thomfohrde, Claudia
• Granted Patent: US 7,931,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/118
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/246 Drums for the multiple stage building process, i.e. the building-up of the cylindrical carcass is realised on one drum and the toroidal expansion is realised after transferring on another drum expansion to a toroidal shape B29D30/36
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/2607 Devices for transferring annular tyre components during the building-up stage, e.g. from the first stage to the second stage building drum
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/36 Expansion of tyres in a flat form , i.e. expansion to a toroidal shape independently of their building-up process, e.g. of tyres built by the flat-tyres method or by jointly covering two bead-rings

Abstract

Device and method for building a radial tire. The device includes a first drum device for building a belt package and a transfer device for transferring the belt package from the first drum device to a second drum device having arranged thereon a carcass tube from at least one airtight inner layer, a carcass play and two bead cores with core profiles. The second drum device is arranged between core clamping devices and is structured and arranged to join the carcass tube and the belt package during expansion of the second drum device. The belt package is contoured or shaped by deformation via the second drum device. This abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A method for building a radial tire comprising:

building a belt package on a build-up drum having a cylindrical outside circumference;

building a carcass tube having an airtight inner layer, at least one carcass ply and two bead cores with core profiles;

transferring the carcass tube to a building drum arranged between axially movable core clamping devices each comprising an inflatable bellows;

transferring, with a transferring device, the belt package to the building drum and positioning the belt package over the carcass tube; and

expanding the building drum to cause the carcass tube to be joined to the belt package,

wherein the belt package is contoured or shaped by at least one of the building drum and a device acting on the belt package from outside.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the building drum has an outside shape which corresponds to or is similar to a cross-sectional contour of the belt package of a finished tire.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the belt package comprises one of:

at least two belt plies; and

at least two automatically spliced belt plies.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the belt package is contoured or shaped at least on a shoulder side via the device acting on the belt package from the outside.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the device acting on the belt package from the outside comprises one of:

a rubber collar;

an inflatable device encasing the belt package;

a device which, in an inflated condition, assumes a contour corresponding to a desired cross-sectional contour of the belt package.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the device acting on the belt package from the outside is arranged on the transfer device.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising, during the expansion of the building drum, moving the core clamping devices laterally.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising placing the carcass ply under tension during the expanding.

28. The method of claim 20, further comprising winding one or more material strips provided with strength supports on the belt package in a spiral manner utilizing one or more winding heads.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising moving the one or more winding heads parallel to an axis of the building drum.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising moving the one or more winding heads in a manner which follows a contour of the belt package.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising one of:

adjusting the one or more winding heads perpendicular to a surface of the belt package; and

aligning the one or more winding heads perpendicular to a surface of the belt package.

32. A device for building a radial tire comprising:

a first drum device for building a belt package;

a transfer device for transferring the belt package from the first drum device to a second drum device having arranged thereon a carcass tube from at least one airtight inner layer, a carcass play and two bead cores with core profiles; and

the second drum device being arranged between core clamping devices and being structured and arranged to join the carcass tube and the belt package during expansion of the second drum device,

wherein the belt package is contoured or shaped by deformation via the second drum device.

33. The device of claim 32, wherein the second drum device has an outside shape which corresponds to or is similar to a cross-sectional contour of the belt package of a finished tire.

34. The device of claim 32, wherein the second drum device has an outside shape whereby a residual elevation in shoulder areas is the same as or greater than in a zenith area of a finished green tire.

35. The device of claim 32, further comprising a device for shaping an outside of the belt package.

36. The device of claim 35, wherein the device for shaping comprises an inflatable rubber collar that encases the belt package and that is arranged on the transfer device, whereby, in an inflated condition, said collar assumes an interior contour corresponding to a desired cross-sectional contour of the belt package.

37. The device of claim 32, wherein the transfer device is adapted to include gripper devices for holding the belt package.

38. The device of claim 32, further comprising at least one winding head for applying a winding bandage on the belt package.

39. The device of claim 38, wherein the at least one winding head is moveable perpendicular to an axis of the building drum.

40. The device of claim 38, wherein the at least one winding head is moveable parallel to an axis of the building drum.

41. The device of claim 38, wherein the at least one winding head is moveable parallel to an outside contour of the belt package.

42. A device for building a radial tire comprising:

an expandable first drum device for building a belt package;

an expandable second drum device for supporting a carcass tube comprising at least one airtight inner layer, a carcass play and two bead cores with core profiles;

the second drum device being arranged between core clamping devices and being structured and arranged to join the carcass tube and the belt package during expansion of the second drum device; and

a movable transfer device for transferring the belt package from the first drum device to a second drum device parallel to an axis of the first and second drum devices.

43. A method for building a radial tire on the device of claim 42, the method comprising:

building a belt package;

building a carcass tube;

transferring the carcass tube to the second drum device;

positioning the belt package over the carcass tube; and

expanding the second drum device to cause the carcass tube to be joined to the belt package,

wherein the belt package is contoured or shaped by at least one of the second drum device and a device acting on the belt package from outside.

44. A method for building a radial tire comprising:

positioning a carcass tube on a drum device;

positioning a belt package over the carcass tube; and

expanding the carcass tube to be joined the carcass tube to the belt package and to contour the belt package.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the belt package is contoured by at least one of a profile of the drum device and a device acting on the belt package from the outside.