Method for controlling the deposition of elementary semifinished products in a process for building tyres for vehicle wheels

• US 9,289,956 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2012
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pirelli Tyre SPA (Pirelli & C SPA)
• Original Assignee: Pirelli Tyre SPA (Pirelli & C SPA), Politecnico di Torino
• Inventors: Ballabio, Michele, Lo Presti, Gaetano, Montrucchio, Bartolomeo, Orlando, Vincenzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rosario, Dennis
• Application Number:
  US14/364,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20140341460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 731/46
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/0066 Tyre quality control during manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/0061 Accessories, details or auxiliary operations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 25/007 outside surface measuring profile depth G01B11/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/027 using light, e.g. infrared, ultraviolet or holographic techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30164 Workpiece; Machine component
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 using an image reference approach

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling the deposition of elementary semifinished products in a process for building tires for vehicle wheels includes: driving in rotation, around a rotation axis, at a rotation speed between about π/8 rad/s and about 6π rad/s, a tire being processed which tire has a radially external surface including one or more elementary semifinished products; sending a first electromagnetic radiation to the radially external surface, the latter generating a corresponding first reflected radiation; detecting, through a first detecting device, at least one first image representative of the first reflected radiation; controlling the first detecting device in such a manner that a first exposure time for detecting the at least one first image is included between about 0.1 s and about 10 s; carrying out a first comparison between the at least one first image and one or more reference data; and generating a first notification signal as a function of the first comparison.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the deposition of elementary semifinished products in a process for building a tyre for vehicle wheels, comprising:

driving in rotation a tyre being processed around a rotation axis at a rotation speed between about π

/8 rad/s and about 6π

rad/s, said tyre having a radially external surface comprising one or more elementary semifinished products;

sending a first electromagnetic radiation to said radially external surface, the radially external surface generating a corresponding first reflected radiation;

detecting, through a first detecting device, at least one first image representative of said first reflected radiation, wherein the at least one first image is obtained by a detecting window substantially parallel to the rotation axis of said tyre being processed;

controlling said first detecting device in such a manner that a first exposure time for detecting said at least one first image is between about 0.1 s and about 10 s;

carrying out a first comparison between said at least one first image and one or more reference data; and

generating a first notification signal as a function of said first comparison.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first exposure time is between about 1 s and about 4 s.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotation speed of said tyre being processed is between about π

/2 rad/s and about 2π

rad/s.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first exposure time is equal to at least a time employed by said tyre being processed for carrying out a full revolution around said rotation axis.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first detecting device is positioned on a first detection plane joining said first detecting device to a first region of incidence of said radially external surface impinged on by said first electromagnetic radiation.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising providing at least one first emitter device for sending said first electromagnetic radiation onto said radially external surface.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said first emitter device is positioned along a first emission plane joining said first emitter device to a first region of incidence of the radially external surface impinged on by said first electromagnetic radiation.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said first detecting device is positioned on a first detection plane joining said first detecting device to a first region of incidence of said radially external surface impinged on by said first electromagnetic radiation, and wherein said first detection plane defines an angle between about 30°

and about 60°

with said first emission plane.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one or more reference data comprise data defined as a function of previous detecting operations carried out by said first detecting device.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one or more reference data comprise data defined on a statistical basis as a function of previous detecting operations.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first notification signal is representative of positioning of one or more of said elementary semifinished products.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first notification signal is representative of lack of deposition of at least one elementary semifinished product.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

sending a second electromagnetic radiation onto said radially external surface, the radially external surface generating a corresponding second reflected radiation;

detecting through a second detecting device, at least one second image representative of said second reflected radiation;

controlling said second detecting device in such a manner that a second exposure time for detecting said at least one second image is between about 0.1 s and about 10 s;

carrying out a second comparison between said at least one second image and one or more reference data; and

generating a second notification signal as a function of said second comparison.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said second exposure time is between about 1 s and about 4 s.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said second exposure time is equal to at least a time employed by said tyre being processed for carrying out a full revolution around said rotation axis.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said first electromagnetic radiation strikes on a first region of said radially external surface, and said second electromagnetic radiation strikes on a second region of said radially external surface.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said first and second regions are defined by respective axial-end regions of said tyre being processed.

18. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said first and/or second electromagnetic radiation has a wavelength between about 500 nm and about 700 nm.

19. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said first and/or second detecting device comprises a CCD sensor operating at 8 bits or 16 bits.

20. An apparatus for controlling the deposition of elementary semifinished products in a process for building a tyre for vehicle wheels, comprising:

an actuating member for driving a tyre being processed in rotation around a rotation axis, at a rotation speed between about π

/8 rad/s and about 6π

rad/s, said tyre having a radially external surface comprising one or more elementary semifinished products;

a first emitter device adapted to send a first electromagnetic radiation onto said radially external surface, the radially external surface generating a corresponding first reflected radiation;

a first detecting device adapted to detect at least one first image representative of said first reflected radiation, wherein the at least one first image is obtained by a detecting window substantially parallel to the rotation axis of said tyre being processed; and

a control unit configured for;

a) controlling said first detecting device in such a manner that a first exposure time for detecting said at least one first image is between about 0.1 s and about 10 s;

b) carrying out a first comparison between said at least one first image and one or more reference data; and

c) generating a first notification signal as a function of said first comparison.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said first exposure time is between about 1 s and about 4 s.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said rotation speed of said tyre being processed is between about π

/2 rad/s and about 2π

rad/s.

23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said first exposure time is equal to at least a time employed by said tyre being processed for carrying out a full revolution around said rotation axis.

24. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said first detecting device is positioned on a first detection plane joining said first detecting device to a first region of incidence of said radially external surface impinged on by said first electromagnetic radiation.

25. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said first emitter device is positioned on a first emission plane joining said first emitter device to a first region of incidence of the radially external surface impinged on by said first electromagnetic radiation.

26. The apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein said first detecting device is positioned on a first detection plane joining said first detecting device to a first region of incidence of said radially external surface impinged on by said first electromagnetic radiation, and wherein said first detection plane defines an angle between about 30°

and about 60°

with said first emission plane.

27. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, comprising:

a second emitter device adapted to send a second electromagnetic radiation onto said radially external surface, the radially external surface generating a corresponding second reflected radiation; and

a second detecting device adapted to detect at least one second image representative of said second reflected radiation,

wherein said control unit is also configured for;

a′

) controlling said second detecting device in such a manner that a second exposure time for detecting said at least one second image is between about 0.1 s and about 10 s;

b′

) carrying out a second comparison between said at least one second image and one or more reference data; and

c′

) generating a second notification signal as a function of said second comparison.

28. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein said second exposure time is between about 1 s and about 4 s.

29. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein said first electromagnetic radiation strikes on a first region of said radially external surface, and said second electromagnetic radiation strikes on a second region of said radially external surface.

30. The apparatus as claimed in claim 29, wherein said first and second regions are defined by respective axial-end regions of said tyre being processed.

31. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein said first and/or second electromagnetic radiation has wavelength between about 500 nm and about 700 nm.

32. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein said first and/or second detecting device comprises a CCD sensor operating at 8 bits or 16 bits.

33. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein a forming support of said tyre being processed has a cylindrical or toroidal shape having a diameter between 18″

and 24″

.

34. A method for controlling deposition of elementary semifinished products in a process for building a tyre for vehicle wheels, comprising:

driving in rotation, around a rotation axis, a tyre being processed having a radially external surface comprising one or more elementary semifinished products;

sending a first electromagnetic radiation onto said radially external surface, the radially external surface generating a corresponding first reflected radiation;

detecting, through a first detecting device, at least one first image representative of said first reflected radiation, wherein the at least one first image is obtained by a detecting window substantially parallel to the rotation axis of said tyre being processed;

controlling said first detecting device in such a manner that a first exposure time for detecting said at least one first image is between about 0.1 s and about 10 s;

carrying out a first comparison between said at least one first image and one or more reference data; and

generating a first notification signal as a function of said first comparison.

35. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein a rotation speed of said tyre being processed is between about π

/8 rad/s and about 6π

rad/s.

36. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein a rotation speed of said tyre being processed is between about π

/2 rad/s and about 2π

rad/s.

37. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein said first exposure time is between about 1 s and about 4 s.

38. An apparatus for controlling the deposition of elementary semifinished products in a process for building a tyre for vehicle wheels, comprising:

an actuating member for driving in rotation around a rotation axis, a tyre being processed having a radially external surface comprising one or more elementary semifinished products;

a first emitter device adapted to send a first electromagnetic radiation onto said radially external surface, the radially external surface generating a corresponding first reflected radiation;

a first detecting device adapted to detect at least one first image representative of said first reflected radiation, wherein the at least one first image is obtained by a detecting window substantially parallel to the rotation axis of said tyre being processed;

a control unit configured for;

a) controlling said first detecting device in such a manner that a first exposure time for detecting said at least one first image is between about 0.1 s and about 10 s;

b) carrying out a first comparison between said at least one first image and one or more reference data; and

c) generating a first notification signal as a function of said first comparison.

39. The apparatus as claimed in claim 38, wherein a rotation speed of said tyre being processed is between about π

/8 rad/s and about 6π

rad/s.

40. The apparatus as claimed in claim 38, wherein a rotation speed of said tyre being processed is between about π

/2 rad/s and about 2π

rad/s.

41. The apparatus as claimed in claim 38, wherein said first exposure time is between about 1 s and about 4 s.