JP2005319657A - Pneumatic tire vulcanizing and molding method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pneumatic tire vulcanizing and molding method constituted so as to shorten a tire molding time and a tire vulcanizing and molding time to efficiently perform molding work with high precision. <P>SOLUTION: In this embodiment, the inner surface form of a tire is held to a rigid inner mold 2 at the time of vulcanizing and molding of the tire or during the period from the start of a tire molding process to the completion of a tire vulcanizing and molding process. At the time of the tire molding process, a divided first segment 13a and a divided second segment 13b are contracted in diameter to constitute the annular rigid inner mold 2 and, while this annular rigid inner mold 2 is held by the main shaft of a molding machine and rotated, a rubbery elastic material being a tire constituting material is successively wound around or pasted on or laminated to the outer peripheral surface of the annular rigid inner mold 2 to form an unvulcanized tire W. After the unvulcanized tire W is molded, the unvulcanized tire W is detached from the main shaft of the molding machine along with the rigid inner mold 2 and fed to a vulcanizing and molding apparatus 1 to be connected and set to the clamp mechanism 3 of the vulcanizing and molding apparatus 1 and the connection port 19a of the waveguide 19 of a supply means 18 (oscillator) of microwaves G to perform the vulcanizing and molding of the unvulcanized tire W. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for vulcanizing and forming a pneumatic tire, and more specifically, to reduce the time required for molding a tire and the time for vulcanizing and molding a tire so that the forming operation can be efficiently performed with high accuracy. The present invention relates to a tire vulcanization molding method.

  In recent years, in order to efficiently produce high-performance pneumatic tires, a method has been proposed in which a rigid inner mold (or rigid core) divided into an annular shape is placed inside the tire from the start of tire molding to the completion of vulcanization molding. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  In addition, when vulcanization molding is performed using such a rigid inner mold, a heat source such as steam is introduced into the rigid inner mold at the time of vulcanization molding so that the rigid inner mold is vulcanized while being heated to a predetermined temperature. A sulfur molding method has also been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

  By the way, in the pneumatic tire vulcanizing apparatus using the rigid inner mold as described above, steam is introduced into the rigid inner mold at the time of vulcanization molding to bring the rigid inner mold to a predetermined temperature (for example, 140 ° C. to 200 ° C.). Because it is a heating method, the rigid inner mold becomes complicated due to the flow passage such as steam, etc., and the entire vulcanizing apparatus becomes complicated due to the steam piping etc., resulting in an increase in cost and an increase in the size of the entire apparatus. was there.

In addition, since it is necessary to introduce steam into the rigid inner mold and raise the temperature to a predetermined temperature during tire vulcanization molding, it takes time to start vulcanization, so it is difficult to shorten the vulcanization time, and productivity There was a problem that it was difficult to improve.
JP 2003-311741 A JP-A-2003-340824

  The present invention has been devised by paying attention to such conventional problems. A rigid inner mold used at the time of tire vulcanization molding or from the start of the tire molding process to the end of the tire vulcanization molding is determined in a short time. The object is to provide a method for vulcanizing and forming a pneumatic tire, which can increase the temperature to a temperature, shorten the tire molding time and the tire vulcanization molding time, and perform the molding operation efficiently and with high accuracy. It is the purpose.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention allows a heating element provided on the whole or a part of the inner surface of the rigid inner mold to generate heat by microwaves during vulcanization molding of an unvulcanized tire, The gist is to perform vulcanization molding by heating to a predetermined temperature.

  Here, the outer mold and the rigid inner mold are constituted by annular expandable / contractible segments divided into a plurality of parts in the circumferential direction, and the heating element is a silicon carbide sintered body provided on the inner surface of the rigid inner mold. When the tire is vulcanized, heat is generated by microwaves, and the rigid inner mold is heated to a predetermined temperature and vulcanized. Further, in the tire molding process of the unvulcanized tire, the tire constituent material is wound or bonded to the surface of the rigid inner mold and molded, and the unvulcanized tire thus molded is removed from the tire molding process. In addition, it is conveyed to a vulcanizer and set together with a rigid inner mold to perform vulcanization molding.

  The principle of the present invention is that a predetermined heating element is formed on the entire or part of the inner surface of the rigid inner mold used at the time of tire vulcanization molding or from the start of the tire molding process to the end of tire vulcanization molding. A silicon carbide sintered body having a thickness is disposed. The silicon carbide sintered body constituting the heating element is heated by microwave (microwave heating), and the generated heat energy is made of aluminum, aluminum alloy, etc. through the heating element. It is intended to vulcanize and mold a pneumatic tire in a short time by conducting heat transfer to and heating in a short time.

  That is, microwave heating (2,450 MHz: stipulated by the Radio Law) is reflected when a metal material is irradiated with microwaves, but a sintered body of silicon carbide having a certain composition has a predetermined frequency of microwaves. When it is irradiated, heat is generated by frictional energy generated by vibration of silicon carbide molecules. Using the heat energy generated, the heat is transferred to a rigid inner mold made of a metal material, and the temperature is raised to a temperature required for vulcanization in a short time.

  As a result, the time required to heat the rigid inner mold can be shortened, and high-performance tires can be vulcanized and molded in a short time without changing the physical properties of the tire components. It is.

  In the present invention, as described above, during vulcanization molding of an unvulcanized tire, the heating element provided on the entire inner surface or a part of the inner surface of the rigid inner mold is heated by microwaves, and the rigid inner mold is heated to a predetermined temperature. Therefore, the rigid inner mold can be heated to a predetermined temperature in a short time, and the tire molding time and the tire vulcanization molding time can be shortened. There is an effect that can improve.

  In addition, it is molded without removing the rigid inner mold at the time of tire vulcanization molding or from the start of the tire molding process to the end of tire vulcanization molding, and the rigid inner mold can be heated in a short time by microwave. Performance and high-precision pneumatic tires can be produced.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration diagram of a pneumatic tire vulcanization molding apparatus embodying the present invention. The vulcanization molding apparatus 1 is a clamp for a rigid inner mold 2 made of aluminum, aluminum alloy or the like at the center. The mechanism 3 is provided, and an upper mold 6 (upper mold) and a lower mold 7 (lower mold) attached to the upper side plate 4 and the lower side plate 5 are arranged on the upper and lower sides. A sector mold 8 is provided which constitutes an outer mold that is divided into a plurality of sections (8 to 12 sections) and expands and contracts toward the center.

  The sector mold 8 includes a back segment 10 to which each sector piece 9 having a profile surface of a green tire W for molding is detachably attached, and a predetermined angle α (for example, formed on the back side of each bag segment. The guide member 12 is slidable on a slidable contact surface 11 of 15 ° to 20 ° in consideration of friction and load, and the guide member 12 is suspended from a support plate 12A that can be moved up and down.

  Further, the rigid inner mold 2 used during the tire vulcanization molding or from the start of the tire molding process to the end of the tire vulcanization molding is divided into a plurality of pieces in the circumferential direction as shown in FIGS. In this embodiment, the number of divisions is 10. However, the number of divisions is not particularly limited. The first and second segments 13a and 13b can be expanded and contracted, and the entire inner surface of the rigid inner mold 2 is formed. Alternatively, a heating element 14 that generates heat by the microwave G is attached to a part thereof.

  In this embodiment, the heating element 14 is a sintered body of silicon carbide having a predetermined thickness and size having a constant composition that generates heat by the microwave G. The material is not particularly limited as long as it has a good thermal conductivity. The divided annular first segment 13a and second segment 13b, that is, the entire rigid inner mold 2, are heated by a heating element 14 made of a sintered body of silicon carbide that generates heat upon receiving the microwave G. It is also possible to configure.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the divided first segment 13a and second segment 13b are alternately arranged by five, and the first segment 13a is formed in a substantially fan shape and has a small diameter toward the center. In addition, the second segment 13b is formed in a substantially square shape and includes an inclined contact side surface 16 that contacts the inclined contact side surface 15 of the first segment 13a.

  Removable support plates 17a and 17b for sealing the inside of the rigid inner mold 2 are provided in the upper and lower inner diameter portions of the rigid inner mold 2, and one of the upper and lower support plates 17a and 17b, that is, this embodiment is provided. In the embodiment, a connection port 19a of a waveguide 19 for connecting to the microwave G supply means 18 (oscillator) is formed in the lower support plate 17b, and the other upper side facing this connection port 19a. On the inner surface of the support plate 17a, an inverted frustoconical metal reflector 20 that reflects the microwave G toward the heating element 14 is provided.

  Further, the inside of the rigid inner mold 2 is partitioned into a plurality of reflection chambers 22 via a metal partition plate 21 (in this embodiment, there are four sections, but the number of sections is not particularly limited). As shown in FIG. 4, a connection port 19a of the waveguide 19 for connection to the microwave G supply means 18 (oscillator) is formed in the lower support plate 17b of the reflection chamber 22, The metal partition plate 21 may be formed integrally with the reflection plate 20.

  The waveguide 19 for connection to the supply means 18 is provided with an isolator 23. In this embodiment, the microwave G is uniformly distributed to the two reflection chambers 22 divided into a plurality of sections. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the matching device waveguides 24a and 24b branched to the isolator 23 are connected and connected to the connection port 19a. is there.

  1 and 2, 25a and 25b are heating means (heater or electromagnetic induction heating) of the upper mold 6 and the lower mold 7, 26 is an elevating cylinder that moves up and down the upper support plate 12A, and 27 is a clamp. A power cylinder 28 constituting the mechanism 3 is an elevating cylinder of the lower mold 7.

Next, a method for vulcanizing a pneumatic tire using the vulcanization molding apparatus 1 as described above will be described.
In the embodiment of the present invention, the inner surface of the tire is held by the rigid inner mold 2 during the tire vulcanization molding or from the start of the tire molding process to the end of the tire vulcanization molding, and the tire molding process Sometimes, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B to FIGS. 11A and 11B, the divided first segment 13a and second segment 13b are reduced in diameter to form an annular rigid inner mold 2. The annular rigid inner mold 2 is held by the main shaft of the molding machine and rotated while the rubber-like elastic material, which is a tire constituent material, is sequentially wound or laminated on the outer peripheral surface, and then laminated. A vulcanized tire W is formed.

  After the unvulcanized tire W is molded, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the unvulcanized tire W is removed from the main shaft of the molding machine together with the rigid inner mold 2 and conveyed to the vulcanization molding apparatus 1 for vulcanization. The vulcanization molding is performed by connecting and setting the clamp mechanism 3 of the vulcanization molding apparatus 1 and the connection port 19a of the waveguide 19 of the microwave G supply means 18 (oscillator).

  That is, the vulcanization molding method is composed of the sector mold 8 that constitutes the outer mold composed of aluminum or aluminum alloy on the inner and outer surfaces of the unvulcanized tire W in the vulcanization molding apparatus 1 and aluminum or aluminum alloy. The sector mold 8 is held by the divided rigid inner mold 2 and the upper and lower surfaces of the unvulcanized tire W are held by the upper mold 6 (upper mold) and the lower mold 7 (lower mold) to constitute the outer mold. The pneumatic inner tire 2 and the upper mold 6 (upper mold) and the lower mold 7 (lower mold) are heated to a predetermined temperature to vulcanize the pneumatic tire.

  During the vulcanization molding of the unvulcanized tire W, the heating element 14 provided on the entire inner surface or a part of the inner surface of the rigid inner mold 2 is caused by the microwave G having a predetermined frequency oscillated from the supply means 18 (oscillator). While generating heat, the rigid inner mold 2 is heated to a predetermined temperature to perform vulcanization molding.

  That is, the microwave G having a predetermined frequency oscillated from the supply means 18 (oscillator) enters the two reflection chambers 22 divided into a plurality from the connection port 19a of the waveguide 19, as shown in FIG. Reflected by the reflecting plate 20 and the metal partition plate 21 and irradiated to the heating element 14 to generate heat, and the heat energy generated by the heating element 14 is transferred to the rigid inner mold 2 made of a metal material for vulcanization. The temperature is raised to the temperature required for the heating in a short time (140 ° C. to 200 ° C.).

  This can shorten the time conventionally required to heat the rigid inner mold and can vulcanize a high-performance tire in a short time without changing the physical properties of the tire constituent material. It is. Gx represents a reflected wave of the microwave G.

  When the vulcanization molding of the tire is completed in this way, the rigid inner mold together with the tire from the clamping mechanism 3 of the vulcanization molding apparatus 1 and the connection port 19a of the waveguide 19 of the microwave G supply means 18 (oscillator). 2 is removed and conveyed to a tire molding process via a conveyance device (not shown) installed in the vicinity of the vulcanization molding apparatus 1.

  In the tire molding process, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B to FIGS. 10A and 10B and FIGS. 12A and 12B, the rigid inner mold of the molded tire Wx is formed. 2, the clamp mechanism 3, the metal reflector 20, the partition plate 21 and other components are sequentially removed, and then the rigid inner mold 2 is divided and removed.

  As a specific process of dividing and removing the rigid inner mold 2, first, as shown in FIGS. 12A to 12F, the first segment of the rigid inner mold 2 installed on the support base 29 in the tire forming process is shown. This is performed by a plurality of detaching devices 30 installed corresponding to 13a and the second segment 13b. That is, as shown in FIGS. 12C to 12F, the detaching device 30 is composed of two fork-shaped holding arms 31 and a horizontal cylinder 32. First, each second device formed in a substantially rectangular shape. As shown in FIG. 12 (d), the segment 13b is pressed from the inside of the molded tire Wx by being pressed in the center direction by a plurality of removing devices 30 installed corresponding to the second segments 13b. As shown in e), each second segment 13b is lifted upward by the lift cylinder 33.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 12 (d), the first segment 13a formed in a substantially fan shape is pressed in the center direction by a plurality of detaching devices 30 installed corresponding to the first segment 13a from the inside of the molded tire Wx. Remove. In this manner, after removing the first segment 13a and the second segment 13b of the rigid inner mold 2 from the molded tire Wx, the molded tire Wx is extracted from the rigid inner mold 2 and conveyed to the next process.

  In addition, when molding the unvulcanized tire or vulcanization molding using the rigid inner mold 2 as described above, by sequentially performing the above operation and the reverse operation, together with the rigid inner mold 2, The vulcanized molding of the unvulcanized tire W can be performed.

  Since the present invention is configured as described above, the rigid inner mold can be heated to a predetermined temperature in a short time, and the tire molding time and the tire vulcanization molding time can be shortened. As a result of shortening of the tire vulcanization molding time, productivity can be improved.

It is a schematic block diagram of the vulcanization molding apparatus of the pneumatic tire which implemented this invention. It is a top view of the rigid inner mold used for the vulcanization molding apparatus of this invention. It is an AA arrow vertical front view of FIG. It is a partially expanded sectional view which shows the state which connected the rigid internal type | mold to the waveguide of the supply means of a microwave. It is a partial schematic plan view which shows other embodiment of the supply means of a microwave. It is a partial schematic front view which shows other embodiment of the supply means of a microwave. (A), (b) is explanatory drawing of the process of removing from a rigid internal type molded tire. (A), (b) is explanatory drawing of the process of removing from a rigid internal type molded tire. (A), (b) is explanatory drawing of the process of removing from a rigid internal type molded tire. (A), (b) is explanatory drawing of the process of removing from a rigid internal type molded tire. (A), (b) is explanatory drawing of the process of removing from the molded tire of a rigid inner type. (A)-(f) is explanatory drawing of the process of removing from a rigid internal type molded tire in a tire formation process.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vulcanization molding apparatus 2 Rigid inner mold 3 Clamp mechanism 4 Upper side plate 5 Lower side plate 6 Upper mold 7 Lower mold 8 Sector mold 9 Sector piece 10 Back segment 11 Sliding surface 12 Guide member 12A Support plate 13a First segment 13b Second segment 14 Heating element G Microwave 15 Inclined contact side surface 16 Inclined contact side surface 17a, 17b Support plate 18 Supply means (oscillator) 19 Waveguide 19a Connection port 20 Reflector plate 21 Partition plate 22 Reflector chamber 23 Isolator 24a, 24b Matching device waveguide 25a, 25b Heating means (heater or electromagnetic induction heating)
26 Lifting cylinder 27 Power cylinder 28 Lifting cylinder 29 Support base 30 Detachment device 31 Holding arm 32 Horizontal cylinder 33 Lifting cylinder W Green tire Wx Molded tire G Microwave Gx Microwave reflected wave

Claims (3)

The inner and outer surfaces of the unvulcanized tire are held by a rigid outer mold and a rigid inner mold, and the upper and lower surfaces of the unvulcanized tire are held by an upper mold and a lower mold, and the outer mold, the rigid inner mold and the upper mold In the vulcanization molding method for a pneumatic tire, the lower mold is heated to a predetermined temperature to vulcanize the pneumatic tire.
At the time of vulcanization molding of the unvulcanized tire, a heating element provided on the whole or part of the inner surface of the rigid inner mold is heated by microwaves, and the rigid inner mold is heated to a predetermined temperature to perform vulcanization molding. A method for vulcanizing and forming a pneumatic tire, comprising: Each of the outer mold and the rigid inner mold is formed of an annular expandable / contractible segment divided into a plurality of parts in the circumferential direction, and a heating element made of a sintered body of silicon carbide provided on the inner surface of the rigid inner mold is added to the tire. The method for vulcanizing and molding a pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the vulcanization molding is performed by heating the rigid inner mold to a predetermined temperature while generating heat by microwaves during vulcanization. In the tire molding process of the unvulcanized tire, a tire constituent material is wound or bonded to the surface of the rigid inner mold and molded, and the unvulcanized tire thus molded is removed from the tire molding process and rigid. The method for vulcanizing and molding a pneumatic tire according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vulcanized molding is performed by conveying and setting together with the inner mold to a vulcanizer.

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