JP2011173390A - Method and apparatus for preheating vulcanization mold - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To preheat a vulcanization mold 37 quickly while controlling waste of energy. <P>SOLUTION: The opening is reduced by throttling a control valve 43 through a control unit 54 until the temperature of the vulcanization mold 37 reaches a preheating target temperature R1 after the temperature of the vulcanization mold 37, detected by a detection sensor 47, reaches a predetermined temperature R2, leading to a reduction of the heating heat consumption for the vulcanization mold 37 immediately before the temperature of the vulcanization mold 37 reaches the preheating target temperature R1 and thus a reduction of the overshooting amount from the preheating target temperature R1. The time from gradual lowering through heat dissipation to settling at the preheating target temperature R1 is thereby reduced, allowing the temperature of the vulcanization mold 37 to reach the preheating target temperature R1 quickly. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

    The present invention relates to a vulcanization mold preheating method and apparatus for vulcanizing a material to be vulcanized.

    In general, a vulcanizing mold for vulcanizing a vulcanized material such as a tire or a rubber block is continuously used. Therefore, a vulcanizing mold is almost always supplied with a high-temperature and high-pressure vulcanizing medium. Is held in. However, the vulcanization medium may not be supplied for a certain period of time when the vulcanization mold is changed due to the change of the type of vulcanized material. In such a case, the temperature of the vulcanization mold is normal temperature. Therefore, the vulcanization mold is preheated to a preheating target temperature equivalent to the vulcanization temperature prior to vulcanization of the vulcanized material, as described in Patent Document 1 below. .

JP-A-9-193160

  This product is provided with a flow rate adjustment valve for controlling the temperature of the vulcanization mold in the middle of the steam piping line for heating the vulcanization mold, and a thermometer for detecting the temperature of the vulcanization mold. A vulcanization mold is provided, and initially the flow rate adjustment valve is fully opened and a large amount of steam is supplied at once.When the temperature of the vulcanization mold measured by the thermometer reaches the preheating target temperature, the flow rate The temperature of the vulcanization mold is controlled by switching to a method that adjusts the opening of the regulating valve. By supplying a large amount of steam at once as described above, the vulcanization mold is heated rapidly. The preheating time of the vulcanizing mold is shortened.

    However, in such a conventional vulcanization mold preheating method and apparatus, a large amount of steam is continuously supplied until the vulcanization mold reaches the preheating target temperature. The mold temperature once overshoots larger than the preheating target temperature R1, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 2, and then gradually decreases due to heat dissipation and settles to the preheating target temperature R1, but as described above, the overshooting occurs. Since the amount is large, a large amount of time is required to reach the preheating target temperature R1, and a lot of steam is wasted.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a vulcanization mold preheating method and apparatus capable of quickly preheating a vulcanization mold while suppressing waste of energy.

    The purpose of this is to firstly supply the heating medium from the heating source to the heating body for heating the vulcanizing mold through the supply passage, while the opening degree of the control valve interposed in the middle of the supply passage is The vulcanization mold is heated to the preheating target temperature by controlling by the control unit based on the detection temperature of the detection sensor for detecting the temperature of the vulcanization mold and controlling the supply amount of the heating medium to the heating element. In the vulcanization mold preheating method, the control unit increases the opening of the control valve until the detection temperature of the detection sensor reaches a predetermined temperature slightly lower than the preheating target temperature, while the preheating target is increased from the predetermined temperature. Until the temperature is reached, this can be achieved by a vulcanization mold preheating method in which the control valve is throttled by the control unit so that the opening degree is smaller than the large opening degree.

  Second, a supply passage that supplies a heating medium from a heating source to a heating body that heats the vulcanization mold, a control valve that is interposed in the middle of the supply passage, and controls the supply amount of the heating medium to the heating body; And a detection sensor for detecting the temperature of the vulcanization mold and a control unit for controlling the opening of the control valve based on the detection temperature of the detection sensor, and the vulcanization mold is heated to the preheating target temperature by the heating element. In the vulcanization mold preheating device, the opening of the control valve is increased by the control unit until the detected temperature of the detection sensor reaches a predetermined temperature slightly lower than the preheating target temperature. Until reaching the preheating target temperature, this can be achieved by the preheating device of the vulcanization mold in which the control valve is throttled by the control unit so that the opening degree is smaller than the large opening degree.

  In this invention, after the temperature of the vulcanization mold detected by the detection sensor reaches a predetermined temperature slightly lower than the preheating target temperature, the control valve throttles the control valve until it reaches the preheating target temperature. Therefore, the amount of heating to the vulcanization mold immediately before reaching the preheating target temperature is reduced, and the amount of overshoot from the preheating target temperature is reduced. As a result, the time until the temperature gradually decreases due to heat radiation and settles to the preheating target temperature is shortened, and the vulcanization mold can be quickly set to the preheating target temperature. Moreover, since the control valve is throttled as described above, the supply amount of the heating medium can be reduced, and waste of energy can be effectively suppressed.

  In addition, if configured as described in claim 2, the above-described overshoot amount can be surely reduced, and if configured as described in claim 3, energy waste is strongly suppressed. be able to. Further, if configured as described in claim 5, the difference between the temperature of the vulcanization space and the temperature detected by the detection sensor can be effectively reduced, and further, configured as described in claim 6. For example, the detection sensor can be easily and inexpensively installed in the vulcanization mold.

It is the front sectional view in which a part which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention was shown with the block. It is a graph showing the relationship between the temperature of a vulcanization mold, and time.

Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 denotes a vulcanizing device. The vulcanizing device 11 has a stationary lower base 12, and a lower platen having a heating chamber 13 formed on the upper surface of the lower base 12. 14 is installed. A lower mold 15 that mainly molds a lower sidewall portion of an unvulcanized tire as a vulcanized material (not shown) is fixed to the upper surface of the lower platen 14. In the present invention, a vulcanized material such as a rubber block may be vulcanized by a vulcanizer.

  Reference numeral 18 denotes an upper base installed above the lower base 12, and the upper base 18 is separated from the lower base 12 by moving up and down by a lifting force applied from a lifting means (not shown). Can approach. Reference numeral 19 denotes an upper plate installed directly below the upper base 18. The upper plate 19 can be moved up and down integrally with the upper base 18, and is individually separated from the upper base 18 by a moving mechanism (not shown). You can also go up and down.

  An upper platen 23 having a heating chamber 22 formed therein is attached to the lower surface of the upper plate 19, and an upper mold 24 mainly molds the upper sidewall portion of the unvulcanized tire on the lower surface of the upper platen 23. Is fixed. 25 is an outer ring that is installed on the outer side in the radial direction of the upper plate 19 and in which a heating chamber 27 is formed. The upper end of the outer ring 25 is fixed to the outer end of the upper base 18 in the radial direction. . Further, the outer ring 25 is coaxial with the upper plate 19, and an inclined surface 26 is formed on the inner circumference of the lower portion thereof.

  Reference numeral 29 denotes a plurality of, for example, nine sliders arranged side by side in the circumferential direction. The upper ends of these sliders 29 are supported on the lower surface of the upper platen 23 radially outward from the upper mold 24 so as to be movable in the radial direction. An inclined surface 30 having the same gradient as the inclined surface 26 of the outer ring 25 is formed on the outer periphery of the slider 29. The inclined surface 30 and the inclined surface 26 are slidable while being connected by a joint. Is engaged. Sector molds 33 are respectively fixed to the inner periphery of the slider 29, and these sector molds 33 can mainly mold a tread portion of an unvulcanized tire.

  Then, after the upper base 18 and the upper plate 19 are lowered integrally until the lower end of the slider 29 comes into contact with the upper surface of the lower platen 14, when the upper base 18 is further lowered and approaches the upper plate 19, the slider 29. While being supported by the upper platen 23, the sector mold 33 is synchronously moved radially inward by the wedge action of the inclined surfaces 26, 30. When all the sector molds 33 move to the inner limit in the radial direction, both ends in the circumferential direction of the sector molds 33 are in close contact with each other and form a continuous ring shape.

  At this time, since the sector mold 33 is in close contact with the upper mold 24 and the lower mold 15 positioned at the lower limit, the vulcanizing mold 37 composed of the upper molds 15 and 24 and the sector mold 33 is closed and not inside. A donut-shaped vulcanization space 39 for accommodating the vulcanized tire is formed. Further, the lower platen 14 in which the heating chamber 13 is formed, the upper platen 23 in which the heating chamber 22 is formed, and the outer ring 25 in which the heating chamber 27 is formed are heated as a whole to heat the vulcanization mold 37. The body 38 is configured.

  41 is a heating source in which a heating medium such as steam or air heated to a high temperature or an inert gas is stored. The heating source 41 and the heating chambers 13, 22, and 27 of the heating body 38 are the heating source 41. Are connected by a supply passage 42 for supplying the heating medium from Here, the supply passage 42 is bifurcated on the side of the vulcanizer 11, but a control valve 43 for adjusting the flow rate is interposed in the middle of the bifurcated branch portion of the supply passage 42, respectively. As a result, the supply amount of the heating medium to the heating chambers 13, 22, and 27 of the heating body 38 is controlled by these control valves 43.

  46 is a bottomed hole formed in the vulcanizing mold 37, here the lower mold 15 and extending from the outer surface toward the inner surface (vulcanizing space 39). For example, a detection sensor 47 such as a thermistor, a thermocouple, or a resistance temperature detector is housed to attach the detection sensor 47 to the vulcanization mold 47. Thus, if the detection sensor 47 is attached to the vulcanization mold 37 and the temperature of the vulcanization mold 37 is detected at a position close to the vulcanization space 39, the temperature of the vulcanization space 39 and the detection sensor 47 Deviation from the detected temperature can be effectively reduced.

  In the present invention, the detection sensor may be attached by sticking to the outer surface of the vulcanization mold with heat-resistant tape. In this case, the detection sensor is easily and inexpensively installed on the vulcanization mold. can do. Reference numeral 50 denotes control means composed of a personal computer or the like. The detected temperature of the vulcanization mold 37 detected by the detection sensor 47 is input from the detection sensor 47 to the control means 50 as a detection signal.

  53 is the same number of electropneumatic converters as the control valves 43. When a control signal corresponding to the detected temperature of the detection sensor 47 is output from the control means 50 to these electropneumatic converters 53, these electropneumatic converters 53 converts the control signal into an air pressure signal to change the opening of the control valve 43, respectively. The control means 50 and the electropneumatic converter 53 described above constitute a control unit 54 that controls the temperature of the vulcanization mold 37 by controlling the opening of the control valve 43 based on the temperature detected by the detection sensor 47.

  Further, the heating source 41, the supply passage 42, the control valve 43, the detection sensor 47, and the control unit 54 described above control the amount of the heating medium supplied to the heating body 38 as a whole, for example, to a low temperature of about room temperature. A preheating device 55 is configured to heat the vulcanization mold 37 in a closed state in which the temperature is lowered to a preheating target temperature R1, for example, 170 ° C. equivalent to the vulcanization temperature. Here, when the temperature of the vulcanization mold 37 is lowered to a low temperature, the vulcanization mold 37 is replaced with a change in the tire type, vulcanization is performed due to a vacation, a production line trouble or the like. There are cases where the operation is interrupted. In these cases, the vulcanization medium is not supplied to the vulcanizer 11 for a certain period of time, and the temperature of the vulcanization mold 37 is lowered.

  Then, when heating the vulcanization mold 37 whose temperature has been lowered to the above-described preheating target temperature R1 by the heating body 38, first, since the detection temperature by the detection sensor 47 is low, the control unit 54 is If the opening degree of the control valve 43 is large by the control means 50 to be configured, the maximum opening degree is assumed here. As a result, a large amount of heating medium is supplied from the heating source 41 to the heating body 38 through the supply passage 42, and the vulcanizing mold 37 is rapidly heated by the heating body 38. At this time, the detection sensor 47 constantly detects the temperature of the vulcanization mold 37, but the detection temperature of the vulcanization mold 37 detected by the detection sensor 47 is slightly lower than the above-mentioned preheating target temperature R1 from the low temperature. Until the temperature reaches a predetermined low temperature R2 (see FIG. 2), the control means 50 keeps the opening degree of the control valve 43 large. At this time, a bladder (not shown) is accommodated in the vulcanization space 39, but a heating medium may be similarly supplied to this bladder.

  When the detected temperature of the vulcanization mold 37 detected by the detection sensor 47 reaches the predetermined temperature R2, the control means 50 outputs a control signal to the electropneumatic converter 53 and is controlled by the electropneumatic converter 53. The valve 43 is throttled and its opening is set to a small opening smaller than the large opening described above. As a result, the amount of the heating medium supplied from the heating source 41 to the heating body 38 decreases, and the heating speed of the vulcanization mold 37 by the heating body 38 decreases. When the detected temperature of the vulcanization mold 37 detected by the detection sensor 47 reaches the preheating target temperature R1, the control means 50 starts normal temperature control.

  Thus, after the temperature of the vulcanization mold 37 detected by the detection sensor 47 reaches the predetermined temperature R2, until the preheating target temperature R1 is reached, the controller 54 throttles the control valve 43 to increase the opening degree. The amount of heat applied to the vulcanization mold 37 immediately before reaching the preheating target temperature R1 is reduced, and the amount of overshoot from the preheating target temperature R1 is as shown by the solid line in FIG. ) Smaller. As a result, the time until the temperature of the vulcanization mold 37 gradually decreases due to heat dissipation and settles to the preheating target temperature R1 is shortened, and the vulcanization mold 37 can be quickly set to the preheating target temperature R1. Moreover, since the control valve 43 is throttled as described above, the supply amount of the heating medium can be reduced, and waste of energy can be effectively suppressed.

  Here, in this embodiment, the control valve 54 controls the control valve 54 to reliably reduce the amount of overshoot until the temperature of the vulcanization mold 37 reaches the preheating target temperature R1 from the predetermined temperature R2. 43 is squeezed continuously and the opening is gradually reduced. In the present invention, when the temperature of the vulcanizing mold 37 reaches the predetermined temperature R2, the control valve 43 is throttled only once to reduce its opening to, for example, 1 / full open, and then the preheating target The opening degree of the control valve 43 may be held at the above-mentioned half opening degree until the temperature R1 is reached, or the control valve 43 is gradually changed from the predetermined temperature R2 to the preheating target temperature R1. It is good also as restrict | squeezing and opening the opening small.

  As described above, if the temperature rise of the vulcanization mold 37 due to the heating of the heating body 38 is continuously detected by the detection sensor 47, the time until the vulcanization mold 37 reaches the preheating target temperature R1 from the current temperature. Can be estimated with high accuracy in advance. For this reason, in this embodiment, a production signal (production command) from the production line 58 of the unvulcanized tire is input to the control means 50, and the starting stage for increasing the opening of the control valve 43 is controlled based on the production signal. Determined by the unit 54 (control means 50), for example, the time when the unvulcanized tire is supplied to the vulcanizing device 11 is obtained based on the production signal, and this supply time and the preheating target temperature R1 of the vulcanizing mold 37 are obtained The start time for switching the opening degree of the control valve 43 to a large value is determined by calculating backward from the supply time so that the arrival time of the control valve is matched.

  In this way, after the vulcanization mold 37 reaches the preheating target temperature R1, the vulcanization mold 37 is held at the preheating target temperature R1 until the unvulcanized tire is supplied to the vulcanizer 11. Therefore, it is possible to reliably reduce the heating medium supplied to save the energy, and to strongly suppress the waste of energy. Reference numeral 60 denotes a pressure sensor interposed in a bifurcated supply passage 42 between the control valve 43 and the heating body 38. These pressure sensors 60 are pressures of the heating medium passing through the supply passage 42. And the result is output to the control means 50 as a detection signal.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described.
When a change occurs in the type of unvulcanized tire to be vulcanized, the vulcanization mold 37 of the vulcanizer 11 is replaced with a corresponding vulcanization mold 37 in accordance with this change. When the replacement operation is completed, the vulcanizing mold 37 is at a low temperature of about room temperature. Then, if the vulcanization mold 37 that has been replaced as described above is heated (preheating) to the preheating target temperature R1 using the preheating device 55 described above prior to the vulcanization operation, the vulcanization operation can be started quickly. It is extremely useful.

  For this reason, preheating is performed on the low-temperature vulcanization mold 37 as follows. That is, when a production signal (production command) from the production line 58 is input to the control means 50, the control means 50 determines the start period for increasing the opening of the control valve 43 based on the production signal, and At the beginning of the operation, a control signal is output to the electropneumatic converter 53. At this time, since the temperature of the vulcanization mold 37 detected by the detection sensor 47 is a low temperature, the electropneumatic converter 53 operates the control valve 43 by converting the control signal into an air pressure signal, The opening of 43 is large (maximum opening).

  As a result, a large amount of heating medium is supplied from the heating source 41 to the heating body 38 through the supply passage 42, and the vulcanizing mold 37 is rapidly heated by the heating body 38. At this time, the detection sensor 47 constantly detects the temperature of the vulcanization mold 37, but until the detection temperature of the vulcanization mold 37 detected by the detection sensor 47 reaches the predetermined temperature R2 from the low temperature described above. In the meantime, the control means 50 controls the opening degree of the control valve 43 based on the detected temperature, and keeps the opening degree large.

  When the detected temperature of the vulcanization mold 37 detected by the detection sensor 47 reaches a predetermined temperature R2, the control means 50 outputs a control signal to the electropneumatic converter 53, and the electropneumatic converter 53 controls the control valve 43. The opening is set to a small opening smaller than the large opening described above. As a result, the amount of the heating medium supplied from the heating source 41 to the heating body 38 decreases, and the heating speed of the vulcanization mold 37 by the heating body 38 decreases. When the detected temperature of the vulcanization mold 37 detected by the detection sensor 47 reaches the preheating target temperature R1, the control means 50 starts normal temperature control. In this manner, the control means 50 throttles the control valve 43 until the vulcanization mold 37 reaches the preheating target temperature R1 from the predetermined temperature R2 to reduce the opening degree. In this way, the vulcanization mold 37 is heated (preheated) to the preheat target temperature R1.

  At this time, since the amount of heating heat to the vulcanization mold 37 immediately before reaching the preheating target temperature R1 is reduced, the amount of overshoot from the preheating target temperature R1 is reduced, and as a result, the time until the temperature reaches the preheating target temperature R1. And the vulcanization mold 37 can be quickly set to the preheating target temperature R1. Moreover, since the control valve 43 is throttled as described above, the supply amount of the heating medium can be reduced, and waste of energy can be effectively suppressed.

  When the unvulcanized tire is supplied to the vulcanizer 11 at the same time as the vulcanization mold 37 reaches the preheating target temperature R1 or with a slight time difference, the upper base 18, the upper plate 19, the upper mold 24, etc. The slider 29 and the sector mold 33 are moved radially outward to open the vulcanization mold 37, and then the unvulcanized tire is placed on the lower mold 15. Thereafter, the upper base 18, the upper plate 19, the upper mold 24 and the like are lowered, and the slider 29 and the sector mold 33 are moved inward in the radial direction to close the vulcanizing mold 37. An unvulcanized tire is stored in the vulcanization space 39. Next, a high-temperature and high-pressure vulcanization medium is supplied to the heating body 38 and the bladder to vulcanize the unvulcanized tire. Here, the above-mentioned preheating device 55 may use the supply device for supplying the vulcanization medium as it is, but may be installed separately from the vulcanization medium supply device.

  The present invention can be applied to the industrial field of preheating a vulcanization mold for vulcanizing a material to be vulcanized.

37 ... Vulcanization mold 38 ... Heating body
39 ... Vulcanization space 41 ... Heat source
42 ... Supply passage 43 ... Control valve
46… Hole 47… Detection sensor
54 ... Control unit 55 ... Preheating device
58 ... Production line

Claims (6)

    Detection of detecting the temperature of the vulcanization mold by supplying the heating medium from the heating source to the heating element for heating the vulcanization mold through the supply path, and detecting the opening degree of the control valve interposed in the supply path. In the preheating method of the vulcanization mold in which the vulcanization mold is heated to the preheating target temperature by controlling the supply amount of the heating medium to the heating body by controlling by the control unit based on the detection temperature of the sensor, While the opening of the control valve is increased by the control unit until the detection temperature of the detection sensor reaches a predetermined temperature slightly lower than the preheating target temperature, the control unit continues until the preheating target temperature is reached from the predetermined temperature. A preheating method for a vulcanization mold, wherein the control valve is throttled to make its opening smaller than the large opening.     The vulcanization mold preheating method according to claim 1, wherein the control valve is continuously throttled by the controller to gradually reduce the opening degree.     The vulcanization according to claim 1, wherein a control signal from a production line for a vulcanized material is input to the control unit, and the start time for increasing the opening of the control valve is determined by the control unit based on the control signal. Mold preheating method.     A supply passage for supplying a heating medium from a heating source to a heating body for heating the vulcanization mold, a control valve interposed in the supply passage for controlling the supply amount of the heating medium to the heating body, and a vulcanization gold A detection sensor for detecting the temperature of the mold, and a control unit for controlling the opening of the control valve based on the detection temperature of the detection sensor, and the heating body is used to heat the vulcanization mold to the preheating target temperature. In the preheating device of the metal mold, the opening of the control valve is increased by the control unit until the detected temperature of the detection sensor reaches a predetermined temperature slightly lower than the preheating target temperature, while the predetermined temperature is changed from the predetermined temperature to the preheating target temperature. Until reaching, a control valve is throttled by the control unit so that the opening degree is smaller than the large opening degree.     The vulcanization mold preheating device according to claim 4, wherein the detection sensor is attached to the vulcanization mold and the temperature of the vulcanization mold is detected at a position close to the vulcanization space.     The vulcanization mold preheating device according to claim 4, wherein the detection sensor is attached to the outer surface of the vulcanization mold by affixing with a heat-resistant tape.

Images