JP6386247B2 - Tire testing machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a tire testing machine for performing a tire performance test.

  Tires mounted on automobiles, etc., if there are uneven portions in the elastic modulus and dimensional shape in the circumferential direction, will cause vibration during high-speed rotation and reduce running performance, so tire testing after vulcanization molding The machine is inspected for circumferential uniformity. There is known a tire testing machine having a lower frame, a portal frame standing on the lower frame, a chuck attached to the lower frame, and an upper chuck attached to a beam of the portal frame. (See Patent Document 1).

  In this tire testing machine, the tire loaded on the conveyor is placed on the lower rim of the lower chuck by lowering the conveyor, the upper rim of the upper chuck is lowered and brought into contact with the upper surface of the tire, Clamping with the upper chuck (chucking operation). In a state where the tire is sandwiched between the lower chuck and the upper chuck, air is supplied to the inner space of the tire to apply a predetermined internal pressure to the tire. After that, various performance tests are performed by rotating the rotating members (lower spindle and upper spindle) provided on the lower chuck and the upper chuck, respectively, and rotating the tire. When the tire performance test is finished, the rotation of the tire is stopped, the air is exhausted from the inner space of the tire, the upper rim of the upper chuck is raised, and the tire is peeled off. Then, by raising the conveyor, the tire is peeled off from the lower rim of the lower chuck and placed on the conveyor (dechucking operation). Thereafter, the tire is carried out by a conveyor.

Japanese Patent No. 5284340

  However, in the conventional tire testing machine, in the chucking operation, the tire may bounce when the tire is lowered by the conveyor and placed on the lower rim. In the dechucking operation, the tire may bounce when the tire is peeled from the lower rim by the conveyor. When the tire bounces during the chucking operation, the tire may not be correctly sandwiched between the upper and lower chucks, and a chucking failure may occur, making it difficult to perform a performance test. Even if the performance test can be performed, there is a possibility that the tire performance test cannot be correctly performed due to a chucking failure. In addition, if the tire bounces during the dechucking operation, the tire may not be correctly loaded on the conveyor, and the tire may not be carried out by the conveyor. Even if the tire can be carried out by the conveyor, the tire may not be correctly positioned at the tire mark position.

  Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a tire testing machine capable of preventing tire bounce in a chucking operation or a dechucking operation.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a tire testing machine according to the present invention is configured to be movable in the vertical direction, and conveys the tire placed and placed in a lying state, and the center position of the tire in the axial center. And an upper rim and a lower rim for sandwiching the tire from both upper and lower sides, and an upper spindle and a lower spindle for rotating the tire while the upper rim and the lower rim are respectively attached to the tips, A chucking mechanism composed of an upper chuck and a lower chuck configured so that the upper spindle and the lower spindle approach and separate from each other and sandwich the tire from both upper and lower sides, and is extendable and rotatable arranged in the lower chuck. there provided with, said on chuck engageable with a plunger, wherein the rim is in contact with the upper surface of the tire which has been conveyed by the conveyor In Rutotomoni is lowered said on spindle, after starting the stretching the plunger upward, the said tire is lowered by the upper spindle and the same speed of the conveyor in a state sandwiched by the conveyor and the upper rim When the tire is placed on the lower rim and the plunger is engaged with the upper chuck, the lower chuck stops descending, and the conveyor is further lowered to attach the tire to the upper rim and the lower rim. It is characterized by performing a chucking operation to be sandwiched between.

According to this, during the chucking operation of the tire testing machine, the tire is maintained in a state of being sandwiched between the upper rim and the conveyor until the tire is placed on the lower rim. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the tire from bouncing.
In addition, the tire testing machine further includes a plunger that is extendable and rotatable, and that can be engaged with the upper chuck, disposed in the lower chuck. In the chucking operation, the upper spindle is lowered until the upper surface of the tire conveyed by the conveyor contacts the upper rim, and the plunger is started to extend upward, and then the conveyor is lowered at the same speed as the upper spindle. When the tire is placed on the lower rim and the plunger is engaged with the upper chuck while the tire is sandwiched between the upper rim and the conveyor, the lower chuck stops descending, and the conveyor is further lowered to remove the tire from the upper rim. And sandwich with the lower rim. Thereby, it can prevent that a tire bounces more .

In addition, the tire testing machine according to the present invention is configured to be movable in the vertical direction, a conveyor for placing and transporting a tire in a lying state, and a center position of the tire on the axis of the tire, and An upper rim and a lower rim that are sandwiched from both upper and lower sides, and an upper spindle and a lower spindle that rotate the tire while the upper rim and the lower rim are respectively mounted at the tips, and the upper spindle and the lower spindle A chucking mechanism comprising an upper chuck and a lower chuck that are configured to approach and separate from each other and sandwich the tire from above and below, and extendable and rotatable disposed in the lower chuck and engaged with the upper chuck. comprising a case capable plunger, the front until the upper rim and the lower surface and the conveyor of the tire put between the lower rim are in contact Rutotomoni raise the conveyor, after the plunger was initiated shortening downwardly, said on a spindle is raised by the conveyor at the same speed, the tire in the tire state sandwiched by the conveyor and the upper rim A dechucking operation is performed in which the tire is separated from the lower rim, and the upper spindle is further lifted to place the tire on the conveyor.

According to this, when the tire is peeled from the lower rim by the dechucking operation of the tire testing machine, the tire is maintained in a state of being sandwiched between the upper rim and the conveyor. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the tire from bouncing.
In addition, the tire testing machine further includes a plunger that is extendable and rotatable, and that can be engaged with the upper chuck, disposed in the lower chuck. Then, the dechucking operation raises the conveyor until the lower surface of the tire sandwiched between the upper rim and the lower rim comes into contact with the conveyor, starts to shorten the plunger downward, and then raises the upper spindle at the same speed as the conveyor. The tire is peeled off from the lower rim while the tire is sandwiched between the upper rim and the conveyor, and the upper spindle is raised to place the tire on the conveyor. Thereby, it can prevent that a tire bounces more .

In addition, the tire testing machine according to the present invention is configured to be movable in the vertical direction, a conveyor for placing and transporting a tire in a lying state, and a center position of the tire on the axis of the tire, and An upper rim and a lower rim that are sandwiched from both upper and lower sides, and an upper spindle and a lower spindle that rotate the tire while the upper rim and the lower rim are respectively mounted at the tips, and the upper spindle and the lower spindle A chucking mechanism comprising an upper chuck and a lower chuck that are configured to approach and separate from each other and sandwich the tire from above and below, and extendable and rotatable disposed in the lower chuck and engaged with the upper chuck. comprising a case capable plunger, and the on the spindle until the upper rim and the upper surface of the tire which has been conveyed by the conveyor is in contact Fusa was Rutotomoni, after said plunger was allowed to start stretching upwards, the lower rim of the tire to the tire said conveyor is lowered by the upper spindle and the same speed in a state sandwiched by the upper rim and the conveyor When the plunger is placed on the upper chuck and the plunger is engaged with the upper chuck, the lower chuck is stopped from descending, and the conveyor is further lowered to chuck the tire between the upper rim and the lower rim. was carried out, the upper rim and Rutotomoni raising the conveyor to the lower surface and the conveyor of the tire put between the lower rim are in contact, after the plunger was initiated shortening downwards, the said on spindle The tire is lifted at the same speed as the conveyor, and the tire is peeled from the lower rim while the tire is sandwiched between the upper rim and the conveyor. It is allowed, further characterized by performing a dechucking operation for mounting the tire on the conveyor by raising the the upper spindle.

According to this, during the chucking operation of the tire testing machine, the tire is maintained in a state of being sandwiched between the upper rim and the conveyor until the tire is placed on the lower rim. Further, when the tire is peeled from the lower rim by the dechucking operation of the tire testing machine, the tire is maintained in a state of being sandwiched between the upper rim and the conveyor. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the tire from bouncing.
In addition, the tire testing machine further includes a plunger that is extendable and rotatable, and that can be engaged with the upper chuck, disposed in the lower chuck. In the chucking operation, the upper spindle is lowered until the upper surface of the tire conveyed by the conveyor contacts the upper rim, and the plunger is started to extend upward, and then the conveyor is lowered at the same speed as the upper spindle. When the tire is placed on the lower rim and the plunger is engaged with the upper chuck while the tire is sandwiched between the upper rim and the conveyor, the lower chuck stops descending, and the conveyor is further lowered to remove the tire from the upper rim. And sandwich with the lower rim. In the dechucking operation, the conveyor is raised until the lower surface of the tire sandwiched between the upper rim and the lower rim comes into contact with the conveyor, and the plunger is started to shorten downward, and then the upper spindle is raised at the same speed as the conveyor. The tire is peeled off from the lower rim while the tire is sandwiched between the upper rim and the conveyor, and the upper spindle is raised to place the tire on the conveyor. Thereby, it can prevent that a tire bounces more .

Here, in the tire testing machine, the conveyor may be configured to be movable in the vertical direction by being guided by a plurality of guides provided at different positions with respect to the conveyance direction of the tire.
Further, in the tire testing machine, the conveyor may be configured to be movable in the vertical direction by an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or an electric cylinder having a servo motor in a driving machine.

According to this, the guide can guide (guide) the vertical movement of the conveyor. And operation | movement until a conveyor contacts a tire can be performed correctly. Moreover, if an electric cylinder is used, the speed of a conveyor can be correctly synchronized with an upper spindle. Further, when the electric cylinder is used, the height of the cylinder portion of the electric cylinder and the position of the center conveyor can be easily grasped by the position control function of the servo motor.

  The tire testing machine of the present invention can prevent a tire from bouncing in a chucking operation or a dechucking operation.

It is a longitudinal section showing a tire testing machine concerning this embodiment. It is a top view showing the whole tire testing machine concerning this embodiment. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the conveyor and chucking mechanism of the tire testing machine which concern on this embodiment. It is a longitudinal section showing a conveyor of a tire testing machine concerning this embodiment. It is a side view which shows the lower spindle of the tire testing machine which concerns on this embodiment. In the tire testing machine which concerns on this embodiment, it is a side view which shows the process of conveying a tire with a conveyor. In the tire testing machine which concerns on this embodiment, it is a side view which shows the process of performing a chucking operation | movement. In the tire testing machine which concerns on this embodiment, it is a side view which shows the process of performing a chucking operation | movement. In the tire testing machine which concerns on this embodiment, it is a side view which shows the process of performing a chucking operation | movement. In the tire testing machine which concerns on this embodiment, it is a side view which shows the process in which the performance test of a tire is performed. In the tire testing machine which concerns on this embodiment, it is a side view which shows the process of performing a dechucking operation | movement. In the tire testing machine which concerns on this embodiment, it is a side view which shows the process of performing a dechucking operation | movement. In the tire testing machine which concerns on this embodiment, it is a side view which shows the process of performing a dechucking operation | movement. In the tire testing machine which concerns on this embodiment, it is a side view which shows the process of performing a dechucking operation | movement. In the tire testing machine which concerns on this embodiment, it is a side view which shows the process of performing a dechucking operation | movement.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment for carrying out a tire testing machine according to the present invention will be described based on a specific example with reference to the drawings.

  In addition, what is demonstrated below is only what was illustrated and does not show the application limit of the tire testing machine which concerns on this invention. That is, the tire testing machine according to the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and various modifications are possible as long as they are described in the claims.

(Configuration of tire testing machine)
Based on FIGS. 1-5, the structure of the tire testing machine 100 which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated.

(Construction of conveyor for tire testing machine)
As shown in FIG.2 and FIG.3, the tire testing machine 100 is provided with the conveyor which mounts and conveys the tire used as a test object in a lying state. The conveyor includes an entrance conveyor 35, a center conveyor 28, and an exit conveyor 34, which are belt conveyors. Each conveyor 35, 28, 34 is arranged so as to transport the tire 10 in the transport direction D.

  The entrance conveyor 35 places the tire 10 that is transported and loaded from a customer conveyor (not shown) in a lying state and transports the tire 10 to the center conveyor 28. The center conveyor 28 is connected to the downstream side of the entrance conveyor 35 and is disposed in a chucking mechanism including a lower chuck 2 and an upper chuck 5 described later. The exit conveyor 34 is connected to the downstream side of the center conveyor 28 and conveys the tire 10 that has been subjected to various performance tests.

  Here, the center conveyor 28 places the tire 10 received from the entrance conveyor 35 at the rotation center position of the vertical lower spindle 19 and the upper spindle 24 provided in the lower chuck 2 and the upper chuck 5 constituting the chucking mechanism. Send it in. The rotation center position is a plunger (spindle core) 20 of the lower spindle 19 described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the center conveyor 28 is formed by a pair of conveying belts 28 a provided on both the left and right sides in the width direction. The pair of transport belts 28a is formed by a ring-shaped belt, and is stretched between a belt drive pulley 28b provided in front of the transport direction and a belt driven pulley 28c provided in the transport direction. The end of the drive shaft of the belt drive pulley 28b is connected to the belt conveyor servo motor 48. Then, by rotating the belt conveyor servomotor 48, the belt drive pulley 28b is rotated via the drive shaft. Then, the conveyor belt 28a is driven and the belt driven pulley 28c is rotated. Thus, the center conveyor 28 is driven.

As shown in FIG. 4, an air cylinder 49 is connected to the center conveyor 28. Further, the center conveyor 28 is equipped with two LM guides 60 on the front and the rear in the conveying direction with the air cylinder 49 interposed therebetween. The LM guide 6 0, as shown in FIG. 2, a substantially L-shaped frame 6 0a provided. The air cylinder 49 is arranged to support the pair of conveying belts 28a constituting the center conveyor 28 through the frame 6 0a from below. The center conveyor 28 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction when the air cylinder 49 is driven (expanded / reduced) in the vertical direction. The LM guide 60 serves as a guide for the vertical movement of the center conveyor 28 by the air cylinder 49.

  Here, the air cylinder 49 is synchronized with the raising and lowering of the upper chuck 5 via the movable beam 4 to be described later in accordance with the control of a solenoid valve (hereinafter referred to as “air cylinder solenoid valve”) provided with a speed controller (not shown). Thus, it can be moved up and down at the same speed. That is, the air cylinder solenoid valve for driving the air cylinder 49 and the motors 41a and 41b for driving the movable beam 4 are connected to a controller (not shown) and configured to be driven in synchronization with each other.

(Configuration of chucking mechanism of tire testing machine)
As shown in FIG. 1, a tire testing machine 100 includes a chucking mechanism including a lower chuck 2 and an upper chuck 5, a pair of vertical frames 3a and 3b, and a vertical frame 3a attached to the lower frame 1 and the lower frame 1. , 3b, linear guides 40a and 40b as slide guide portions, and a movable beam 4 spanned between the linear guides 40a and 40b. The lower chuck 2 is a fixed side chuck and is attached to the lower frame 1. The lower chuck 2 and the upper chuck 5 are moving side chucks and are attached to the movable beam 4.

  The lower frame 1 is made of, for example, a steel-welded structure of steel plates or a steel material such as an H type or an I type, and extends in the horizontal direction.

  The vertical frames 3a and 3b are made of, for example, a welded structure of steel plates or a square steel pipe, and are fixed to the upper surface of the lower frame 1 via bolts and nuts. The vertical frames 3a and 3b are fixed to both ends of the lower frame 1, respectively, and extend from the lower frame 1 upward in the vertical direction. Further, linear guides 40a and 40b are attached to the side surfaces of the vertical frames 3a and 3b facing each other. Ball screws 7a and 7b (screw shafts) are attached to the vertical frames 3a and 3b, respectively. The ball screws 7a and 7b are extended in the vertical direction in the internal spaces of the vertical frames 3a and 3b.

  The movable beam 4 is made of, for example, a welded structure of steel plates or a steel material such as H-type or I-type, and both ends thereof are connected to the nut portions of the ball screws 7a and 7b. The movable beam 4 is supported by a pair of vertical frames 3a and 3b via ball screws 7a and 7b and linear guides 40a and 40b. The movable beam 4 is raised or lowered by rotation of the ball screws 7a and 7b while being guided by the linear guides 40a and 40b. The vertical position of the movable beam 4 is detected by a linear sensor (linear sensor) 8 provided on either one of the vertical frames 3a and 3b (in this embodiment, the vertical frame 3b).

  Motors 41a and 41b are directly connected to the lower ends of the ball screws 7a and 7b, respectively. The ball screws 7a and 7b are rotated by these motors 41a and 41b. The motors 41a and 41b are driven synchronously.

  Circular disks 13a and 13b each having a large number of holes (not shown) formed in a disk are provided at portions of the ball screws 7a and 7b between the motors 41a and 41b and the movable beam 4, respectively. The circular disks 13a and 13b are fixed to portions of the ball screws 7a and 7b between the motors 41a and 41b and the movable beam 4, respectively. The centers of the circular disks 13a and 13b and the axis of the ball screws 7a and 7b are made to coincide.

  Pins driven by the air cylinders 44a and 44b are inserted into the holes of the circular disks 13a and 13b, respectively, so that the circular disks 13a and 13b are fixed, thereby stopping the rotation of the ball screws 7a and 7b. Accordingly, the circular disks 13a and 13b and the respective holes, and the air cylinders 44a and 44b and the pins driven by the air cylinders 44a and 44b function as a movable beam stopping mechanism. And when air or gas (nitrogen gas etc.) is supplied to the internal space of the tire 10 clamped between the lower chuck 2 and the upper chuck 5, the movable beam 4 is fixed so as not to be raised. Thereby, the upper chuck 5 is fixed to the lower chuck 2 through the movable beam 4 so as not to be raised.

  Note that the number, shape, dimensions, and arrangement (such as the distance from the center of the circular disks 13a and 13b) of the holes of the circular disks 13a and 13b are determined based on the pitch of the ball screws 7a and 7b.

  Each of the air cylinders 44a and 44b includes a cylinder body and a pin having a circular cross-sectional shape. The respective pins constituting the air cylinders 44a and 44b advance and retract from the cylinder body by the pressure of air supplied to and discharged from the cylinder body. The cylinder bodies constituting the air cylinders 44a and 44b are fixed to stationary objects (fixed objects) such as the vertical frames 3a and 3b, respectively.

  A hydraulic cylinder or the like may be used in place of the air cylinders 44a and 44b. Further, an operator manually inserts pins driven by the air cylinders 44a and 44b into the holes of the circular disks 13a and 13b. May be.

  The upper chuck 5 is attached to the movable beam 4 so as to extend downward from the lower surface at the center in the longitudinal direction of the movable beam 4.

  The upper chuck 5 includes an outer housing 23 fixed to the movable beam 4, a rotatable upper spindle 24 disposed in the outer housing 23, and an upper rim 30 fixed to the outer peripheral side of the lower end portion of the upper spindle 24. The upper spindle 24 has a female taper portion 27 that is formed on the center side of the lower end portion of the upper spindle 24 and opens while expanding downward.

  A male taper 21 formed at the upper end of a plunger 20 (described later) of the lower chuck 2 is inserted into and engaged with the female taper portion 27. The female tapered portion 27 at the lower end of the upper spindle 24, that is, the inner surface of the lower end of the upper spindle 24 is an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the vertical direction at the same angle as the upper end of the plunger 20.

  The upper rim 30 is disposed so as to surround the lower end portion of the upper spindle 24, and is rotatable with the upper spindle 24 around an axis along the vertical direction.

  Further, an air supply passage 25a, which is a hole through which air passes from the upper end to the lower end, is provided in the upper spindle 24 along the vertical direction. The air supply passage 25 a is connected to a rotary joint 26 disposed at the upper end of the movable beam 4.

  The lower chuck 2 is attached to the lower frame 1 so as to extend upward from the upper surface at the center in the longitudinal direction of the lower frame 1.

  The lower chuck 2 includes an outer housing 18 fixed to the lower frame 1, a rotatable lower spindle 19 disposed in the outer housing 18, a telescopic plunger 20 disposed in the lower spindle 19, and a lower spindle. 19 and a lower rim 29 fixed to the upper end of 19.

  The lower spindle 19 is connected to a motor (rotating mechanism) 31 shown in FIG. Then, by driving the motor 31, the lower spindle 19 rotates about an axis along the vertical direction. Here, the rotation speed of the lower spindle 19 is controlled by a drive mechanism provided in the motor 31. The plunger 20 can rotate about the axis along the vertical direction together with the lower spindle 19, and the lower spindle 19 cannot expand and contract in the vertical direction. On the other hand, the plunger 20 expands and contracts in the vertical direction by driving the air cylinders 22a and 22b. (Moves relative to the lower spindle 19).

  The plunger 20 is a rod-shaped member, and the upper end portion thereof is formed with a tapered convex portion (male taper) 21 having an inclined surface whose outer surface is inclined with respect to the vertical direction so as to become narrower toward the tip end. Is done. The lower rim 29 is disposed so as to surround the upper end portion of the lower spindle 19, and is rotatable with the lower spindle 19 around an axis along the vertical direction.

  A linear sensor (linear sensor) 36 shown in FIG. 5 is attached to the guide member 20 a of the plunger 20. The guide member 20 a is fixed to the plunger 20 and moves together with the plunger 20. The linear sensor 36 is a sensor for detecting a position (vertical direction position) with respect to the lower chuck 2 (lower rim 29) of the upper chuck 5 (upper rim 30), and is a digital linear sensor. Since the digital linear sensor has high resolution, the position of the upper chuck 5 (upper rim 30) with respect to the lower chuck 2 (lower rim 29) can be detected with high accuracy by using the digital linear sensor. Positioning with respect to the lower chuck 2 of the upper chuck 5 is performed by the extension amount of the plunger 20, and pins are inserted into the holes of the circular disks 13a and 13b at the determined positions.

  The linear sensor 36 does not need to be a digital type, and an analog type linear sensor may be used. The linear sensor 36 is attached to the plunger 28 itself, but it may be a digital or analog linear sensor built in the air cylinders 22a and 22b. Further, in order to detect both stroke ends of the plunger 20, limit switches may be attached to both stroke ends.

  An air supply passage 25 b is provided inside the upper end portion of the plunger 20. The air supply passage 25 b is a passage that communicates the air supply passage 25 a provided in the upper spindle 24 with the internal space of the tire 10.

  The upper chuck 5 and the lower chuck 2 are disposed at positions that face each other in the vertical direction at the center in the longitudinal direction of the lower frame 1. That is, the rotation axes of the lower spindle 19, the plunger 20, and the lower rim 29 of the lower chuck 2 coincide with the rotation axes of the upper spindle 24 and the upper rim 30 of the upper chuck 5.

  Further, a load cell (not shown) may be disposed on the lower spindle 19.

(Configuration of drum of tire testing machine)
Next, the configuration of the drum 50 of the tire testing machine 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The drum 50 has a flat cylindrical shape and includes a rotation shaft at the center, and is supported by the support frame 52 so as to be rotatable about the vertical direction. A motor (not shown) for rotating the drum 50 can be connected to the lower end of the rotation shaft of the drum 50.

  The support frame 52 is provided with a moving mechanism 51. The moving mechanism 51 moves the drum 50 in the horizontal direction along the direction substantially perpendicular to the transport direction D via the support frame 52, and the drum 50 and the support frame 52 are integrated in the horizontal direction, that is, the lower chuck 2. The tire 10 held between the lower spindle 19 and the upper spindle 24 of the upper chuck 5 can be moved in a direction approaching and separating. In the moving mechanism, the feed portion can be composed of a ball screw, an air cylinder, or the like, and the guide portion can be composed of a linear railway with rollers, a rail that combines machined surfaces, or the like. Load cells (not shown) for detecting the pressing load of the tire 10 are arranged at both ends of the rotating shaft of the drum 50. The drum 50 is attached to the support frame 52 via the load cell.

(Chucking operation of tire testing machine)
Next, the chucking operation in the tire testing machine 100 according to the present embodiment will be described based on FIGS. 6A to 6E. The chucking operation of the tire testing machine 100 described below is controlled by a controller (not shown) of the tire testing machine 100.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the tire 10 is put on the entrance conveyor 35. On the entrance conveyor 35, a holding roller provided at the tip of a swingable arm member (see FIG. 2) is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the tire 10 to hold the tire 10 at a predetermined position on the entrance conveyor 35. To do. As the holding roller rotates, the tire 10 rotates at that position, and a lubricant is applied to a bead portion of the tire 10 by a bead bribrator (also simply referred to as a “lubricator”). Thereafter, the entrance conveyor 35 and the center conveyor 28 are driven in synchronization, and the tire 10 is sent out from the entrance conveyor 35 onto the center conveyor 28. Then, the tire 10 is conveyed above (directly above) the lower rim 29 of the lower chuck 2 shown in FIG.

  Here, while the tire 10 is sent out from the entrance conveyor 35 directly above the lower rim 29 on the center conveyor 28, the movable beam 4 is in the highest position that is the standby position, or the upper chuck 5 corresponds to the width of the tire 10. The vehicle is stopped at a standby position where it does not interfere with the tire 10. The standby position of the movable beam 4 is set as low as possible so that the upper rim 30 does not interfere with the tire 10 according to the width of the tire 10, so that the standby position of the upper chuck 5 is changed to a test position described later. It is possible to reduce the time required for the downward movement.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6B, after the tire 10 is conveyed directly above the lower rim 29 by the center conveyor 28, the upper chuck 5 moves downward (down) from the standby position via the movable beam 4. Start. The lowering of the movable beam 4 is accompanied by the rotation of the ball screws 7a and 7b, and the drive of the motors 41a and 41b is controlled while the position of the movable beam 4 is monitored by the linear sensor 8. Almost simultaneously with the start of the lowering of the upper chuck 5 via the movable beam 4, the plunger 20 of the lower chuck 2 starts to extend upward by driving the air cylinders 22a and 22b. Here, the center conveyor 28 stands by as it is with the tire 10 placed thereon.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 6C, when the linear sensor 8 detects that the upper rim 30 has reached a position in contact with the upper surface of the tire 10, the air cylinder solenoid valve is controlled, and the control of the air cylinder solenoid valve is performed. Accordingly, the air cylinder 49 is driven and the center conveyor 28 is lowered. Note that the linear sensor 8 detects that the upper rim 30 has reached a position in contact with the upper surface of the tire 10 based on the descending distance of the movable beam 4. The descending distance is a distance calculated by subtracting the distance from the conveyance surface of the center conveyor 28 to the bead position on the upper surface side of the tire 10 from the distance from the standby position of the movable beam 4 to the conveyance surface of the center conveyor 28. Further, it is also possible to set an offset so that the descent distance becomes a position just before pushing or contact with the calculated distance as a reference. The bead position on the upper surface side of the tire 10 uses tire dimension information in the test recipe information.

  Here, the lowering speed of the center conveyor 28 and the lowering speed of the upper chuck 5 (upper spindle 24) via the movable beam 4 become the same speed, and the center conveyor 28 and the movable beam 4 are lowered synchronously. Yes. Accordingly, the tire 10 is lowered while being sandwiched between the upper rim 30 and the center conveyor 28.

  The lowering speed or rising speed of the center conveyor 28 is adjusted by adjusting an air cylinder solenoid valve connected to the air cylinder 49. Here, the adjustment of the air cylinder solenoid valve means, more specifically, the adjustment of the flow rate of air supplied to or discharged from the air cylinder 49 by the speed controller in the air cylinder solenoid valve. To do. Further, the lowering speed or the rising speed of the movable beam 4 is adjusted by adjusting the rotational speeds of the ball screws 7a and 7b and consequently the rotational speeds of the motors 41a and 41b.

  Then, the male taper 21 at the upper end of the plunger 20 and the female taper 27 at the lower end of the upper spindle 24 are engaged, and the test position (the interval between the lower rim 29 and the upper rim 30 is defined according to the tire 10). When the linear sensor 8 detects that the bead width is reached, the descent of the movable beam 4 is stopped and the tire 10 is placed on the lower rim 29.

  Here, the male taper 21 at the upper end of the plunger 30 is engaged with the female taper 27 at the lower end of the upper spindle 47 so that the axis of the lower chuck 5 coincides with the axis of the upper chuck 2. To do. The amount of extension of the plunger 30 is monitored by a linear sensor 36, whereby the position of the upper chuck 5 relative to the lower chuck 2 is monitored. Based on the extension amount of the plunger 30 detected by the linear sensor 36, the upper chuck 5 is positioned at an appropriate rim width interval with respect to the chucked tire 10. Here, the linear sensor 36 outputs that it has been positioned to a control mechanism (not shown). At this time, a pin is inserted into the holes of the circular disks 13a and 13b by the air cylinders 44a and 44b by the movable beam stopping mechanism, the ball screws 7a and 7b are fixed, and the upper chuck 5 cannot be lowered via the movable beam 4. Fixed to. Thereby, the separation force after inflation of the tire 10 is maintained.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6D, the center conveyor 28 is further lowered and separated from the lower surface of the tire 10, and the tire 10 is chucked between the upper rim 30 and the lower rim 29. The center conveyor 28 is lowered to the standby position at the lower limit, and the driving of the air cylinder 49 is stopped with the control of the air cylinder solenoid valve. The determination that the center conveyor 28 has been lowered to the lower limit standby position is based on the fact that the controller has reached a predetermined time after the center conveyor 28 has started to lower, or the lower limit standby position. This is performed by determining that the center conveyor 28 is in contact with a lower limit switch (not shown) arranged in FIG.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6E, when the upper chuck 5 (upper rim 30) is positioned with respect to the lower chuck 2 (lower rim 29) in the vertical direction, the tire 10 held between the upper and lower chucks 2, 5. The interior space of is sealed. In this state, a solenoid valve (not shown) connected to the rotary joint 26 is driven, compressed air is supplied to the internal space of the tire 10 through the air supply passage 25a and the air supply passage 25b, and the tire 10 is inflated. The Then, when the air pressure of the tire 10 reaches a predetermined pressure by a tire internal pressure measuring device (not shown), the supply of compressed air is stopped.

  When the control mechanism detects the positioning of the upper chuck 5 relative to the lower chuck 2 from the linear sensor 36, the control mechanism rotates the tire 10 sandwiched between the lower spindle 19 and the upper spindle 24 at a predetermined rotational speed. Then, the driving of the motor 31 shown in FIG. 2 is started. When driving of the motor 31 is started, the sandwiched tire 10 is rotated by rotating the plunger 20, the lower rim 29, the upper spindle 24, and the upper rim 30 together with the lower spindle 19 around the same axis.

  As described above, the chucking operation of the tire testing machine 100 is performed, and thereafter, various performance tests on the tire 10 are performed using the drum 50 and the like.

(Dechucking operation of tire testing machine)
Next, the dechucking operation in the tire testing machine 100 according to the present embodiment will be described based on FIGS. 7A to 7E. The dechucking operation of the tire testing machine 100 described below is controlled by a controller (not shown) of the tire testing machine 100.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, when various performance tests on the tire 10 are completed, the rotation of the motor 31 is stopped and the upper and lower spindles 24 and 19 are stopped. When the test is performed using the drum 50, the drum 50 is separated from the tire 10 by the moving mechanism 51 immediately after the test of the tire 10 is completed or after the rotation of the motor 31 is stopped. Then, the internal pressure of the tire 10 is released from the electromagnetic valve connected to the rotary joint 26.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, the air cylinder 49 is driven in accordance with the control of the air cylinder solenoid valve, and the center conveyor 28 is raised from the standby position at the lower limit. Further, almost simultaneously with the start of the raising of the center conveyor 28, the plunger 20 of the lower chuck 2 starts to be shortened downward by driving the air cylinders 22a and 22b. The movable beam 4 does not move and is on standby, and the upper rim 30 of the upper chuck 5 is in contact with the upper surface of the tire 10.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 7C, the center conveyor 28 reaches the lower surface of the tire 10, and when the tire 10 is placed on the center conveyor 28, the upper rim 30 comes into contact with the upper surface of the tire 10. The upper spindle 24 of the upper chuck 5 in the state starts to move upward (rise) via the movable beam 4. The determination that the tire conveying surface of the center conveyor 28 has reached the lower surface of the tire 10 is made based on the time that has elapsed since the controller started to rise from the standby position at the lower limit of the center conveyor 28. This is performed by determining that the center conveyor 28 has come into contact with a middle limit switch (not shown) disposed at a height corresponding to the lower surface of the tire 10.

  The ascent distance of the center conveyor 28 here is a distance from the standby position of the center conveyor 28 to the lower surface of the tire 10. Further, it is also possible to set an offset so that the ascending distance becomes a position before being pushed or contacted with reference to the distance from the standby position of the center conveyor 28 to the lower surface of the tire 10. The bead position of the tire 10 uses tire dimension information in the test recipe information.

  Here, the center conveyor 28 is configured so that the center conveyor 28 and the movable beam 4 ascend in synchronization with the ascent speed of the center conveyor 28 and the ascent speed of the upper chuck 5 (upper spindle 24) via the movable beam 4. Yes. As a result, the tire 10 is raised while being sandwiched between the upper rim 30 and the center conveyor 28. The rising speed of the center conveyor 28 is adjusted by adjusting the air cylinder solenoid valve connected to the air cylinder 49 as described above.

Then, the tire 10 is peeled from the lower rim 29. When the movable beam 4 is raised, the air cylinders 44a and 44b are driven to remove the pins from the holes of the circular disks 13a and 13b, thereby releasing the locks of the ball screws 7a and 7b. The motors 41a and 41b are rotated, and the ball screws 7a and 7b are rotated, whereby the movable beam 4 is raised.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7D, when the center conveyor 28 reaches the ascending limit transport position, the air cylinder solenoid valve is controlled, the supply of air to the air cylinder 49 is stopped, and the air cylinder 49 is driven. Is stopped. The determination that the center conveyor 28 has reached the ascending limit transport position is based on the fact that the controller has reached a predetermined time since the center conveyor 28 started to rise from the descending limit standby position. Alternatively, it is performed by determining that the center conveyor 28 is in contact with an upper limit switch (not shown) disposed at the ascending limit transport position of the center conveyor 28.

Here, the upper chuck 5 (upper spindle 24) further moves up through the movable beam 4. Then, as shown in FIG. 7E, the upper chuck 5 (upper spindle 24) continues to rise through the movable beam 4, and the tire 10 is released from the upper rim 30 by the tire 10 coming into contact with the tire stripper 33. . The movable beam 4 stops rising when the upper chuck 5 (upper spindle 24) reaches the standby position where the upper limit is reached. At this time, a pin is inserted into the holes of the circular disks 13a and 13b by the air cylinders 44a and 44b by the movable beam stop mechanism, the ball screws 7a and 7b are fixed, and the upper chuck 5 (upper spindle 24) is moved to the movable beam 4 It is fixed so that it cannot rise. The tire 10 released from the upper and lower spindles 19 and 24 is then moved to the outlet conveyor 34 by the center conveyor 28.

  As described above, the tire testing machine 100 of the present embodiment is in a state where the tire 10 is sandwiched between the upper rim 30 and the center conveyor 28 until the tire 10 is placed on the lower rim 29 in the chucking operation. Maintained. Further, when the tire 10 is peeled from the lower rim 29 in the dechucking operation, the tire 10 is maintained in a state of being sandwiched between the upper rim 30 and the center conveyor 28. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the tire 10 from bouncing.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made as long as they are described in the claims.

  In the tire testing machine 35 according to the above-described embodiment, the chucking mechanism 36 is configured to control only the upper spindle 25 to move up and down and the upper spindle 25 to approach and separate from the lower spindle 24. The chucking mechanism may be configured such that both the lower spindle 24 and the upper spindle 25 are moved up and down, and the lower spindle 24 and the upper spindle 25 are controlled to approach and separate from each other.

  In the tire testing machine 35 according to the above-described embodiment, the conveyor for transporting the tire 10 includes the entrance conveyor 35, the center conveyor 28, and the exit conveyor 34. However, the conveyor may be a single continuous belt conveyor. It is also possible to use a conveyor other than the belt conveyor.

In the tire testing machine 35 according to the embodiment described above, the center conveyor 30 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction by the air cylinder 49 and the LM guide 60 , but is not limited thereto. For example, a hydraulic cylinder or an electric cylinder (electric actuator) can be employed instead of the air cylinder 49. In particular, in the case of an electric cylinder provided with a servo motor in the driving machine, the ascending speed or descending speed of the center conveyor 30 can be adjusted more precisely than the air cylinder 49. Therefore, it is easy to adjust the lowering speed of the center conveyor 28 to be the same as the lowering speed of the movable beam 4. Further, the position control function of the servo motor allows the controller to easily grasp the height of the cylinder portion of the electric cylinder and thus the position of the center conveyor 30. Further, the above-described lower limit switch, middle limit switch, and upper limit switch can be eliminated.

2 Lower chuck 5 Upper chuck 10 Tire 19 Lower spindle 24 Upper spindle 28 Center conveyor (conveyor)
29 Lower rim 30 Upper rim 34 Exit conveyor (conveyor)
35 Entrance conveyor (conveyor)
100 tire testing machine

Claims (5)

Conveyor configured to be movable in the vertical direction and placing and transporting tires in a lying state;
An upper rim and a lower rim for aligning the center position of the tire with the center of the tire and sandwiching the tire from both upper and lower sides, and an upper spindle for rotating the tire while the upper rim and the lower rim are respectively mounted at the tips. A chucking mechanism comprising an upper chuck and a lower chuck configured to sandwich the tire from both the upper and lower sides, the chuck being configured so that the upper spindle and the lower spindle approach and separate from each other, and the lower chuck A retractable and extendable and rotatable plunger that is engageable with the upper chuck ;
Rutotomoni is lowered the on spindle until the upper rim and the upper surface of the tire which has been conveyed by the conveyor is in contact, after starting the stretching the plunger upward, downward said conveyor in said upper spindle at the same rate When the tire is placed on the lower rim while the tire is sandwiched between the upper rim and the conveyor and the plunger is engaged with the upper chuck, the lower chuck is further lowered. A tire testing machine that performs a chucking operation of lowering the conveyor and sandwiching the tire between the upper rim and the lower rim. Conveyor configured to be movable in the vertical direction and placing and transporting tires in a lying state;
An upper rim and a lower rim for aligning the center position of the tire with the center of the tire and sandwiching the tire from both upper and lower sides, and an upper spindle for rotating the tire while the upper rim and the lower rim are respectively mounted at the tips. A chucking mechanism comprising an upper chuck and a lower chuck configured to sandwich the tire from both the upper and lower sides, the chuck being configured so that the upper spindle and the lower spindle approach and separate from each other, and the lower chuck A retractable and extendable and rotatable plunger that is engageable with the upper chuck ;
Rutotomoni raising the conveyor to the lower surface and the conveyor of the tire put between the upper rim and the lower rim are in contact, after the plunger was initiated shortening downwards, the on spindle same as the conveyor A dechucking operation in which the tire is peeled off from the lower rim while the tire is sandwiched between the upper rim and the conveyor, and the upper spindle is further lifted to place the tire on the conveyor. A tire testing machine characterized by performing. Conveyor configured to be movable in the vertical direction and placing and transporting tires in a lying state;
An upper rim and a lower rim for aligning the center position of the tire with the center of the tire and sandwiching the tire from both upper and lower sides, and an upper spindle for rotating the tire while the upper rim and the lower rim are respectively mounted at the tips. A chucking mechanism comprising an upper chuck and a lower chuck configured to sandwich the tire from both the upper and lower sides, the chuck being configured so that the upper spindle and the lower spindle approach and separate from each other, and the lower chuck A retractable and extendable and rotatable plunger that is engageable with the upper chuck ;
Rutotomoni is lowered the on spindle until the upper rim and the upper surface of the tire which has been conveyed by the conveyor is in contact, after starting the stretching the plunger upward, downward said conveyor in said upper spindle at the same rate When the tire is placed on the lower rim while the tire is sandwiched between the upper rim and the conveyor and the plunger is engaged with the upper chuck, the lower chuck is further lowered. Perform a chucking operation to lower the conveyor and sandwich the tire between the upper rim and the lower rim,
Rutotomoni raising the conveyor to the lower surface and the conveyor of the tire put between the upper rim and the lower rim are in contact, after the plunger was initiated shortening downwards, the on spindle same as the conveyor A dechucking operation in which the tire is peeled off from the lower rim while the tire is sandwiched between the upper rim and the conveyor, and the upper spindle is further lifted to place the tire on the conveyor. A tire testing machine characterized by performing.   The said conveyor is comprised by the two guides provided in the position different with respect to the conveyance direction of the said tire, and is comprised so that a movement in an up-down direction is possible, The Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. The tire testing machine described. The conveyor air cylinder, hydraulic cylinder or, according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that it is configured to be movable in the vertical direction by an electric cylinder having a servo motor to drive motor Tire testing machine.

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