JP7379242B2 - tire testing machine - Google Patents

Description

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

Tire testing machines that measure tire uniformity, etc. are conventionally known. The tire testing machine includes a spindle that rotatably supports a tire around a rotation center axis that extends in the vertical direction, and a spindle that is rotatably supported around a rotation center axis that is parallel to the rotation center axis of the spindle and that touches the outer peripheral surface of the tire. It has a rotating drum that can be contacted and a load cell that can measure the load applied to the rotating drum. There are also devices that have a load cell on the spindle side.

When a tire mounted on a spindle is filled with air and a rotating drum is pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the tire, the tire is rotated by the spindle and a load cell measures data on changes in the load on the tire. The uniformity of the tire is evaluated based on the measured load fluctuation data. The spindle has an upper spindle and a lower spindle. When mounting a tire on a spindle, an upper rim and a lower rim depending on the tire size are mounted on both sides of the tire, and the spindle rotatably supports the tire via these rims.

Since some of the tires evaluated in a tire testing machine have widths of various dimensions, it is necessary to set the relative spacing between the upper rim and the lower rim depending on the width of each tire. Patent Document 1 discloses a tire testing machine that can adjust the distance between an upper rim and a lower rim. Specifically, the tire testing machine includes a cylindrical spindle (corresponding to the lower spindle) that supports the lower rim, a cylindrical lock shaft (corresponding to the upper spindle) that supports the upper rim, and a drive mechanism. have A lock shaft is inserted into the cylinder of the spindle. On the outer peripheral surface of the tip of the lock shaft, lock grooves are arranged in 15 upper and lower stages. On the other hand, the spindle has four lock members that are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction so as to face the lock grooves and are movable back and forth in the radial direction, and the lock members are arranged in the lock grooves. Each has locking claws in six upper and lower stages that can be engaged. When the amount of advancement (descent amount) of the lock shaft into the spindle is adjusted and the drive mechanism moves the four lock members radially inward, the six lock pawls engage with the predetermined lock grooves, and the lock shaft It is positioned in the vertical direction with respect to the spindle. As a result, the relative positions of the upper rim and the lower rim are fixed.

Patent No. 3904318 specification

In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the drive mechanism that reciprocates the four locking members in the radial direction is disposed so as to pass through the cylindrical spindle in the radial direction, so the structure of the drive mechanism is It was getting complicated. In addition, in such a configuration, the mechanism becomes large in size, easily breaks down, and takes time and effort to maintain.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a tire testing machine that has a simple configuration and is capable of changing the distance between the upper rim and the lower rim according to the width of the tire. With the goal.

The present invention provides a method of subjecting the tire to a predetermined test by rotating the tire in a horizontal position in which the central axis of rotation of the tire extends in the vertical direction at a predetermined tire test position. This is a tire testing machine that performs The tire testing machine has a lower holding part capable of holding a lower rim attached to a lower bead part that is a bead part located on the lower side of the tire in the horizontal position, and is attached to a lower spindle that supports the tire via the lower rim so as to be rotatable around the rotation center axis, and an upper bead portion that is a bead portion located on the upper side of the tire in the horizontal position. and an upper spindle that supports the tire via the upper rim so that the tire can rotate around the rotation center axis. One of the lower spindle and the upper spindle is an insertion part inserted into the other spindle of the lower spindle and the upper spindle, which is different from the one spindle, and the outer periphery of the insertion part It has a cylindrical insertion part that includes an insertion outer circumferential surface that forms a surface and is centered on the rotation center axis. The insertion portions are a plurality of insertion engagement portions each extending in the axial direction of the rotation center shaft and arranged at intervals in the rotation direction of the tire and forming a part of the insertion outer circumferential surface, a plurality of insertion engagement parts each extending along a rotational direction and each including a plurality of engagement protrusions arranged adjacent to each other in the axial direction; and a plurality of insertion engagement parts adjacent to each other in the rotational direction among the plurality of insertion engagement parts. a plurality of insertion recesses, each of which is arranged to extend in the axial direction and constitute a part of the insertion outer circumferential surface between the insertion and engagement parts, the plurality of insertion and engagement parts when viewed from the axial direction; It has a plurality of insertion recesses each having a shape recessed radially inward with respect to the insertion recess. The other spindle has a cylindrical inner periphery that defines an opening that faces the insertion section of the one spindle in the axial direction and an internal space that can receive the insertion section through the opening. a locking portion that forms at least a portion of the inner circumferential surface of the spindle and is capable of locking the insertion portion inserted into the internal space so as to restrain the one spindle in the axial direction; ,have. The locking portions are a plurality of locking portions each extending in the axial direction on the inner circumferential surface of the spindle and arranged at intervals in the rotational direction, and each extending along the rotational direction and engaging the locking portions in the rotational direction. a plurality of locking engagement parts each including a plurality of locking protrusions arranged adjacent to each other in the axial direction; and between the locking engagement parts adjacent to each other in the rotational direction among the plurality of locking engagement parts; a plurality of lock recesses each disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the spindle so as to extend in the axial direction and each having a shape recessed radially outward with respect to the plurality of lock engaging portions when viewed from the axial direction; have When viewed from the axial direction, the plurality of insertion engaging portions of the one spindle match with the plurality of locking recesses of the other spindle, and the plurality of insertion recesses of the one spindle match with the plurality of locking recesses of the other spindle. In the insertable state in which each of the plurality of locking engagement parts is aligned with the plurality of locking engagement parts, the other spindle is moved to a position where the plurality of insertion engagement parts respectively face the plurality of locking engagement parts in the rotational direction. The insertion portion of one spindle is receivable into the internal space along the axial direction, and further, the plurality of locking protrusions of the plurality of locking engagement portions of the other spindle are mutually arranged in the axial direction. The plurality of engagement protrusions adjacent to each other in the axial direction of the plurality of insertion engagement portions of the one spindle are respectively received in the space between adjacent locking protrusions along the rotational direction, and the plurality of engagement protrusions are received in the space between adjacent locking protrusions. the plurality of insertion engagements so that the upper holding part of the upper spindle and the lower holding part of the lower spindle can be relatively positioned in the axial direction by respectively engaging with the projections; The dimensions of the lock engaging portions and the lock recesses in the radial direction and the circumferential direction about the rotation center axis are respectively set with respect to the lock engaging portions and the plurality of insertion recesses.

According to this configuration, a plurality of engagement protrusions are arranged adjacent to each other in the axial direction in the insertion engagement part of the insertion part, and a plurality of locking protrusions are arranged in the lock engagement part of the lock part in the axial direction. Since they are arranged adjacent to each other, by making the engagement positions of the protrusions different in the axial direction, it is possible to easily change the distance between the upper rim and the lower rim according to the width of the tire. In addition, by inserting the insertion part of one spindle into the internal space of the other spindle and then rotating one spindle relative to the other spindle, the upper holding part of the upper spindle and the lower holding part of the lower spindle can be separated. Since the distance between the upper and lower spindles can be fixed, it is possible to lock both spindles by relative movement in the axial and rotational directions between the upper and lower spindles. There is no need to provide a drive mechanism that communicates with the air, and the number of sealing members provided to prevent air leakage can be reduced.

In the above configuration, in the insertable state, the interval between the upper rim held by the upper holding part and the lower rim held by the lower holding part is a predetermined distance set according to the width of the tire. an insertion drive unit capable of relatively inserting the insertion portion of the one spindle to a specific position in the internal space of the other spindle so that the insertion portion is located at the specific position; In this state, the one spindle is moved to the other such that the plurality of engagement protrusions of the plurality of insertion engagement parts and the plurality of locking protrusions of the plurality of locking engagement parts engage with each other. a rotational drive unit capable of relative rotation around the rotation center axis with respect to the spindle; and a state in which the upper spindle and the lower spindle support the tire via the upper rim and the lower rim; It is desirable that the vehicle further includes an air supply mechanism capable of filling air into the tire internal space, which is a space defined by the upper rim, the tire, and the lower rim.

According to this configuration, the upper spindle and the lower spindle are sequentially moved relative to each other in the axial direction and rotational direction by the driving force of the insertion drive section and the rotation drive section without requiring force from the operator, thereby locking both spindles. This makes it possible to appropriately set the distance between the upper rim and the lower rim depending on the width of the tire.

In the above configuration, it is possible to detect that a specific portion of the first spindle, which is one of the one spindle and the other spindle, has reached a specific preset rotational position around the rotation center axis. further comprising: a rotation detection unit; and a rotation prevention unit capable of blocking rotation of the first spindle when the rotation detection unit detects that the specific portion has reached the specific rotation position; The insertion drive section relatively inserts the insertion section of the one spindle to a specific position in the internal space of the other spindle while rotation of the first spindle is blocked by the rotation prevention section. The rotation drive unit may prevent rotation of the first spindle by the rotation prevention unit and insert the insertion part of the one spindle to a specific position in the internal space of the other spindle. the one spindle and the other spindle so that the plurality of engagement protrusions of the plurality of insertion engagement parts and the plurality of locking protrusions of the plurality of locking engagement parts engage with each other in the It is desirable that a second spindle of the spindles, which is a different spindle from the first spindle, can be rotated around the rotation center axis.

According to this configuration, it is possible to lock both spindles by sequentially moving the upper spindle and the lower spindle relative to each other in the axial direction and rotational direction while the rotation of the first spindle is blocked. It is possible to prevent the spindle and the lower spindle from rotating with each other.

In the above configuration, a rotation detection unit capable of detecting a rotational position of a specific portion of a first spindle, which is one of the one spindle and the other spindle, about the rotation center axis; a rotation prevention part capable of preventing rotation of the first spindle, and the rotation drive part is configured to rotate the one spindle when viewed from the axial direction in a state where rotation of the first spindle is prevented by the rotation prevention part. The plurality of insertion engaging portions of the spindle of the spindle are respectively aligned with the plurality of locking recesses of the other spindle, and the plurality of insertion recesses of the one spindle are aligned with the plurality of locking recesses of the other spindle. A second spindle of the one spindle and the other spindle, which is a different spindle from the first spindle, is rotated around the rotation center axis in accordance with the detection result of the rotation detection unit so that the two spindles match each other. It may be possible to do so.

According to this configuration, the rotational drive unit moves the plurality of insertion engagement portions of one spindle and the plurality of locking engagement portions of the other spindle in the rotational direction without stopping the first spindle at a specific rotational position. Positioning can be easily performed according to the detection result of the rotation detection section.

In the above configuration, the insertion driving section is configured such that the rotation of the first spindle is prevented by the rotation blocking section, and the plurality of insertion engaging sections respectively match the plurality of locking recesses, and the plurality of insertion recesses are arranged in the plurality of locking recesses. It is possible to relatively insert the insertion portion of the one spindle to a specific position in the internal space of the other spindle in a state where the insertion portion is aligned with each of the plurality of lock engagement portions, and the rotation drive portion is , in a state where rotation of the first spindle is prevented by the rotation preventing portion and the insertion portion is inserted to a specific position in the internal space, the plurality of engagement protrusions of the plurality of insertion engagement portions and the plurality of engagement protrusions of the plurality of insertion engagement portions It is desirable that the second spindle can be rotated around the rotational center axis so that the plurality of locking protrusions of the locking engagement portion engage with each other.

According to this configuration, it is possible to lock both spindles by sequentially moving the upper spindle and the lower spindle relative to each other in the axial direction and rotational direction while the rotation of the first spindle is blocked. It is possible to prevent the spindle and the lower spindle from rotating with each other.

In the above configuration, the rotational drive unit is provided between the plurality of engagement protrusions and the plurality of locking protrusions via the upper rim and the lower rim by air filled in the inner space of the tire. It is further possible to rotate the one spindle and the other spindle integrally in a state where relative rotation of the one spindle and the other spindle around the rotation center axis is suppressed by contact surface pressure. It is desirable that

According to this configuration, the upper spindle and the lower spindle are rotated as a unit by using the driving force of the rotation drive unit that can lock the upper spindle and the lower spindle to each other, and a predetermined test is performed on the tire. It becomes possible to do so.

In the above configuration, the other spindle includes a spindle main body having a cylindrical main body inner circumferential surface forming a part of the spindle inner circumferential surface, and a spindle main body having a cylindrical main body inner circumferential surface forming a part of the spindle inner circumferential surface. at least one lock piece including a piece inner circumferential surface defining the internal space together with the main body inner circumferential surface and fixed to the spindle body, the plurality of lock engaging portions of the lock portion and the Preferably, a plurality of lock recesses are formed in the inner circumferential surface of the at least one piece.

According to this configuration, since the plurality of locking engaging parts and the plurality of locking recesses are formed in the lock piece, there is no need to provide a locking protrusion on the inner peripheral surface of the spindle main body, and the processing cost of the spindle main body can be reduced. can be reduced.

In the above configuration, the at least one lock piece includes a single lock piece having a ring shape centered on the rotation center axis, and the plurality of lock engaging parts and the plurality of lock recesses of the lock part. are preferably formed on the inner circumferential surface of each piece of the single lock piece.

According to this configuration, the plurality of lock engaging portions and the plurality of lock recesses are formed in a single ring-shaped lock piece, so compared to a case where the lock piece is composed of a plurality of members. This makes it possible to improve the positional accuracy of the plurality of locking protrusions.

In the above configuration, the plurality of engagement protrusions of the plurality of insertion engagement portions have a spiral shape centered on the rotation center axis so as to be inclined in one direction in the axial direction as the engagement protrusions progress in the rotation direction. The plurality of locking protrusions of the plurality of locking engagement parts have a spiral shape centered on the rotational central axis so as to be inclined in the one direction as the locking protrusions progress in the rotational direction, and It is desirable to have a spiral shape that can be engaged with the plurality of engagement protrusions along the rotational direction.

According to this configuration, the lower holding part and the upper holding part are adjusted not only according to the relative positions in the axial direction of the insertion engaging part and the lock engaging part, but also according to the relative positions (rotational positions) in the mutual circumferential direction. Since the interval between the upper and lower rims can be adjusted, it is possible to set the interval between the upper rim and the lower rim more precisely.

According to the present invention, there is provided a tire testing machine that has a simple configuration and can change the distance between the upper rim and the lower rim according to the width of the tire.

1 is a plan view of a tire testing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a rear view of a tire testing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a side view of a tire testing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tire testing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a lower rim and an upper rim supported by a lower spindle and an upper spindle, respectively. FIG. 1 is a side view of a tire testing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, with an upper rim supported by an upper spindle. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a guide piece of an upper spindle of a tire testing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view of the lock piece of the tire testing machine concerning one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a side sectional view of a lock piece of a tire testing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the lock piece of the tire testing machine concerning one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an upper spindle, an upper rim, and a lock piece of a tire testing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a tire testing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a lower rim and an upper rim supported by a lower spindle and an upper spindle, respectively. FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a lifting unit of a tire testing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the elevating unit shown in FIG. 12; FIG. 2 is a downward perspective view of an elevating unit of a tire testing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the elevating unit shown in FIG. 14; 1 is a plan view of an elevating unit of a tire testing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17 is an enlarged plan view of a part of the elevating unit shown in FIG. 16; 1 is a block diagram of a tire testing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a process in which a tire is rotatably supported in a tire testing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 20 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 19 illustrating a process in which a tire is rotatably supported in a tire testing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a process in which a tire is rotatably supported in a tire testing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a process in which a tire is rotatably supported in a tire testing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a process in which a tire is rotatably supported in a tire testing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view of the tire testing machine according to the first modified embodiment of the present invention in a state where the upper rim is supported by the upper spindle. It is a top view of the lock piece of the tire testing machine based on the 1st modified embodiment of this invention. It is a sectional side view of the lock piece of the tire testing machine concerning the 1st modification embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of a tire testing machine according to a second modified embodiment of the present invention in a state in which a lower rim and an upper rim are supported by a lower spindle and an upper spindle, respectively. FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of a tire testing machine according to a second modified embodiment of the present invention in a state in which a lower rim and an upper rim are supported by a lower spindle and an upper spindle, respectively.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the tire testing machine 1 of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. 1, 2, and 3 are a plan view, a rear view, and a side view of a tire testing machine 1 according to the present embodiment. In addition, in each of the subsequent drawings, front and back, top and bottom, and left and right directions are shown based on the tire T transported by the tire testing machine 1, but the directions are based on the usage mode of the tire testing machine according to the present invention. It is not limited to.

The tire testing machine 1 includes a main body frame 1S, a spindle 2, a tire transport mechanism 3, a rotating drum 4, an elevating unit 50, a marking unit 60, a drum moving mechanism and a load cell 4L (not shown). The tire testing machine 1 tests the tire T in a horizontal position in which the tire rotation center axis CL (rotation center axis) of the tire T (see FIG. 19) extends in the vertical direction at a predetermined tire test position P. The tire T is rotated around the rotational center axis CL and subjected to a predetermined test.

The main body frame 1S is arranged approximately at the center of the tire testing machine 1, and a tire testing position P is formed inside the main body frame 1S. Further, the main body frame 1S rotatably supports the spindle 2. The main frame 1S includes a lower frame 100 (FIG. 3), a base frame 101 (FIG. 2), and an upper frame 102 (FIG. 2).

The spindle 2 rotatably supports the tire T around a reference rotation center axis 2S extending in the vertical direction at the tire test position P. The spindle 2 has a lower spindle 21 (another spindle, a second spindle) and an upper spindle 22 (one spindle, a first spindle) (FIGS. 2 and 3).

The tire transport mechanism 3 is disposed along a horizontal transport direction D1 so as to pass through the tire testing position P in plan view, and is capable of transporting the tire T in a horizontal position to the tire testing position P. On the other hand, it is possible to transport the tire T from the tire testing position P along the transport direction D1.

The rotating drum 4 is rotatably supported by the base frame 101 of the main body frame 1S. The rotating drum 4 is disposed facing the tire testing position P (spindle 2) at a predetermined interval in a direction (left and right direction) substantially perpendicular to the transport direction D1 of the tires T transported by the tire transport mechanism 3. ing. The rotating drum 4 is a cylindrical member that is rotatable around a rotation center axis that extends in a direction parallel to the reference rotation center axis 2S of the spindle 2 (vertical direction), and a tire T runs on the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 4. A simulated road surface 4A (outer peripheral surface) is formed. When the simulated road surface 4A comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the tire T, the rotating drum 4 follows the tire T and rotates. A drum moving mechanism (not shown) that pushes the rotating drum 4 horizontally is provided on the side of the rotating drum 4, and the drum moving mechanism can move the rotating drum 4 toward and away from the tire T. can.

The load cells 4L (load measuring devices) are arranged on the upper and lower extensions of the central axis of rotation of the rotating drum 4 (only the upper side is shown in FIG. 1), and measure the load that the rotating drum 4 receives from the tire T. The load cells 4L are used to support the rotating drum 4 on the main body frame 1S, and one each is placed at the top and bottom of the rotating drum 4, and measures the load acting on the rotating drum 4 in the axially perpendicular direction. . That is, the tire testing machine 1 according to the present embodiment uses a combination of a ball screw and a motor (not shown) to bring the rotating drum 4 close to the spindle 2, and while bringing the tire T into contact with the simulated road surface 4A of the rotating drum 4. It is configured as a tire uniformity machine that evaluates the uniformity of the tire T by measuring load fluctuations during tire rotation with a load cell 4L.

The tire conveyance mechanism 3 has a belt conveyor type structure. The tire conveyance mechanism 3 includes an input conveyor 7, a conveyor 8, an output conveyor 9, an input frame 7S, and an output frame 9S. In FIG. 1, the tire T is conveyed from the right side (upstream side) toward the left side (downstream side).

The carry-in conveyor 7 conveys the tires T toward the tire test position P. The tires T transported by the carry-in conveyor 7 are delivered to the upstream portion of the transport conveyor 8. The conveyor 8 receives the tires T from the carry-in conveyor 7 and carries the tires T to the tire testing position P. The conveyor 8 is controlled by a control unit 90 (described later) to temporarily stop the tire T at the tire test position P. Thereafter, when the tire T is subjected to a predetermined test, the conveyor 8 transports the tire T further downstream. The tires T transported by the transport conveyor 8 are delivered to the carry-out conveyor 9. The carry-out conveyor 9 receives the tires T from the conveyor 8 and conveys the tires T further downstream.

Note that the carry-in conveyor 7, the transport conveyor 8, and the carry-out conveyor 9 are circularly driven by a drive unit (not shown) included in the tire transport mechanism 3. Further, the conveyor 8 can be moved up and down by an air cylinder (not shown) included in the drive section. The tire T carried into the tire testing position P is delivered to the lower spindle 21 by the lowering of the conveyor 8. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the conveyor 8 has moved to the lowest position. When the conveyor 8 is moved to the uppermost position, the conveyor 8 is disposed at the same height as the input conveyor 7 and the output conveyor 9, and the tire T can be conveyed.

The carry-in frame 7S supports the carry-in conveyor 7 so as to be able to go around it, and the carry-out frame 9S supports the carry-out conveyor 9 so that it can go around it. Further, the carry-out frame 9S supports a marking unit 60 (FIG. 3) that applies a predetermined marking to the tire T according to the test result at the tire test position P.

The elevating unit 50 supports the upper spindle 22 in a movable and rotatable manner. The elevating unit 50 can move up and down along a pair of guide frames 102A of the upper frame 102 in FIG. Note that the detailed structure of the elevating unit 50 will be explained later.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a lower rim 61 and an upper rim 62 supported by the lower spindle 21 and upper spindle 22, respectively, of the tire testing machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a side view of the tire testing machine 1 according to the present embodiment, with the upper rim 62 supported by the upper spindle 22. FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the guide piece 223 of the upper spindle 22 of the tire testing machine 1 according to the present embodiment. 7, 8, and 9 are a plan view, a side sectional view, and a perspective view of the lock piece 250 of the tire testing machine 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the upper spindle 22, the upper rim 62, and the lock piece 250 of the tire testing machine 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side sectional view of the tire testing machine 1 according to the present embodiment in a state where the lower rim 61 and the upper rim 62 are supported by the lower spindle 21 and the upper spindle 22, respectively.

The lower spindle 21 has a lower holding flange 210A (lower holding part) capable of holding the lower rim 61 attached to the lower bead part of the tire T in the horizontal position. The tire T is supported through the lower rim 61 so that the tire T can rotate around the reference rotation center axis 2S.

The upper spindle 22 has an upper holding flange 221 (upper holding part) capable of holding the upper rim 62 attached to the upper bead part which is the upper bead part of the tire T in the horizontal position. The upper rim 62 supports the tire T so that the tire T can rotate around the reference rotation center axis 2S.

Note that when the tire T is placed at the tire test position P, the tire rotation center axis CL of the tire T matches the reference rotation center axis 2S of the spindle 2. The tire testing machine 1 has a plurality of types of lower rims 61 and upper rims 62, depending on the size (outer diameter, inner diameter, width), shape, etc. of the tire T to be tested at the tire testing position P. A lower rim 61 and an upper rim 62 appropriate for the tire T are placed at the tire testing position P.

The upper spindle 22 includes an upper spindle base end 220 (FIG. 5), an upper holding flange 221, an insertion section 222 inserted into the lower spindle 21, a guide piece 223, and an upper spindle engagement section 224. .

The upper spindle base end portion 220 (FIG. 5) has a cylindrical shape and constitutes the base end portion (upper end portion) of the upper spindle 22. Note that, as shown in FIG. 12, the upper spindle base end portion 220 is connected to a lifting unit 50, which will be described later.

The upper holding flange 221 is connected to the lower end of the upper spindle base end portion 220 and has a function of holding the ring-shaped upper rim 62.

The insertion portion 222 is connected to the upper holding flange 221 from below. The insertion portion 222 includes an insertion outer peripheral surface 222S and has a cylindrical shape centered on the reference rotation center axis 2S (tire rotation center axis CL). Note that, as shown in FIG. 11, the insertion portion 222 is inserted into the ring-shaped upper rim 62, so that the upper rim 62 reaches and is held by the upper holding flange 221.

The guide piece 223 is fixed to the lower end of the insertion portion 222 by a plurality of bolts V (FIG. 11), and the insertion portion 222 is inserted into the internal space S of the lower spindle 21, which will be described later.

The upper spindle engaging portion 224 is disposed approximately at the center of the insertion outer circumferential surface 222S of the insertion portion 222 in the vertical direction. The upper spindle engagement part 224 has a plurality of insertion engagement parts 224A and a plurality of insertion recesses 224B.

The plurality of insertion engagement portions 224A each extend in the axial direction of the reference rotation center axis 2S, are arranged at intervals from each other in the rotational direction of the tire T, and each constitute a part of the insertion outer circumferential surface 222S. The plurality of insertion engagement parts 224A each include a plurality of engagement protrusions 224AS that extend along the rotational direction and are arranged adjacent to each other in the axial direction. In this embodiment, the plurality of engagement protrusions 224AS are arranged so as to extend in a direction (horizontal direction) orthogonal to the axial direction.

On the other hand, the plurality of insertion recesses 224B are arranged so as to extend in the axial direction between the insertion and engagement parts 224A that are adjacent to each other in the rotation direction among the plurality of insertion and engagement parts 224A, and are arranged so as to extend in the axial direction. constitute a part. The plurality of insertion recesses 224B each have a shape recessed radially inward with respect to the plurality of insertion engagement parts 224A when viewed from the axial direction. Note that both ends of the space (groove) formed between the plurality of engagement protrusions 224AS are in communication with the space defined by the adjacent insertion recess 224B.

Note that the above-mentioned guide piece 223 also has a plurality of guide piece convex parts 223A and a plurality of guide piece recesses 223B so as to correspond to the plurality of insertion engagement parts 224A and the plurality of insertion recesses 224B ( Figure 6). That is, the insertion portion 222 and the guide piece 223 have a plurality of axially continuous convex portions formed from the insertion engagement portion 224A to the guide piece convex portion 223A, while a plurality of convex portions are formed from the insertion recess 224B to the guide piece concave portion 223B. , a plurality of recesses are formed that are continuous in the axial direction.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, the insertion section 222 includes an air introduction section 225A and a plurality of air supply sections 225B. The air introduction section 225A communicates with an air supply mechanism 55, which will be described later, and receives air supplied from the air supply mechanism 55 into the tire T (tire internal space). The plurality of air supply sections 225B communicate with the air introduction section 225A and extend radially from the air introduction section 225A. Each air supply section 225B communicates with the tire internal space and supplies air. Note that the air introduction section 225A and the plurality of air supply sections 225B also function as a discharge section for discharging excess air to prevent the tire T from bursting when the tire internal space is sufficiently filled with air. , a control valve (not shown) for controlling the discharge of the air is arranged around these.

The lower spindle 21 includes a cylindrical spindle body 210 and a ring-shaped lock piece 250 (lock portion) fixed to the spindle body 210. The spindle body 210 has a cylindrical body inner peripheral surface 210S. Moreover, the lock piece 250 has a cylindrical piece inner peripheral surface 250S. The main body inner circumferential surface 210S and the piece inner circumferential surface 250S constitute a cylindrical spindle inner circumferential surface 21S. The spindle inner circumferential surface 21S defines an opening X (FIG. 11) that faces the insertion section 222 of the upper spindle 22 in the axial direction, and an internal space S that can receive the insertion section 222 through the opening X. Note that the inner diameter of the spindle inner circumferential surface 21S is set to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the insertion portion 222.

In this embodiment, the spindle body 210 includes a cylindrical lower holding flange 210A and a cylindrical lower spindle body portion 210B, and has an upper and lower bipartite structure. As shown in FIG. 11, the lower holding flange 210A and the lower spindle main body 210B are connected to each other by a plurality of bolts V. The lower holding flange 210A functions as a lower holding part that holds the lower rim 61 from below. The upper portion of lower retaining flange 210A has a smaller outer diameter than the lower portion of lower retaining flange 210A. The upper part of the cylindrical lower holding flange 210A is inserted into the center of the ring-shaped lower rim 61, so that the lower part (flange part) of the lower holding flange 210A holds the lower rim 61.

The lock piece 250 is disposed to be interposed between the lower holding flange 210A and the lower spindle main body 210B, and as described above, the piece inner circumferential surface 250S constitutes a part of the spindle inner circumferential surface 21S. . The lock piece 250 is capable of locking the upper spindle 22 inserted into the internal space S so as to restrain the upper spindle 22 in the axial direction. Note that the lock piece 250 rotates integrally with the spindle body 210 around the reference rotation center axis 2S.

The lock piece 250 has a plurality of lock engaging portions 250A and a plurality of lock recesses 250B (FIGS. 7 to 9).

The plurality of lock engaging portions 250A extend in the axial direction on the spindle inner circumferential surface 21S and are spaced apart from each other in the rotational direction. The plurality of locking engagement parts 250A each include a plurality of locking protrusions 250AS (FIG. 8) that extend along the rotational direction and are arranged adjacent to each other in the axial direction.

The plurality of lock recesses 250B are respectively arranged on the spindle inner circumferential surface 21S so as to extend in the axial direction between lock engaging parts 250A that are adjacent to each other in the rotational direction among the plurality of lock engaging parts 250A. , each has a concave shape radially outward with respect to the plurality of lock engaging portions 250A when viewed from the axial direction (FIG. 7).

The inner diameter of the lock engaging portion 250A is larger than the outer diameter of the aforementioned insertion recess 224B and smaller than the outer diameter of the insertion engaging portion 224A, and the inner diameter of the lock engaging portion 250B is larger than the outside diameter of the aforementioned insertion engaging portion 224A. It is set larger than the outer diameter. The mutual relationship between these sizes is set so that the upper spindle 22 and the lower spindle 21 can withstand a large axial force generated by the air supplied to the tire internal space by the air supply mechanism 55.

FIG. 12 is a top perspective view of the lifting unit 50 of the tire testing machine 1 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the lifting unit 50 of FIG. 12. 14 is a lower perspective view of the lifting unit 50 of the tire testing machine 1 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 15 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the lifting unit 50 of FIG. 14. 16 is a plan view of the lifting unit 50 of the tire testing machine 1 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 17 is an enlarged plan view of a part of the lifting unit 50 of FIG. 16.

12 and 13, the elevating unit 50 includes an elevating bracket 510, a guided frame 511, a pair of front and rear diagonal frames 512, a base plate 515, a pair of rotational phase sensors 516, and four It has an offset adjustment screw 517 and an air supply mechanism 55. Further, the above-mentioned upper spindle 22 further includes an upper spindle flange 227 (FIG. 13) connected to the upper spindle base end 220 (FIGS. 5, 12).

The elevating bracket 510, the guided frame 511, and the pair of front and rear diagonal frames 512 constitute a frame for elevating the upper spindle 22. The elevating bracket 510 has a rectangular shape extending in the front-rear and left-right directions. A plate-shaped bracket center portion 510A is arranged at the center portion of the elevating bracket 510 in the front-rear direction. The guided frame 511 is erected upward from the right side edge of the lifting bracket 510, and has a rectangular shape extending in the front-rear and up-down directions. The guided frame 511 is supported by a pair of guide frames 102A of the upper frame 102 so as to be movable up and down (up and down). A pair of front and rear diagonal frames 512 connect the lifting bracket 510 and the guided frame 511 to each other, and maintain the rigidity of the lifting unit 50.

The base plate 515 is a member placed on the bracket center portion 510A of the elevating bracket 510, and has a disk-shaped portion and a cylindrical portion (base plate boss portion 515S). The center of the base plate 515 coincides with the reference rotation center axis 2S. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, a circular opening having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the base plate 515 is formed in the bracket central portion 510A, and the central portion of the base plate 515 (base plate The boss portion 515S) is exposed so as to extend downward.

The upper spindle flange 227 is a member that is integral with the insertion portion 222 of the upper spindle 22 and is rotatable around the reference rotation center axis 2S. As shown in FIG. 13, the upper spindle flange 227 is placed on the base plate 515, and the center of the upper spindle flange 227 coincides with the reference rotation center axis 2S. The upper spindle flange 227 has four holes 227A opened at equal intervals along the circumferential direction. The hole 227A is formed to vertically penetrate the upper spindle flange 227. On the other hand, four base plate pins 515R (FIG. 17), each of which can be inserted into the hole 227A, are arranged in the base plate 515 so as to protrude upward.

When the four base plate pins 515R are inserted into the four holes 227A, the rotation of the upper spindle 22 including the upper spindle flange 227 around the reference rotation center axis 2S is prevented by the lifting bracket 510. On the other hand, when the upper spindle flange 227 of the upper spindle 22 moves upward relative to the base plate 515 and the four base plate pins 515R are removed from the four holes 227A, the upper spindle flange 227 including the upper spindle flange 227 22 is allowed to freely rotate around the reference rotation center axis 2S.

The four offset adjustment screws 517 are arranged at the bracket center portion 510A so as to bias the outer circumferential surface of the base plate 515 radially inward. By adjusting the tightening amount of each offset adjustment screw 517, it becomes possible to adjust the offset amount of the upper spindle 22 including the upper spindle flange 227.

The pair of rotational phase sensors 516 are arranged at intervals along the rotational direction of the upper spindle 22 (tire T) and are supported by a bracket 516S fixed on the base plate 515. On the other hand, the above-described upper spindle flange 227 has a detected portion 229 disposed on its outer periphery. The detected portion 229 is an L-shaped sheet metal member, and has a portion extending upward near the outer peripheral portion of the upper spindle flange 227 . When the upper spindle flange 227 rotates together with the upper spindle 22 around the reference rotation center axis 2S, the rotation and phase of the upper spindle flange 227 can be detected by the pair of rotational phase sensors 516 detecting the detected portion 229. .

The air supply mechanism 55 extends from a compressor (not shown), and supplies air to the aforementioned air introduction section 225A through the cylindrical interior of the upper spindle flange 227 and the upper spindle base end 220. That is, the air supply mechanism 55 operates in a space defined by the upper rim 62, the tire T, and the lower rim 61 with the upper spindle 22 and the lower spindle 21 supporting the tire T via the upper rim 62 and the lower rim 61. It is said that it is possible to fill air into the internal space of a certain tire.

Referring to FIGS. 13 to 15, the lift unit 50 further includes a lift detection sensor 518 and a sensor bracket 518A. Furthermore, a base plate notch 515A having a shape in which the base plate 515 is partially cut out is formed at a position adjacent to the pair of rotational phase sensors 516 in the base plate 515. The elevation detection sensor 518 is supported by a sensor bracket 518A so as to be disposed within the base plate notch 515A. The sensor bracket 518A supports the elevation detection sensor 518 at its distal end, and its base end is fixed to the lower surface of the bracket center section 510A. The elevation detection sensor 518 is a sensor capable of detecting the lower surface of the upper spindle flange 227, and detects the elevation of the upper spindle flange 227 relative to the base plate 515. Note that in other embodiments, the base end portion of the bracket central portion 510A may be fixed to the upper spindle flange 227. In this case, even if the offset position of the base plate 515 is finely adjusted by the four offset adjustment screws 517, the elevation detection sensor 518 can stably detect the lower surface of the upper spindle flange 227.

FIG. 18 is a block diagram of the tire testing machine 1 according to this embodiment. The tire testing machine 1 further includes a control section 90, a plurality of tire detection sensors 91, an input section 92, a lower spindle rotation drive section 93, and an upper spindle elevation drive section 94.

The plurality of tire detection sensors 91 are respectively arranged in the transport path of the tire T transported by the tire transport mechanism 3, and detect the transport position of the tire T. When each tire detection sensor 91 detects a tire T, a predetermined detection signal is input to the control unit 90.

The input unit 92 inputs various command information to the control unit 90 when a predetermined test is performed on the tire T, and includes an operation unit operated by an operator and a display. As an example, the operator can input tire width information, which is information regarding the width of the tire T, from the input unit 92. In addition, when the tire testing machine 1 has a width detection sensor (not shown) which detects the width of the tire T, the detection result of the width detection sensor may be inputted to the control unit 90 as the tire width information.

The lower spindle rotation drive unit 93 inputs a rotational driving force to the lower spindle 21, and when the lower spindle 21 and the upper spindle 22 are locked together and when testing the tire T, the lower spindle 21 is set as the reference rotation center axis. This is a drive unit that rotates around 2S. The lower spindle rotation drive section 93 includes a motor and gears (not shown) that are driven by hydraulic pressure or electric power.

The upper spindle elevation drive unit 94 is a drive unit that raises and lowers the upper spindle 22 relative to the lower spindle 21 through the elevation unit 50. The upper spindle elevation drive section 94 includes a motor and gears (not shown) that are driven by hydraulic pressure or electric power. At the upper side of FIG. 12, a bearing 513 that constitutes the upper spindle lifting/lowering drive unit 94 is shown. A feed screw is rotatably supported by the bearing 513, and is connected to an electric motor, a speed reducer, an encoder, etc. (not shown). In this embodiment, a ball screw is used as the feed screw, but other types of screws such as a trapezoidal screw may be used. Additionally, mechanical components such as couplings may be used as appropriate. Further, instead of an electric motor, a combination of a hydraulic driving force such as a hydraulic motor or a hydraulic cylinder and a measuring device such as an encoder or a linear sensor may be used.

The control unit 90 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores a control program, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that is used as a work area for the CPU, and the like. The control section 90 also includes the aforementioned tire detection sensor 91, rotational phase sensor 516, elevation detection sensor 518, input section 92, tire conveyance mechanism 3, lower spindle rotation drive section 93, upper spindle elevation drive section 94, and air supply. A mechanism 55 and the like are electrically connected. The control unit 90 has a tire conveyance control unit 901, a lower spindle rotation control unit 902, an upper spindle elevation control unit 903, an air supply control unit 904, and a storage unit 905 by the CPU executing a control program stored in the ROM. function respectively.

The tire transport control unit 901 controls the above-described drive unit provided in the tire transport mechanism 3 to transport the tires T by the carry-in conveyor 7, the transport conveyor 8, and the carry-out conveyor 9. Furthermore, the tire conveyance control unit 901 controls the vertical movement of the conveyor 8 to raise and lower the conveyor 8 between the above-mentioned upper position and lower position.

The lower spindle rotation control section 902 controls the lower spindle rotation drive section 93 to rotate the lower spindle 21 around the reference rotation center axis 2S. When locking the lower spindle 21 and the upper spindle 22, the lower spindle rotation control section 902 rotates the lower spindle 21 while the upper spindle 22 is prevented from rotating. On the other hand, when performing a predetermined test on the tire T, the lower spindle rotation control section 902 rotates the lower spindle 21 and the upper spindle 22 together while the upper spindle 22 is allowed to rotate.

The upper spindle elevation control section 903 controls the elevation operation of the elevation unit 50 (upper spindle 22) by controlling the upper spindle elevation drive section 94.

The air supply control unit 904 controls the air supply mechanism 55 to fill the internal space of the tire T with air.

The storage unit 905 stores various control parameters referenced by the tire conveyance control unit 901, the lower spindle rotation control unit 902, the upper spindle elevation control unit 903, and the air supply control unit 904.

FIG. 19 is a side view showing a process in which the tire T is rotatably supported in the tire testing machine 1 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 20 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 19. 21, FIG. 22, and FIG. 23 are cross-sectional views showing a process in which the tire T is rotatably supported in the tire testing machine 1, similar to FIG. 20.

When the test for the tire T is performed, as shown in FIG. It is considered to have been moved. At this time, in the upper spindle flange 227 of the upper spindle 22, the detected portion 229 is being detected by the pair of rotational phase sensors 516, and the four base plate pins 515R of the base plate 515 are inserted into the four holes 227A, respectively. As a result, the upper spindle 22 including the upper spindle flange 227 is prevented from rotating at a specific rotational position around the reference rotation center axis 2S.

On the other hand, in response to the fact that the upper spindle 22 is disposed at the specific rotational position, the lower spindle rotation control unit 902 causes the plurality of insertion engagement portions 224A of the upper spindle 22 to be lowered when viewed from the axial direction. In advance, so that the insertable state is achieved in which the plurality of insertion recesses 224B of the upper spindle 22 are in agreement with the plurality of locking recesses 250B of the spindle 21 and the plurality of locking engagement parts 250A of the lower spindle 21, respectively. The rotational position of the lower spindle 21 is adjusted.

Next, when the tire T is placed on the upstream end of the carry-in conveyor 7, the tire conveyance control unit 901 controls the rotation of the carry-in conveyor 7 and the conveyor 8, so that the tire T is carried to the tire test position P. be done. At this time, the rotation of the conveyor 8 is stopped so that the tire rotation center axis CL of the tire T matches the reference rotation center axis 2S of the spindle 2. Thereafter, when the tire conveyance control unit 901 lowers the conveyor 8, the tire T is transferred from the conveyor 8 to the lower spindle 21. The tire T is placed on the lower rim 61 held by the lower spindle 21 (FIGS. 19 and 20).

Next, the upper spindle lift control section 903 lowers the lift unit 50, so that the distance between the upper rim 62 held by the upper holding flange 221 and the lower rim 61 held by the lower holding flange 210A is adjusted to the width of the tire T. The insertion portion 222 of the upper spindle 22 is inserted to a specific position in the internal space S of the lower spindle 21 at a predetermined interval set according to the width (FIG. 21).

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, the engagement protrusion 224AS of the insertion engagement part 224A of the upper spindle engagement part 224 is the locking protrusion 250AS of the lock engagement part 250A of the lock piece 250. It has a larger number of steps than the above, and is said to be able to accommodate up to 16 steps of tire width. In FIG. 21, the position of the upper spindle 22 is set so that the distance between the lower rim 61 and the upper rim 62 is the largest among the 16 levels described above.

Further, in the state shown in FIG. 21, the plurality of insertion engagement portions 224A each face the plurality of lock recesses 250B in the radial direction centered on the reference rotation center axis 2S.

Next, the lower spindle rotation control unit 902 rotates the lower spindle 21 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 250A, and locks the lower spindle 21 and the upper spindle 22 (spindle lock). Specifically, the lower spindle rotation control unit 902 rotates the upper spindle 22 by 30 degrees around the reference rotation center axis 2S. As a result, the plurality of locking protrusions 250AS of the plurality of locking engagement parts 250A of the lower spindle 21 are inserted into the spaces between the locking protrusions 250AS adjacent to each other in the axial direction of the plurality of insertion engagement parts 224A of the upper spindle 22. The plurality of engagement protrusions 224AS are respectively received along the rotational direction and engaged with the plurality of engagement protrusions 224AS, respectively. This engagement makes it possible to relatively position the upper holding flange 221 of the upper spindle 22 and the lower holding flange 210A of the lower spindle 21 in the axial direction, and the distance between the lower rim 61 and the upper rim 62 is fixed. be done.

Note that when the distance between the lower rim 61 and the upper rim 62 is set in accordance with the width of the tire T to be tested, as shown in FIG. A slight gap K is formed between the upper rim flange 62F (see FIG. 4) formed on the outer periphery of the upper rim flange 62F (see FIG. 4).

Next, the air supply control unit 904 controls the air supply mechanism 55 to perform an air filling operation (tire inflation). Specifically, the air supply control unit 904 is defined by the upper rim 62, the tire T, and the lower rim 61, with the upper spindle 22 and the lower spindle 21 supporting the tire T via the upper rim 62 and the lower rim 61. Air is filled into the tire internal space, which is the space where the tire is located, through the air supply mechanism 55. As a result, as shown in FIG. 22, the tire T inflates and the gap K (FIG. 21) described above is filled. At this time, the upper bead portion and the lower bead portion of the tire T are brought into close contact with the upper rim 62 and the lower rim 61, respectively, by the air. Note that the pressure in the tire internal space is detected by a pressure gauge (not shown), and the filling operation is performed until a predetermined set air pressure is reached.

Next, the upper spindle elevation control section 903 controls the upper spindle elevation drive section 94 to lower the elevation unit 50 by a descending amount H (25 mm as an example) in FIG. 23. Since the vertical position of the upper spindle 22 including the upper spindle flange 227 is prevented by the engagement between the upper spindle engaging portion 224 and the lock piece 250, when the elevating unit 50 descends as described above, , the upper spindle flange 227 rises (floats) relative to the base plate 515. At this time, the lower surface portion of the upper spindle flange 227 is separated upward from the elevation detection sensor 518, and the output signal of the elevation detection sensor 518 changes, thereby detecting that the elevation unit 50 has descended by the descending amount H. As a result, the four holes 227A of the upper spindle flange 227 are detached from the four base plate pins 515R of the base plate 515, and the upper spindle 22 including the upper spindle flange 227 can freely rotate around the reference rotation center axis 2S.

When the lower spindle rotation control unit 902 rotates the lower spindle 21 in the state shown in FIG. Rotates around axis 2S. Then, by pressing the rotating drum 4 against the tire T as described above, the tire T can be tested. At this time, a large axial force is applied to the upper spindle 22 and the lower spindle 21 via the upper rim 62 and the lower rim 61 due to the air filled in the inner space of the tire. As a result, a state in which the relative rotation of the lower spindle 21 and the upper spindle 22 around the reference rotation center axis 2S is suppressed due to the contact surface pressure applied between the plurality of engagement protrusions 224AS and the plurality of locking protrusions 250AS. This allows the lower spindle 21 and the upper spindle 22 to rotate together. Note that while the test is being performed on the tire T, the detection signals from the pair of rotational phase sensors 516 are ignored.

After the test on the tire T is completed, the tire T is placed on the conveyor 8 again in the reverse procedure to the above. Then, the marking unit 60 applies predetermined markings to the tires T carried out by the transport conveyor 8 and the carry-out conveyor 9. As a result, the test on the tire T is completed.

Note that, as described above, the tip of the detected portion 229 has a shape extending in the vertical direction (FIG. 13). Therefore, even when the upper spindle flange 227 is raised relative to the base plate 515, the pair of rotational phase sensors 516 can detect the detected portion 229. With this configuration, after the test on the tire T is completed as described above, when the upper spindle 22 including the upper spindle flange 227 is placed again at a specific rotational position, the pair of rotational phase sensors 516 detect the detected portion 229. Can be detected. Therefore, when the pair of rotational phase sensors 516 detect the detected portion 229, and the upper spindle elevation control section 903 controls the upper spindle elevation drive section 94 to raise the elevation unit 50 by the descending amount H, Four base plate pins 515R of the base plate 515 fit into the four holes 227A of the upper spindle flange 227, and rotation of the upper spindle 22 including the upper spindle flange 227 around the reference rotation center axis 2S is prevented. In this state, the lower spindle rotation control unit 902 controls the lower spindle rotation drive unit 93 to rotate the lower spindle 21 by 30 degrees, and then raises the upper spindle 22 relative to the lower spindle 21 to move the upper spindle 22 inside. It becomes possible to extract it from the space S.

As described above, in this embodiment, when viewed from the axial direction, the plurality of insertion engagement parts 224A of the upper spindle 22 match with the plurality of locking recesses 250B of the lower spindle 21, and the plurality of insertion recesses 224B of the upper spindle 22 are aligned with the plurality of locking engagement parts 250A of the lower spindle 21 (insertable state), and the plurality of insertion engagement parts 224A are lowered to a position facing each of the plurality of locking engagement parts 250A in the rotational direction. The spindle 21 can receive the insertion portion 222 of the upper spindle 22 into the internal space S along the axial direction, and furthermore, the plurality of locking protrusions 250AS of the plurality of locking engagement portions 250A of the lower spindle 21 are adjacent to each other. By respectively receiving the plurality of engagement protrusions 224AS of the plurality of insertion engagement parts 224A of the upper spindle 22 in the space between the locking protrusions 250AS along the rotational direction and engaging with the plurality of engagement protrusions 224AS, In order to be able to relatively position the upper holding flange 221 of the upper spindle 22 and the lower holding flange 210A of the lower spindle 21 in the axial direction, The dimensions of the plurality of lock engaging portions 250A and the plurality of lock recesses 250B in the radial direction and circumferential direction about the reference rotation center axis 2S are respectively set.

According to such a configuration, a plurality of engagement protrusions 224AS are arranged adjacent to each other in the axial direction in the insertion engagement portion 224A of the insertion portion 222, while a plurality of engagement protrusions 224AS are arranged in the insertion engagement portion 224A of the lock piece 250. Since the locking protrusions 250AS are arranged adjacent to each other in the axial direction, the engagement positions of the protrusions are made to differ in the axial direction, thereby adjusting the distance between the upper rim 62 and the lower rim 61 according to the width of the tire T. can be easily changed. In addition, by inserting the insertion portion 222 of the upper spindle 22 into the internal space S of the lower spindle 21 and then rotating the lower spindle 21 relative to the upper spindle 22, the upper holding flange 221 of the upper spindle 22 and the lower spindle 21 Since the distance between the upper spindle 22 and the lower holding flange 210A can be easily fixed, it is possible to lock both spindles by relative movement in the axial and rotational directions between the upper spindle 22 and the lower spindle 21. There is no need to provide a drive mechanism that penetrates the 2 in the radial direction and communicates with the internal space, and the number of seal members provided to prevent air leakage is reduced compared to the case where the drive mechanism is provided. be able to.

In this embodiment, a plurality of locking engagement parts are provided in a part of the spindle inner peripheral surface 21S in the axial direction from the opening X to the bottom surface of the internal space S. 250A is provided. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

For example, a plurality of lock engaging portions 250A may be provided over the entire area from the opening X to the bottom surface of the internal space S when viewed in the axial direction. In this case, the axial length of the plurality of insertion engagement portions 224A provided on the upper spindle 22 may be shorter than in this embodiment. The present invention also includes an embodiment in which a plurality of engagement protrusions 224AS are provided along the axial direction, for example, in six stages, which is a smaller number of stages than in this embodiment.

Furthermore, a mode in which two or more insertion engagement portions 224A having a plurality of engagement protrusions 224AS having a relatively small number of stages are disposed at intervals in the axial direction on the upper spindle 22, in other words, The spindle 22 may be provided with an insertion engagement portion, a cylindrical portion, and an insertion engagement portion in this order from the bottom. In addition, in the case of such a structure, as shown in FIG. 11, the spindle inner circumferential surface 21S of the lower spindle 21 and the insertion part 222 of the upper spindle 22 fit into each other precisely, the first support part 21P and the second support part. Since there is no support part like 21Q, the surface pressure that the spindle inner circumferential surface 21S receives from the upper spindle 22 tends to become large when testing the tire T. Therefore, in order to reduce such surface pressure, an aspect like this embodiment is desirable.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, when viewed from the axial direction, the plurality of insertion engagement parts 224A of the upper spindle 22 match with the plurality of locking recesses 250B of the lower spindle 21, and the plurality of insertion recesses 224B of the upper spindle 22 match with the plurality of locking recesses 250B of the lower spindle 21. The distance between the upper rim 62 held by the upper holding flange 221 and the lower rim 61 held by the lower holding flange 210A is equal to the width of the tire T when the upper rim 62 is aligned with the plurality of locking engagement portions 250A of the lower spindle 21. The upper spindle lift drive section 94 can relatively insert the insertion section 222 of the upper spindle 22 to a specific position in the internal space S of the lower spindle 21 so that a predetermined interval is established accordingly. . In addition, the lower spindle rotation drive section 93 is configured to operate the plurality of engagement protrusions 224AS of the plurality of upper spindle engagement sections 224 and the plurality of lock engagement sections 250A with the insertion section 222 disposed at the specific position. It is possible to rotate the lower spindle 21 relative to the upper spindle 22 around the reference rotation center axis 2S so that the locking protrusions 250AS are engaged with each other.

According to such a configuration, the upper spindle 22 and the lower spindle 21 are sequentially moved in the axial direction and the rotational direction by the driving force of the upper spindle lift drive section 94 and the lower spindle rotation drive section 93 without requiring any force from the operator. By moving them relative to each other, both spindles can be locked, and the distance between the upper rim 62 and the lower rim 61 can be appropriately set according to the width of the tire T.

In addition, in this embodiment, a rotational phase sensor 516 (rotation detection When the rotational phase sensor 516 detects that the specific portion has reached the specific rotational position, the hole 227A and the base plate pin 515R (rotation blocking portion) are capable of blocking the rotation of the first spindle. ), the tire testing machine 1 is equipped with the following. Then, the upper spindle elevation drive section 94 relatively inserts the insertion section 222 of the upper spindle 22 to a specific position in the internal space S of the lower spindle 21 while the rotation of the upper spindle 22 is prevented by the rotation prevention section. It is possible to do so. Further, the lower spindle rotation drive section 93 is configured to rotate a plurality of parts in a state where the rotation of the upper spindle 22 is prevented by the rotation prevention section and the insertion section 222 of the upper spindle 22 is inserted to a specific position in the internal space S of the lower spindle 21. The lower spindle 21 is rotated around the reference rotation center axis 2S so that the plurality of engagement protrusions 224AS of the insertion engagement part 224A and the plurality of locking protrusions 250AS of the plurality of locking engagement parts 250A engage with each other. Is possible.

According to such a configuration, it is possible to move the upper spindle 22 and the lower spindle 21 relative to each other in order in the axial direction and rotational direction and lock both spindles while the rotation of the upper spindle 22 is prevented. It is possible to prevent the upper spindle 22 and the lower spindle 21 from rotating with each other during locking.

Further, in this embodiment, the lower spindle rotation drive unit 93 connects the plurality of engagement protrusions 224AS and the plurality of locking protrusions 250AS via the upper rim 62 and the lower rim 61 with the air filled in the tire internal space. The lower spindle 21 and the upper spindle 22 are rotated integrally in a state where the relative rotation of the lower spindle 21 and the upper spindle 22 around the reference rotation center axis 2S is suppressed by the contact surface pressure applied therebetween.

According to such a configuration, the upper spindle 22 and the lower spindle 21 are rotated integrally by using the driving force of the lower spindle rotation drive unit 93 that can lock the upper spindle 22 and the lower spindle 21. It becomes possible to perform a predetermined test on the tire T.

Further, in this embodiment, the plurality of lock engaging portions 250A and the plurality of lock recesses 250B are respectively formed on the piece inner circumferential surface 250S.

According to such a configuration, since the plural lock engaging parts 250A and the plural lock recesses 250B are formed in the lock piece 250, it is not necessary to provide the lock protrusion 250AS on the inner peripheral surface 210S of the spindle main body 210. Therefore, the processing cost of the spindle body 210 can be reduced.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, a single lock piece 250 having a ring shape centered on the reference rotation center axis 2S is provided, and the plurality of lock engaging portions 250A and the plurality of lock recesses 250B are connected to the single lock piece 250. are formed on the piece inner circumferential surface 250S of the lock piece 250, respectively.

According to such a configuration, it is possible to improve the positional accuracy of the plurality of locking protrusions 250AS compared to the case where the lock piece 250 is composed of a plurality of members.

Further, in this embodiment, the engagement protrusion 224AS formed on the insertion engagement part 224A of the upper spindle engagement part 224 and the locking protrusion 250AS formed on the lock engagement part 250A of the lock piece 250 both rotate at the reference rotation rate. It extends in a direction perpendicular to the central axis 2S. Therefore, when the tire internal space is filled with air, the locking protrusion 250AS and the engagement protrusion 224AS can stably receive the axial force applied to the lower spindle 21 and the upper spindle 22.

Further, in this embodiment, by rotating the insertion portion 222 of the upper spindle 22 relative to the lock piece 250 provided on the lower spindle 21, the lower spindle 21 and the upper spindle 22 can be locked and the lock can be locked. can be canceled. At this time, since the lock piece 250 is disposed between the lower holding flange 210A and the lower spindle body 210B, which are separable from each other, ring-shaped sealing members are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the lock piece 250, respectively. J (FIG. 11), but compared to other techniques (for example, Patent Document 1) in which the drive mechanism that drives the lock piece 250 is arranged to penetrate the spindle body 210 of the lower spindle 21 in the radial direction. This makes it possible to simplify the number and structure of the seal members J. In addition, when the lower holding flange 210A and the lower spindle main body part 210B are completely joined after the lock piece 250 is attached, the above-mentioned seal member J can also be omitted. In addition, since the lower spindle 21 and the upper spindle 22 are locked and unlocked by the relative rotation between the lock piece 250 and the insertion portion 222, compared to other techniques described above, tire testing It is possible to reduce the number of parts of the machine 1, and it is possible to reduce failures of the tire testing machine 1.

Although the tire testing machine 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and the following modified embodiments are possible.

(1) In the above embodiment, both the engagement protrusion 224AS formed on the insertion engagement part 224A of the upper spindle engagement part 224 and the locking protrusion 250AS formed on the lock engagement part 250A of the lock piece 250 are Although the embodiment has been described in terms of a mode (generally sawtooth) extending in a direction perpendicular to the reference rotation center axis 2S, the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 24 is a side view of the tire testing machine according to the first modified embodiment of the present invention in a state where the upper rim 62 is supported by the upper spindle 22. 25 and 26 are a plan view and a side sectional view of a lock piece 250M of a tire testing machine according to this modified embodiment.

In this modified embodiment, the plurality of engagement protrusions of the plurality of insertion engagement parts 224MA of the upper spindle engagement part 224M move in one direction (upwards) in the axial direction as they advance in the rotation direction (arrow direction in FIG. 24). It has a spiral shape centered on the reference rotation center axis 2S so as to be inclined in the direction). On the other hand, the plurality of locking protrusions of the plurality of locking engagement parts 250MA of the lower spindle 21 have a spiral shape centered on the reference rotation center axis 2S so as to be inclined in the one direction as they advance in the rotational direction. It has a spiral shape that can be engaged with the plurality of engagement protrusions along the rotation direction. In other words, the plurality of engagement protrusions and the plurality of locking protrusions described above are formed from a portion of a screw (screw teeth) formed with a predetermined lead around the reference rotation center axis 2S.

As an example, if the leads have a 1/2 pitch and the plurality of insertion recesses 224MB and the plurality of locking recesses 250MB are arranged at six positions each in the circumferential direction, the plurality of insertion engagement parts 224MA and the plurality of locking recesses 224MA and If the lower spindle 21 is rotated 180 degrees while the lock engaging portion 250MA is engaged, the distance (rim width) between the lower rim 61 and the upper rim 62 can be changed by a quarter pitch. can. On the other hand, if the leads have one pitch and the plurality of insertion recesses 224MB and the plurality of locking recesses 250MB are each arranged at eight positions in the circumferential direction, the plurality of insertion engagement parts 224MA and the plurality of locking engagement parts 250MA If the lower spindle 21 is rotated 90 degrees in a state where the lower rim 61 and the upper rim 62 are engaged, the distance (rim width) between the lower rim 61 and the upper rim 62 can be changed by a quarter pitch.

In this manner, in this modified embodiment, the lower rim 61 and the lock piece 250 are not limited to each other depending not only on their relative positions in the axial direction, but also on their relative positions (rotational positions) in the circumferential direction. Since the distance from the upper rim 62 can be adjusted, the rim width can be set finely. In the above screw structure, the plurality of insertion engaging portions 224MA and the plurality of locking engaging portions 250MA may each be arranged along one continuous virtual spiral shape, or may be arranged at intervals from each other along the axial direction. The virtual spiral shapes may be arranged along a plurality of virtual spiral shapes.

(2) In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the spindle inner peripheral surface 21S of the lower spindle 21 and the insertion portion 222 of the upper spindle 22 are precisely fitted into each other above and below the lock piece 250. A matching first support part 21P and second support part 21Q are arranged. According to such a configuration, since the axial distance between the first support part 21P and the second support part 21Q is large, when a lateral load is applied to the upper spindle 22, the reference rotation center axis of the upper spindle 22 The inclination (fall) relative to 2S can be reduced. Note that the present invention is not limited to this. 27 and 28 are side sectional views of a tire testing machine according to a second modified embodiment of the present invention, in which a lower rim 61 and an upper rim 62 are supported by a lower spindle 21 and an upper spindle 22, respectively. Figure 27 corresponds to the maximum rim width and Figure 28 corresponds to the minimum rim width.

In this modified embodiment, as shown in FIG. 27, a lock piece 250 is fixed to the upper end of the lower spindle 21 with a plurality of bolts V. Further, a first support portion 21P and a second support portion 21Q are arranged at intervals below the lock piece 250, respectively. According to such a configuration, it is possible to freely set the distance between the lock piece 250 and the first support portion 21P, and the distance between the first support portion 21P and the second support portion 21Q. Furthermore, unlike the previous embodiment, the lower spindle 21 does not need to be separated into the lower holding flange 210A and the lower spindle main body 210B in order to attach the lock piece 250, so the lower spindle 21 has a simple structure. In addition to being able to reduce the number of parts of the lower spindle 21, the sealing member J (FIG. 11) as in the previous embodiment is not required. In addition, in this modified embodiment, when the height dimension of the spindle 2 is the same, the distance between the first support part 21P and the second support part 21Q is smaller than in the previous embodiment, so that the tire T is During the test, the surface pressure that the spindle inner circumferential surface 21S receives from the upper spindle 22 tends to become large. Therefore, in order to reduce the surface pressure while suppressing the height dimension of the spindle 2, the aspect of the previous embodiment (FIG. 11) is preferable.

(3) The pair of rotational phase sensors 516 shown in the above embodiment may be arranged at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction. For example, as a tire test, a case will be described in which marking is applied to the hardest phase of the tread portion of the tire T. The marking unit 60 in this embodiment applies predetermined markings to the tires T placed on the carry-out conveyor 9 according to the test results at the tire test position P. By the way, the phase in which the tire T is marked is limited to one phase (phase fixed). Therefore, when the tire T is placed on the carry-out conveyor 9, it is necessary to adjust the phase to the above-mentioned one phase in advance. When the pairs of rotational phase sensors 516 are disposed at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction, the upper spindle flange 227 is located at the current upper spindle flange 227 among the positions where the plurality of pairs of rotational phase sensors 516 are disposed. Since the rotation can be stopped at the phase closest to , the amount of rotation of the lower spindle 21 is suppressed when disengaging the upper spindle engaging portion 224 and the lock piece 250, which in turn shortens the cycle time of the rotation of the spindle 2. can do.

(4) In the above embodiment, the lower spindle rotation control unit 902 rotates the lower spindle 21 while the upper spindle 22 is prevented from rotating, thereby causing the upper spindle engaging unit 224 and the lock piece 250 to engage with each other. Although the explanation has been given in terms of the manner in which the engagement is released, by rotating the upper spindle 22 while the lower spindle 21 is prevented from rotating, the upper spindle engaging portion 224 and the lock piece 250 are engaged and released. The engagement may be released. Further, the relative insertion motion between the lower spindle 21 and the upper spindle 22 for inserting the insertion portion 222 of the upper spindle 22 into the internal space S of the lower spindle 21 is not limited to the raising and lowering of the upper spindle 22. Alternatively, the lower spindle 21 may move up and down with respect to the upper spindle 22.

(5) In the above embodiment, the upper spindle 22 has the insertion portion 222 and the lower spindle 21 has the cylindrical internal space S, but the structure of FIG. That is, the upper spindle 22 may have a cylindrical internal space S, and the lower spindle 21 may have an insertion portion 222. In addition, when the cylindrical internal space S is formed in the lower spindle 21 and the cylindrical insertion part 222 is formed in the upper spindle 22 as in the above embodiment, the length of the lower spindle 21 in the vertical direction becomes shorter. Therefore, the height of the conveyor 8 that transfers the lower rim 61 to and from the lower spindle 21 can be lowered, and the height of the conveyor path of the tire conveyor mechanism 3 can be similarly set lower. becomes.

(6) Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the lower spindle 21 has the lock piece 250 that is attached to the spindle body 210, and the lock piece 250 is formed with the plurality of lock engaging portions 250A and the plurality of lock recesses 250B. Although the lower spindle 21 does not have the lock piece 250, the plurality of lock engaging portions 250A and the plurality of lock recesses 250B are formed directly on the inner circumferential surface 210S of the spindle main body 210. But that's fine.

(7) In the above embodiment, the lower spindle 21 and the upper spindle 22 are connected to each other while the upper spindle 22 including the upper spindle flange 227 is stopped at a specific rotational position detected by the pair of rotational phase sensors 516. Although the embodiment has been described in which the engagement is performed, the present invention is not limited to this. The rotation of the upper spindle 22 may be prevented while the upper spindle 22 is placed at an arbitrary rotational position around the reference rotation center axis 2S, and the lower spindle 21 and the upper spindle 22 may be engaged with each other. That is, instead of the pair of rotational phase sensors 516 described above, an encoder (not shown) disposed on the rotational axis of the upper spindle 22 as a rotation detection unit of the present invention detects a specific portion of the upper spindle 22 around the reference rotational center axis 2S. Detects the rotational position of the Further, when the rotation of the upper spindle 22 is stopped, a brake mechanism or the like that mechanically contacts the upper spindle 22 serves as a rotation prevention portion of the present invention to prevent the rotation of the upper spindle 22. In the lower spindle rotation drive section 93, the plurality of insertion engagement sections 224A of the upper spindle 22 are connected to the plurality of insertion engagement sections 224A of the lower spindle 21 when viewed from the axial direction, with the rotation of the upper spindle 22 being prevented by the rotation prevention section. The lower spindle 21 is referenced according to the detection result of the encoder so that the plurality of insertion recesses 224B of the upper spindle 22 respectively match the plurality of lock engagement parts 250A of the lower spindle 21. Rotate around the rotation center axis 2S.

According to such a configuration, the rotation between the lock piece 250 of the lower spindle 21 and the upper spindle engaging portion 224 of the upper spindle 22 is adjusted in order to adjust the rim width without stopping the upper spindle 22 at a specific rotational position. Positioning in the direction can be easily performed.

Furthermore, in this modified embodiment, the upper spindle elevation drive section 94 is such that the rotation of the upper spindle 22 is prevented by the rotation prevention section, and the plurality of insertion engagement sections 224A are aligned with the plurality of lock recesses 250B, respectively. It is possible to relatively insert the insertion portion 222 of the upper spindle 22 to a specific position in the internal space S of the lower spindle 21 with the plurality of insertion recesses 224B aligned with the plurality of lock engagement portions 250A. . Further, the lower spindle rotation drive section 93 is configured to operate the plurality of insertion engagement sections 224A in a state in which the rotation of the upper spindle 22 is prevented by the rotation prevention section and the insertion section 222 is inserted to the specific position in the internal space S. It is possible to rotate the lower spindle 21 around the reference rotation center axis 2S so that the plurality of engagement protrusions 224AS and the plurality of locking protrusions 250AS of the plurality of locking engagement parts 250A engage with each other.

According to such a configuration, the insertion part 222 of the upper spindle 22 can be easily inserted into the internal space S of the lower spindle 21 without stopping the upper spindle 22 at a specific rotational position, and the upper spindle engaging part 224 and The lock pieces 250 can be engaged with each other. Therefore, it is possible to move the upper spindle 22 and the lower spindle 21 relative to each other in order in the axial direction and rotational direction and lock both spindles, so that the rotation of the upper spindle 22 and the lower spindle 21 with each other during locking is prevented. It can be prevented. Also in this modified embodiment, the upper spindle engaging portion 224 and the lock piece 250 are engaged with each other by the rotation of the upper spindle 22 while the rotation of the lower spindle 21 is prevented by the same structure as described above. But that's fine. Further, in order to insert the insertion portion 222 into the internal space S, the lower spindle 21 may be moved up and down with respect to the upper spindle 22. That is, in the present invention, "one spindle" and "the other spindle" may be selectively set from the lower spindle 21 and the upper spindle 22, and similarly, "the first spindle" and "the second spindle" may be set. It may also be configured selectively, ie inversely to the embodiments described above.

(8) In the above embodiment, the elevating unit 50 rotatably supports the upper spindle 22 even when testing the tire T, but the present invention is not limited to this. . After the lower spindle 21 and the upper spindle 22 are engaged (locked), the lifting unit 50 is separated from the upper spindle 22, and the lower spindle 21 and the upper spindle are separated with the upper spindle 22 being supported by the lower spindle 21. 22 may be rotated together. In this case, it is desirable that the air supply mechanism 55 and the like provided in the lifting unit 50 be arranged so as to communicate with the inside of the tire T through the periphery or inside of the lower spindle 21.

(9) Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the lock piece 250 is configured from a single member, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The lock piece 250 may be separated into two or more members, or may be arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction around the reference rotation center axis 2S. In particular, a plurality of members corresponding to the plurality of lock engagement portions 250A of the lock piece 250 are mounted on the spindle body 210 at intervals in the circumferential direction, and the space between the plurality of members is formed in the lock recess. It may also function as 250B.

(10) Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the upper spindle engaging portion 224 and the lock piece 250 are each provided with six insertion engaging portions 224A and six lock engaging portions 250A; The number is not limited to six, and may include a number of insertion engaging portions 224A and locking engaging portions 250A that can be engaged with each other.

(11) Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the insertion portion 222 is inserted into the internal space S by the driving force of the upper spindle elevation drive portion 94, and the insertion portion 222 is inserted into the inner space S by the driving force of the lower spindle rotation drive portion 93, and the insertion portion 222 is inserted into the upper spindle engaging portion 224 by the driving force of the lower spindle rotation drive portion 93. Although the embodiment has been described in which engagement with the lock piece 250 is realized, the present invention is not limited to this. After the tire T is carried into the tire testing position P, the operator inserts the insertion part 222 into the internal space S and rotates the upper spindle 22 by 30 degrees around the reference rotation center axis 2S, thereby removing the upper spindle Engagement between mating portion 224 and lock piece 250 may be realized.

1 Tire testing machine 1S Main body frame 2 Spindle 21 Lower spindle (other spindle, second spindle)
210 Spindle main body 210A Lower holding flange 210B Lower spindle main body 210S Main body inner peripheral surface 21S Spindle inner peripheral surface 22 Upper spindle (one spindle, first spindle)
220 Upper spindle base end 221 Upper holding flange 222 Insertion part 222S Insertion outer peripheral surface 223 Guide piece 224 Upper spindle engagement part 224A Insertion engagement part 224AS Engagement protrusion 224B Insertion recess 227 Upper spindle flange 227A Hole (rotation prevention part)
250 Lock piece (lock part)
250A Lock engaging portion 250AS Lock protrusion 250B Lock recess 250S Piece inner peripheral surface 2S Reference rotation center axis 3 Tire conveyance mechanism 4 Rotating drum 4A Simulated road surface 50 Elevating unit 51 Elevating frame 510 Elevating bracket 515 Base plate 515R Base plate pin (rotation prevention portion )
516 Rotation phase sensor (rotation detection section)
518 Lift detection sensor 55 Air supply mechanism 60 Marking unit 61 Lower rim 62 Upper rim 90 Control unit 901 Tire conveyance control unit 902 Lower spindle rotation control unit 903 Upper spindle elevation control unit 93 Lower spindle rotation drive unit (rotation drive unit)
94 Upper spindle lifting/lowering drive unit (insertion drive unit)
CL Tire rotation center axis P Tire test position S Internal space T Tire V Bolt

Claims (8)

A tire testing machine that performs a predetermined test on the tire by rotating the tire in a horizontal position in which the central axis of rotation of the tire extends in the vertical direction at a predetermined tire testing position, about the central axis of rotation,
a lower holding portion capable of holding a lower rim attached to a lower bead portion that is a lower bead portion of the tire in the horizontal position ; a lower spindle that rotatably supports the tire via the lower rim;
an upper holding part capable of holding an upper rim attached to an upper bead part that is an upper bead part of the tire in the horizontal position ; an upper spindle rotatably supporting the tire via the upper rim;
Equipped with
One of the lower spindle and the upper spindle is an insertion part inserted into the other spindle of the lower spindle and the upper spindle, which is different from the one spindle, and the outer periphery of the insertion part having a cylindrical insertion portion centered on the rotational center axis including an insertion outer peripheral surface forming a surface;
The insertion part is
A plurality of insertion engagement portions each extending in the axial direction of the rotation center shaft and arranged at intervals in the rotation direction of the tire and forming a part of the insertion outer circumferential surface, the insertion engagement portions forming a part of the insertion outer peripheral surface, a plurality of insertion engagement portions each extending and including a plurality of engagement protrusions arranged adjacent to each other in the axial direction;
A plurality of insertion recesses are arranged so as to extend in the axial direction between the insertion and engagement parts adjacent to each other in the rotational direction among the plurality of insertion and engagement parts, and constitute a part of the insertion outer circumferential surface. a plurality of insertion recesses each having a shape recessed radially inward with respect to the plurality of insertion engagement portions when viewed from the axial direction;
has
The other spindle is
a cylindrical spindle inner circumferential surface defining an opening facing the insertion section of the one spindle in the axial direction and an internal space capable of receiving the insertion section through the opening;
a locking portion forming at least a part of the inner peripheral surface of the spindle and capable of locking the insertion portion inserted into the internal space so as to restrain the one spindle in the axial direction; death,
The lock part is
a plurality of locking engagement portions each extending in the axial direction and spaced apart from each other in the rotational direction on the inner circumferential surface of the spindle, the locking engagement portions each extending along the rotational direction and adjacent to each other in the axial direction; a plurality of locking engagement portions each including a plurality of locking protrusions disposed in such a manner;
Among the plurality of locking engagement parts, each of the plurality of locking engagement parts is arranged on the inner circumferential surface of the spindle so as to extend in the axial direction between locking engagement parts adjacent to each other in the rotational direction, and when viewed from the axial direction, the plurality of locking engagement parts are a plurality of lock recesses each having a shape recessed radially outward with respect to the lock engagement portion;
has
The plurality of engagement protrusions of the plurality of insertion engagement portions have a spiral shape centered on the rotation center axis so as to be inclined in one direction in the axial direction as proceeding in the rotation direction,
The plurality of locking protrusions of the plurality of locking engagement portions have a spiral shape centered on the rotational central axis so as to be inclined in the one direction as the locking projections progress in the rotational direction, and has a spiral shape that can be engaged with the plurality of engagement protrusions,
When viewed from the axial direction, the plurality of insertion engaging portions of the one spindle match with the plurality of locking recesses of the other spindle, and the plurality of insertion recesses of the one spindle match with the plurality of locking recesses of the other spindle. The other spindle is moved to a specific position where the plurality of insertion engaging portions respectively face the plurality of locking engaging portions in the rotational direction in an insertable state in which the plurality of insertion engaging portions are respectively aligned with the plurality of locking engaging portions. is capable of receiving the insertion portion of the one spindle into the internal space along the axial direction, and further, the plurality of locking protrusions of the plurality of locking engagement portions of the other spindle by respectively receiving the plurality of engagement protrusions adjacent to each other in the axial direction of the plurality of insertion engagement parts of the one spindle in the spaces between the locking protrusions adjacent to each other along the rotational direction. The helical shape of the plurality of locking protrusions and the helical shape of the plurality of engagement protrusions engage with each other at the specific position, so that the upper holding part of the upper spindle and the lower holding part of the lower spindle and the center of rotation of the plurality of locking engagement parts and the plurality of locking recesses with respect to the plurality of insertion engagement parts and the plurality of insertion recesses so that A tire testing machine whose dimensions are set in the radial and circumferential directions around the shaft. In the insertable state, the interval between the upper rim held by the upper holding part and the lower rim held by the lower holding part is a predetermined interval set according to the width of the tire. , an insertion drive unit capable of relatively inserting the insertion portion of the one spindle to a specific position in the internal space of the other spindle;
The plurality of engagement protrusions of the plurality of insertion engagement parts and the plurality of locking protrusions of the plurality of locking engagement parts engage with each other with the insertion part disposed at the specific position. a rotation drive unit capable of rotating the one spindle relative to the other spindle around the rotation center axis;
With the upper spindle and the lower spindle supporting the tire via the upper rim and the lower rim, air is filled into the tire internal space, which is a space defined by the upper rim, the tire, and the lower rim. an air supply mechanism capable of
The tire testing machine according to claim 1, further comprising: a rotation detection unit capable of detecting that a specific portion of the first spindle, which is one of the one spindle and the other spindle, has reached a preset specific rotational position around the rotational center axis ; and,
a rotation blocking unit capable of blocking rotation of the first spindle when the rotation detection unit detects that the specific portion has reached the specific rotational position;
further comprising;
The insertion drive section relatively inserts the insertion section of the one spindle to a specific position in the internal space of the other spindle while rotation of the first spindle is blocked by the rotation prevention section. It is possible to
The rotation drive unit is configured to operate the plurality of spindles in a state in which rotation of the first spindle is prevented by the rotation prevention unit and the insertion part of the one spindle is inserted to a specific position in the internal space of the other spindle. of the one spindle and the other spindle such that the plurality of engagement protrusions of the insertion engagement part and the plurality of locking protrusions of the plurality of locking engagement parts engage with each other. The tire testing machine according to claim 2, wherein the second spindle, which is a different spindle from the first spindle, can be rotated about the rotation center axis . a rotation detection unit capable of detecting a rotational position of a specific portion of a first spindle, which is one of the one spindle and the other spindle, about the rotational center axis;
a rotation blocking portion capable of blocking rotation of the first spindle;
further comprising;
The rotation drive unit is configured such that when the first spindle is prevented from rotating by the rotation prevention unit, the plurality of insertion engagement parts of the one spindle are connected to the plurality of insertion engagement parts of the other spindle when viewed from the axial direction. according to the detection result of the rotation detection unit, such that the plurality of insertion recesses of the one spindle respectively match the plurality of lock engagement parts of the other spindle. The tire testing machine according to claim 2, wherein a second spindle that is a different spindle from the first spindle among the spindle and the other spindle can be rotated around the rotation center axis. The insertion drive section is configured such that the first spindle is prevented from rotating by the rotation prevention section, and the plurality of insertion engagement sections respectively match the plurality of locking recesses, and the plurality of insertion recesses engage the plurality of locking recesses. It is possible to relatively insert the insertion portion of the one spindle to a specific position in the internal space of the other spindle while the insertion portion is aligned with the inner space of the other spindle;
The rotational driving section is configured to move the plurality of engagements of the plurality of insertion engagement sections in a state in which rotation of the first spindle is prevented by the rotation prevention section and the insertion section is inserted to a specific position in the internal space. According to claim 4, the second spindle can be rotated around the rotation center axis so that the mating protrusions and the plurality of locking protrusions of the plurality of locking engagement parts engage with each other. Tire testing machine listed. The rotational drive unit is driven by contact pressure applied between the plurality of engagement protrusions and the plurality of locking protrusions via the upper rim and the lower rim by air filled in the inner space of the tire. It is further possible to rotate the one spindle and the other spindle integrally while the relative rotation of the one spindle and the other spindle about the rotation center axis is suppressed. The tire testing machine according to any one of items 2 to 5. The other spindle is
a spindle body having a cylindrical body inner circumferential surface forming a part of the spindle inner circumferential surface;
at least one lock piece fixed to the spindle body, including a piece inner circumferential surface that constitutes a part of the spindle inner circumferential surface and defines the internal space together with the main body inner circumferential surface of the spindle body;
has
The plurality of lock engaging portions and the plurality of lock recesses of the lock portion are each formed on the inner peripheral surface of the at least one lock piece, according to any one of claims 1 to 6. tire testing machine. The at least one lock piece consists of a single lock piece having a ring shape centered on the rotation center axis,
The tire testing machine according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of lock engaging portions and the plurality of lock recesses of the lock portion are respectively formed on the inner circumferential surface of the single lock piece.

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