WO2013054466A1

WO2013054466A1 - Tire inspection device

Info

Publication number: WO2013054466A1
Application number: PCT/JP2012/005681
Authority: WO
Inventors: 宮崎　晋一; 雅則三垣; 孝明伊東
Original assignee: 大和製衡株式会社
Priority date: 2011-10-11
Filing date: 2012-09-07
Publication date: 2013-04-18
Also published as: JP5937327B2; JP2013083549A; CN103782145B; CN103782145A

Abstract

The present invention is provided with first and second ventilation channels capable of feeding air into a tire sandwiched by an upper rim and a lower rim and capable of discharging air in the tire. A part of each of the ventilation channels comprises a ventilation hole drilled in a spindle and a ventilation hole drilled in a connection shaft.

Description

Tire inspection device

The present invention relates to a tire inspection apparatus for inspecting dynamic balance and uniformity of a tire.

In a tire inspection apparatus, for example, a dynamic balancer for tires that inspects the dynamic balance of tires, the dynamic balance of tires is inspected as follows. That is, the tire to be inspected is sandwiched between an upper rim that is moved up and down and a lower rim that is connected and fixed to the spindle. In that state, air is supplied into the tire to inflate it. Thereafter, the spindle is driven to rotate to rotate the tire at a predetermined speed. At that time, the horizontal centrifugal force generated by the tire imbalance is measured by a load sensor such as a load cell. The supply of air into the tire and the discharge of air after the inspection are performed only on the lower rim side via an air passage formed in the spindle on the lower rim side (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-223570

In the above conventional example, the air passage formed in the spindle has a small cross-sectional area that does not decrease the rigidity of the spindle. For this reason, the time required for supplying and discharging air to and from the tire becomes longer, which contributes to a longer inspection time. Of course, if the spindle diameter is increased to form an air passage with a large cross-sectional area, the air supply time and discharge time can be shortened. In this case, as the spindle diameter increases, Various parts such as bearings related to the above are also large-sized, which causes an increase in the size and weight of the entire apparatus.

The present invention has been made paying attention to such a situation, and ensures a sufficient air flow area without causing an increase in the size and weight of the entire apparatus accompanying an increase in the size of the member, and into the tire. The main purpose is to shorten the air supply time and the discharge time of air filled and sealed in the tire.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows.

(1) The present invention is a tire inspection apparatus for supplying air into a tire sandwiched between an upper rim and a lower rim, and inspecting the tire by rotating the tire together with the upper rim and the lower rim,
A first air passage on the upper rim side communicating with the tire sandwiched between the upper rim and the lower rim and a second air passage on the lower rim side communicating with the tire are provided.

According to the present invention, the two air passages communicating with each other in the tire sandwiched between the two rims, that is, the first air passage on the upper rim side and the second air passage on the lower rim side are provided. For example, the supply of air into the tire and the discharge of air from the tire can be performed simultaneously by the air passage of the system. Therefore, the time required for supplying and exhausting air can be shortened and the time required for inspecting the tire can be shortened as compared with a configuration in which air is supplied to the tire and exhausted from the tire in one system. be able to.

(2) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first air passage is connectable to an air supply source and outside air, and supplies air into the tire and discharges air from the tire. And
The second air passage is connectable to at least one of an air supply source and outside air, and performs at least one of supply of air into the tire and discharge of air in the tire. is there.

According to this embodiment, in the first air passage, air is supplied into the tire and exhausted in the tire, and in the second air passage, air is supplied into the tire and inside the tire. Since at least one of air discharge is performed, at least one of the air supply time and the exhaust time is shortened as compared with the case of supplying air into the tire and discharging air from the tire with one system. can do.

(3) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second air passage is connectable to an air supply source and outside air, and supplies air into the tire and discharges air from the tire. And
The first air passage is connectable to at least one of an air supply source and outside air, and performs at least one of supply of air into the tire and discharge of air in the tire. is there.

According to this embodiment, in the second air passage, the air is supplied into the tire and the air in the tire is discharged, and in the first air passage, the air is supplied into the tire and in the tire. Since at least one of air discharge is performed, at least one of the air supply time and the exhaust time is shortened as compared with the case of supplying air into the tire and discharging air from the tire with one system. can do.

(4) In another embodiment of the present invention, the lower rim is connected to a spindle, and a second ventilation hole forming a part of the second ventilation path is formed in the spindle.
A connecting shaft extends from the upper rim, and the connecting shaft is inserted and connected to the spindle, and a first ventilation hole that forms a part of the first ventilation path is formed in the connecting shaft. The

According to this embodiment, the area of the air flow path is the sum of the first and second air passages of the two systems of the upper rim side and the lower rim side, so that the connecting shaft constituting the first air passage on the upper rim side A sufficient flow area can be secured while making the first vent hole drilled in the first vent hole and the second vent hole drilled in the spindle constituting the second vent path on the lower rim side having a small diameter, respectively. As a result, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the member for drilling the first and second vent holes and the member related thereto.

(5) In still another embodiment of the present invention, a coupler that connects and separates a rotation-side air passage that rotates with the upper rim and a non-rotation-side air passage that rotates together with the upper rim is interposed in the first air passage,
A coupler that connects and separates the rotating-side air passage that rotates together with the lower rim and the non-rotating-side air passage is interposed in the second air passage. .

According to this embodiment, when the tire sandwiched between the upper and lower rims is rotated and inspected, the coupler is separated so that the rotation system can be rotated and operated in a free state mechanically separated from the fixed side. It is possible to perform a highly accurate inspection without being affected by external rotational resistance.

As another embodiment of the present invention, a coupler for connecting and separating the rotation-side air passage and the non-rotation-side air passage is provided only in one of the first air passage and the second air passage. May be.

(6) In another embodiment of the present invention, the first air passage and the second air passage are connected to the air supply source and the outside air via an on-off valve, respectively.

According to this embodiment, by controlling the opening and closing of the on-off valve, air can be supplied into the tire through the two air passages of the first air passage and the second air passage, while the two air passages are provided. The air enclosed in the tire on the road can be discharged. Therefore, the time for supplying and discharging air can be shortened as compared with the case of supplying and discharging with one system.

As described above, according to the present invention, a sufficient air flow area is ensured without increasing the size and weight of the entire device due to the increase in the size of the member, and the air supply time into the tire and the tire are increased. The time for discharging the filled air can be shortened, whereby the time required for the inspection can be shortened.

It is a side view of a tire inspection apparatus. It is a front view of a measurement part. It is a cross-sectional top view of a measurement part. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the state where the upper rim is connected. It is the longitudinal cross-sectional view which expanded the principal part. It is the schematic which shows the supply / discharge structure of pressurized air. It is a side view of a holding | grip mechanism. It is a top view of a holding mechanism. It is a front view which shows the drive structure of a holding | grip mechanism.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the loading / unloading direction of the tire W is referred to as the front / rear direction, and the lateral direction perpendicular thereto is referred to as the left / right direction.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a tire inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this tire inspection apparatus, a rim for raising and lowering an upper rim 2 that clamps the tire W from above and below in cooperation with the lower rim 1 and a measuring unit A equipped with a lower rim 1 for fitting and supporting the tire W to be inspected. A lifting device B and a tire transport device C that sandwiches the tire W from the left and right and horizontally transports and moves up and down in the front-rear direction (perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1) are provided.

After the tire W carried into the measuring unit A by the tire conveying device C is vertically sandwiched between the lower rim 1 and the upper rim 2, the tire W is inflated by supplying air to the tire W and inflated. Rotate at a predetermined speed. In this rotating state, the dynamic balance of the tire W is inspected by measuring the horizontal centrifugal force generated by the unbalance of the tire W. Hereinafter, the structure of each part will be described.

The tire conveying device C includes a pair of left and right front and rear movable bases that can be moved back and forth along a base plate 3 fixedly arranged on both left and right sides of the tire conveying path, and rails 4 provided horizontally on the respective base plates 3. 5. A pair of left and right movable bases 7 slidable along the rails 6 horizontally provided on the respective front and rear movable bases 5 and supported by the left and right movable bases 7 so as to be slidable up and down along the vertical rails 8. The vertical movable table 9 is provided with a plurality of support rollers 10 that are axially supported at a plurality of positions before and after each vertical movable table 9.

Further, the tire conveying device C includes driving means for moving the left and right front and rear movable bases 5 back and forth in synchronism with each other, driving means for moving the left and right left and right movable bases 7 toward and away from each other in synchronism with each other, Driving means for moving the movable base 9 up and down in synchronism with each other is provided.

By moving the corresponding left and right movable bases 7 in synchronization with each other across the tire conveyance path, the tire W can be pressed and centered from the left and right by the group of support rollers 10. Further, the tire W can be gripped by the group of support rollers 10 without being dropped by being strongly pressed and clamped by the left and right movable base 7. In this gripping state, the left and right front and rear movable bases 5 are moved back and forth in synchronization, so that the gripped tire W can be moved back and forth horizontally, and the left and right vertical movable bases 9 are synchronized in the tire gripping state. Thus, the gripped tire W can be lifted or lowered by moving it up and down.

The rim lifting device B includes a support frame 13 connected to a side surface of the main frame 11 in the measurement unit A via a frame 12. On the support frame 13, a lifting platform 15 is supported via a vertical rail 14 so as to be slidable up and down. The upper rim 2 is supported by the gripping mechanism 16 provided on the lifting platform 15. The screw shaft 17 provided on the support frame 13 is rotated forward and backward by a motor 18 to move the lifting platform 15 up and down by screw feeding. As a result, the upper rim 2 gripped by the gripping mechanism 16 of the lift 15 is moved up and down.

The detailed structure of the gripping mechanism 16 is shown in FIGS. The gripping mechanism 16 has a support bracket 19 and a movable gripping member 21. The support bracket 19 is connected to the lower surface of the lifting platform 15. A pair of front and rear movable gripping members 21 are provided. Each movable gripping member 21 is mounted on the front surface of the support bracket 19 via a pair of upper and lower rails 20 so as to be horizontally movable in the front-rear direction. A rack gear member 22 is connected to each movable gripping member 21. A pinion gear 23 is supported around the horizontal fulcrum x at the center of the front surface of the support bracket 19 so as to be freely rotatable. Each rack gear member 22 meshes with the upper and lower portions of the pinion gear 23. As a result, the two movable gripping members 21 move counterclockwise in the front-rear direction in synchronization.

When one movable gripping member 21 is moved back and forth by the air cylinder 24, the two movable gripping members 21 move toward and away from each other in conjunction with the movement. As shown in FIG. 1, the support shaft 25 extends upward from the center portion of the upper rim 2, and a predetermined portion of the support shaft 25 is gripped from the front and rear by both movable gripping members 21 that move closer. . The support shaft 25 is integrally connected to the upper end of a connection shaft 26 that is connected to the upper rim 2 and extends downward. A rim support shaft 27 used for rim replacement is externally connected to the connection shaft 26 (see FIG. 5).

As shown in FIG. 1, the main frame 11 of the measuring unit A is configured in a rectangular box shape. A spindle 32 is inserted into and supported by the main frame 11 so as to be rotatable. The upper part of the spindle 32 protrudes from the upper surface of the main frame 11, and the lower rim 1 is connected to the upper part of the spindle 32.

2 is a front view showing the configuration of the measurement unit A, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional plan view of the measurement unit A, and FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the state where the upper rim is connected.

The two upper and lower portions of the support casing 31 provided in the central portion of the main frame 11 of the measuring unit A and the side wall 11a of the main frame 11 are connected via a pair of left and right torsion bars 33 arranged horizontally in parallel. Yes. The upper and lower intermediate portions of the support casing 31 and the upper wall 11b of the main frame 11 are connected via a pair of front and rear torsion bars 34 arranged vertically. A load cell 35 for load detection is installed across the upper and lower portions of the support casing 31 and the side wall 11 a of the main frame 11.

The support casing 31 includes an upper cylindrical portion 31a and a pair of plate-like portions 31b that are connected to the lower portion and face each other. A spindle 32 is supported on the cylindrical portion 31a via two pairs of upper and lower bearings 36 so as to be rotatable around the vertical axis p.

The lower end portion of the spindle 32 is inserted between the opposing plate-like portions 31 b of the support casing 31. A pulley 37 is provided at the insertion end of the spindle 32, that is, at the lower end. A relay pulley 38 is provided outside the main frame 11. A toothed belt 39 is wound around the pulley 37 and the relay pulley 38, and the pulley 37 and the relay pulley 38 are linked via the belt 39 without slipping. As shown in FIG. 3, a belt 41 is wound around the shaft 38a of the relay pulley 38 and the servo motor 40, and the shaft 38a and the servo motor 40 are linked via the belt 41 without slipping. ing.

Further, a belt 43 is wound around the spindle 32 and the rotary encoder 42, and the spindle 32 and the rotary encoder 42 are linked via the belt 43 at a constant speed without slipping. Thereby, the rotary position of the spindle 32 is detected by the rotary encoder 42.

The upper large diameter portion 32a of the spindle 32 protrudes upward beyond the support casing 31 and the upper wall 11b of the main frame 11 as shown in FIG. The upper large diameter portion 32a is provided with a flange 44 for mounting a lower rim. For example, a self-aligning coupling 45 such as a Kirbic coupling or a Hearth coupling (trade name) is connected to the upper surface of the flange 44.

The self-aligning coupling 45 has a lower coupling 45a in which teeth are formed radially on the upper surface periphery and an upper coupling 45b in which teeth are formed radially on the lower surface periphery. The lower coupling 45a is bolted to the spindle 32 concentrically. A bracket 46 is connected to the lower surface of the lower rim 1, and the upper coupling 45 b is connected to the lower rim 1 with a bolt concentrically via the bracket 46.

As is well known, the self-aligning coupling 45 is coupled in a state where the lower coupling 45a and the upper coupling 45b are engaged with each other in the vertical direction so that they are concentric and do not move relative to each other in the circumferential direction, front and rear, left and right. It is supposed to be. That is, the automatic alignment coupling 45 has an automatic alignment function.

Therefore, the lower rim 1 is lowered from above the spindle 32, and the upper coupling 45b is placed on the lower coupling 45a on the flange 44 to engage with each other. The rim 1 is concentric with the spindle 32 with high accuracy.

The measuring unit A has a pair of chuck mechanisms 47. The chuck mechanism 47 connects and fixes the lower rim 1 mounted concentrically with the spindle 32 to the spindle 32. As shown in FIG. 2, the chuck mechanism 47 is provided at the outer peripheral portion of the flange 44 so as to be positioned diagonally with respect to the axis p of the spindle 32.

Although the detailed structure is not shown, in the chuck mechanism 47, as shown in FIG. 5, a pair of lock pins 48 that protrude downward from the diagonal position on the lower surface of the lower rim 1 are deployed and fixed to the outer periphery of the flange 44. The lock pin 48 is inserted into the chuck case 49 from above and a lock ball is engaged with the inserted lock pin 48 to prevent the lock pin 48 from coming out of the chuck case 49. The lower rim 1 is integrated with the spindle 32 by inserting the lock pin 48 into the chuck case 49 and applying a lock for preventing it from coming off.

The upper rim coupling cylinder shaft 51 is concentrically coupled to the upper end of the upper large diameter portion 32a of the spindle 32. The connecting shaft 26 extending downward from the center of the upper rim 2 is inserted into the upper rim connecting cylinder shaft 51. A plurality (eight in this example) of lock balls 52 are incorporated at two positions in the upper and lower portions of the lower half of the upper rim coupling cylinder shaft 51 at a constant circumferential pitch.

A large number of annular engaging grooves 53 are formed on the outer periphery of the lower portion of the connecting shaft 26 at a constant pitch. Two groups of upper and lower lock balls 52 enter the engagement grooves 53. The lock ball 52 is inserted into the upper rim coupling cylinder shaft 51 from the outer periphery of the cylinder shaft 51 so as to be movable radially inward and outward. When the lock ball 52 moves inward in the radial direction, a part of the lock ball 52 protrudes on the inner periphery of the upper rim coupling cylinder shaft 51. When the connecting shaft 26 is inserted in this state, the lock ball 52 enters the engaging groove 53 of the connecting shaft 26. On the other hand, when the lock ball 52 moves radially outward and retracts outward from the inner circumference of the upper rim coupling cylinder shaft 51, the insertion and removal of the coupling shaft 26 is allowed. Note that the inner end of the ball insertion hole formed in the upper rim connecting cylinder shaft 51 is slightly smaller than the ball diameter, and the lock ball 52 can be connected to the upper rim connecting cylinder shaft even when the connecting shaft 26 is not inserted. 51 does not fall into the interior.

The operation cylinder shaft 55 is fitted on the outer periphery of the lower rim coupling cylinder shaft 51 so as to be slidable up and down. An annular groove 56 is provided at two locations on the inner peripheral surface of the operation cylinder shaft 55 in the upper and lower portions. When the operation cylinder shaft 55 is slid downward in the figure, each annular groove 56 is disengaged downward from the lock ball 52. As a result, the lock ball 52 comes into contact with the inner surface of the operation cylinder shaft 55 and the outward movement thereof is blocked by the operation cylinder shaft 55. On the other hand, when the operation cylinder shaft 55 is slid upward, each annular groove 56 faces the lock ball 52, and a space for moving the lock ball 52 outward in the radial direction is formed. That is, when the operation cylinder shaft 55 is in the downward slide position, the lock ball 52 protrudes radially inward to be locked. On the other hand, when the operation cylinder shaft 55 is in the upward sliding position, the lock ball 52 is unlocked in a state where the lock ball 52 is allowed to retract outward in the radial direction.

A small diameter shaft portion 55 a extends from the lower end of the operation tube shaft 55. As shown in FIG. 4, the small-diameter shaft portion 55 a is inserted between the opposing plate-like portions 31 b of the support casing 31. A compression coil spring 57 is fitted on the outer periphery of the small diameter shaft portion 55a. The upper end of the compression coil spring 57 is supported by an upper spring receiving collar 58 that is connected and fixed to the spindle 32, and the lower end of the spring is supported by a lower spring receiving collar 59 that is externally fixed to the small-diameter shaft portion 51a. . The operating cylinder shaft 55 is slidably biased toward the lower locking position by the elastic force of the compression coil spring 57.

Near the lower end of the small diameter shaft portion 55a, an operation flange 55b is provided. An operation member 61 that is moved up and down by an air cylinder 60 is disposed inside the plate-like portion 31 b of the support casing 31. When the operation member 61 is moved upward by projecting the air cylinder 60, the roller 61a provided at the upper end of the operation member 61 pushes up the operation flange 55b of the operation cylinder shaft 55. As a result, the operation cylinder shaft 55 is slid upward against the compression coil spring 57 and enters the unlocked state described above.

In this tire inspection apparatus, supply and exhaust of pressurized air to the tire W sandwiched between the lower rim 1 and the upper rim 2 are performed from the lower rim side and the upper rim side. The structure will be described below.

When the tire W is sandwiched between the upper rim 2 and the lower rim 1, first and second air passages communicating with the inside of the tire W are formed. The first air passage is formed on the upper rim side, and the second air passage is formed on the lower rim side. The operation cylinder shaft 55 constituting the second air passage on the lower rim side has a small diameter shaft portion 55a. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a vent hole a communicating with the internal space of the operation cylinder shaft 55 is formed at the center of the small diameter shaft portion 55 a. A rotary joint 65 is provided at the lower end of the small diameter shaft portion 55a. The rotary joint 65 and the pressurized air supply device 66 shown in FIG. 6 are connected in communication via a coupler 68. The coupler 68 can be connected and disconnected by an air cylinder 67 as shown in FIG.

The pressurized air supply device 66 sends pressurized air sent from a pressurized air supply source 69 such as a compressor or an air tank storing pressurized air via a high pressure reducing valve 70 and an electromagnetic on-off valve 72, or It is connected by piping so as to be fed into the rotary joint 65 through the low pressure reducing valve 71 and the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 73. Further, an exhaust passage d communicating with the atmosphere is branched from the lower piping of the electromagnetic on / off

valves

72 and 73 connecting the electromagnetic on / off

valves

72 and 73 and the rotary joint 65. The exhaust path d constitutes a second ventilation path. The exhaust path d is provided with an electromagnetic opening / closing valve 74 and a silencer 75.

On the upper rim side, a vent hole b is formed across the connecting shaft 26 and the center of the support shaft 25 connected to the upper end thereof. The ventilation hole b constitutes a first ventilation path. A rim support shaft 27 is fitted on the connecting shaft 26. A plurality of vent holes c are formed radially from the vent hole b and the outer periphery of the rim support shaft 27.

The upper end portion of the support shaft 25 and the pressurized air supply device 76 are connected in communication via a coupler 78. The coupler 78 can be connected and disconnected by an air cylinder 77 as shown in FIG. Similarly to the lower rim side, the pressurized air supply device 76 sends the pressurized air sent from the pressurized air supply source 79 shown in FIG. 6 via the high-pressure pressure reducing valve 80 and the electromagnetic on-off valve 82, or It is connected by piping so as to be fed into the coupler 78 through the low pressure reducing valve 81 and the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 83. An exhaust passage e communicating with the atmosphere is branched from the lower piping of the electromagnetic on / off

valves

82 and 83 connecting the electromagnetic on / off

valves

82 and 83 and the coupler 78. The exhaust path e constitutes a first ventilation path. The exhaust passage e is provided with an electromagnetic opening / closing valve 84 and a silencer 85.

The main part of the tire inspection apparatus is configured as described above. Next, the inspection operation will be described.

(1) As shown in FIG. 1, in the initial set state, the upper rim 2 stands by at a position far away from the lower rim 1, and the tire W to be inspected is gripped by the tire conveying device C and centered. It is carried into the measuring unit A.

(2) When the tire W reaches the center of the measurement unit A, the vertical movable base 9 of the tire transport device C is lowered, and the lower bead portion of the tire W is fitted to the lower rim 1. Thereafter, the left and right movable platforms 7 move backward in synchronization with each other, whereby the gripping of the tire W by the group of support rollers 10 is released.

(3) Next, the upper rim 2 of the standby position is lowered. At this time, on the spindle side, the operation cylinder shaft 55 is slid upward by the air cylinder 60 and is in the unlocked state, so that the connection shaft 26 of the upper rim 2 can be inserted into the upper rim connection cylinder shaft 51. .

(4) When the upper rim 2 reaches a preset height position corresponding to the width of the tire W to be mounted, the upper rim lowering operation is stopped. Thereafter, when the air cylinder 60 is moved backward, the operation cylinder shaft 55 urged by the compression coil spring 57 slides to the lower locking position. Here, since the pitch of the engagement grooves 53 formed in the connecting shaft 26 corresponds to the tire size change pitch, the two upper and lower sets of the lock balls 52 face each of the engagement grooves 53 and lock. The ball 52 is engaged with the engagement groove 53 corresponding to the lock ball 52 by being pushed by the operation cylinder shaft 55 that slides downward. Thereby, the positioning lock in the vertical direction of the upper rim 2 is completed.

(5) Next, the air supply operation to the tire W is started from the second air passage on the lower rim side and the first air passage on the upper rim side. That is, first, the high-pressure electromagnetic open /

close valves

72 and 82 are opened, and high-pressure air is sent to the vent holes a and b for a set time. Thereafter, the low-pressure side electromagnetic on-off

valves

73 and 83 are opened, and the low-pressure air is sent to the vent holes a and b. Then, on the lower rim side, pressurized air is sent to the vent hole a through the connected coupler 68 and the rotary joint 65, and on the upper rim side, pressurized air is sent to the vent hole b through the connected coupler 78. It is. In this way, the pressurized air that is supplied from above and below and merges is supplied from the vent hole c into the tire.

(6) When the tire W is inflated to a predetermined internal pressure by supplying air from the lower rim side and the upper rim side, the supply of pressurized air is stopped. Thereafter, the upper and

lower couplers

68 and 78 are separated by the

air cylinders

67 and 77, respectively. Each

coupler

68, 78 is in a vented state when connected, and is provided with a self-closing function that closes the passage in conjunction with the separation, and the tires are separated after the

couplers

68, 78 are separated. The air-sealed state inside is maintained. When the supply of pressurized air is stopped, gripping of the support shaft 25 by the gripping mechanism 16 is released. As a result, the support shaft 25 is in a free state mechanically separated from the gripping mechanism 16 and the pressurized air supply device 76.

(7) Thereafter, the servo motor 40 is activated and the spindle 32 rotates. Then, the tire W sandwiched between the lower rim 1 and the upper rim 2 rotates at a predetermined speed. When a centrifugal force in the horizontal direction is generated due to imbalance of the tire W during tire rotation, the centrifugal force is detected by the upper and lower load cells 35 connected to the support casing 31. The detected data and the rotational position information of the rotary encoder 42 are transmitted to an arithmetic processing unit (not shown). The arithmetic processing unit calculates the dynamic balance of the tire W, and further calculates the light spot position and the like.

(8) When the measurement is completed, the rotational position of the spindle 32 is controlled so that the lower rim 1 returns to the reference position. Thereafter, the

couplers

68 and 78 are connected and the electromagnetic on-off

valves

74 and 84 are opened to open the exhaust paths d and e. As a result, the air filled and sealed in the tire W flows from the vent hole c to the vent holes b and a (first and second vent paths) in a dispersed manner. Thereby, the sealed air of the tire W quickly flows out from the two systems on the lower rim side and the upper rim side.

(9) Thereafter, when the operation cylinder shaft 55 moves upward again, the lock ball 52 is unlocked and the support shaft 25 of the upper rim 2 is gripped by the gripping mechanism 16. Further, the rim lifting device C operates to raise the upper rim 2 to the original standby position. Thus, a standby state is prepared for the next measurement process.

(10) Next, after the tire conveying device C is operated to grip the inspected tire W strongly, the tire W is separated from the lower rim 1 by lifting, and the tire W is subsequently carried out horizontally. Once the inspection has been completed, the above procedure is repeated in sequence each time a new tire is loaded.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the supply of air into the tire W and the discharge of air from the inside of the tire W are performed through the two air passages on the upper rim 2 side and the lower rim 1 side. As a result, the air supply time and the exhaust time can be shortened compared to a configuration in which the air is supplied to and discharged from the tire W by one system, and further, the inspection processing of the tire W can be improved. .

Further, when the tire W is rotated and its imbalance is measured, the upper and

lower couplers

68 and 78 are separated to separate the rotating portion and the external non-rotating portion. Highly accurate measurement can be performed without being affected by the above.

In the conventional example in which air is supplied and discharged only on the lower rim side, the coupler 68 is not provided, and an air hose for supplying and discharging air is always connected to the rotary joint 65. Therefore, when the tire W is rotated and the imbalance is measured, the air hose must be arranged so that the rotating part does not receive external force from the air hose. It is not easy to arrange. However, the above-described embodiment of the present invention does not have such a problem.

In the tire inspection apparatus according to this embodiment, when the upper and

lower rims

1 and 2 need to be replaced as the size of the tire W to be inspected changes, the rim lifting device B is used to remove the lower rim 1 from the spindle. 32 can be removed.

That is, after the upper rim 2 is lowered and the connecting shaft 26 is inserted into the upper rim connecting cylinder shaft 51, the lower rim 1 is rotated in a predetermined direction by a predetermined angle (for example, 45 degrees) from the reference position via the spindle 32. Move. As a result, the chuck mechanism 47 is positioned directly above the unlocking cylinder 86 (see FIG. 5) installed on the upper surface of the main frame 11. In this state, the unlocking cylinder 86 is operated to project upward. The chuck mechanism 47 has a release operation member 47 a that performs unlocking, and the release operation member 47 a protrudes downward from the chuck mechanism 47. When the unlocking cylinder 86 is operated to project upward, the release operating member 47a is pushed up against the biasing force. As a result, the chuck mechanism 47 is unlocked and the lock pin 48 can be pulled out of the chuck case 49.

On the other hand, in a state where the lower rim 1 is rotated in a predetermined direction by a predetermined angle from the reference position, the following occurs. That is, the lower end of the rim support shaft 27 that is externally connected to the connecting shaft 26 is provided with an engaging claw 27 a in a cross shape, and a cross-shaped opening 1 a is provided in the center of the lower rim 1. Yes. In the state where the lower rim 1 is rotated as described above, the engagement claw 27a can be engaged with the opening 1a. When the upper rim 2 is raised in this state, the lower claw 1 engaged with and supported by the lower end portion of the rim support shaft 27 is lifted together with the upper rim 2 by engaging the engaging claws 27a and the opening 1a.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention can also be implemented in the following forms.

(1) In the above embodiment, the pressurized air is supplied to the tire W from the lower rim side and the upper rim side, and the air filled in the tire W is discharged. It is also possible to carry out only from the rim side and to discharge air from the tire W from the lower rim side and the upper rim side. According to this, the discharge time can be shortened compared to the conventional case where supply and discharge are performed only from the lower rim side.

(2) Further, it is also possible to carry out in such a form that pressurized air is supplied from the lower rim side and the upper rim side, and air is discharged from the tire W only from the lower rim side. According to this, the pressurized air supply time can be shortened compared to the conventional case where supply and discharge are performed only from the lower rim side.

(3) The coupler 68 interposed in the supply / exhaust system on the lower rim side can be eliminated, and the conventional specification in which the rotary joint 65 and the pressurized air supply device 66 are always connected by piping can be implemented. In this case, a rotary joint may be provided instead of the coupler 78 provided in the air supply / exhaust system on the upper rim side, and the rotary joint and the pressurized air supply device 76 may be always connected by piping.

(4) At least a part of the configuration of the pressurized air supply device 66 on the lower rim side and the pressurized air supply device 76 on the upper rim side may be shared.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Lower rim 2 Upper rim 26 Connecting shaft 32 Spindle 66 Pressurized air supply device 68 Coupler 76 Pressurized air supply device 78 Coupler a Vent hole (second vent passage)
b Ventilation hole (first air passage)

Claims

A tire inspection apparatus for supplying air into a tire sandwiched between an upper rim and a lower rim, and inspecting the tire by rotating the tire together with the upper rim and the lower rim,
A first air passage on the upper rim side communicating with the tire sandwiched between the upper rim and the lower rim, and a second air passage on the lower rim side communicating with the tire;
Tire inspection device.
The first air passage is connectable to an air supply source and outside air, and supplies air into the tire and discharges air from the tire.
The second air passage is connectable to at least one of an air supply source and outside air, and performs at least one of supply of air into the tire and discharge of air in the tire. is there,
The tire inspection device according to claim 1.
The second air passage is connectable to an air supply source and outside air, and supplies air into the tire and discharges air from the tire.
The first air passage is connectable to at least one of an air supply source and outside air, and performs at least one of supply of air into the tire and discharge of air in the tire. is there,
The tire inspection device according to claim 1.
The lower rim is connected to a spindle, and the spindle is provided with a second ventilation hole that constitutes a part of the second ventilation path,
A connecting shaft extends from the upper rim, and the connecting shaft is inserted and connected to the spindle, and a first ventilation hole that forms a part of the first ventilation path is formed in the connecting shaft. The
The tire inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
In the first air passage, a coupler for connecting and separating the air passage on the rotating side that rotates together with the upper rim and the air passage on the non-rotating side that does not rotate is interposed,
In the second air passage, a coupler that connects and separates the air passage on the rotating side that rotates together with the lower rim and the air passage on the non-rotating side that does not rotate is interposed.
The tire inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The first ventilation path and the second ventilation path are connected to the air supply source and the outside air via an on-off valve, respectively.
The tire inspection device according to claim 2 or 3.