Granted Patent B2

US 7,448,859 · App. 11/747,079 · Granted Nov 11, 2008

Abstract

Claims (16)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a tire manufacturing system;

a cooling fluid circuit in fluid connected to the tire manufacturing system;

a compartment for holding a reservoir of cooling fluid through which said cooling fluid is routed;

an ultrasound emitter configured to emit ultrasound signals at a frequency higher than 100 kHz into said compartment; and

a gas emitter configured to emit gas into the ultrasound field in the compartment containing the cooling fluid.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a cyclone separator configured to centrifuge out solid particles from the cooling fluid.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured such that the ultrasound emitted into the compartment does not generate a stationary field phenomenon.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an electromagnetic radiation emitter configured to emit electromagnetic radiation in the visible range into the ultrasound field.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gas emitter comprises a gas microbubble emitter.

6. A tire making apparatus comprising:

a rubber mixer;

an extruder;

a cooling bath;

an ultrasound and gas treatment apparatus in fluid connection with said cooling bath; and

a tire building machine.

Assignments (24)