Tire inspection apparatus, tire inspection system, and method for inspecting tires
A tire inspection apparatus for the optical inspection of a tire ( 4 ) comprises a housing with a support surface ( 3 ) for the tire ( 4 ) to be inspected; several measuring heads ( 7, 8, 9, 10; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 ), each of which comprises an optical measuring system, for inspecting the inside tread surface ( 11 ) and/or the external lateral surface ( 18 ) of the tire ( 4 ); and a positioning device ( 21, 22, 23, 24 ) for moving some or all of the measuring heads ( 7 - 10; 12 - 17 ) into a rest position and into a measuring position. To improve a tire inspection apparatus of this type, the measuring heads ( 7 - 10; 12 - 17 ) and the support surface ( 3 ) are installed without freedom of rotation.
1. Tire inspection apparatus for the optical inspection of a tire ( 4 ), comprising
a housing with a support surface ( 3 ) for the tire ( 4 ) to be inspected;
several measuring heads ( 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ), each of which has an optical measuring system, for inspecting the inside tread surface ( 11 ) of the tire ( 4 );
at least one positioning device ( 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ) for raising and lowering some or all of the measuring heads ( 7 - 10 ) into a rest position and into a measuring position; and
a device for determining, and/or a memory unit for storing, the diameter and/or the height of the tire ( 4 ), wherein
the measuring heads ( 7 - 10 ) are coupled to the at least one positioning device ( 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ) without freedom of rotation and the support surface ( 3 ) is mounted without freedom of rotation.
2. Tire inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the tire inspection apparatus is designed for the interferometric inspection of a tire ( 4 ), and in that the housing is designed as a pressure chamber ( 1 ).
3. Tire inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the measuring heads ( 7 - 10 ) for inspecting the inside tread surface ( 11 ) of the tire ( 4 ) can be moved vertically and/or the measuring heads ( 12 - 17 ) for inspecting the external lateral surface ( 18 ) of the tire ( 4 ) can be moved vertically.
4. Tire inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein one or more or all of the measuring heads ( 7 - 10 ) for inspecting the inside tread surface ( 11 ) of the tire ( 4 ) can be moved radially.
5. Tire inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the viewing angle (α) of the optical measuring system ( 19 ) of one or more or all of the measuring heads ( 7 - 10 ; 12 - 17 ) can be adjusted.
6. Tire inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the measuring heads ( 7 - 10 ) for inspecting the inside tread surface ( 11 ) of the tire ( 4 ) inspect a portion of the inside tread surface ( 11 ), or in that the measuring heads ( 7 - 10 ) for inspecting the inside tread surface ( 11 ) of the tire ( 4 ) inspect the entire inside tread surface ( 11 ).
7. Tire inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a device for prepositioning and/or positioning one or more or all of the measuring heads ( 7 - 10 ; 12 - 17 ) as a function of the diameter and/or the height of the tire ( 4 ).
8. Tire inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a device for determining and/or displaying and/or evaluating the contour of the tire ( 4 ).
9. Tire inspection apparatus according to claim 8 , comprising a device for evaluating the resulting images within the contour.
10. Tire inspection system comprising a tire inspection apparatus ( 28 ) according to claim 1 and a tire flipper ( 31 ).
11. Tire inspection system according to claim 10 , comprising a tire flipper ( 31 ) for flipping the tire ( 4 ) to the correct position.
12. Method for the optical inspection of a tire in a housing, in which the tire ( 4 ) is inspected by several measuring heads ( 7 - 10 ; 12 - 17 ) for the interferometric inspection of a tire ( 4 ) by a tire inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the measuring heads ( 7 - 10 ; 12 - 17 ) and the tire ( 4 ) do not rotate relative to each other.
13. Method according to claim 12 , wherein the tire is inspected interferometrically in a pressure chamber.
14. Method according to claim 12 , wherein the measuring heads ( 7 - 10 ) for inspecting the inside tread surface ( 11 ) of the tire ( 4 ) and/or the measuring heads ( 12 - 17 ) for inspecting the external lateral surface ( 18 ) of the tire ( 4 ) can be moved vertically.
15. Method according to claim 12 , wherein the measuring heads ( 7 - 10 ) for inspecting the inside tread surface ( 11 ) of the tire ( 4 ) and/or the measuring heads ( 12 - 17 ) for inspecting the external lateral surface ( 18 ) of the tire ( 4 ) can be moved radially.
16. Method according to claim 12 , wherein the measuring heads ( 7 - 10 ) for inspecting the inside tread surface ( 11 ) of the tire ( 4 ) inspect a portion of the inside tread surface ( 11 ) or the entire inside tread surface ( 11 ).
17. Method according to claim 12 , wherein only the pixels of the resulting images which lie within the contour of the tire are evaluated.
18. Tire inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , additionally comprising
a pressure chamber ( 1 ) constituting the housing in which the support surface ( 3 ) is arranged and having a door ( 2 ), and
a series of rollers ( 6 ) arranged outside the door ( 2 ) to the pressure chamber ( 1 ) for supporting the tire ( 4 ) on a rim thereof.
19. Tire inspection apparatus according to claim 18 , additionally comprising
a frame ( 51 ) situated above and around the series of rollers ( 6 ) outside the door ( 2 ) for determining height and diameter of the tire ( 4 ) passing therethrough.
20. Tire inspection apparatus according to claim 19 , additionally comprising
light sources ( 52 ) and receivers ( 53 ) arranged along an inner edge of the frame ( 51 ), forming a rectilinear grid for detecting the height and diameter of the tire ( 4 ).
21. Tire inspection system, comprising
(i) a tire inspection apparatus ( 28 ) comprising
a housing with a support surface ( 3 ) for the tire ( 4 ) to be inspected;
several measuring heads ( 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ; 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ), each of which has an optical measuring system, for inspecting the inside tread surface ( 11 ) and/or the external lateral surface ( 18 ) of the tire ( 4 ); and
a positioning device ( 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ) for moving some or all of the measuring heads ( 7 - 10 , 12 - 17 ) into a rest position and into a measuring position,
wherein the measuring heads ( 7 - 10 ); 12 - 17 ) and the support surface ( 3 ) are installed without freedom of rotation,
(ii) a tire flipper ( 31 ), and
(iii) a second tire inspection apparatus ( 33 ).
22. Method for the optical inspection of a tire in a housing, in which the tire ( 4 ) is inspected by several measuring heads ( 7 - 10 ; 12 - 17 ), wherein
the measuring heads ( 7 - 10 ; 12 - 17 ) and the tire ( 4 ) do not rotate relative to each other, and
one or more or all of the measuring heads ( 7 - 10 ; 12 - 17 ) are prepositioned and/or positioned as a function of the diameter and/or the height of the tire ( 4 ).
23. Method for the optical inspection of a tire in a housing, in which the tire ( 4 ) is inspected by several measuring heads ( 7 - 10 ; 12 - 17 ), wherein
the measuring heads ( 7 - 10 ; 12 - 17 ) and the tire ( 4 ) do not rotate relative to each other, and
the tire ( 4 ) is inspected in a first inspection pass, flipped, and inspected in a second inspection pass.
24. Method according to claim 23 , wherein a second tire is inspected in a first inspection pass while the first tire is being flipped.
25. Method for the optical inspection of a tire in a housing, in which the tire ( 4 ) is inspected by several measuring heads ( 7 - 10 ; 12 - 15 , wherein
the measuring heads ( 7 - 10 ; 12 - 17 ) and the tire ( 4 ) do not rotate relative to each other;
in the first inspection pass, one-half of the inside tread surface ( 11 ) of the tire ( 4 ) is inspected;
the tire ( 4 ) is flipped to the correct position; and
in a second inspection pass, the other half of the inside tread surface ( 11 ) of the tire ( 4 ) is inspected.