IP Library Granted Patent US 9,289,956
Granted Patent B2
US 9,289,956 · App. 14/364,573 · Granted Mar 22, 2016

Method for controlling the deposition of elementary semifinished products in a process for building tyres for vehicle wheels

Inventors: Michele Ballabio (Milan, IT); Gaetano Lo Presti (Milan, IT); Bartolomeo Montrucchio (Turin, IT); Vincenzo Orlando (Turin, IT)
Assignees: Pirelli Tyre S.p.A.; Politecnico Di Torino
B29D30/0061B60C25/007G01M17/027G06K9/6201G06T7/001B29D2030/0066G06T2207/30164
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,289,956
App. No.
14/364,573
Granted
Mar 22, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling the deposition of elementary semifinished products in a process for building tires for vehicle wheels includes: driving in rotation, around a rotation axis, at a rotation speed between about π/8 rad/s and about 6π rad/s, a tire being processed which tire has a radially external surface including one or more elementary semifinished products; sending a first electromagnetic radiation to the radially external surface, the latter generating a corresponding first reflected radiation; detecting, through a first detecting device, at least one first image representative of the first reflected radiation; controlling the first detecting device in such a manner that a first exposure time for detecting the at least one first image is included between about 0.1 s and about 10 s; carrying out a first comparison between the at least one first image and one or more reference data; and generating a first notification signal as a function of the first comparison.

Claims (78)

1. A method for controlling the deposition of elementary semifinished products in a process for building a tyre for vehicle wheels, comprising:

driving in rotation a tyre being processed around a rotation axis at a rotation speed between about π/8 rad/s and about 6π rad/s, said tyre having a radially external surface comprising one or more elementary semifinished products;

sending a first electromagnetic radiation to said radially external surface, the radially external surface generating a corresponding first reflected radiation;

detecting, through a first detecting device, at least one first image representative of said first reflected radiation, wherein the at least one first image is obtained by a detecting window substantially parallel to the rotation axis of said tyre being processed;

controlling said first detecting device in such a manner that a first exposure time for detecting said at least one first image is between about 0.1 s and about 10 s;

carrying out a first comparison between said at least one first image and one or more reference data; and

generating a first notification signal as a function of said first comparison.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said first exposure time is between about 1 s and about 4 s.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said rotation speed of said tyre being processed is between about π/2 rad/s and about 2π rad/s.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said first exposure time is equal to at least a time employed by said tyre being processed for carrying out a full revolution around said rotation axis.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said first detecting device is positioned on a first detection plane joining said first detecting device to a first region of incidence of said radially external surface impinged on by said first electromagnetic radiation.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising providing at least one first emitter device for sending said first electromagnetic radiation onto said radially external surface.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said first emitter device is positioned along a first emission plane joining said first emitter device to a first region of incidence of the radially external surface impinged on by said first electromagnetic radiation.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said first detecting device is positioned on a first detection plane joining said first detecting device to a first region of incidence of said radially external surface impinged on by said first electromagnetic radiation, and wherein said first detection plane defines an angle between about 30° and about 60° with said first emission plane.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said one or more reference data comprise data defined as a function of previous detecting operations carried out by said first detecting device.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said one or more reference data comprise data defined on a statistical basis as a function of previous detecting operations.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said first notification signal is representative of positioning of one or more of said elementary semifinished products.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said first notification signal is representative of lack of deposition of at least one elementary semifinished product.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising:

sending a second electromagnetic radiation onto said radially external surface, the radially external surface generating a corresponding second reflected radiation;

detecting through a second detecting device, at least one second image representative of said second reflected radiation;

controlling said second detecting device in such a manner that a second exposure time for detecting said at least one second image is between about 0.1 s and about 10 s;

carrying out a second comparison between said at least one second image and one or more reference data; and

generating a second notification signal as a function of said second comparison.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein said second exposure time is between about 1 s and about 4 s.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein said second exposure time is equal to at least a time employed by said tyre being processed for carrying out a full revolution around said rotation axis.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein said first electromagnetic radiation strikes on a first region of said radially external surface, and said second electromagnetic radiation strikes on a second region of said radially external surface.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein said first and second regions are defined by respective axial-end regions of said tyre being processed.

18. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein said first and/or second electromagnetic radiation has a wavelength between about 500 nm and about 700 nm.

19. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein said first and/or second detecting device comprises a CCD sensor operating at 8 bits or 16 bits.

20. An apparatus for controlling the deposition of elementary semifinished products in a process for building a tyre for vehicle wheels, comprising:

an actuating member for driving a tyre being processed in rotation around a rotation axis, at a rotation speed between about π/8 rad/s and about 6π rad/s, said tyre having a radially external surface comprising one or more elementary semifinished products;

a first emitter device adapted to send a first electromagnetic radiation onto said radially external surface, the radially external surface generating a corresponding first reflected radiation;

a first detecting device adapted to detect at least one first image representative of said first reflected radiation, wherein the at least one first image is obtained by a detecting window substantially parallel to the rotation axis of said tyre being processed; and

a control unit configured for:

a) controlling said first detecting device in such a manner that a first exposure time for detecting said at least one first image is between about 0.1 s and about 10 s;

b) carrying out a first comparison between said at least one first image and one or more reference data; and

c) generating a first notification signal as a function of said first comparison.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20 , wherein said first exposure time is between about 1 s and about 4 s.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20 , wherein said rotation speed of said tyre being processed is between about π/2 rad/s and about 2π rad/s.

23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20 , wherein said first exposure time is equal to at least a time employed by said tyre being processed for carrying out a full revolution around said rotation axis.

24. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20 , wherein said first detecting device is positioned on a first detection plane joining said first detecting device to a first region of incidence of said radially external surface impinged on by said first electromagnetic radiation.

25. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20 , wherein said first emitter device is positioned on a first emission plane joining said first emitter device to a first region of incidence of the radially external surface impinged on by said first electromagnetic radiation.

26. The apparatus as claimed in claim 25 , wherein said first detecting device is positioned on a first detection plane joining said first detecting device to a first region of incidence of said radially external surface impinged on by said first electromagnetic radiation, and wherein said first detection plane defines an angle between about 30° and about 60° with said first emission plane.

27. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20 , comprising:

a second emitter device adapted to send a second electromagnetic radiation onto said radially external surface, the radially external surface generating a corresponding second reflected radiation; and

a second detecting device adapted to detect at least one second image representative of said second reflected radiation,

wherein said control unit is also configured for:

a′) controlling said second detecting device in such a manner that a second exposure time for detecting said at least one second image is between about 0.1 s and about 10 s;

b′) carrying out a second comparison between said at least one second image and one or more reference data; and

c′) generating a second notification signal as a function of said second comparison.

28. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27 , wherein said second exposure time is between about 1 s and about 4 s.

29. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27 , wherein said first electromagnetic radiation strikes on a first region of said radially external surface, and said second electromagnetic radiation strikes on a second region of said radially external surface.

30. The apparatus as claimed in claim 29 , wherein said first and second regions are defined by respective axial-end regions of said tyre being processed.

31. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27 , wherein said first and/or second electromagnetic radiation has wavelength between about 500 nm and about 700 nm.

32. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27 , wherein said first and/or second detecting device comprises a CCD sensor operating at 8 bits or 16 bits.

33. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20 , wherein a forming support of said tyre being processed has a cylindrical or toroidal shape having a diameter between 18″ and 24″.

34. A method for controlling deposition of elementary semifinished products in a process for building a tyre for vehicle wheels, comprising:

driving in rotation, around a rotation axis, a tyre being processed having a radially external surface comprising one or more elementary semifinished products;

sending a first electromagnetic radiation onto said radially external surface, the radially external surface generating a corresponding first reflected radiation;

detecting, through a first detecting device, at least one first image representative of said first reflected radiation, wherein the at least one first image is obtained by a detecting window substantially parallel to the rotation axis of said tyre being processed;

controlling said first detecting device in such a manner that a first exposure time for detecting said at least one first image is between about 0.1 s and about 10 s;

carrying out a first comparison between said at least one first image and one or more reference data; and

generating a first notification signal as a function of said first comparison.

35. The method as claimed in claim 34 , wherein a rotation speed of said tyre being processed is between about π/8 rad/s and about 6π rad/s.

36. The method as claimed in claim 34 , wherein a rotation speed of said tyre being processed is between about π/2 rad/s and about 2π rad/s.

37. The method as claimed in claim 34 , wherein said first exposure time is between about 1 s and about 4 s.

38. An apparatus for controlling the deposition of elementary semifinished products in a process for building a tyre for vehicle wheels, comprising:

an actuating member for driving in rotation around a rotation axis, a tyre being processed having a radially external surface comprising one or more elementary semifinished products;

a first emitter device adapted to send a first electromagnetic radiation onto said radially external surface, the radially external surface generating a corresponding first reflected radiation;

a first detecting device adapted to detect at least one first image representative of said first reflected radiation, wherein the at least one first image is obtained by a detecting window substantially parallel to the rotation axis of said tyre being processed;

a control unit configured for:

a) controlling said first detecting device in such a manner that a first exposure time for detecting said at least one first image is between about 0.1 s and about 10 s;

b) carrying out a first comparison between said at least one first image and one or more reference data; and

c) generating a first notification signal as a function of said first comparison.

39. The apparatus as claimed in claim 38 , wherein a rotation speed of said tyre being processed is between about π/8 rad/s and about 6π rad/s.

40. The apparatus as claimed in claim 38 , wherein a rotation speed of said tyre being processed is between about π/2 rad/s and about 2π rad/s.

41. The apparatus as claimed in claim 38 , wherein said first exposure time is between about 1 s and about 4 s.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 20, 2016
From: POLITECNICO DI TORINO
To: PIRELLI TYRE S.P.A.
Reel/Frame 039195/0620 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 11, 2014
From: BALLABIO, MICHELE; LO PRESTI, GAETANO; MONTRUCCHIO, BARTOLOMEO; ORLANDO, VINCENZO
To: PIRELLI TYRE S.P.A.; POLITECNICO DI TORINO
Reel/Frame 033293/0745 →
Priority Claims (1)
IT MI2011A2253 · Dec 13, 2011 · national
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61578113 · Dec 20, 2011
Related Publication 20140341460A1 · Nov 20, 2014