IP Library Granted Patent US 10,343,194
Granted Patent B2
US 10,343,194 · App. 15/775,648 · Granted Jul 9, 2019

Tire cleaning system

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,343,194
App. No.
15/775,648
Granted
Jul 9, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

With a tire cleaning system, movement of at least a tire or laser head held on an arm is controlled by a control device, a laser beam provided from a laser oscillator is irradiated onto an inner surface of the tire while relatively moving the laser head along the inner surface of the tire, and contamination such as a mold release agent or the like adhered to the inner surface is removed.

Claims (57)

1. A tire cleaning system, comprising:

a laser oscillator;

a laser head that irradiates a laser beam provided from the laser oscillator onto a tire inner surface;

an arm that holds the laser head;

a control device that controls movement of at least the tire or laser head, and changes the relative position of the tire and laser head; and

a temperature sensor that successively detects a temperature of the tire inner surface where the laser beam is irradiate; wherein

the laser beam is irradiated and the tire inner surface is cleaned while relatively moving the laser head along the tire inner surface and

the control device is configured to interrupt irradiation of the laser beam when a temperature detected by the temperature sensor exceeds a preset permissible temperature.

2. The tire cleaning system according to claim 1 , wherein

the arm is an arm that freely moves the laser head three-dimensionally, and

the laser beam is irradiated while the arm moves the laser head.

3. The tire cleaning system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a rotation mechanism that rotates the tire while maintaining at a predetermined position; wherein

the laser beam is irradiated while the rotation mechanism rotates the tire.

4. The tire cleaning system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a bead holding mechanism that holds bead portions of the tire; wherein

the laser beam is irradiated in a condition where an interval in a tire width direction between the bead portions is expanded by the bead holding mechanism.

5. The tire cleaning system according to claim 1 , wherein tire specification information is input to the control device and the laser head is relatively moved along the tire inner surface based on the specification information.

6. The tire cleaning system according to claim 5 , further comprising:

a detector that detects information of an identification tag attached to the tire; wherein

the tire specification information stored on the identification tag is detected and input to the control device by the detector.

7. The tire cleaning system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a camera that acquires image data of the tire inner surface; wherein

a cleanliness state of the inner surface is determined based on image data of the tire inner surface after cleaning, acquired by the camera,

the determined cleanliness state and position information of the inner surface are stored in the control device, and

the laser beam is again irradiated and cleaning is performed with regard to a position of the inner surface where the determined cleanliness state does not satisfy preset standards.

8. The tire cleaning system according to claim 7 , further comprising:

a carrying-in conveyor device where the tires before cleaning are sequentially conveyed; and

a carrying-out conveyor device where the cleaned tires after cleaning are sequentially conveyed; wherein

the laser beam is irradiated and cleaning is performed in a cleaning area positioned between the carrying-in conveyor device and carrying-out conveyor device,

gasping of the cleanliness state is performed in an inspection area adjacent to the cleaning area,

the tire where the cleanliness state is determined is moved to the carrying-out conveyor device through the cleaning area,

tires where the determined cleanliness state is deemed to not satisfy the preset standards remain in the cleaning area while moving from the inspection area to the carrying-out conveyor device, and

the laser beam is again irradiated from the laser head and cleaning is performed on the tire inner surface.

9. The tire cleaning system according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a rotation mechanism that rotates the tire while maintaining at a predetermined position; wherein

the laser beam is irradiated while the rotation mechanism rotates the tire.

10. The tire cleaning system according to claim 9 , further comprising:

a bead holding mechanism that holds bead portions of the tire; wherein

the laser beam is irradiated in a condition where an interval in a tire width direction between the bead portions is expanded by the bead holding mechanism.

11. The tire cleaning system according to claim 10 , wherein tire specification information is input to the control device and the laser head is relatively moved along the tire inner surface based on the specification information.

12. The tire cleaning system according to claim 11 , further comprising:

a detector that detects information of an identification tag attached to the tire; wherein

the tire specification information stored on the identification tag is detected and input to the control device by the detector.

13. The tire cleaning system according to claim 12 , further comprising:

a camera that acquires image data of the tire inner surface; wherein

a cleanliness state of the inner surface is determined based on image data of the tire inner surface after cleaning, acquired by the camera,

the determined cleanliness state and position information of the inner surface are stored in the control device, and

the laser beam is again irradiated and cleaning is performed with regard to a position of the inner surface where the determined cleanliness state does not satisfy preset standards.

14. The tire cleaning system according to claim 13 , further comprising:

a carrying-in conveyor device where the tires before cleaning are sequentially conveyed; and

a carrying-out conveyor device where the cleaned tires after cleaning are sequentially conveyed; wherein

the laser beam is irradiated and cleaning is performed in a cleaning area positioned between the carrying-in conveyor device and carrying-out conveyor device,

gasping of the cleanliness state is performed in an inspection area adjacent to the cleaning area,

the tire where the cleanliness state is determined is moved to the carrying-out conveyor device through the cleaning area,

tires where the determined cleanliness state is deemed to not satisfy the preset standards remain in the cleaning area while moving from the inspection area to the carrying-out conveyor device, and

the laser beam is again irradiated from the laser head and cleaning is performed on the tire inner surface.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS FOR ASSIGNEE Recorded Nov 18, 2023
From: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
To: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 065626/0740 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 11, 2018
From: MATSUMURA, KENSUKE
To: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 046207/0551 →