Unwinding system and method for unwinding a tire component from a stock reel and for outputting said tire component in a transport direction
The invention relates to an unwinding system for unwinding a tire component from a stock reel and outputting said tire component in a transport direction, wherein the unwinding system comprises a reel station, a conveyor and a transfer device, wherein the conveyor extends at least partially above the reel station, wherein the transfer device comprises a retaining surface for releasably retaining the tire component along a guide path between a pick-up position for picking up the tire component from the reel station and a release position for disposing the tire component on the conveyor, wherein, in the release position, the retaining surface is facing towards the conveyor, and wherein the retaining surface is offset between the release position and the pick-up position over an offset angle of at least ninety degrees around an inverting axis that is parallel to the conveyor and perpendicular to the transport direction.
1 . An unwinding system for unwinding a tire component from a stock reel and for outputting said tire component in a transport direction, the unwinding system comprising:
a reel station configured for receiving the stock reel;
an output conveyor for conveying the tire component in the transport direction; and
a transfer device for transferring a leading end of the tire component from the reel station to said output conveyor,
wherein the output conveyor extends at least partially above the reel station and comprises a support surface extending in a support plane parallel to the transport direction,
wherein said support surface is arranged for receiving the tire component from the transfer device and for supporting said tire component at a first side of the support plane,
wherein the transfer device comprises a retaining member which is movable along a guide path between a pick-up position at a second side of the support plane opposite to the first side of the support plane, for picking up the leading end of the tire component from the reel station, and a release position at the first side of the support plane for disposing the leading end of the tire component on the support surface of the output conveyor,
wherein the retaining member comprises a retaining surface for releasably retaining the leading end of the tire component to said retaining member,
wherein, in the release position, the retaining surface is facing towards the support plane at the first side of said support plane, and
wherein the retaining surface is offset between the release position and the pick-up position over an offset angle of at least ninety degrees around an inverting axis that is parallel to the support plane and perpendicular to the transport direction.
2 . The unwinding system according to claim 1 , wherein the retaining member comprises a retaining body that defines the retaining surface and one or more retaining elements for retaining the leading end of the tire component to said retaining body at the retaining surface.
3 . The unwinding system according to claim 1 , wherein the retaining member is movable along the guide path to an intermediate position between the pick-up position and the release position, and
wherein, in the intermediate position, the retaining surface faces away from the support plane at the second side of said support plane.
4 . The unwinding system according to claim 1 , wherein the unwinding system further comprises the stock reel at the reel station,
wherein the stock reel is rotatable about a stock reel axis, and
wherein the retaining surface of the retaining member faces away from the stock reel axis when the retaining member is in the pick-up position, and faces towards the stock reel axis when the retaining member is in the release position.
5 . The unwinding system according to claim 1 , wherein the retaining member comprises one or more vacuum retaining elements for picking-up or retaining the leading end by suction.
6 . The unwinding system according to claim 1 , wherein the guide path is a circular path.
7 . The unwinding system according to claim 1 , wherein the transfer device comprises an arm that is rotatable about an arm axis between the pick-up position and the release position,
wherein the retaining member is carried by said arm and spaced apart from the arm axis.
8 . The unwinding system according to claim 7 , wherein the retaining surface is offset with respect to the arm axis in an offset direction perpendicular to said retaining surface.
9 . The unwinding system according to claim 7 , wherein the retaining member is rotatable with respect to the arm about a retaining axis parallel to and spaced apart from the arm axis.
10 . The unwinding system according to claim 7 , wherein the transfer device further comprises a pressing member for pressing down the leading end of the tire component on the support surface of the output conveyor when said transfer device has released said leading end,
wherein the pressing member is carried by the arm between the pick-up position and the release position.
11 . The unwinding system according to claim 10 , wherein the pressing member comprises a pressing roller which is rotatable about a roller axis.
12 . The unwinding system according to claim 7 , wherein the transfer device further comprises a securing member that is movable between a secured position for securing the leading end to the retaining member and an unsecured position for releasing the leading end from the retaining member,
wherein said securing member is carried by the arm.
13 . The unwinding system according to claim 1 , wherein the transfer device further comprises a securing member that is movable between a secured position for securing the leading end to the retaining member and an unsecured position for releasing the leading end from the retaining member,
wherein the securing member is supported separately from the transfer device for pressing the tire component against the retaining surface of the retaining member.
14 . The unwinding system according to claim 1 , wherein the transfer device comprises an endless drive for driving the retaining member along the guide path between the pick-up position and the release position.
15 . The unwinding system according to claim 14 , wherein the guide path extends parallel to and spaced apart from the support plane at or near the release position.
16 . The unwinding system according to claim 14 , wherein the guide path extends in a guide plane,
wherein the endless drive comprises two endless drive elements extending parallel to said guide plane and mutually spaced apart in a lateral direction perpendicular to the guide plane.
17 . The unwinding system according to claim 16 , wherein the endless drive elements are belts or chains.
18 . The unwinding system according to claim 14 , wherein the unwinding system further comprises a support member that is positioned opposite to the retaining surface at the pick-up position for supporting the leading end of the tire component relative to the retaining surface.
19 . The unwinding system according to claim 1 , wherein the retaining member comprises at least two retractable nails that are movable between a retracted position, in which the nails are recessed with respect to the retaining surface, and a gripping position, in which said nails protrude from the retaining surface for retaining the tire component to said retaining surface.
20 . The unwinding system according to claim 19 , wherein the at least two nails each extend in a respective nail direction transverse or perpendicular to the retaining surface,
wherein the nail direction of a first one of the at least two nails and the nail direction of a second one of the at least two nails extend at an oblique angle with respect to one another.
21 . The unwinding system according to claim 1 , wherein the transfer device comprises at least one leading end sensor for detecting the presence of the leading end of the tire component at the retaining member.
22 . The unwinding system according to claim 1 , wherein the guide path extends in a guide plane,
wherein the transfer device comprises two retaining surfaces for retaining two tire components, respectively,
wherein the two retaining surfaces are spaced apart in a lateral direction perpendicular to said guide plane.
23 . The unwinding system according to claim 22 , wherein said retaining surfaces are movable with respect to one another in the lateral direction.
24 . The unwinding system according to claim 23 , wherein said retaining surfaces are individually movable in the lateral direction.
25 . The unwinding system according to claim 23 , wherein the transfer device comprises at least one lateral drive for respectively moving said retaining surfaces in the lateral direction.
26 . The unwinding system according to claim 22 , wherein the retaining device comprises two lateral sensors for each detecting a lateral side of a respective one of the two tire components.
27 . The unwinding system according to claim 1 , wherein the unwinding system further comprises an anti-wrinkle roll and an anti-wrinkle drive for pressing the anti-wrinkle roll onto the tire component between the pick-up position and the stock reel.
28 . The unwinding system according to claim 27 , wherein the reel station comprises one or more guide rolls for guiding the leading end of the tire component towards the pick-up position, wherein the anti-wrinkle roll is configured to cooperate with one guide roll of the one or more guide rolls.
29 . The unwinding system according to claim 1 , wherein the unwinding system is provided with a sensor for detecting a parameter indicative of the lateral position of the tire component at the leading end thereof in a lateral direction parallel to the support plane prior to the transfer of said leading end to the output conveyor.
30 . The unwinding system according to claim 29 , wherein the sensor is configured for detecting the parameter at a position upstream of the pick-up position.
31 . The unwinding system according to claim 29 , wherein the unwinding system further comprises a lateral drive for generating a relative displacement between the output conveyor and at least a part of the reel station in the lateral direction and a control unit that is operationally connected to the sensor and the lateral drive for controlling the lateral drive in response to signals received from the sensor.
32 . The unwinding system according to claim 31 , wherein the lateral drive is configured for moving at least a part of the reel station in the lateral direction.
33 . A method for unwinding a tire component from a stock reel and for outputting said tire component in a transport direction, using an unwinding system, wherein the unwinding system comprises:
a reel station configured for receiving the stock reel;
an output conveyor for conveying the tire component in the transport direction; and
a transfer device for transferring a leading end of the tire component from the reel station to said output conveyor,
wherein the output conveyor extends at least partially above the reel station and comprises a support surface extending in a support plane parallel to the transport direction,
wherein said support surface is arranged for receiving the tire component from the transfer device and for supporting said tire component at a first side of the support plane,
wherein the transfer device comprises a retaining member which is movable along a guide path between a pick-up position at a second side of the support plane opposite to the first side of the support plane, for picking up the leading end of the tire component from the reel station, and a release position at the first side of the support plane for disposing the leading end of the tire component on the support surface of the output conveyor,
wherein the retaining member comprises a retaining surface for releasably retaining the leading end of the tire component to said retaining member,
wherein, in the release position, the retaining surface is facing towards the support plane at the first side of said support plane, and
wherein the retaining surface is offset between the release position and the pick-up position over an offset angle of at least ninety degrees around an inverting axis that is parallel to the support plane and perpendicular to the transport direction,
the method comprising the steps of:
using the transfer device to pick-up the leading end of the tire component originating from the stock reel at the pick-up position at the reel station;
retaining the leading end to the retaining surface while guiding said leading end along the guide path from the pick-up position to the release position;
transferring said leading end onto the support surface of the output conveyor in the release position by releasing said leading end of the tire component from the retaining surface.
34 . The method according to claim 33 , wherein the method further comprises the step of:
transferring the leading end of the tire component from the release position at the output conveyor back to the pick-up position at the reel station.
35 . The method according to claim 34 , wherein the method further comprises the steps of:
providing an anti-wrinkle roll at the reel station; and
pressing the anti-wrinkle roll onto the tire component between the pick-up position and the stock reel when the tire component is wound back onto the stock reel in a wind-up direction opposite to the transport direction.
36 . The method according to claim 33 , wherein the transfer device further comprises a pressing member for pressing down the leading end of the tire component on the support surface of the output conveyor,
wherein the method further comprises the step of pressing down the tire component on the support surface of the output conveyor with said pressing member when the transfer device has released the tire component.
37 . The method according to claim 33 , wherein the method further comprises the steps of:
detecting a parameter indicative of the lateral position of the tire component at the leading end thereof in a lateral direction parallel to the support plane prior to the transfer of said leading end to the output conveyor; and
correcting the lateral position of the tire component at the leading end based on the parameter.
38 . The method according to claim 33 , wherein the transfer device further comprises at least one leading end sensor for detecting the presence of the leading end of the tire component at the retaining surface,
wherein, prior to picking up the leading end of the tire component, the method comprises the steps of:
unwinding the tire component towards the retaining surface; and
detecting the presence of the leading end at the retaining surface using the at least one leading end sensor;
wherein the step of picking up the leading end of the tire component is performed in response to the sensor signal of the at least one leading end sensor.
39 . The method according to claim 33 , wherein the guide path extends in a guide plane,
wherein the transfer device comprises two retaining surfaces for retaining two tire components, respectively,
wherein the two retaining surfaces are movable relative to one another in a lateral direction perpendicular to said guide plane,
wherein the retaining device further comprises two lateral sensors for each detecting a lateral side of a respective tire component,
wherein, prior to picking up the leading end of the tire component, the method comprises the steps of:
detecting the respective lateral sides of the tire components using the two lateral sensors; and
moving the two retaining surfaces relative to one another in response to the signals of the respective lateral sensors for positioning said retaining surfaces relative to the tire components.