JP7167688B2 - How to inspect composite ply materials - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a composite ply material inspection method capable of accurately detecting the overlap width of a joint portion of a composite ply material in which end portions of a plurality of ply materials are overlapped and joined.

As shown in FIG. 6(A), for example, when forming a tire ply such as a belt ply, a long strip 1 is formed as a raw fabric. In the strip 1, an array of cords C extending in the longitudinal direction is arranged in a state covered with unvulcanized rubber as a topping rubber.

The strip 1 is sequentially cut at a predetermined angle .theta. with respect to its length to form a plurality of ply materials 2 as strip pieces. The uncut ends (corresponding to widthwise ends in this example) of each ply material 2 are sequentially joined between E and E, whereby the cords C are arranged at the angle θ with respect to the joining direction. A composite ply material 3 is formed. In addition, the composite ply material 3 is temporarily held by being wound on a reel or the like, for example. Then, when forming a green tire, it is unwound from a reel or the like, cut along the cord C to a length corresponding to the tire size, and supplied to a forming drum.

As shown in FIG. 6B, at the joint 4 of the composite ply material 3, on the first end E1, which is the end of the ply material 2 on one side, at the end of the ply material 2 on the other side. A certain second end E2 is overlapped and joined.

As is well known, the overlap width Wx between the first end E1 and the second end E2 greatly affects the performance, quality, strength, etc. of the tire. Therefore, in the process of forming the composite ply material 3, it is important to inspect whether the overlap width Wx is within the acceptable range.

As a method for measuring the overlap width Wx, for example, as schematically shown in FIG. 7, a method is widely known in which the measurement is performed based on the contact pressure when the contact sensor a is pressed against the joint portion 4 of the composite ply material 3. (See Patent Document 1, for example). Further, various proposals have been made to detect the uneven state of the upper surface of the composite ply material 3 by using a photographing means such as a laser displacement sensor or a camera. However, they are all detected at a value w that includes the thickness of the composite ply material 3 in addition to the overlap width Wx. Therefore, an inspection method capable of accurately measuring and inspecting the overlapping width Wx itself is desired.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-012901

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a composite ply material inspection method capable of accurately inspecting the overlapping width between a first end and a second end and maintaining high quality of the composite ply material.

The present invention is a method for inspecting a composite ply material in which ends of a plurality of ply materials including cords coated with unvulcanized rubber are joined together,
The composite ply material has a joint portion in which a first end, which is an end of one ply material, overlaps a second end, which is an end of the ply material on the other side, and
an overlapping width inspection step of inspecting an overlapping width between the first end portion and the second end portion using an upper sensor arranged on the upper side of the joint portion and a lower sensor arranged on the lower side of the joint portion; include.

In the method for inspecting a composite ply material according to the present invention, the upper sensor detects the edge of the second end and the lower sensor detects the edge of the first end. preferable.

In the composite ply material inspection method according to the present invention, the overlapping width inspection step determines the overlapping width based on edge detection data from the upper sensor and edge detection data from the lower sensor. inspection is preferred.

In the method for inspecting a composite ply material according to the present invention, it is preferable that the overlapping width inspection step inspects the overlapping width in a state in which tension is applied to the composite ply material in the joining direction.

As described above, the present invention uses the upper sensor arranged above the joint and the lower sensor arranged below the joint to sense the joint from the vertical direction. Therefore, the overlapping width of the first end and the second end can be accurately measured and inspected without including the thickness factor of the composite ply material, and the quality of the composite ply material can be maintained at a high level.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an embodiment of an inspection device that implements the method for inspecting a composite ply material of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 1; It is a layout diagram of the upper sensor when the inspection device is viewed from above. It is explanatory drawing which shows the measurement of the overlap width by an up-and-down sensor. (A) is a conceptual diagram of the ply width inspection process of the composite ply material viewed from above, and (B) is a conceptual diagram viewed horizontally from the downstream side in the conveying direction. (A) is a plan view showing a composite ply material, and (B) is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along line AA. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a conventional method for measuring an overlapping width;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. FIG. 1 is a conceptual side view of an example of an inspection apparatus 10 for carrying out the inspection method for a composite ply material of the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as the "inspection method").

As shown in FIG. 1, the inspection device 10 of the present embodiment is incorporated in the forming line L of the composite ply material 3, and inspects the composite ply material 3 being conveyed by the overlap width Wx (Fig. (B)) is performed.

As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the composite ply material 3 of this example is a material for forming a belt ply. It is formed by joining E and E in sequence. The joining direction corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the composite ply material 3 . The ply material 2 is formed by sequentially cutting a long strip 1 at a predetermined angle .theta. Inside the strip 1, an array of cords C extending in the longitudinal direction of the strip 1 is arranged in a state covered with unvulcanized rubber as a topping rubber. The end E is the end on the non-cutting side.

At the joint portion 4 of the composite ply material 3, the second end E2, which is the end of the ply material 2 on one side, is sequentially superimposed on the first end E1, which is the end of the ply material 2 on the other side. are joined together. That is, in the composite ply material 3 , the ply material 2 on the side that is joined first corresponds to the ply material 2 on one side, and the ply material 2 on the side that is joined later to the ply material 2 on the one side corresponds to the other ply material 2 . corresponds to ply material 2 on the side.

Next, the forming line L of this example includes cutting means (not shown) for sequentially cutting the strip 1 from the leading end side to form the ply material 2, and the ends E, E of the cut ply material 2 being sequentially cut. A joining means (not shown) for overlapping and joining, as shown in FIG. and winding means 12 for winding the inspected composite ply material 3 onto a reel R.

As the cutting means, joining means, and winding means 12, various conventional structures can be preferably employed. The introduction means 11 also comprise a belt conveyor in this example to intermittently feed the composite ply material 3 along its length between splices.

The inspection device 10 includes guide means 14 for guiding the composite ply material 3 carried in from the carrying-in means 11 through the festoon portion 13 to the winding means 12 downstream in the conveying direction. The festoon part 13 stores the composite ply material 3 in a U-shape, and absorbs the operation deviation between the carrying-in means 11 and the inspection device 10 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the guide means 14 comprise a plurality of guide rollers 15 which receive the underside of the composite ply material 3 . The guide means 14 of this example includes a horizontal guide portion 14m that guides the composite ply material 3 substantially horizontally, and an arc-shaped receiving guide portion 14f located upstream of the horizontal guide portion 14m. In this example, a case is shown in which a feed-out guide portion 14r is provided downstream of the horizontal guide portion 14m.

The receiving guide portion 14f smoothly guides the composite ply material 3 from the festoon portion 13 to the horizontal guide portion 14m while curving in an arc shape. In this example, the receiving guide portion 14f includes a plurality of (for example, three) guide rollers 15f arranged in the arc.

The horizontal guide portion 14m includes a plurality of (for example, four) guide rollers 15m arranged substantially horizontally. A driving roller 16 for feeding the composite ply material 3 in the conveying direction is arranged in the horizontal guide portion 14m. This drive roller 16 may oppose one of the guide rollers 15m and clamp the composite ply material 3 therebetween. The rotation of the drive rollers 16 also allows the composite ply material 3 to be transported in the transport direction.

The inspection apparatus 10 comprises inspection means 21 including at least one sensor pair 20 for carrying out the overlapping width inspection process. In this example, as shown in FIG. 3, the inspection means 21 comprise, for example, four sensor pairs 20 spaced across the width of the composite ply material 3 . As a result, the overlapping width Wx of the joint portion 4 is inspected at four positions in the width direction.

The sensor pair 20 is preferably arranged in the area of the receiving guide 14f. In this example, it is arranged between the guide roller 15f on the most downstream side and the guide roller 15m on the most upstream side. Here, the composite ply material 3 is sandwiched between the guide roller 15m and the drive roller 16 on the downstream side of the sensor pair 20 and restrained, and on the upstream side of the sensor pair 20, its own weight is applied downward by the festoon portion 13. do. Therefore, at the position measured by the sensor pair 20, the composite ply material 3 is subjected to splice direction tension.

As shown in FIG. 4 , each sensor pair 20 consists of an upper sensor 20U arranged above the joint 4 and a lower sensor 20L arranged below the joint 4 . Then, in the overlapping width inspection step, when the composite ply material 3 passes between the upper and lower sensors 20U and 20L, the upper sensor 20U detects the edge P2 of the second end E2, and the lower sensor 20L detects , the edge P1 of the first end E1 is detected.

Then, the overlapping width Wx is measured and inspected based on the detection data of the edge P2 by the upper sensor 20U and the detection data of the edge P1 by the lower sensor 20L.

As a result, the overlap width Wx can be accurately measured without including the thickness factor of the composite ply material 3 . Especially in this example, the overlapping width Wx is measured while tension is applied to the composite ply material 3 in the joining direction, so that the measurement accuracy can be further improved.

As the upper and lower sensors 20U and 20L, for example, reflective laser displacement sensors are preferably employed. The upper sensor 20U senses the distance to the upper surface of the composite ply material 3 during transportation (during movement), and detects passage of the edge P2 from the change in the distance. Similarly, the lower sensor 20L senses the distance to the lower surface of the composite ply material 3 during transport and detects the passage of the edge P1 from the change in said distance. Then, for example, the time t from when the edge P2 passes the upper sensor 20U until the edge P1 passes the lower sensor 20L, the transport speed v of the composite ply material 3, the distance between the upper and lower sensors 20U and 20L The overlap width Wx can be measured based on the data such as the separation distance d in the conveying direction.

Further, a photographing device such as a camera can be employed as the upper and lower sensors 20U and 20L. The upper and lower sensors 20U and 20L simultaneously photograph the range including the joint 4 while the composite ply material 3 is being conveyed (moved) or stopped. Position data of the edge P2 in the conveying direction can be obtained by image analysis of image data captured by the upper sensor 20U. Further, the position data of the edge P1 in the conveying direction can be obtained by image analysis of the image data captured by the lower sensor 20L. The overlap width Wx can be measured based on both position data.

The overlapping width inspection step further includes a determination step of comparing the measured overlapping width Wx with the lower and upper limits of a predetermined acceptable range to determine whether or not it falls within the acceptable range.
In the case of this example, in the determination step, if any of the measured values of the four sets of sensor pairs 20 is out of the acceptable range, it is preferable to determine the failure.

The inspection method of this example further includes a composite ply width inspection step of inspecting the width Wy of the composite ply material 3 (shown in FIG. 6A). This composite ply width inspection process is carried out using inspection means 30 provided in an inspection apparatus 10, as shown in FIGS. In this example, the inspection means 30 is arranged downstream of the inspection means 21 .

As shown in FIG. 5A, the inspection means 30 includes a first sensor 31a for sensing one side edge 3a of the composite ply material 3 and a second sensor 31b for sensing the other side edge 3b. including. As shown in FIG. 5B, the first and second sensors 31a and 31b are transmissive laser displacement sensors in this example, and the sensor light 32 is blocked by the side edges 3a and 3b. Widths Wa and Wb are detected. Therefore, the width Wy of the composite ply material 3 can be obtained from the widths Wa, Wb and the preset width Wc between the sensor lights 32 , 32 .

The composite ply width inspection step further includes a determination step of comparing the measured overlap width Wy with the lower and upper limits of a predetermined pass range to determine whether it falls within the pass range.

Further, the inspection means 30 can measure the amount of meandering .delta. of the side edges 3a and 3b in the width direction based on the widths Wa and Wb. Specifically, the meandering amount δ of the side edge portion 3a from the reference value and the side edge portion 3b from the reference value are determined by the difference between the reference value, which is the width when there is no meandering, and the widths Wa and Wb. meandering amount δ can be obtained. Preferably, the composite ply width inspection step further includes a determination step of comparing the measured meandering amount δ with the lower and upper limits of a predetermined acceptance range to determine whether or not it falls within the acceptance range.

Although the particularly preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments and can be modified in various ways.

2 ply material 3 composite ply material 4 joint 10 inspection device 20L lower sensor 20U upper sensor C code E1 first end E2 second end E ends P1, P2 edge Wx overlap width

Claims (4)

A method for inspecting a composite ply material in which ends of a plurality of ply materials including cords coated with unvulcanized rubber are joined together, comprising:
The composite ply material includes a joint portion in which a first end portion of the ply material on one side overlaps a second end portion of the ply material on the other side, and the plurality of plies. The length direction, which is the direction in which the materials are sequentially joined, one side edge and the other side edge along the length direction, and the one side edge and the other side edge has a width direction and a distance between
The composite ply material inspection method includes an overlap width inspection step and a step of measuring a meandering amount in the width direction,
The overlapping width inspection step includes:
Using an upper sensor arranged on the upper side of the joint and a lower sensor arranged on the lower side of the joint, inspecting the overlap width between the first end and the second end ,
The step of measuring the meandering amount includes:
Using a first sensor for sensing the one side edge and a second sensor for sensing the other side edge,
The width Wa at which the sensor light of the first sensor is blocked by the one side edge portion is detected, and the difference between the detected width Wa and a reference value for the width Wa when there is no meandering is used to determine the width Wa of the one side edge. Find the meandering amount δ of the side edge,
The width Wb at which the sensor light of the second sensor is blocked by the other side edge portion is detected, and the difference between the detected width Wb and a reference value for the width Wb when there is no meandering is used to determine the width Wb of the other side edge. Find the meandering amount δ of the side edge,
A method for inspecting composite ply materials.
2. The method of inspecting composite ply material of claim 1, wherein said upper sensor detects an edge of said second end and said lower sensor detects an edge of said first end. 3. The inspection of the composite ply material according to claim 2, wherein said overlapping width inspection step inspects said overlapping width based on edge detection data by said upper sensor and edge detection data by said lower sensor. Method. The composite ply material inspection method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the overlapping width inspecting step inspects the overlapping width while tension is applied to the composite ply material in the joining direction.

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