JP7835976B2 - Mounting device for molded drums and method for manufacturing tires - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a mounting device for a molded drum and a method for manufacturing a tire. More specifically, it relates to a mounting device for a molded drum that can precisely temporarily place a molded drum in a predetermined position using a robotic arm during the tire molding process, and to a method for manufacturing a tire using this mounting device.

A known method for molding green tires involves sequentially moving an annular support (molding drum) to multiple workstations and attaching tire components to the annular support at each workstation (see, for example, Patent Document 1). A robotic arm is used to move the annular support to the next workstation, and a holding station is installed between adjacent workstations. The robotic arm positioned at the first workstation temporarily places the annular support on the holding station located between it and the second workstation. The robotic arm positioned at the second workstation then picks up the temporarily placed annular support and moves it to the second workstation. In this way, the annular support is sequentially moved to adjacent workstations via the holding station, and the green tire is molded.

The specifications of the annular support used vary depending on the tire size, so the mass of the annular support changes. A large change in the mass of the annular support leads to a large change in the load (moment) acting on the robot arm when holding the annular support. As a result, errors occur in the positioning by the robot arm when temporarily placing the annular support on the holding station, making it difficult to accurately temporarily place the annular support in the designated position on the holding station. If the annular support is not temporarily placed in the designated position on the holding station, it becomes difficult for the next robot arm to pick it up. Therefore, there is room for improvement in accurately temporarily placing the molded drum body in the designated position using the robot arm.

Special Publication No. 2003-515474

The object of the present invention is to provide a mounting device for a molded drum that can precisely temporarily position a molded drum in a predetermined location using a robotic arm during the tire molding process, and a method for manufacturing a tire using this mounting device.

To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a mounting device for a molded drum body in which a molded drum body held by a robot arm is mounted in a lying position when the holding is released. The mounting device comprises: a mounting section on which the molded drum body is mounted in a lying position; a base section disposed below the mounting section and fixed at a predetermined position in a target area; and a horizontal movement holding section and an vertical movement holding section disposed vertically between the mounting section and the base section. The mounting section has a guide that engages with the molded drum body and guides the molded drum body to a predetermined mounting position on the mounting section. The horizontal movement holding section has a horizontal movement mechanism that supports the mounting section so that it can move and rotate in any direction horizontally, and a horizontal position fixing mechanism that stops the movement and rotation of the mounting section by the horizontal movement mechanism and fixes the mounting section at a predetermined horizontal reference position. The vertical movement holding section has an vertical movement mechanism that supports the mounting section so that it can move and rotate in any direction vertically, and an vertical position fixing mechanism that stops the movement and rotation of the mounting section by the vertical movement mechanism and fixes the mounting section at a predetermined vertical reference position.

The present invention relates to a tire manufacturing method in which a molded drum is sequentially moved to a plurality of work stations, a green tire is formed by attaching tire components to the molded drum at each work station, and the green tire is vulcanized. The method is characterized in that, after the molding work at one of the work stations is completed and the tire components have been attached, the molded drum is held by a robot arm located at that work station, moved above the mounting device described in any of claims 1 to 5, and the holding is released, thereby placing the molded drum on its side. Then, the molded drum placed on the aforementioned mounting device is held by a robot arm located at the next work station, moved to this work station, and the molding work is performed at this work station.

According to the molding drum mounting device of the present invention, when the robot arm releases its grip and the molding drum is placed on the mounting section in a sideways position, the mounting section is held so as to be movable and rotatable in any direction horizontally by the horizontal movement mechanism, and so as to be movable and rotatable in any direction vertically by the vertical movement mechanism. Therefore, even if there is some error in the position of the molding drum held by the robot arm relative to the set position, the mounting section moves to absorb that error, allowing the molding drum to be guided to the predetermined mounting position by the guide and placed on the mounting section. Furthermore, by fixing the mounting section to a predetermined horizontal reference position using the horizontal position fixing mechanism, and fixing the mounting section to a predetermined vertical reference position using the vertical position fixing mechanism, it becomes possible to temporarily place the molding drum placed on the mounting section in a predetermined position.

According to the tire manufacturing method of the present invention, when sequentially moving a molded drum to multiple work stations using a robotic arm, the above-described placement device allows the molded drum to be temporarily placed at the predetermined position. Consequently, the molded drum, temporarily placed on the aforementioned placement device, can be more securely held by the robotic arm positioned at the next work station. Therefore, since the molded drum can be smoothly and sequentially moved to multiple work stations, this contributes to improving tire productivity.

This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the tire molding process in a plan view. This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an embodiment of a mounting device for a molded drum, showing the mounting section in a state where it can be freely moved, from a side view. Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the mounting device in a plan view. This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the mounting device in a cross-sectional view along line A-A in Figure 2. This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the mounting device in a cross-sectional view along line B-B in Figure 2. This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a mounting device in which the mounting section is fixed in a predetermined position by operating the horizontal position fixing mechanism and vertical position fixing mechanism shown in Figure 2. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the mounting device in a cross-sectional view along line C-C. This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a side view of a robot arm with its gripping claw positioned above the connecting portion of the molding drum. This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the molded drum body shown in Figure 8 in a plan view. This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the gripping claws and connecting part shown in Figure 8 are engaged and the molded drum body is held by the robot arm. This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which a molding drum is placed on the mounting device shown in Figure 2 in a horizontal position. Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the state in which the molded drum body is temporarily placed in a predetermined position by the mounting device. This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a partially enlarged, longitudinal cross-sectional view of the vulcanization process of green tires. This is an explanatory diagram illustrating another embodiment of the mounting device in a side view. This is an explanatory diagram illustrating yet another embodiment of the mounting device in a side view.

The present invention's mounting device for molded drums and method for manufacturing tires will be described below based on the embodiments shown in the figures.

The tire molding process illustrated in Figure 1 has multiple work stations S (S1, S2, S3). In Figure 1, each work station S is demarcated by a dashed line. The number of work stations S is not particularly limited; the necessary work stations S are provided according to the tire specifications, etc. A robotic arm 15 is installed at each work station S, and a molding drum mounting device 1 (hereinafter referred to as mounting device 1) is installed near the boundary between adjacent work stations S (for example, in the area between work stations S). A molding drum 12 is mounted on the robotic arm 15 that performs the molding of the green tire G.

At each work station S, one or more types of tire components M (M1 to M5) are supplied to the molded drum body 12 by a component supply machine 16 and attached to the molded drum body 12. Examples of tire components M include inner liner, carcass layer, side rubber, reinforcing layer, and tread rubber.

The embodiment of the mounting device 1 illustrated in Figures 2 to 5 is used to temporarily place the molded drum body 12 at a predetermined position Pa during the tire molding process. The molded drum body 12 is released from its hold by the robot arm 15 and placed on the mounting device 1 in a horizontal position. The molded drum body 12, temporarily placed on the mounting device 1, is then held by the robot arm 15 and moved to another location (the next work station S).

The mounting device 1 comprises a mounting section 2, a base section 10 positioned below the mounting section 2, and a horizontal movement holding section 4 and a vertical movement holding section 7 positioned vertically between the mounting section 2 and the base section 10. In this embodiment, the horizontal movement holding section 4 is positioned above the vertical movement holding section 7, and the mounting section 2, horizontal movement holding section 4, vertical movement holding section 7, and base section 10 are arranged in order from top to bottom. In the mounting device 1 illustrated in Figures 2 to 5, the mounting section 2 is capable of moving and rotating in any direction horizontally and vertically.

The mounting section 2 includes a mounting table 2a on which the molded drum body 12 is placed in a horizontal position, and a guide 3 provided on the mounting table 2a. The mounting table 2a can be of various shapes that allow the molded drum body 12 to be placed in a horizontal position. In this embodiment, a circular plate is used as the mounting table 2a.

Guide 3 is an engaging member that engages with the molded drum body 12 and functions to guide the molded drum body 12 to a predetermined mounting position Px on the mounting section 2 (mounting base 2a). For example, guide 3 is set to guide the axial position of the molded drum body 12 to the predetermined mounting position Px. In this embodiment, the frustoconical guide 3 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the mounting base 2a.

The horizontal movement support unit 4 comprises a horizontal movement mechanism 5 and a horizontal position fixing mechanism 6. The horizontal movement mechanism 5 supports the mounting unit 2 so that it can move and rotate in any direction horizontally. That is, the mounting unit 2 is supported from below by the horizontal movement mechanism 5 so that it can move and rotate freely in any direction in a plan view.

In this embodiment, the horizontal movement mechanism 5 uses three rotatable support balls 5a positioned spaced apart beneath the mounting base 2a. The mounting base 2a is supported at three points by these support balls 5a. The support balls 5a may be arranged at three or four equally spaced points in the circumferential direction relative to the center of the support base 8a in a plan view. The horizontal movement mechanism 5 is not limited to the exemplified structure; various known structures that can support the mounting portion 2 so that it can move and rotate in any direction horizontally can be employed. For example, the mounting base 2a may be centered toward the center of the support base 8a in a plan view.

The horizontal position fixing mechanism 6 stops the movement and rotation of the mounting section 2 by the horizontal movement mechanism 5, thereby fixing the mounting section 2 at a predetermined horizontal reference position Hp. Therefore, in this embodiment, the horizontal position fixing mechanism 6 has projections 6a protruding from multiple positions on the lower surface of the base (mounting base 2a in this embodiment) that supports the molded drum body 12, and holding blocks 6b corresponding to each projection 6a. Each holding block 6b is positioned opposite to another at a 180° angle. The V-shaped holding block 6b is joined to the tip of the rod of the fluid cylinder 6c.

The vertical movement support unit 7 comprises a vertical movement mechanism 8 and a vertical position fixing mechanism 9. The vertical movement mechanism 8 supports the mounting unit 2 so that it can move and rotate in any direction vertically. That is, the mounting unit 2 is supported from below by the vertical movement mechanism 8 so that it can move and rotate freely in any direction when viewed from the side.

In this embodiment, the vertical movement mechanism 8 includes a support base 8a on which the mounting portion 2 is installed above, and biasing members 8c that support three positions on the lower surface of the support base 8a. An elastic material such as a spring or rubber piece is used as the biasing member 8c. In this embodiment, a coil spring is used as the biasing member 8c. The biasing members 8c are preferably arranged at three or four equally spaced points in the circumferential direction relative to the center of the support base 8a or the base portion 10 in a plan view.

Three guide pins 8d are erected between the base portion 10 and the support base 8a. The upper end of each guide pin 8d is fixed to the support base 8a, and the lower end is attached to the base portion 10 via a rubber bushing 8e. A stopper 8f is fixed to the lower end of each guide pin 8d. Therefore, each guide pin 8d can move up and down to some extent relative to the base portion 10, but upward movement is prevented by the stopper 8f. Each guide pin 8d has a coil spring 8c inserted through it.

The mounting portion 2, supported on the support base 8a via the horizontal movement holding portion 4, is elastically supported by these biasing members 8c. The vertical movement mechanism 8 is not limited to the exemplified structure; various known structures can be employed to support the mounting portion 2 so that it can move and rotate in any direction in the vertical direction.

The vertical position fixing mechanism 9 stops the movement and rotation of the mounting portion 2 by the vertical movement mechanism 8, thereby fixing the mounting portion 2 at a predetermined vertical reference position Vp. Therefore, in this embodiment, the vertical position fixing mechanism 9 has an engaging portion 9a that moves toward and away from the lower surface of the support base 8a (vertical movement). The engaging portion 9a is joined to the tip of the rod of the fluid cylinder 9b.

The base portion 10 is fixed to a predetermined installation position in the target area (such as the floor of the molding process). For example, the base portion 10 is bolted to the floor. In this embodiment, a metal box-shaped frame is used as the base portion 10, but it is not limited to this, and various forms can be adopted. For example, a simple metal stand can also be used as the base portion 10. The base portion 10 is always fixed to a predetermined installation position in the target area when the molding drum body 12 is placed on the mounting portion 2 using the robot arm 15, and when the mounted molding drum body 12 is picked up from the mounting portion 2 using the robot arm 15. With the base portion 10 fixed to a predetermined position, and the mounting portion 2 (mounting table 2a) fixed to a predetermined horizontal reference position Hp and a predetermined vertical reference position Vp, the predetermined mounting position Px is set to be positioned at a predetermined position Pa.

In the horizontal position fixing mechanism 6 illustrated in Figures 2 and 4, the mounting section 2 (mounting base 2a) can be freely moved and rotated in any direction in a plan view. On the other hand, as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the corresponding holding blocks 6b are horizontally moved by the fluid cylinder 6c to clamp both sides of each projection 6a in the width direction, thereby fixing the mounting section 2 at a predetermined horizontal reference position Hp. It is preferable to fix the mounting section 2 at the predetermined horizontal reference position Hp by constantly pressing the projection 6a against the holding block 6c attached to the rod of the fluid cylinder 6c with the stronger pressing force, thereby ensuring that one fluid cylinder 6c exerts a stronger pressing force than the other.

One holding block 6a may be permanently fixed, while only the other holding block 6a is moved horizontally. The horizontal position fixing mechanism 6 is not limited to the exemplified structure; various known structures capable of fixing the mounting section 2 at a predetermined horizontal reference position Hp can be employed.

In the vertical position fixing mechanism 9 illustrated in Figure 2, the mounting portion 2 (mounting base 2a) can be freely moved and rotated in any direction when viewed from the side. On the other hand, as illustrated in Figure 6, the engaging portion 9a moves upward by the fluid cylinder 9b and engages with the support base 8a, fixing the mounting portion 2 at a predetermined vertical reference position Hp. In this embodiment, the mounting portion 2 is fixed at a predetermined vertical reference position Vp by the engagement of the concave lower surface engaging portion 8b and the convex engaging portion 9a formed on the lower surface of the support base 8a. Therefore, the lower surface engaging portion 8b functions as part of the vertical position fixing mechanism 9.

The engaging portion 9a is not limited to one; multiple engaging portions can be provided. The engaging portion 9a may be concave and the lower engaging portion 8b convex. The mounting portion 2 may be fixed to a predetermined vertical reference position Hp by engaging the engaging portions 9a at multiple positions spaced apart in the circumferential direction on the outer edge of the support base 8a. The vertical position fixing mechanism 9 is not limited to the exemplified structure; various known structures capable of fixing the mounting portion 2 to a predetermined vertical reference position Vp can be employed.

The molded drum body 12 illustrated in Figures 8 to 10 functions as a core material when various tire components M are laminated to form a green tire G. For example, various known rigid cores can be used as the molded drum body 12. In this embodiment, a rigid core having an outer surface profile identical to the inner surface profile of the tire T being manufactured is used as the molded drum body 12.

This molded drum body 12 has a cylindrical portion 13 and a drum shaft 13a extending in the axial direction from the center of the cylindrical portion 13. Figures 8 and 10 show the right half of the cylindrical portion 13 in a longitudinal cross-sectional view. The cylindrical portion 13 is constructed by assembling multiple segments divided in the circumferential direction and is detachable.

Disc portions 13b are fixed to both ends of the drum shaft 13a. One disc portion 13b has a connecting portion 13c on its surface, and the other disc portion 13b has a fitting portion 14 on its surface. The connecting portion 13c is gripped by the gripping claw 15b of the robot arm 15, which will be described later. The fitting portion 14 engages with the guide 3 formed on the mounting base 2a.

This fitting portion 14 has a recess that engages with the guide 3 protruding from the upper surface of the mounting base 2a. The recess of this fitting portion 14 is shaped like a mortar, widening towards the opening. Therefore, as the engagement depth between the guide 3 and the recess of the fitting portion 14 increases, the recess of the fitting portion 14 is guided toward the center of the guide 3 in a plan view.

Since the guide 3 and the mating portion 14 engage with each other, an appropriate shape is adopted depending on the shape of the mating part. For example, if the guide 3 has a recess provided on the upper surface of the mounting base 2a, the mating portion 14 has a projection that fits into the recess of the mounting base 2a. This recess is then shaped like a mortar, so that as the engagement depth between the recess of the guide 3 and the projection of the mating portion 14 increases, the projection of the mating portion 14 is guided toward the center of the guide 3 in a plan view.

The robot arm 15 can be of various known types (so-called industrial robot arms) that are controlled to perform desired movements based on programs or teaching. In this embodiment, the robot arm 15 has a drive motor 15M attached to the tip of an arm portion 15a that can move to a desired position in three dimensions, and a gripping claw 15b is installed via this drive motor 15M. This gripping claw 15b attaches to and detaches from the connecting portion 13c of the molding drum body 12.

When the drive motor 15M rotates the gripping claw 15b, the molding drum body 12 mounted on the robot arm 15 rotates around the drum axis 13a. The drive motor 15M can be optionally provided; if the robot arm 15 does not have a drive motor 15M, the gripping claw 15b is directly mounted on the tip of the arm portion 15a.

Next, we will explain an example of the procedure for manufacturing tires using this mounting device 1.

In the tire molding process illustrated in Figure 1, a robotic arm 15 and a mounting device 1 are used to sequentially move the molding drum 12 to the required work stations S (S1, S2, S3), where the necessary tire components M are attached to the molding drum 12. This molding process forms the green tire G.

Once the molding process at the first work station S1 is complete, the molded drum 12 is moved to the next work station S2. As illustrated in Figure 10, the robot arm 15, holding the molded drum 12, moves it above the mounting device 1. The molded drum 12 is held by the robot arm 15 by gripping the connecting portion 13c with the gripping claws 15b. The robot arm 15 orients the extension direction of the drum axis 13a vertically so that the fitting portion 14 is positioned downwards, thereby placing the molded drum 12 on its side.

Next, as illustrated in Figure 11, the robot arm 15 moves the molding drum body 12 to a predetermined position Pa above the mounting device 1. This predetermined position Pa is set in advance by a program or teaching, and the robot arm 15 is controlled to move the molding drum body 12 (the axial position of the drum axis 13a) to this predetermined position Pa.

The specifications of the molded drum body 12 vary depending on the tire size, and therefore the mass of the molded drum body 12 also changes. Furthermore, even with molded drum bodies 12 of the same specifications, variations in the attached tire components M can cause variations in the mass of the molded drum body 12 to which the tire components M are attached. Therefore, the load (moment) acting on the robot arm 15 when holding the tire molded body 12 changes. As a result, even when controlling the robot arm 15 to move the molded drum body 12 to a predetermined position Pa, some error occurs. This error may also be caused by wear and tear of the robot arm 15's components over time.

In this mounting device 1, when the molded drum body 12 is mounted, the mounting base 2a is movable and rotatable in any direction horizontally, and also movable and rotatable in any direction vertically. Specifically, in the horizontal movement holding section 4, the horizontal movement mechanism 5 supports the mounting base 2a so that it can move and rotate in any direction horizontally, without the horizontal position fixing mechanism 6 being activated. Furthermore, in the vertical movement holding section 7, the vertical movement mechanism 8 supports the mounting section 2 so that it can move and rotate in any direction vertically, without the vertical position fixing mechanism 9 being activated.

In more detail, the horizontal position fixing mechanism 6 retracts the rod of the fluid cylinder 6c, thereby separating each holding block 6b from the respective projections 6a protruding from the underside of the mounting base 2a. As a result, each projection 6a is surrounded by the V-shaped holding block 6b with a gap, as illustrated in Figure 4. Therefore, each projection 6a can move and rotate in any direction horizontally without contacting the holding block 6b, and the mounting base 2a can also move integrally with each projection 6a.

In the vertical position fixing mechanism 9, the rod of the fluid cylinder 9b is retracted, thereby separating the engaging portion 9a from the lower surface (lower surface engaging portion 8b) of the support base 8a. This results in the support base 8a being elastically supported by its respective biasing members 8c. Therefore, the support base 8a can move and rotate in any direction in the vertical direction within the range of elastic deformation of each biasing member 8c, and the mounting base 2a can also move integrally with the support base 8a.

The robot arm 15 is controlled to move the molding drum 12 to a predetermined position Pa, and then releases its grip on the molding drum 12. This causes the fitting portion 14 of the downward-moving molding drum 12 to engage with the guide 3 of the mounting portion 2. At this point, even if the position of the molding drum 12 moved by the robot arm 15 is slightly off from the predetermined position Pa, the mounting base 2a moves horizontally and vertically, and rotates, moving in all directions. Therefore, when the guide 3 and the fitting portion 14 engage, the mounting base 2a moves to absorb the above-mentioned error. As the engagement depth between the fitting portion 14 and the guide 3 increases, the molding drum 12 is guided to the mounting position Px on the mounting base 2a and placed on the mounting base 2a in a sideways position.

Next, the horizontal position fixing mechanism 6 is activated to stop the movement and rotation of the mounting base 2a by the horizontal movement mechanism 5, thereby fixing the mounting base 2a at a predetermined horizontal reference position Hp. Furthermore, the vertical position fixing mechanism 9 is activated to stop the movement and rotation of the mounting base 2a by the vertical movement mechanism 8, thereby fixing the mounting base 2a at a predetermined vertical reference position Vp.

In detail, the horizontal position fixing mechanism 6, as illustrated in Figure 7, moves each holding block 6b horizontally toward the respective projections 6a protruding from the underside of the mounting base 2a by advancing the rod of the fluid cylinder 6c. This causes both sides of the projection 6a in the width direction to be clamped by the holding blocks 6b. With each projection 6a clamped by the corresponding holding block 6b, the mounting base 2a becomes unable to move or rotate horizontally, and the mounting base 2a is fixed at a predetermined horizontal reference position Hp.

In the vertical position fixing mechanism 9, the engaging portion 9a is moved upward toward the lower surface of the support base 8a by advancing the rod of the fluid cylinder 9b. As a result, the engaging portion 9a engages with the lower engaging portion 8b, preventing the mounting base 2a from moving or rotating vertically, and fixing the mounting base 2a at a predetermined vertical reference position Vp.

As a result, as illustrated in Figure 12, the molding drum 12, which is placed on its side on the mounting device 1, is temporarily placed at a predetermined position Pa. The molding drum 12, temporarily placed on the mounting device 1, is then held by another robot arm 15 installed at the next work station S2 and lifted up from the mounting device 1.

The robot arm 15, installed at work station S2, is controlled by a program or teaching to move the tip of its arm portion 15a (gripping claw 15b) to a predetermined position Pa in order to hold the molding drum body 12. Since the molding drum body 12 is temporarily placed at the predetermined position Pa by the mounting device 1, the robot arm 15 can accurately position the gripping claw 15b on the guide 3. Subsequently, the robot arm 15 holds the molding drum body 12 by gripping the guide 3 with the gripping claw 15b.

The molded drum body 12 is moved by this robot arm 15 to the next work station S2. At work station S2, the tire components M are attached to the molded drum body 12. When the molding work at work station S2 is completed and the molded drum body 12 is moved to the next work station S3, it is temporarily placed on the mounting device 1, similar to the movement between work stations S1 and S2.

The robot arm 15 may be configured solely for moving the molding drum 12, or it may be configured to also be usable for molding operations. For example, as in this embodiment, by configuring the robot arm 15M to rotate the held molding drum 12 around the drum axis 13a using a drive motor 15M, it can be used for molding operations.

This molding process forms a green tire G on the outer surface of the molded drum body 12. This green tire G is then moved to the vulcanization process.

In the vulcanization process illustrated in Figure 13, the green tire G is vulcanized using a known method. The green tire G is placed together with the molding drum 12 inside a vulcanization mold 18 mounted on the vulcanization apparatus 17. Then, the green tire G is vulcanized inside the closed vulcanization mold 18 to complete the tire T. Although a pneumatic tire T is manufactured in this embodiment, this mounting device 1 can be applied not only to pneumatic tires but also to the manufacture of various other types of tires T.

When sequentially moving the molded drum body 12 to multiple work stations S using a robot arm 15, the placement device 1 allows the molded drum body 12 to be temporarily placed at a predetermined position Pa, as described above. Since the molded drum body 12 is temporarily placed at the predetermined position Pa by the placement device 1, it can be held more securely by the robot arm 15 positioned at the work station S where the next molding operation will be performed. In other words, this is advantageous in avoiding problems that would occur if the transfer of the molded drum body 12 at the placement device 1 becomes impossible, thus preventing delays in the molding process. By using this placement device 1, the molded drum body 12 can be moved smoothly and sequentially to multiple work stations S, contributing to improved productivity of tire T.

As illustrated in Figure 14, the mounting device 1 can also be configured such that the horizontal movement holding unit 4 is positioned below the vertical movement holding unit 7. That is, in this embodiment, the mounting unit 2, vertical movement holding unit 7, horizontal movement holding unit 4, and base unit 10 are arranged in order from top to bottom. In this embodiment, since the lower surface of the support base 8a is supported by the support ball 5a, the guide pin 8d and stopper 8f are embedded in the support base 8a without protruding from the lower surface of the support base 8a.

In this embodiment as well, the horizontal movement holding unit 4 and the vertical movement holding unit 7 function in the same manner as in the previous embodiment. Therefore, the same effects as in the previous embodiment can be obtained by using this mounting device 1.

As illustrated in Figure 15, the base unit 10 can also be equipped with a travel mechanism 11. For example, the travel mechanism 11 could consist of steerable wheels and a motor that rotates these wheels, both installed on the base unit 10. This allows the base unit 10 to be moved to a desired position by the travel mechanism 11. Instead of a base unit 10 that is permanently fixed in a predetermined position within the target area, a mounting device 1 equipped with this base unit 10 allows the robot arm 15 to place the molded drum body 12 onto the mounting device 1, and then transport the placed molded drum body 12 to a distant location.

As a result, the degree of freedom in arranging the work station S increases, which is advantageous for constructing a molding process that utilizes constrained space more efficiently. However, when the robot arm 15 places the molding drum 12 onto the mounting device 1, and when the robot arm 15 holds and picks up the molding drum 12 placed on the mounting device 1, the base portion 10 is fixed to a predetermined installation position in the target area.

1. Mounting device 2. Mounting section 2a. Mounting base 3. Guide (engaging body)
4 Horizontal movement holding part 5 Horizontal movement mechanism 5a Support ball 6 Horizontal position fixing mechanism 6a Projection 6b Holding block 6c Fluid cylinder 7 Vertical movement holding part 8 Vertical movement mechanism 8a Support base 8b Lower engagement part 8c Biasing member 8d Guide pin 8e Bush 8f Stopper 9 Vertical position fixing mechanism 9a Engagement part 9b Fluid cylinder 10 Base part 11 Travel mechanism 12 Molded drum body 13 Cylindrical part 13a Drum shaft 13b Disc part 13c Connecting part 14 Fitting part 15 Robot arm 15a Arm part 15b Gripping claw 15M Drive motor 16 Material supply machine 17 Vulcanizing device 18 Vulcanizing mold M Tire component G Green tire T Vulcanized tire

Claims (6)

In a mounting device for a molding drum, in which a molding drum held by a robot arm is released and placed on its side,
The device comprises a mounting section on which the molded drum body is placed in a horizontal position, a base section positioned below the mounting section and fixed to a predetermined position in the target area, and a horizontal movement holding section and an vertical movement holding section positioned vertically between the mounting section and the base section.
The mounting portion has a guide that engages with the molding drum body and guides the molding drum body to a predetermined mounting position of the mounting portion.
The horizontal movement holding unit includes a horizontal movement mechanism that supports the aforementioned mounting unit so that it can move and rotate in any direction in the horizontal direction, and a horizontal position fixing mechanism that stops the movement and rotation of the aforementioned mounting unit by the horizontal movement mechanism and fixes the aforementioned mounting unit in a predetermined horizontal reference position.
The aforementioned vertical movement holding unit is a mounting device for a molded drum body, comprising a vertical movement mechanism that supports the aforementioned mounting unit so that it can move and rotate in any direction in the vertical direction, and a vertical position fixing mechanism that stops the movement and rotation of the aforementioned mounting unit by the vertical movement mechanism and fixes the aforementioned mounting unit in a predetermined vertical reference position. The mounting device for a molded drum according to claim 1, wherein the guide is an engaging body positioned on the upper surface of the mounting portion described above and engages with a fitting portion having a convex or concave portion positioned on the lower surface of the molded drum in a lying-down state, and the molded drum is guided to the mounting position described above as the molded drum moves downward and the engagement depth between the fitting portion and the engaging body increases. The mounting device for a molded drum according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the horizontal position fixing mechanism comprises projections protruding from multiple positions on the lower surface of a base supporting the molded drum, and a holding block corresponding to each of the projections, and the corresponding holding block moves horizontally relative to each projection to clamp both sides of the projection in the width direction, thereby fixing the mounting portion to the predetermined horizontal reference position. The mounting device for a molded drum body according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the vertical movement mechanism comprises a support base and biasing members that support three or more positions on the lower surface of the support base, and the vertical position fixing mechanism comprises an engaging portion that moves toward and away from the lower surface of the support base, and the engaging portion engages with a lower surface engaging portion formed on the lower surface of the support base, thereby fixing the aforementioned mounting portion to the predetermined vertical reference position. A mounting device for a molded drum body according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the base portion is equipped with a traveling mechanism, and the device is movable to a desired position by this traveling mechanism. In a tire manufacturing method, a molded drum is sequentially moved to multiple work stations, and at each of the work stations, tire components are attached to the molded drum to form a green tire, and this green tire is vulcanized,
After the molding process is completed at any one of the aforementioned work stations, the molded drum body with the tire components attached is held by a robot arm positioned at the work station, moved above the mounting device described in any of claims 1 to 5, and the holding is released, thereby placing the molded drum body on its side.
Next, the molding drum body placed on the aforementioned mounting device is held using a robotic arm positioned at the next work station, moved to the work station, and the molding operation is performed at the work station, in a method for manufacturing a tire.