The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.

Masayuki Watanabe

Kensuke Matsumura

Yusaku Miyazaki

Jun Matsuda

Hirokazu Shibata

Haruhisa Hasegawa

Yuji Satoh

Takahiro Noda

Provided are a tire-trimming device and method. The method includes: detecting a profile of a tire outer surface and a position thereof by using a profile sensor while rotating the tire; inputting data detected by the profile sensor into a control unit; when removing the unnecessary rubber components, selecting, from among a plurality of different types of the trimming tool, a trimming tool which is of a type set in the control unit in advance for use in a location on which the unnecessary rubber components are formed; moving the selected trimming tool and the tire relative to one another on the basis of the data detected by the profile sensor; and positioning a tip end section of the trimming tool along the detected profile of the tire outer surface.

Tire-trimming device and method

Provided is a mold cleaning system. On the basis of an identification mark assigned to a mold and detected by a mark detector when cleaning the mold, the mold cleaning system obtains shape data for the molding surface of the mold which is stored in a database, and on the basis of the obtained shape data, the mold cleaning system controls the movement of arms using the control device, moves a laser head along the molding surface thereof while irradiating with a laser beam supplied by a laser oscillator, and as a result, removes the dirt adhered to the molding surface.

Mold cleaning system

Provided is a mold cleaning system. When cleaning a mold, the mold cleaning system acquires three-dimensional image data of a molding surface of the mold by a camera and, on the basis of the acquired image data, the mold cleaning system controls the movement of arms using a control device, moves a laser head along the molding surface while irradiating with a laser beam supplied by a laser oscillator and, as a result, removes dirt adhered to the molding surface.

A method of manufacturing a pneumatic tire includes placing a bladder device including a vulcanization bladder at a holding position outside a mold; inserting the vulcanization bladder in a green tire with a tire axis central position of the green tire and a shaft central position of the vulcanization bladder aligned; aligning a central position in a tire width direction of the green tire and a central position in a shaft direction of the vulcanization bladder; supporting the green tire with the vulcanization bladder by inflating the vulcanization bladder to a predetermined green tire supportable internal pressure; bringing the vulcanization bladder in contact with an inner surface of the green tire; transporting the green tire together with the bladder device to the vulcanization device; setting the green tire with the bladder device in the mold; inflating the vulcanization bladder to a predetermined vulcanization internal pressure; and vulcanizing the green tire.

Method of manufacturing pneumatic tire and system for manufacturing pneumatic tire

When cleaning a mold using a mold cleaning system, three-dimensional image data of a molding surface of the mold is acquired by a camera, movement of arms is controlled by a control device based on the acquired image data, and a laser head is moved along the molding surface while a laser beam provided from a laser oscillator is irradiated to remove contamination adhered to the molding surface. Cleaning is performed on a specific site, using a relatively small laser head, or also using a relatively large laser head, or cleaning is performed using a laser head having a variable laser irradiation width and setting an appropriate laser irradiation width for each site to be cleaned.

A pneumatic tire is configured in such a manner that at least two carcass layers each have both end portions in the tire width direction extending to bead cores disposed in both bead portions, and the both end portions are wound up from the inner side in the tire width direction of the bead cores to the outer side in the tire width direction, and extend outward in the tire radial direction. In such a pneumatic tire, the carcass layers are formed by thermoplastic sheets, and a rubber layer is disposed at least between adjacent sheets of the thermoplastic sheets.

Growing community of inventors

Hiratsuka, Japan

Masayuki Watanabe