Michelin Recherche Et Technique S.a.

Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin

Compagnie Generale Des Establissements Michelin

Stéphane Ravat

Thierry Ducros

Franck Denavit

Michel Deboeuf

Florent Monbrun

Clément Dubois

Grégory Marcet

A method for winding a rubber strip onto a form of revolution includes steps of: forming a strip of predetermined length, applying front and rear edge marks to the strip, driving the strip towards the form, arranging a front edge of the strip on the form, and driving the form to wind the strip onto the form. In a first phase, the driving of the strip and the driving of the form are synchronized so as not to modify the length of the strip. In a second phase, the driving of the strip and the driving of the form are controlled depending on an angular position of the form and on a position of the rear edge mark, in order to vary relatively a displacement speed of the rear edge mark and a displacement speed of the front edge mark, to compensate for variations in the length of the strip.

Method and installation for winding a rubber strip onto a form of revolution

A system is provided for placement of noise attenuating foam along an inside surface of a tire to attenuate cavity noise. The system can be used with tires of various sizes and shapes such that different foam sizes may be utilized. The system provides for automating the process of foam placement in a manner that allows for consistent placement of the foam during e.g., tire manufacture.

System for placement of foam ring onto an interior tire surface

A cutting blade, which is useable for cutting a reinforcing strip into reinforcing plies, includes one or more notches disposed at given intervals. When a volume of rubber separating two reinforcing threads is cut by the cutting blade, bridges of rubber are left between a rear edge of a first reinforcing ply and a front edge of a second reinforcing ply.

Method and device for the perforated cutting of a reinforcing ply

Cutting device for cutting a reinforcing ply (N) formed of a set of portions of thread, of given length, coated in a rubber compound, laid parallel to one another and making a given theoretical angle (a) with the longitudinal direction of the ply, characterized in that it includes a first element able, without proceeding to cut the said ply (N), to estimate the actual angle of the threads with the longitudinal direction (XX') of the device and a second element able to cut the ply (N) at the actual angle (a+da) estimated by the first element.

Method and device for measuring the ply angle prior to cutting

A shaping drum for a tire blank comprising bottom zones formed of a circular reinforcement ring which is moved in rotation about an axis XX', comprising bead-holding means () mounted opposite one another on a central spindle. Each of the bead-holding means comprises a support () mounted to be axially movably relative to the spindle. An assembly of return segments () is distributed circumferentially around the axis XX&#x2032;, which circulate radially between two circular rings (, 6, 7) fixed on the support (), and comprises a bead-receiving seat (). A turn-up membrane () can slide over the bead-receiving seat, anchored in an airtight manner by its two ends () on the radially outer circumference of the circular rings () and anchored mechanically by appropriate means () on the return segments () along a circumferential anchoring line (). The section of the bead-receiving seat () is of essentially circular shape with a developed length L, and the circumferential anchoring line of the turn-up membrane () on the return segments () is axially offset towards the centre of the drum by a length Lrelative to the bead receiving seat (), the length Lbeing between 0.7 and 2 times the length L

Bottom zone turn-up membrane

Device (D) for winding a cylindrical sleeve (C) of axis XX' around a toric ring (R) so that the end (E) of the said cylindrical sleeve is engaged between the toric ring (R) and the cylindrical sleeve (C) itself in order to make at least one complete turn around the substantially circular radial section of the said toric ring (R). The device comprises a winding fabric (T) also formed by a sleeve sliding freely in the axial direction on the external surface of a concentric set of winding heads (&#x2032;) having an external profile comprising a back () constituting a substantially cylindrical surface, a convex front annular surface () connected to the previous surface and a concave annular surface () connected to the latter so that the winding fabric () produces S-shaped loops when the said winding fabric (T) substantially follows the radial profile of the convex annular surface () and of the concave annular surface () of the winding heads (&#x2032;).

Growing community of inventors

Clermont-Ferrand, France

Stéphane Ravat