DEVICE AND TRANSPORT DEVICE FOR HANDLING TYRE BLANKS

Abstract

A blank stand for receiving and/or temporarily storing at least one tire blank and to a logistics system for realizing a flow of material of tire blanks to tire manufacturing plants with at least one blank stand, wherein the blank stand and the further components of the logistics system are designed such that handling and transport functions are supported in different height levels relative to a floor level of the hall.

Claims

1-16. (canceled)

17. A blank stand for receiving and/or temporarily storing at least one tire blank so as to be adjacent to a tire-production plant, comprising: at least three gripping holders for holding at least one tire blank, wherein the gripping holders receive the tire blank on a rotationally symmetrical area and by way of a corresponding free gap.

18. The blank stand according to claim 17, further comprising a frame, wherein the at least three gripping holders for holding at least one tire blank are disposed on the frame.

19. The blank stand according to claim 17, wherein the at least three gripping holders for holding at least one tire blank are disposed so as to be movable in a radial manner in relation to a central axis x-x so that the free gap for receiving the tire blank is variable so as to support receiving the tireblank on the rotationally symmetrical area, the rotationally symmetrical area being external or internal.

20. The blank stand according to claim 17, further comprising a drive, wherein the at least three gripping holders for holding at least one tire blank are movable by way of the drive, the drive having at least one rotary plate and in each case one pull-push rod assigned to one of the gripping holders.

21. The blank stand according to claim 20, wherein the drive is configured so as to be operated by motive power or by hand.

22. The blank stand according to claim 17, wherein the at least three gripping holders for holding at least one tire blank each have one stepped active area so that holding of the tire blank is supported in at least two spatial directions.

23. A method for storing at least one tire blank in a tire production plant, comprising the steps of: using at least one blank stand according to claim 17 as a buffer storage of the at least one tire blank; and disposing the at least on blank stand adjacent to the tire-production plant.

24. The method according to claim 23, including disposing the at least one blank stand at a height level above a shop floor having the tire-production plant to be fed, so that a size-reduced safety scanner field is supported.

25. The method according to claim 23, including disposing the at least one blank stand at a height level above a shop floor having the tire-production plant to be fed so that the blank stand lies both in an operating region of a loading system as well as in an operating region of a transport system of the tire-production plant.

26. The method according to claim 23, including disposing the at least one blank stand at a first height level above a shop floor having the tire-production plant to be fed so that the blank stand is feedable by a transport system at a second height level above the blank stand having the at least one tire blank.

27. The method according to claim 23, including securing the at least one blank stand to or arranging the at least one blank stand on a safety fence at a height level above the shop floor.

28. A logistics installation for implementing a material flow of tire blanks to tire-production plants at a shop-floor height level, comprising: at least one loading installation for feeding tire-production plants with tire blanks; and at least one transport installation at a second height level in relation to the shop-floor height level; and at least one blank stand according to claim 17 disposed at a first height level in a material-flow direction between the transport installation and the loading installation, so as to support a reduced requirement in terms of shop-floor space.

29. The logistics installation for implementing a material flow of tire blanks to tire-production plants according to claim 28, wherein the first height level lies above the shop-floor height level, and the second height level lies above the first height level.

30. The logistics installation for implementing a material flow of tire blanks to tire-production plants according to claim 29, wherein the dissimilar height levels of the components support an area-reduced safety scanner field.

31. The logistics installation for implementing a material flow of tire blanks to tire-production plants according to claim 28, wherein the at least one blank stand reduces displacement paths of the transport installation and the loading installation so that loading times are reduced and/or positioning accuracy is enhanced.

32. The logistics installation for implementing a material flow of tire blanks to tire-production plants according to claim 28, wherein the transportation installation automatically implements a material flow.

Description

[0022] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are schematically illustrated in the drawings in which:

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a perspective overview for visualizing the handling of tire blanks in the context of a loading system that preferably operates automatically;

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the blank stand (10) according to the invention, having a received tire blank (200);

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a three-dimensional view of the logistics system (70) according to the invention in a snapshot of the material flow for the supply-related transport of a tire blank (200) by the transport system (60);

[0026] FIG. 4 shows a three-dimensional view of the logistics system (70) according to the invention in a point in time of the material flow, having a tire blank (200) received in the blank stand (10);

[0027] FIG. 5 shows a three-dimensional view of the logistics system (70) according to the invention in a point in time of the material flow, having a tire blank (200) received in the loading system (40);

[0028] FIG. 6 shows a three-dimensional view of the logistics system (70) according to the invention, having in each case one tire blank (200) received in the blank stand (10) and in the opened tire heating press (100);

[0029] FIG. 7 shows a plan view of the logistics system (70) according to the invention.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a perspective overview for visualizing the handling of tire blanks in the context of a loading system that preferably operates automatically, having the blank stand (10) according to the invention.

[0031] The blank stand (10) according to the teachings of the invention herein is disposed at a height level above the shop floor and thus also above the tire-production plant (100) to be fed. The blank stand (10) in the present exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 is secured at the top, so as to be at the end side of a safety fence (80) that is provided laterally to the tire-production plant (100).

[0032] The safety fence (80) in terms of function is utilized in two ways by way of this chosen arrangement. The fence serves both as access restriction to the contiguous and safety-relevant operating space of the loading system (40), and also as a holding device for the blank stand (10).

[0033] The arrangement of the blank stand (10) is performed in such a manner that the latter lies both in the operating region of the loading system (40) as well as in the operating region of handling installations for supplying and feeding the blank stand (10) with tire blanks. The loading system (40) disposes of a handling device (50) which by means of at least one outrigger (51) is coupled to installations of linear and/or rotary motion drives. The handling device (50) comprises a gripper (52) for receiving a tire blank (200) and by way of the motion drives is displaceable in the linear and rotary direction of movement in such a manner that both receiving of a tire blank (200) out of or from, respectively, the blank stand (10) as well as feeding of the tire-production plant (100) with the tire blank (200), and all positions of movement between these spatial fixed points that are preferably implemented as terminal positions, are supported.

[0034] The gripper (52) of the handling device (50) is preferably embodied as an internal gripper, gripping the tire blank (200) on the inside or on the tire bead. The blank stand (10) is preferably designed in such a manner that tire blank (200) in regions is held by way of the external contour of the latter. In this way, receiving of the tire blank (200) from the blank stand (10) can be performed by the handling device (50) in a reliable and uncomplicated manner in that the active areas for the temporary force-fitting connection during the buffering position in the blank stand (10) and the handling process in the loading system (40) are different.

[0035] FIG. 2 depicts the blank stand (10) according to the invention, having a received tire blank (200), in a perspective view. The construction of the blank stand (10) is implemented by way of at least three gripping holders (11) which are preferably disposed so as to be movable in a linear manner in the radial direction in relation to a central axis x-x, and on a radial frame (12). In order for a rotationally symmetrical object, a tire blank (200) also being one of the latter, to be able to be supported, gripped, or clamped in a force-fitting manner, in a statistically determined manner, exactly three contact points that are preferably distributed uniformly on the circumference are required. The tire blank (200) in the present exemplary embodiment of the blank stand (10) is received by four gripping holders (11) in a radial and uniform arrangement.

[0036] A drive (13) in the form of a rotary plate (14) that communicates with pull-push rods (15) and is drivable by motive power or by hand and can carry out a linear movement of the gripping holders (11) is provided in the example shown, said rotary plate (14) being disposed centrically in relation to a central axis x-x. In this way, the free gap that is defined by the gripping holders (11) can be adapted to the respective tire-blank diameter. The at least three gripping holders (11) dispose of a stepped active area (16) that is directed toward the tire blank (200) such that holding of the blank (200) is guaranteed in two spatial directions and preferably in the horizontal and the vertical direction.

[0037] Alternatively to the embodiment of the blank stand (10) as an external gripper shown in FIG. 2, said blank stand (10) can also be implemented as an internal gripper, wherein in this instance the gripper (52) of the handling device (50) of the loading system (40) is preferably embodied as an external gripper.

[0038] FIG. 3 shows a three-dimensional view of the logistics system (70) according to the invention in the state of the material flow for the supply-related transport of a tire blank (200) by the transport system (60). The transport system (60) in the situation shown has received a blank (200), the blank stand (10) on account of no tire blank (200) having been received being in a receiving-standby mode. The blank stand (10) is preferably configured in such a manner that said blank stand (10) can receive two tire blanks (200). As a result of this, a receiving-standby mode of the blank stand (10) can exist even when one tire blank (200) has already been received.

[0039] The relevant height-level lines H, H1, H2 are indicated for clarity, in order to illustrate one of the essential concepts of the invention. By way of the displacement of the transport and handling functions out of the shop-floor level (H) to corridors having a first height level (H1) and a second height level (H2), both the scanner safety field that is required for workplace safety as well as the overall space requirement for tire-production plants can be significantly reduced.

[0040] The material-flow situation of FIG. 3 can exist either when a tire blank (200) is already located in the tire-vulcanizing machine (100), or the plant is started up.

[0041] FIG. 4 illustrates a three-dimensional view of the logistics system (70) according to the invention, at a point in time of the material flow having tire blank (200) received in the blank stand (10). During this situation shown a blank (200) is buffer-stored by the blank stand; the other elements (60, 60) of the logistics system (70) can implement their assigned handling and/or transport function in a simultaneous or a temporally offset manner.

[0042] FIG. 5 depicts the logistics system (70) according to the invention in a three-dimensional view, at a point in time of the material flow having a tire blank (200) received in the loading system (40).

[0043] FIG. 6 shows a three-dimensional view of the logistics system (70) according to the invention, having in each case one tire blank (200) received in the blank stand (10) and in the opened tire heating press (100). The safety scanner field (S) which must comprise at least that area that can be driven across by the loading system (40) is furthermore illustrated in a qualitative manner.

[0044] FIG. 7 in a plan view elucidates the correlation between the size of the safety scanner field (S) and the surface projection of the degrees of freedom of movement of the loading system (40).