HEATING PRESS AND METHOD FOR VULCANIZING A VEHICLE TIRE IN SAID HEATING PRESS UNDER VACUUM

Abstract

A heating press (1) for vulcanizing a vehicle tire under a vacuum, comprising a heating press upper part (3) and a heating press lower part (6), wherein a container (2) having the mold parts (14, 16, 17, 18, 21) of a segmented vulcanizing mold and a cylindrical hood upper part (4) enclosing said container are arranged on the heating press upper part (3), wherein the hood upper part (4) and the heating press upper part (3) can be moved independently of one another and relative to one another in the axial direction (P1), wherein the cylindrical hood upper part (4) has a length (23) which is sufficient to form a closed hood interior space (12) with the heating press lower part (6) and heating press upper part (4) when the heating press upper part (3) is open, wherein at least one respective vacuum-tight seal (5) is arranged on those surfaces at which the hood upper part (4) directly adjoins the heating press upper part (3) and—when the hood interior space (12) is closed—the heating press lower part (6), in order to make the closed hood interior space (12) sealable in a vacuum-tight manner, wherein, in the course of a first stroke (H.sub.1), the hood upper part (4) can be moved independently of the heating press upper part (3) in the axial direction P1 in such a way, wherein, in the course of a second stroke (H.sub.2), the heating press upper part (3) can be moved independently of the hood upper part (4) in the axial direction P1 in such a way that the vulcanizing mold can be completely closed under vacuum conditions in the interior space of the hood (12).

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A heating press for a tire, the heating press comprising: a heating press upper part; a heating press lower part; a circular-ring-shaped hood upper part of a hood, the hood upper part having a container and mold parts movable in an axial direction (P1) to form a closed hood interior space; a press plate arranged above the container in the hood upper part and moveable in the axial direction (P1); a seal mechanism to establish vacuum-tightness between the heating press upper part and the heating press lower part, the seal mechanism having nozzles to introduce a heating medium into heating bellows; a pump to generate a vacuum in the closed hood interior space; a segmented vulcanizing mold within the container; the mold configured to be filled with a pressurized heating medium for a green tire and heated by internal heating; the heating press upper part moves for a first stroke (H1); and the press plate moves to completely close the vulcanizing mold under the vacuum for a second stroke (H2). the hood upper part and the heating press upper part can be moved independently of one another and relative to one another in the axial direction (P1), the cylindrical hood upper part has a length to form a closed hood interior space with the heating press lower part and heating press upper part when the heating press upper part (3) is open; in the course of the first stroke (H1), the hood upper part can be moved independently of the heating press upper part in the axial direction P1 in such a way that said hood upper part forms a vacuum-tight hood interior space with the heating press lower part, although the vulcanizing mold remains open in an air-permeable manner, in the course of a second stroke (H2), the heating press upper part can be moved independently of the hood upper part in the axial direction P1 that the vulcanizing mold can be completely closed under vacuum conditions in the interior space of the hood.

13. The heating press of claim 12, wherein a hydraulic, pneumatic or electric actuator (24), which can move the hood upper part (4) independently of the heating press upper part (3) in the axial direction (P1), is provided.

14. The heating press of claim 12, wherein a hood lower part in the form of a circular ring is arranged on the heating press lower part (6), wherein the circular ring of the hood upper part (3) and the circular ring of the hood lower part have the same inside diameter and the same outside diameter and are arranged in line with one another in the heating press (1).

15. The heating press of claim 12, wherein the seals are ring seals (5, 9) with circular, polygonal and/or flat cross sections.

16. The heating press of claim 15, wherein the ring seal (5, 9) is arranged in a circular-ring-shaped groove, wherein the diameter of the ring seal (5, 9) is slightly greater than the depth of the groove.

17. The heating press of claim 15, wherein the ring seal (5, 9) consists of solid material.

18. The heating press of claim 15, wherein the ring seal (5, 9) is a hose of variable diameter.

19. The heating press of claim 15, wherein the ring seal (5, 9) is a differentially inflated double ring seal.

20. The heating press of claim 12, wherein the vacuum tank (11) has a volume that is approximately 5 to 10 times greater than the volume of the closed hood(s) (4).

21. A method for vulcanizing a pneumatic vehicle tire under a vacuum in a heating press (1), the method comprising: a) loading the opened heating press (1) by placing the green tire for vulcanization into the container (2), b) moving the hood upper part (4) through a first stroke (H1) in the axial direction (P1) toward the heating press lower part (6), until a closed hood interior space (12) composed of hood upper part (4), heating press upper part (3) and heating press lower part (6) is obtained, while the vulcanizing mold remains open, c) only if the ring seal (5, 9) is a hose of variable diameter: inflating the circular-ring-shaped hose seal in order to seal off the hood interior space (12) in a vacuum-tight manner, d) opening the connection between the vacuum tank (11) and the hood interior space (12) in order to generate a partial vacuum, by way of pressure equalization between the vacuum tank (11) and the hood interior space (12), in the hood interior space (12) that has been closed in a vacuum-tight manner, e) when the partial vacuum is obtained in the hood interior space (12): closing the connection between the vacuum tank (11) and the hood interior space (12), opening the connection between the hood interior space (12) and the pump (10), and pumping the remaining air out of the hood interior space (12) in order to generate the vacuum, f) moving the heating press upper part (3) through a second stroke (H2), in the course of which the container (2) is moved in such a way that the vulcanizing mold is completely closed, and subsequently closing the connection between the hood interior space (12) and the pump (10), g) vulcanizing the green tire and opening the connection between the pump (10) and the vacuum tank (11) and generating a vacuum in the vacuum tank (11), wherein the connection of the pump (10) to the hood interior space (12) and the connection of the vacuum tank (11) to the hood interior space (12) are each closed, h) opening the heating press (1) by moving the hood upper part (4) and the heating press upper part (3) and removing the fully vulcanized tire, and repeating the steps a)-h) in order to vulcanize each further tire.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising arranging a further valve in the hood in order to deplete the vacuum prior to opening the heating press.

Description

[0036] An exemplary embodiment of a heating press and the method for vacuum vulcanization of a pneumatic vehicle tire, together with further advantages, will be described on the basis of the following two schematic figures. In the figures:

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a heating press according to the invention with a container in an open state;

[0038] FIG. 2 shows the heating press of FIG. 1 in the closed state.

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a heating press 1 according to the invention with a container 2 in an open state. The hood upper part is in its initial position. The green tire can be placed into the heating press 1.

[0040] The heating press 1 comprises a heating press lower part 6 and a heating press upper part 3 with a cylindrical hood upper part 4 and has the corresponding mechanisms for positioning the tire for vulcanization, for actuating the constituent parts of the vulcanizing mold, for introducing the heating media, and for removing the fully vulcanized tire. In the interior space of the hood upper part 4, a container 2 is arranged on the heating press upper part 3 in such a way that, when the heating press upper part 3 is being moved in the axial direction P1, the mold parts of the vulcanizing mold that are arranged in the container can be moved in the radial direction P2.

[0041] What is provided is a “central mechanism” 8, to which a heating bellows (not illustrated) that can be placed into the green tire (not illustrated) is fastened. Furthermore, nozzles (not illustrated) are arranged on the central mechanism 8, through which nozzles a heating medium can be introduced into the heating bellows (not illustrated).

[0042] The hood upper part 4 and the heating press upper part 3 can be moved independently of one another and relative to one another in the axial direction P1. The cylindrical hood upper part 4 has a length 23 which is sufficient to form a closed hood interior space 12 with the heating press lower part 6 and heating press upper part 3 when the vulcanizing mold is still open, that is to say when the heating press upper part 3 has not been moved completely onto the heating press lower part 6.

[0043] The hood upper part 4 is airtight, or vacuum-tight, and in the closed state forms a vacuum-tight hood interior space 12. In order to seal the end face 7 of the hood upper part 4 in a vacuum-tight manner in the closed state, a ring seal 5 with a flat cross section is arranged on the heating press lower part 6 where the end face 7 of the hood upper part 4 rests against the heating press lower part 6 in the closed state of the hood. A further ring seal 5 is mounted on the heating press upper part 3 where the hood upper part 4 directly adjoins the heating press upper part 3. Further ring seals 9 seal off at least the central mechanism 8 with respect to the hood interior space 12 in a vacuum-tight manner.

[0044] The container 2 is a conventional container 2 that is already known in the prior art.

[0045] The container 2 contains the segmented vulcanizing mold with a lower heating plate 13, a lower sidewall shell 14, an upper heating plate 15, an upper sidewall shell 16, a lower bead ring 17 and an upper bead ring 18. Those constituent parts of the vulcanizing mold that are moved in a vertical (=axial) direction (arrow P1) for the purposes of opening and closing include the segment ring 19, composed of seven to nine segment shoes 20, and the profile/mold segments 21 fastened thereto and also the upper sidewall shell 16 with the upper bead ring 18. The segment shoes 20 are moved apart radially, in the direction of the arrow P2, to close and open the vulcanizing mold. On the upper heating plate 15, there is arranged a closing ring 22 which has a beveled inner surface which interacts with beveled outer surfaces of the segment shoes 20 of the segment ring 19 such that, during the closing of the vulcanizing mold, the segment shoes 20 are moved together in a radial direction to form the closed segment ring 19. In the lower heating plate 13, the upper heating plate 15 and in the closing ring 22, there are incorporated heating chambers into which at least one heating medium, in particular saturated steam (water vapor), is introduced for the vulcanization of the tire. In this way, the green tire (not illustrated) is heated from the outside via the segment shoes 20, the sidewall shells 14, 16 and the bead rings 17, 18, such that this heating is commonly referred to as external heating.

[0046] A conventional heating bellows (not illustrated) is provided in a known manner and is filled with at least one pressurized heating medium in order to center the green tire in the mold from the inside, wherein the heating bellows is brought into a toroidal shape conforming to a tire. Since the green tire is heated by means of the heating bellows from the inside, this type of heating is referred to as internal heating.

[0047] In the course of a first stroke H.sub.1—not illustrated in the figures—the hood upper part 3 can be moved independently of the heating press upper part 3 in the axial direction P1 by means of an actuator 24 in such a way that said hood upper part forms a vacuum-tight hood interior space 12 with the heating press lower part 6, although the vulcanizing mold remains open in an air-permeable manner.

[0048] With the first stroke H.sub.1 performed by the hood upper part 4, however, the heating press upper part 3 can also be moved at the same time—although the vulcanizing mold must still remain open after the first stroke H.sub.1.

[0049] A pump 10 and a vacuum tank 11, by means of which a vacuum can be generated in the interior space 12 of the hood after the first stroke H.sub.1, are provided. The vacuum tank 11 and the pump 10 are connected to the interior space 12 of the hood and the vacuum tank 11 and the pump 10 are connected to one another. By virtue of a vacuum being provided in the hood interior space (=interior space of the hood) 12, in particular during the molding and the vulcanization of the tire, conventional ventilation valves arranged in the mold face of the vulcanizing mold are omitted entirely.

[0050] FIG. 2 shows the heating press 1 of FIG. 1 in the closed state, which is obtained after a second stroke H.sub.2, in the course of which the heating press upper part 3 can be moved independently of the hood upper part 4 in the axial direction P1 such that the vulcanizing mold can be completely closed under vacuum conditions in the interior space 12 of the hood. The connection between the vacuum tank 11 and the hood interior space 12 is closed. Then, the connection between the hood interior space 12 and the pump 10 is closed. The green tire is vulcanized.

[0051] In the case of a passenger motor vehicle tire, the vulcanization thereof takes approximately 15 minutes. During this time, the connection between pump 10 and vacuum tank 11 is opened in order to generate a vacuum in the vacuum tank 11, wherein the connection of the pump 10 to the hood and the connection of the vacuum tank 11 to the hood are each closed. After the vulcanization of the tire is complete, the volume of the hood interior space 12 is aerated via a valve (not illustrated), and the heating press 1 is opened in order to unload the fully vulcanized tire from the container 2 having the vulcanizing mold. For this purpose, the heating press upper part 3 with the container 2 and the hood upper part 4 moves upward, and the profile segments 21 simultaneously move outward in the radial direction P2. The tire is released.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(Part of the Description)

[0052] 1 Heating press [0053] 2 Container [0054] 3 Heating press upper part [0055] 4 Hood upper part [0056] 5 Ring seal [0057] 6 Heating press lower part [0058] 7 End face of the hood upper part [0059] 8 Central mechanism [0060] 9 Ring seal [0061] 10 Pump [0062] 11 Vacuum tank [0063] 12 Interior space of the hood=hood interior space [0064] 13 Lower heating plate [0065] 14 Lower sidewall shell [0066] 15 Upper heating plate [0067] 16 Upper sidewall shell [0068] 17 Lower bead ring [0069] 18 Upper bead ring [0070] 19 Segment ring [0071] 20 Segment shoe [0072] 21 Profile segment/mold segment [0073] 22 Closing ring [0074] 23 Length of the hood upper part [0075] 24 Actuator [0076] H.sub.1 First stroke [0077] H.sub.2 Second stroke [0078] P1 Axial direction [0079] P2 Radial direction