METHOD FOR MARKING A VEHICLE TIRE, AND MARKING STATION

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for marking a vehicle tyre (20) and a corresponding marking station. In one example, the vehicle tyre is supplied (100) to a marking station (10), the vehicle tyre (20) is aligned and centred (102, 103) in the marking station (10), marking is performed (108) in the marking station in accordance with characteristics of the vehicle tyre (20), and marking is performed (108) using one marking device (12) from a multiplicity of different marking devices (12). The method according to the invention is distinguished by the fact that the marking device (12) for marking the vehicle tyre (20) is positioned (107) at the vehicle tyre (20) by means of a robot arm (11).

Claims

1-16. (canceled)

17. A method for marking a vehicle tire (20), comprising: providing a vehicle tire (20) to a marking station (10) having a plurality of different marking devices (12); aligning and centering the vehicle tire (20) in the marking station (10); selecting, by the marking station, a selected marking device (12) from the plurality of marking devices (12); positioning the selected marking device (12) on the vehicle tire (20) by means of a robot arm (11); and marking, using the selected marking device (12), the tire in the marking station (10) according to properties of the vehicle tire (20).

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of different marking devices (12) is stored in a marking device magazine (13) and wherein selecting a selected marking device (12) includes the robot arm (11) picking up the selected marking device (12) from the plurality of different marking devices (12).

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: depositing, by the robot arm, the selected marking device in an assigned position in the marking device magazine; selecting, by the marking station, a second marking device (12) from the plurality of different marking devices;

20. The method according to claim 17, comprising supplying the selected marking device (12) with electrical and/or thermal energy for a plurality of marking procedures.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the aligning and centering take place at least partly simultaneously.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein the vehicle tire is one of a plurality of vehicle tires in a respective testing station of a plurality of testing stations, and the method comprises determining the properties of each of the plurality of vehicle tires (20) simultaneously.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein providing the vehicle tire includes providing the properties of the vehicle tire (20).

24. The method according to claim 17, comprising supporting a tire wall of the vehicle tire (20) on an inner side of the vehicle tire (20) at least during the marking.

25. A marking station (10) for marking a vehicle tire (20), comprising: at least one marking device magazine (13); a plurality of different marking devices (12) stored in the at least one marking device magazine (13); and a robot arm (11) configured to mark a vehicle tire according to properties of the vehicle tire, to select a selected marking device from the plurality of different marking devices, and to position the selected marking device on the vehicle tire for marking the vehicle tire.

26. The marking station (10) of claim 25, wherein the plurality of marking devices (12) include a plurality of heat embossing devices (12).

27. The marking station (10) of claim 25, wherein at least some of the plurality of marking devices (12) include an electrical energy storage unit.

28. The marking station (10) as claimed in claim 27, wherein the at least one marking device magazine (13) and the at least some of the plurality of marking devices (12) are configured to charge the respective electrical energy storage unit with electrical energy via a charging procedure while the plurality of marking devices are situated in the at least one marking device magazine.

29. The marking station (10) as claimed in claim 28, wherein the charging procedure comprises charging the electrical storage unit contactlessly.

30. The marking station (10) of claim 25, wherein each of the plurality of electrical marking devices (12) includes a thermal energy storage unit.

31. The marking station (10) of claim 30, wherein the at least one marking device magazine (13) and the plurality of marking devices (12) are configured to charge a respective thermal energy storage unit with thermal energy via a charging procedure, while the plurality of marking devices (12) are situated in at least one marking device magazine (13).

32. The marking station (10) of claim 25, wherein the marking station (10) is further configured to: align and center a vehicle tire (20) in the marking station (10); and mark, using the selected marking device (12), the tire in the marking station (10) according to properties of the vehicle tire (20).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] The invention will be explained below by way of example with the aid of embodiments illustrated in the figures, in which:

[0045] FIG. 1 shows by way of example and schematically a marking station according to the invention for marking a vehicle tire, and

[0046] FIG. 2 shows by way of example and schematically a possible embodiment of a method according to the invention for marking a vehicle tire in the form of a flow diagram.

[0047] The same objects, functional units, and comparable components are designated with the same reference signs in all the figures. These objects, functional units, and comparable components have an identical design with regard to their technical features as long as something different is not explicitly or implicitly apparent from the description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] FIG. 1 shows by way of example and schematically a marking station 10 according to the invention for marking a vehicle tire 20. The marking station 10 comprises a robot arm 11 and a plurality of different marking devices 12, only one individual marking device 12 of which is illustrated in FIG. 1 for the sake of clarity. As can be seen, the marking device 12 is stored in a marking device magazine 13, wherein the marking device magazine 13 is designed to store a plurality of marking devices 12 at a respective individual position. The marking device magazine 13 additionally features electrical contacts 13′ for each marking device 12 which, on the one hand, charge an electrical energy store of the marking devices 12 via correspondingly designed mating contacts (not illustrated in FIG. 1) of the marking devices 12, and moreover heat a heat embossing stamp (likewise not illustrated in FIG. 1) of the marking devices 12 via a heating spindle structurally integrated into the marking devices 12.

[0049] The marking station 10 furthermore comprises according to the example a rotating plate 14 for aligning the vehicle tire 20, i.e. for setting an intended angular position with regard to the axis of rotation of the vehicle tire 20. The marking station 20 moreover comprises a centering arm 15 which can shift the vehicle tire 20 on the rotating plate 14 such that the latter lies centrally on the rotating plate 15. After the aligning and centering, which take place simultaneously according to the example, the vehicle tire 20 is situated in the intended position and in the intended angular position.

[0050] The robot arm 11 is designed according to the example with six axes of movement. It is furthermore designed to remove a respective required marking device 12 from the marking device magazine 13, to use it to mark the vehicle tire 20, and then to replace it at that position in the marking device magazine 13 from which the marking device 12 was first removed. The marking of the vehicle tire 20 therefore takes place by the robot arm 11 picking up a required marking device 12 from the marking device magazine 13, moving it to the vehicle tire 20, positioning it on the vehicle tire 20, and then marking the vehicle tire 20 by means of the marking device 12. The marking of the vehicle tire 20 here takes place according to properties of the vehicle tire 20 by means of a marking representing the properties and a corresponding marking device 12.

[0051] Because the vehicle tire 20 is situated, after the aligning and centering, in a position and angular position intended for applying the marking, the robot arm 12 can move the marking device 12 to the vehicle tire 20 and there apply the marking corresponding to the quality of the vehicle tire 20 at the point of the vehicle tire 20 provided for this purpose.

[0052] So that the robot arm 11 picks up the respective required marking device 12 and is used to apply the marking, information about the properties of the vehicle tire 20 is supplied electronically to the marking station 10 via a data processing program designed for this purpose as part of the supplying of the vehicle tire 20. The data processing system here first captures information from the testing procedure of the vehicle tire 20 and then transmits it to the marking station 20. The information then allows a specific marking device 12 to be selected from the plurality of different marking devices 12. After supplying the vehicle tire 20 to the marking station 10, for example via a conveyor belt, the vehicle tire 20 is aligned and centered by the marking station 10.

[0053] The marking station 10 furthermore also comprises a support body 16 which is moved automatically during the marking into the inside of the vehicle tire 20 by the robot arm 11 or by the marking device 12 and from there supports the tire wall to which the marking is applied.

[0054] Lastly, the marking station 10 also comprises a conveyor belt 17 by means of which the vehicle tire 20 is supplied according to the example to the marking station 10 from one or more testing stations (not illustrated in FIG. 1). The testing stations here first identify the properties of the vehicle tire 20 and the marking station 10 applies to the vehicle tire 20 a marking describing the properties of the vehicle tire 20.

[0055] FIG. 2 shows by way of example and schematically a possible embodiment of a method according to the invention for marking a vehicle tire 20 in the form of a flow diagram. In a first method step 100, the vehicle tire 20 is supplied to a marking station 10 according to the invention. At the same time, in step 101, information describing a quality level of the vehicle tire 20 is supplied to the marking station 10. In step 102, the vehicle tire 20 is then aligned and in step 103 the vehicle tire 20 is centered. In step 104, a support body 16 is introduced into the inside of the vehicle tire 20. In step 105, the robot arm 11 selects a marking device 12 from the marking device magazine 13. The steps 102, 103, 104, and 105 take place simultaneously according to the example. In step 106, the robot arm 11 picks up the selected marking device 12, moves it in step 107 to the vehicle tire 20 and positions it on the vehicle tire 20. Lastly, in step 108 the actual marking takes place according to the quality level of the vehicle tire 20.

REFERENCE SIGNS

[0056] 10 marking station [0057] 11 robot arm [0058] 12 marking device [0059] 13 marking device magazine [0060] 13′ electrical contacts [0061] 14 rotating plate [0062] 15 centering arm [0063] 16 support body [0064] 17 conveyor belt [0065] 20 vehicle tire [0066] 100 supplying the vehicle tire [0067] 101 supplying information describing a quality level of the vehicle tire [0068] 102 aligning the vehicle tire [0069] 103 centering the vehicle tire [0070] 104 introducing a support body [0071] 105 selecting a marking device [0072] 106 picking up the selected marking device [0073] 107 positioning the marking device on the vehicle tire [0074] 108 marking the vehicle tire