TYRE STRIP EXTRUSION APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING TREAD AND/OR SIDE STRIPS FOR TYRES, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A TREAD OR SIDE STRIP OF A TYRE

Abstract

A tyre strip extrusion apparatus includes extruders and an extrusion head which includes a head housing having feed openings respectively connected to the extruders for feed of extrusion material. An injection moulding tool is connected to the head housing and includes a profile plate formed with an outlet opening which communicates with the feed openings for extrusion material to flow from the feed openings to the outlet opening for extruding a web from the extrusion material. Bearing against the head housing along a first parting surface is a first distributor plate. A second distributor plate is arranged upstream of the profile plate in flow direction of the extrusion material. The first distributor plate bears along a second parting surface against the second distributor plate. The first and second distributor plates are configured such that at least a majority of the material paths runs through the first and second parting surfaces.

Claims

1.-12. (canceled)

13. A tyre strip extrusion apparatus for producing a tread and/or side strip for a tyre, comprising: a first extruder including a first screw which defines a first longitudinal axis; a second extruder including a screw which defines a second longitudinal axis; a third extruder including a screw which defines a third longitudinal axis; a fourth extruder including a screw which defines a fourth longitudinal axis; an extrusion head including a head housing having at least four feed openings which are connected to the first, second, third and fourth extruders in one-to-one correspondence for feed of extrusion material; and an injection moulding tool connected to the head housing, said injection moulding tool including a profile plate formed with an outlet opening which communicates with the feed openings so as to enable extrusion material to flow from the feed openings along respective material paths to the outlet opening for extruding a web from the extrusion material, a first distributor plate which bears against the head housing along a first parting surface, and a second distributor plate which is arranged upstream of the profile plate in a flow direction of the extrusion material, with the first distributor plate bearing against the second distributor plate along a second parting surface, said first and second distributor plates configured such that at least a majority of the material paths runs through the first and second parting surfaces.

14. The tyre strip extrusion apparatus of claim 13, wherein the screws of a majority of the first, second, third and fourth extruders are removable in the respective ones of the first, second, third and fourth extruders by moving the screws through the head housing or by moving the screws away from the head housing, while the head housing is stationary in relation to the first, second, third and fourth extruders.

15. The tyre strip extrusion apparatus of claim 13, further comprising fifth, sixth and seventh extruders, with the head housing having at least seven of said feed openings for connection to the extruders in one-to-one correspondence.

16. The tyre strip extrusion apparatus of claim 13, wherein at least one of the first and second distributor plates has a guide channel which extends at least partially along an associated one of the first and second parting surfaces.

17. The tyre strip extrusion apparatus of claim 13, wherein all the material paths run through the first and second parting surfaces.

18. The tyre strip extrusion apparatus of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first and second distributor plates has a bore, said guide channel being connected to the bore.

19. The tyre strip extrusion apparatus of claim 18, wherein the guide channel has at an end facing away from the bore a branching point into a first channel branch and a second channel branch, so that extrusion material flowing out from the bore in the guide channel flows in the flow direction downstream of the branching point into the first channel branch and into the second channel branch.

20. The tyre strip extrusion apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first and second distributor plates are configured for insertion into the head housing by a translation movement.

21. The tyre strip extrusion apparatus of claim 13, wherein at least a majority of the first, second, third and fourth extruders has a screw diameter of a maximum of 150 millimetres.

22. The tyre strip extrusion apparatus of claim 13, wherein at least a majority of the first, second, third and fourth extruders has a screw diameter of a maximum of 120 millimetres.

23. The tyre strip extrusion apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first, second, third and fourth extruders are arranged such that projections of at least two of the first, second, third and fourth longitudinal axes onto a horizontal plane define an angle of at least 45.

24. The tyre strip extrusion apparatus of claim 13, wherein the feed openings are arranged in a two-dimensional pattern.

25. A method for producing a tread or side strip of a tyre, comprising feeding extrusion material through an outlet opening of an injection moulding tool in communication with feed openings of an extrusion head in communication with at least four extruders at an output of tread strips of at least 2500 kilograms per hour and/or an output of side strips of at least 1000 kilograms per hour, with the injection moulding tool including a profile plate formed with the outlet opening, a first distributor plate which bears along a first parting surface against a head housing of the extrusion head, and a second distributor plate which is arranged upstream of the profile plate in a flow direction of the extrusion material, with the first distributor plate bearing along a second parting surface against the second distributor plate, said first and second distributor plates configured such that at least a majority of the material paths runs through the first and second parting surfaces.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein screws of a majority of the extruders are removable by moving the screws through the head housing or by moving the screws away from the head housing, while the head housing is stationary in relation to the extruders.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising forming at least one of the first and second distributor plates with a guide channel which extends at least partially along an associated one of the first and second parting surfaces.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising forming a bore in at least one of the first and second distributor plates in communication with the guide channel.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising conducting extrusion material out from the bore in the guide channel so as to flow in a flow direction downstream of a branching point of the guide channel at an end facing away from the bore into a first channel branch and into a second channel branch.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising moving the first and second distributor plates translatorily for insertion into the head housing.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein at least a majority of the extruders has a screw diameter of a maximum of 150 millimetres, in particular 120 millimetres.

32. The method of claim 25, further comprising arranging the extruders are arranged such that projections of at least two of longitudinal axes, defined by the extruders, onto a horizontal plane define an angle of at least 45.

Description

[0042] The invention is explained in further detail below with the aid of the enclosed drawings. There are shown:

[0043] FIG. 1 a three-dimensional diagrammatic partial view of a tyre strip extrusion apparatus according to the invention,

[0044] FIG. 2 the tyre strip extrusion apparatus according to FIG. 1, in which the injection moulding tool has been removed from the extrusion head,

[0045] FIG. 3 the injection moulding tool of the tyre strip extrusion apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2,

[0046] FIG. 4 the injection moulding tool according to FIG. 3 with removed profile plate,

[0047] FIG. 5 two distributor plates of the injection moulding tool according to FIGS. 3 and 4, wherein the last distributor plate with respect to the material flow direction has been removed, and

[0048] FIG. 6 the foremost distributor plate of the injection moulding tool with respect to a material flow direction.

[0049] FIG. 1 shows a tyre strip extrusion apparatus 10 according to the invention, which has a first extruder 12.1, a second extruder 12.2, a third extruder 12.3, a fourth extruder 12.4, a fifth extruder 12.5, a sixth extruder 12.6, a seventh extruder 12.7 and an eighth extruder 12.8. Each extruder 12.i (i=1, 2, . . . , 8) has a first screw 14.i, drawn diagrammatically, wherein only the screw 14.1 is drawn in FIG. 1.

[0050] The screw 14.1 extends along a screw longitudinal axis L.sub.14.1. It can be seen that in the present case, all screw longitudinal axes L.sub.14.i run through an extrusion head 18. The extrusion head 18 comprises a head housing 20 and an injection moulding tool 22. The injection moulding tool 22 comprises a profile plate 24, on which an outlet opening 26 is formed. The outlet opening 26 gives the tread- or side strip which is to be manufactured its final contour.

[0051] FIG. 1 shows that the injection moulding tool 22 has a first distributor plate 28, a second distributor plate 30 and a third distributor plate 32. In the present case, the profile plate 24 is fastened to a third distributor plate 32, pushed in, for example. A fixing device 34 is drawn diagrammatically, which in the present case clamps the injection moulding tool 22 on the head housing 20 mechanically, for example by means of a toggle.

[0052] In operation, each extruder 12.i feeds extrusion material in the form of rubber, which is fed to the extruder 12.i, through a feed device 36.i, for example a feed hopper, along a material path to the injection moulding tool 22.

[0053] FIG. 2 shows the tyre strip extrusion apparatus 10, in which the injection moulding tool 22 (cf. FIG. 1) is removed. The head housing 20 has a plurality of feed openings 38.i, through which, during operation, extrusion material flows from the extruders 12.i. It can be seen that the head housing 20 has a rear wall 40, which faces the extruders 12.i and has a convex shape. It can be seen in addition that the feed openings 38.i are arranged in a two-dimensional pattern, in the present case namely in the form of three rows running parallel to one another.

[0054] On the side which faces the first distributor plate 28, a first parting surface 46.1 is formed. The first distributor plate 28 bears against this parting surface 46.1 during operation.

[0055] FIG. 3 shows the injection moulding tool 22. In the present case, the outlet opening 26 has a cross-sectional area of 2000 square millimetres.

[0056] FIG. 4 shows the injection moulding tool 22 without profile plate. It can be seen that upstream of the outlet opening 26 in the material flow direction (cf. FIG. 3) a plurality of channels are arranged, through which respectively extrusion material flows, in order to become connected at the outlet opening 26 to a tyre strip.

[0057] FIG. 5 shows the second distributor plate 30 in detail. It can be seen that the second distributor plate 30 has a guide channel 42, which is connected with a bore 44. A second parting surface 46.2 is formed between the first distributor plate 28 and the second distributor plate 30. A third parting surface 46.3 is formed between the second distributor plate 30 and the third distributor plate 32. The guide channel 42 extends along the third parting surface 46.3, which in the present case is connected by a wide side with the second distributor plate 30.

[0058] The guide channel 42 has a branching point 48, which in the present case is arranged in the region of the bore 44. In the branching point, the guide channel 42 splits into a first channel branch 50 and a second channel branch 52.

[0059] FIG. 6 shows the first distributor plate 28. It can be seen that the bore 44 (cf. FIG. 5) is connected to a second guide channel 54, which is supplied with extrusion material via a second bore 56.

[0060] It can be seen that the first distributor plate 28 has a third guide channel 58, which branches into three channel branches 60.1, 60.2, 60.3.

REFERENCE LIST

[0061] 10 tyre strip extrusion apparatus

[0062] 12 extruder

[0063] 14 first screw

[0064] 18 extrusion head

[0065] 20 head housing

[0066] 22 injection moulding tool

[0067] 24 profile plate

[0068] 26 outlet opening

[0069] 28 first distributor plate

[0070] 30 second distributor plate

[0071] 32 third distributor plate

[0072] 34 fixing device

[0073] 36 feed device

[0074] 38 feed opening

[0075] 40 rear wall

[0076] 42 guide channel

[0077] 44 bore

[0078] 46 parting surface

[0079] 48 branching point

[0080] 50 channel branch

[0081] 52 second channel branch

[0082] 54 guide channel

[0083] 56 second bore

[0084] 58 third guide channel

[0085] 60 channel branches

[0086] L.sub.14 screw longitudinal axis