阅读说明：本技术 轮辋更换机、轮辋保持装置及轮胎试验系统 (Rim replacing machine, rim retaining device and tire testing system ) 是由 上田达也 吾川二郎 橘诚 今村守宏 于 2018-02-02 设计创作，主要内容包括：轮辋更换机具备轮辋储料器(61)。轮辋储料器(61)具有：上轮辋支承部(62u),支承上轮辋(40u)；及下轮辋支承部(62d),支承下轮辋(40d)。上轮辋支承部(62u)及下轮辋支承部(62d)具有彼此分开的一对支承臂(63)。其中一个支承臂(63)的端部与另一个支承臂(63)的端部之间成为轮辋主体进入到一对支承臂(63)之间的开放端(63a)。一对支承臂(63)的上表面成为从下方支承轮辋(40)的突出部(45)的突出部支承面(63b)。(The rim changer is provided with a rim stocker (61). A rim stocker (61) is provided with: an upper rim support portion (62u) that supports the upper rim (40 u); and a lower rim support part (62d) for supporting the lower rim (40 d). The upper rim support part (62u) and the lower rim support part (62d) have a pair of support arms (63) that are spaced apart from each other. An open end (63a) through which the rim body enters between the pair of support arms (63) is formed between the end of one of the support arms (63) and the end of the other support arm (63). The upper surfaces of the pair of support arms (63) form protruding part support surfaces (63b) for supporting protruding parts (45) of the rim (40) from below.)

1. A rim changing machine that changes an upper rim and a lower rim between the rim changing machine and a rim holding machine that holds the upper rim and the lower rim having a rim body fitted into a tire and a protruding portion protruding from the rim body, the rim changing machine comprising:

a rim stocker supporting the upper rim and the lower rim; and

a stocker moving mechanism that moves the rim stocker between a delivery position where the upper rim and the lower rim can be delivered between the stocker moving mechanism and the rim holder, and a retracted position where the lower rim and the upper rim are separated from the rim holder,

the rim stocker includes upper and lower rim support portions having: an upper rim support portion that supports the upper rim; a lower rim support portion supporting the lower rim; and a connecting portion connecting the upper rim support portion and the lower rim support portion,

each of the upper rim support portion and the lower rim support portion has a pair of support arms spaced apart from each other in a horizontal direction, a space between a front end of one of the support arms and a front end of the other support arm becomes an open end through which the rim body enters between the pair of support arms, and upper surfaces of the pair of support arms become projection support surfaces that support the projections from below.

2. The rim changing machine according to claim 1,

the lower rim support portion is disposed with respect to the upper rim support portion such that a center position of the upper rim when the upper rim support portion supports the upper rim and a center position of the lower rim when the lower rim support portion supports the lower rim coincide with each other when viewed from a plumb direction.

3. The rim changing machine according to claim 1 or 2,

the rim stocker includes: a plurality of said upper and lower rim support portions; a stocker rotation shaft portion that rotates about a stocker rotation axis extending in the plumb direction; and a stocker rotating mechanism for rotating the stocker rotating shaft,

the plurality of upper and lower rim support portions are fixed to the stocker rotation shaft portion such that the open end of each of the upper and lower rim support portions faces radially outward with respect to the stocker rotation axis.

4. The rim changing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the stocker moving mechanism suspends and holds the rim stocker.

5. A rim holding device provided with the rim changing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and the rim holding machine,

the rim retainer comprises: an upper rim holding mechanism that holds the upper rim fitted to an upper bead portion of the tire; a lower rim holding mechanism that holds the lower rim fitted to a lower bead portion of the tire below the upper rim; a first rim moving mechanism that moves the upper rim holding mechanism relative to the lower rim holding mechanism in a plumb direction; a second rim moving mechanism that relatively moves a rim that is a holding object of the one of the rim holding mechanisms in a plumb direction with respect to the one of the upper rim holding mechanism and the lower rim holding mechanism; and a conveyor that conveys the tire on a conveying path extending in the horizontal direction.

6. The rim retaining device according to claim 5,

the rim holding machine is provided with a conveyor lifting device for lifting the conveyor,

the conveyor is provided with: a conveyor belt conveyor having a conveyor belt on which the tire is mounted; and a lower rim support body that is in contact with the lower rim to support the lower rim,

the lower rim support body is arranged at a position different from the conveyor belt in the horizontal direction and below the upper surface of the conveyor belt,

the conveyor lifting device constitutes the second rim moving mechanism.

7. A tire testing system is provided with:

the rim retaining device of claim 5 or 6; and

and a measuring instrument for performing various measurements of the tire mounted on the upper rim and the lower rim held by the rim holding machine.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a rim changing machine that changes a rim between a rim holding machine that holds a rim fitted to a bead portion of a tire, a rim holding device provided with the rim changing machine, and a tire testing system provided with the rim holding device.

Background

In manufacturing a rubber tire used for a vehicle or the like, various tests are performed on the tire in a state where the tire is inflated (inflated) in a simulated manner by a test apparatus in order to ensure the quality of the tire. In such a tire testing system, after a tire is conveyed to a test position by a conveyor, a bead portion of the tire is sandwiched by an upper rim and a lower rim arranged at the test position to hold the tire. Further, various tests were performed on the tire while the tire was held.

In a tire testing system, it is desirable to maintain tires of different sizes. Therefore, in most cases, the tire testing system includes a rim changer for changing the upper rim and the lower rim with the rim holder in addition to the rim holder for holding the upper rim and the lower rim.

The rim changing machine described in patent document 1 includes: an upper seat plate on which an upper rim is mounted; a lower seat plate on which a lower rim is mounted; and a moving mechanism for moving the upper seat plate and the lower seat plate in the horizontal direction. A spindle hole penetrating in the direction of the plumb is formed in the upper base plate. The upper rim has: a rim body embedded in an upper bead portion of a tire; and a main shaft part penetrating the center of the rim body. The upper rim is supported by the upper seat plate in a state where the spindle portion enters the spindle hole and the rim body contacts the upper surface of the upper seat plate. The upper seat plate and the lower seat plate are moved by the moving mechanism between a delivery position where the upper rim and the lower rim can be delivered between the moving mechanism and the rim holding machine and a retracted position where the upper seat plate and the lower seat plate are separated from the rim holding machine.

Prior art documents

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent No. 5313943

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

In the rim changing machine described in patent document 1, when the upper rim is changed between the rim changing machine and the rim holding machine, the main shaft portion of the upper rim needs to be taken out and put into the rim hole of the upper seat plate. Therefore, in the rim changing machine described in patent document 1, when the upper rim is changed between the rim changing machine and the rim holding machine, the rim changing time becomes long due to any one of the following reasons 1)2) 3).

1) The distance that the upper rim moves up and down relatively to the upper rim support body is lengthened.

2) The number of processes for moving the upper rim up and down is increased.

3) There are limits to the timing of executing the step of moving the upper rim up and down and the timing of executing the step of moving the upper and lower rim support portions horizontally.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a rim changing machine capable of changing a rim in a short time, a rim holding device provided with the rim changing machine, and a tire testing system provided with the rim holding device.

Means for solving the technical problem

In a first aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, there is provided a rim changing machine for changing an upper rim and a lower rim between the rim changing machine and a rim retainer for retaining the upper rim and the lower rim each having a rim body fitted into a tire and a protruding portion protruding from the rim body, the rim changing machine including: a rim stocker supporting the upper rim and the lower rim; and a stocker moving mechanism that moves the rim stocker between a delivery position where the upper rim and the lower rim can be delivered between the stocker moving mechanism and the rim holder, and a retracted position where the lower rim and the upper rim are separated from the rim holder.

The rim stocker includes upper and lower rim support portions having: an upper rim support portion that supports the upper rim; a lower rim support portion supporting the lower rim; and a connecting portion that connects the upper rim support portion and the lower rim support portion. Each of the upper rim support portion and the lower rim support portion has a pair of support arms spaced apart from each other in a horizontal direction, a space between a front end of one of the support arms and a front end of the other support arm becomes an open end through which the rim body enters between the pair of support arms, and upper surfaces of the pair of support arms become projection support surfaces that support the projections from below.

In this rim changing machine, since both the upper rim support portion and the lower rim support portion of the rim stocker have open ends, when the rim stocker is moved, the rim body of each rim can be placed between the 2 support arms without moving the upper rim holding mechanism and the lower rim holding mechanism relative to the rim stocker in the vertical direction. Therefore, the rim replacement time can be shortened by at least any one of the following reasons 1)2) 3).

1) The distance that the upper rim moves up and down relatively to the upper rim support part is shortened.

2) The number of processes for moving the upper rim up and down is reduced.

3) The restrictions on the execution timing of the step of moving the upper rim up and down and the execution timing of the step of moving the upper and lower rim support portions horizontally are alleviated.

According to the rim changing machine of the first mode,

in a second aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, the lower rim support portion is disposed with respect to the upper rim support portion such that a center position of the upper rim when the upper rim support portion supports the upper rim and a center position of the lower rim when the lower rim support portion supports the lower rim coincide with each other when viewed from a plumb direction.

According to the rim changing machine of the first or second aspect,

in a third aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, the rim stocker includes: a plurality of said upper and lower rim support portions; a stocker rotation shaft portion that rotates about a stocker rotation axis extending in the plumb direction; and a stocker rotating mechanism that rotates the stocker rotating shaft. The plurality of upper and lower rim support portions are fixed to the stocker rotation shaft portion such that the open end of each of the upper and lower rim support portions faces radially outward with respect to the stocker rotation axis.

The rim stocker of the rim changing machine has a plurality of upper and lower rim support portions. Therefore, in the rim changing machine, when the upper rim and the lower rim to be replaced are supported by one of the plurality of upper and lower rim supporting portions and the remaining upper and lower rim supporting portions are left free, the upper rim and the lower rim can be replaced between the rim holding machine and the rim changing machine by one reciprocating movement of the rim stocker.

The rim changing machine according to any one of the first to third aspects,

in a rim changer according to a fourth aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, the stocker moving mechanism suspends and holds the rim stocker.

In this rim changing machine, the space below the rim stocker is not occupied by the stocker moving mechanism, and therefore the space below the rim stocker can be effectively used.

A fifth aspect of the present invention for achieving the object is a rim holding device including the rim changing machine and the rim holding machine according to any one of the first to fourth aspects.

The rim retainer comprises: an upper rim holding mechanism that holds the upper rim fitted to an upper bead portion of the tire; a lower rim holding mechanism that holds the lower rim fitted to a lower bead portion of the tire below the upper rim; a first rim moving mechanism that moves the upper rim holding mechanism relative to the lower rim holding mechanism in a plumb direction; a second rim moving mechanism that relatively moves a rim that is a holding object of the one of the rim holding mechanisms in a plumb direction with respect to the one of the upper rim holding mechanism and the lower rim holding mechanism; and a conveyor that conveys the tire on a conveying path extending in the horizontal direction.

According to the rim holding device of the fifth aspect,

in a rim holding device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, the rim holding device includes a conveyor lifting device for lifting and lowering the conveyor. The conveyor is provided with: a conveyor belt conveyor having a conveyor belt on which the tire is mounted; and a lower rim support body that is in contact with the lower rim to support the lower rim. The lower rim support body is disposed at a position different from the conveyor belt in the horizontal direction and below the upper surface of the conveyor belt. The conveyor lifting device constitutes the second rim moving mechanism.

In the rim holding device, the conveyor lifting device constitutes a second rim moving mechanism, and the conveyor lifting device relatively moves the lower rim in the plumb direction with respect to the lower rim holding mechanism together with the conveyor. In this rim holding device, the lower rim is supported by the lower rim support body when the lower rim is moved relative to the lower rim holding mechanism. In this rim holding device, the lower rim support body is disposed at a position different from the conveyor belt and below the upper surface of the conveyor belt in the horizontal direction. Thus, in the rim holding device, when the lower rim is moved relative to the lower rim holding mechanism, the lower rim does not contact the conveyor belt, and therefore damage to the conveyor belt can be suppressed.

A tire testing system according to a seventh aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object includes:

the rim holding device according to the fifth aspect or the sixth aspect; and

and a measuring instrument for performing various measurements of the tire mounted on the upper rim and the lower rim held by the rim holding machine.

Effects of the invention

According to an aspect of the present invention, the rim can be replaced in a short time.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a tire testing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a cutaway top view of the main portion of the intermediate conveyor in one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V of fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the rim changing machine in an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a rim stocker in an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the rim holding machine and the rim changing machine after the replacement preparation process in the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a side view of the rim holding machine and the rim changing machine after the receiving process in the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a side view of the rim holding machine and the rim changing machine in the transfer process in the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a side view of the rim holding machine and the rim changing machine after the delivery process in the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 12 is a side view of the rim holding machine and the rim changing machine after the tire test preparation process in the embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a tire testing system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the tire testing system of the present embodiment includes a preprocessing device 10 for preprocessing a tire T as a test object, a testing device 20 for performing various tests on the tire T, a post-processing device 50 for performing post-processing on the tire T after the test, and a control device, not shown, for controlling operations of these devices 10, 20, and 50.

The pretreatment device 10 includes an entrance conveyor 11, a centering mechanism 12, and a lubricant application mechanism not shown. The entrance conveyor 11 conveys the tire T in a predetermined direction. Hereinafter, this direction is referred to as a conveyance direction X. One side in the conveyance direction X is a downstream side (+) X, and the opposite side to the downstream side (+) X is an upstream side (-) X. The inlet conveyor 11 is configured to place a tire T with two sidewalls Twu and Twd (see fig. 2) facing in the vertical direction. The entrance conveyor 11 conveys the mounted tire T from the upstream side (-) X to the downstream side (+) X.

The centering mechanism 12 positions the center of the tire T at a predetermined position on the entrance conveyor 11 on the entrance conveying path. The predetermined position is the center of the entrance conveying path in the path width direction Y. Therefore, the centering mechanism 12 centers the tire T. A lubricant applying mechanism, not shown, applies a lubricant to the upper bead portion Tbu and the lower bead portion Tbd of the centered tire T.

The testing apparatus 20 includes a rim holding machine 30, a tire measuring instrument 39, a rim changing machine 60, and a frame 21 supporting them. In the present embodiment, the rim holding device is constituted by the rim holding machine 30 and the rim changing machine 60. The rim retainer 30 rotatably retains an upper rim 40u fitted to an upper bead portion Tbu of the tire T and a lower rim 40d fitted to a lower bead portion Tbd of the tire T. When the tire T is mounted on the held upper rim 40u and lower rim 40d, the rim holding machine 30 holds the tire T. Thus, the rim holding machine 30 may be referred to as a tire holding machine. Therefore, hereinafter, the rim retainer 30 may be referred to as a tire retainer 30. The rim retainer 30 includes an intermediate conveyor 22. The intermediate conveyor 22 is disposed on the downstream side (+) X of the inlet conveyor 11, and conveys the tire T in the same direction as the conveying direction X of the inlet conveyor 11. Therefore, the path width direction Y of the intermediate conveyance path of the intermediate conveyor 22 is also the same direction as the path width direction Y of the entrance conveyance path. The tire measuring instrument 39 performs various measurements related to the tire T held by the tire holding machine 30.

The post-processing apparatus 50 includes an exit conveyor 51 and a marking mechanism not shown. The exit conveyor 51 is disposed on the downstream side (+) X of the intermediate conveyor 22, and conveys the tire T in the same direction as the conveying direction X of the entrance conveyor 11 and the intermediate conveyor 22. Therefore, the path width direction Y of the exit conveying path of the exit conveyor 51 is also the same direction as the path width direction Y of the entrance conveying path and the intermediate conveying path. The vertical level of the outlet transport path is the same as the vertical level of the inlet transport path.

As shown in fig. 6 and 7, the upper rim 40u held by the rim holding machine 30 includes an upper rim body 41u and an upper flange portion (protruding portion) 45 u. The upper rim body 41u includes an upper rim body 42u, an upper rim held portion 43u, an upper bead insert portion 44u, and an upper main shaft portion 46 u. The upper rim body 42u is cylindrical about an upper rim axis Lru. Here, the direction in which the upper rim axis Lru extends is referred to as an upper rim axis direction, one side of the upper rim axis direction is referred to as an upper side, and the other side is referred to as a lower side. The upper rim held portion 43u is a portion held by the rim holder 30. The upper rim held portion 43u is formed on the upper side of the upper rim body 42 u. The upper bead insert portion 44u is a portion that is inserted into the upper bead portion Tbu of the tire T. The upper bead insert portion 44u is formed on the outer peripheral side of the upper rim body 42 u. The upper spindle portion 46u is cylindrical about the upper rim axis Lru. The upper main shaft portion 46u is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the cylindrical upper rim body 42 u. The lower end of the upper spindle portion 46u protrudes downward from the upper rim body 42 u. The upper flange portion 45u projects radially outwardly from the upper rim body 42u relative to the upper rim axis Lru.

The lower rim 40d held by the rim holder 30 has a lower rim body 41d and a lower flange portion (protruding portion) 45 d. The lower rim body 41d has a lower rim body 42d, a lower rim held portion 43d, and a lower bead insert portion 44 d. The lower rim body 42d is cylindrical about a lower rim axis Lrd. Here, the direction in which the lower rim axis Lrd extends is referred to as the lower rim axis direction, one side of the lower rim axis direction is referred to as the upper side, and the other side is referred to as the lower side. The lower rim held portion 43d is a portion held by the rim holder 30. The lower rim held portion 43d is formed on the lower side of the lower rim main body 42 d. The lower bead insert portion 44d is a portion that is inserted into the lower bead portion Tbd of the tire T. The lower bead insert portion 44d is formed on the outer peripheral side of the lower rim body 42 d. The lower flange portion 45d projects radially outward from the lower rim body 42d with respect to the lower rim axis Lrd.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the rim holding machine 30 in the test apparatus 20 includes, in addition to the intermediate conveyor 22, an upper rim holding mechanism 32u, a tire stripper 49, a lower spindle 31d, a lower rim holding mechanism 32d, a rim lifting machine (first moving mechanism) 37, and a conveyor lifting device (second moving mechanism) 25.

The lower spindle 31d is a columnar member centered on a rotation axis Lr extending in the plumb direction. The lower spindle 31d is rotationally driven around the rotation axis Lr on the base 21a of the frame 21. The lower rim holding mechanism 32d holds the lower rim held portion 43d of the lower rim 40 d. The lower rim 40d is held by the lower rim holding mechanism 32d, whereby the lower rim axis Lrd coincides with the rotation axis Lr. The upper rim holding mechanism 32u holds the upper rim held portion 43u of the upper rim 40 u. The upper rim 40u is held by the upper rim retaining mechanism 32u such that the upper rim axis Lru coincides with the axis of rotation Lr. The tire stripper 49 is a mechanism that presses the upper sidewall Twu of the tire T downward. The tire stripper 49 is configured to have an air cylinder, for example.

The rim lifting machine (first moving mechanism) 37 is supported movably in the plumb direction by a main frame 21b of the frame 21 via a guide member 37a such as a linear guide. The rim elevator 37 is provided with the upper rim holding mechanism 32u and the tire stripper 49.

The rim lifting and lowering machine 37 lifts and lowers the upper rim 40u held by the upper rim holding mechanism 32u in a state where the upper rim axis Lru coincides with the rotation axis Lr of the lower spindle 31 d. When the rim lifting machine 37 is lowered, the lower portion of the upper spindle portion 46u is inserted into the lower spindle 31 d. The upper spindle portion 46u is coupled to the lower spindle 31d at a predetermined insertion position by a lock mechanism (not shown) provided in the lower spindle 31 d. When the upper rim 40u having the upper spindle portion 46u is coupled to the lower spindle 31d by the lock mechanism, it is integrally rotated along with the rotation of the lower spindle 31 d.

The intermediate conveyor 22 is supported by the main frame 21b so as to be movable in the vertical direction via a guide member 25a such as a linear guide. The intermediate conveyor 22 is vertically moved up and down between an upper limit position and a lower limit position by a conveyor lifting device 25 provided with a servo motor (not shown). The upper limit position of the intermediate conveyor 22 is a position above the conveyance height position. As shown by the broken lines in fig. 2 and 3, the conveyance height position is a position where the level of the upper surface of the intermediate conveyor 22 is the same as the levels of the entrance conveyance path and the exit conveyance path, in other words, the level of the intermediate conveyance path is the same as the levels of the entrance conveyance path and the exit conveyance path. As shown by the solid lines in fig. 2 and 3, the lower limit position of the intermediate conveyor 22 is a position where the level of the upper surface of the intermediate conveyor 22 is lower than the lower rim 40d attached to the lower spindle 31 d. The lower limit position is a position lower than the conveyance height position.

When the intermediate conveyance path of the intermediate conveyor 22 is at the conveyance height position, an imaginary line passing through the rotation axis Lr of the lower spindle 31d and extending in the conveyance direction X on the intermediate conveyance path is a path center line Lc (refer to fig. 1). The path center line Lc is the center of the intermediate conveyance path in the path width direction Y. The centering mechanism 12 of the preprocessing unit 10 positions the center of the tire T on the path center line Lc.

The intermediate conveyor 22 has a pair of conveyor belts 23 spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in the path width direction Y. That is, the intermediate conveyor 22 is a belt conveyor. Of the pair of belts 23, the one belt 23 and the other belt 23 are disposed at positions symmetrical in the path width direction Y with respect to a path center line Lc passing through the rotation axis Lr. The distance between the pair of conveyors 23 in the path width direction Y can be adjusted by a known conveyor opening/closing mechanism 24. Therefore, when the intermediate conveyor 22 is lifted, the lower spindle 31d and the lower rim 40d can pass between the pair of conveyor belts 23.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the intermediate conveyor 22 further includes: an upstream pulley 26a and a downstream pulley 26b on which the belt 23 is suspended; a conveyor frame 27 that rotatably supports the upstream pulley 26a and the downstream pulley 26 b; and 2 lower rim support mechanisms 28. The upstream-side pulley 26a, the downstream-side pulley 26b, the conveyor frame 27, and the 2 lower rim support mechanisms 28 are present for each pair of the conveyor belts 23. The conveyor frame 27 is a member long in the conveying direction X. The upstream pulley 26a is rotatably supported by an upstream (-) X portion of the conveyor frame 27. The downstream pulley 26b is rotatably supported by a downstream (+) X portion of the conveyor frame 27. The belt 23 is suspended from the upstream pulley 26a and the downstream pulley 26 b. Each of the 2 lower rim support mechanisms 28 includes a lower rim support body 28a and a support body moving mechanism 28c that moves the lower rim support body 28a in the conveying direction X. The lower rim support body 28a has a flat rim support surface 28b facing upward. A support body moving mechanism 28c that moves the lower rim support body 28a is fixed to the conveyor frame 27. The support body moving mechanism 28c is, for example, an air cylinder.

One lower rim support body 28a of the 2 lower rim support bodies 28a is disposed on the upstream side (-) X with respect to the rotation axis Lr, and the other lower rim support body 28a is disposed on the downstream side (+) X with respect to the rotation axis Lr. The lower rim support bodies 28a are disposed at positions different from the conveyor belt 23 supported by the conveyor frame 27 in the path width direction Y. Specifically, each of the 2 lower rim support bodies 28a for one conveyor belt 23 of the pair of conveyor belts 23 is disposed on the other conveyor belt 23 side with reference to the one conveyor belt 23. The rim support surface 28b of the lower rim support body 28a is located below the upper surface of the conveyor belt 23, i.e., below the intermediate conveyance path. The lower rim support body 28a disposed on the upstream side (-) X of the rotation axis Lr is advanced and retreated by the support body moving mechanism 28c between a retreat position at which the lower rim 40d cannot be supported and a support position at which the lower rim 40d can be supported on the downstream side (+) X of the retreat position. In fig. 4, the lower rim support body 28a at the retracted position is indicated by a solid line, and the lower rim support body 28a at the support position is indicated by a broken line. The lower rim support body 28a disposed at the position on the downstream side (+) X with respect to the rotation axis Lr is advanced and retreated by the support body moving mechanism 28c between a retreat position at which the lower rim 40d cannot be supported and a support position at which the lower rim 40d can be supported at the position on the upstream side (-) X with respect to the retreat position.

As shown in fig. 1, 6, and 7, the rim changer 60 includes: a rim stocker 61 for supporting the upper rim 40u and the lower rim 40 d; a stocker moving mechanism 70 that moves the rim stocker 61 in the horizontal direction; and an exchanger frame 75.

The rim stocker 61 includes: a plurality of upper and lower rim support portions 62; a stocker rotation shaft 66 that rotates about a stocker rotation axis Lrs extending in the plumb direction; and a storage container rotating mechanism 67 for rotating the storage container rotating shaft 66.

The upper and lower rim support portions 62 have: an upper rim support portion 62u that supports the upper rim 40 u; a lower rim support 62d that supports the lower rim 40 d; and a connecting portion 65 that connects the upper rim support portion 62u and the lower rim support portion 62 d. Each of the upper rim support portion 62u and the lower rim support portion 62d has a pair of support arms 63 and an arm connecting portion 64 extending in the horizontal direction. The pair of support arms 63 are spaced apart from each other in a horizontal direction perpendicular to a direction in which the support arms 63 extend. The dimension of the space between the pair of support arms 63 is slightly larger than the outer diameter dimension of the main body 42 of the upper rim 40u and the lower rim 40 d. The arm connecting portion 64 connects the base end of one support arm 63 of the pair of support arms 63 and the base end of the other support arm 63. The body 42, which is the upper rim 40u and the lower rim 40d between the front end of one of the support arms 63 and the front end of the other support arm 63, enters the open end 63a between the pair of support arms 63. The upper surfaces of the pair of support arms 63 in the upper rim support portion 62u serve as flange support surfaces (protrusion support surfaces) 63b that support the upper flange portion 45u of the upper rim 40u from below. The upper surfaces of the pair of support arms 63 in the lower rim support portion 62d serve as flange support surfaces (protrusion support surfaces) 63b that support the lower flange portion 45d of the lower rim 40d from below.

The connection portion 65 connects the arm connection portion 64 of the upper rim support portion 62u and the arm connection portion 64 of the lower rim support portion 62d such that the open end 63a of the lower rim support portion 62d is present below the open end 63a of the upper rim support portion 62u and the arm connection portion 64 of the lower rim support portion 62d is present below the arm connection portion 64 of the upper rim support portion 62 u. The center position of the lower rim 40d supported by the lower rim support portion 62d coincides with the center position of the upper rim 40u supported by the upper rim support portion 62u when viewed from the plumb direction. In other words, the lower rim axis Lrd of the lower rim 40d supported by the lower rim support portion 62d is located on an extension of the upper rim axis Lru of the upper rim 40u supported by the upper rim support portion 62 u.

The plurality of upper and lower rim support portions 62 are fixed to the stocker rotation shaft portion 66 such that the open ends 63a of the upper and lower rim support portions 62 face radially outward with respect to the stocker rotation axis Lrs. A part of the stocker rotation shaft portion 66 constitutes the coupling portion 65 of each of the upper and lower rim support portions 62. The accumulator rotational axis Lrs is parallel to the rotational axis Lr of the rim retainer 30. The position of the stocker rotation axis Lrs is a position deviated from the rotation axis Lr in the path width direction Y.

The stocker rotating mechanism 67 includes a driven pulley 68a, a drive pulley 68b, a belt 68c stretched over 2 pulleys 68a, 68b, a motor 68d for rotating the drive pulley 68b, a bearing 68e, and a base 69. The driven pulley 68a is attached to the upper end of the stocker rotating shaft portion 66. The bearing 68e supports the stocker rotation shaft portion 66 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis Lrs. The bearing 68e and the motor 68d are fixed to the base 69. The above is an example of the configuration of the stocker rotating mechanism 67, and other configurations may be used. For example, the stocker rotating mechanism 67 may be constituted by a motor directly connected to the stocker rotating shaft portion 66.

The exchanger frame 75 includes: a plurality of support columns 75a standing on the base 21a of the frame 21; and a plurality of cross members 75b connecting upper portions of the plurality of columns 75a to each other.

The stocker moving mechanism 70 includes: a threaded shaft 71 extending in the path width direction Y; a nut member 72 screwed into the threaded shaft 71; a bearing 72a that supports the screw shaft 71 so as to be rotatable about its central axis; and a motor 72b for rotating the screw shaft 71 about its rotation axis.

The threaded shaft 71 is disposed above the rim stocker 61 and the changer frame 75. An output shaft of the motor 72b is connected to one end of the screw shaft 71. The other end of the screw shaft 71 is supported by a bearing 72 a. The motor 72b and the bearing 72a are fixed to an upper portion of any one of the exchanger frames 75. The nut member 72 is fixed to the base 69 of the stocker rotating mechanism 67.

According to the above configuration, when the motor 72b is driven and the screw shaft 71 is rotated about the central axis thereof, the nut member 72 and the rim stocker 61 connected to the nut member 72 move in the path width direction Y. The rim stocker 61 moves in the path width direction Y between the delivery position and the retreat position. The delivery position is a position at which any one of the upper and lower rim support portions 62 among the plurality of upper and lower rim support portions 62 can deliver the upper rim 40u and the lower rim 40d to the rim holding machine 30. In this delivery position, the upper rim axis Lru of the upper rim 40u and the lower rim axis Lrd of the lower rim 40d supported by the one upper and lower rim support portion 62 are located on the rotation axis Lr of the rim holding machine 30. Thus, in the delivery position, a part of the rim stocker 61 overlaps the rim holder 30 when viewed from the plumb direction. The retreat position is a position at which the one upper and lower rim support portions 62 are separated from the rim retainer 30 on the side where the arm connecting portion 64 exists with respect to the open end 63a of the one upper and lower rim support portions 62 at the delivery position. The retracted position is a position in which: even if the plurality of upper and lower rim support portions 62 rotate about the stocker rotation axis Lrs, the plurality of upper and lower rim support portions 62 do not come into contact with the tire T conveyed in the conveyance direction X on the rim holder 30 and the intermediate conveyor 22.

Although not shown, the stocker moving mechanism 70 of the present embodiment includes a guide rail extending in the path width direction Y and a guide slidable along the guide rail. The guide rails are fixed to the changer frame 75. The guide is coupled to a base 69 of the rim stocker 61, for example. The guide rail and the guide member function as follows: the rim stocker 61 is supported by the changer frame 75 so that the rim stocker 61 can move relative to the changer frame 75 while guiding the moving direction of the rim stocker 61. The guide rail and the guide are both located above the plurality of upper and lower rim support portions 62. That is, the stocker moving mechanism 70 is located above the plurality of upper and lower rim support portions 62, suspends and holds the rim stocker 61, and moves the rim stocker 61 in the path width direction Y.

Next, the operation of the tire testing system described above will be described.

When the tire T is placed on the entrance conveyor 11, the centering mechanism 12 of the preprocessing device 10 operates to position the center of the tire T at the center of the entrance conveying path, in other words, on the path center line Lc. After the centering mechanism 12 is operated, the lubricant applying mechanism of the preprocessing device 10 applies lubricant to the upper bead portion Tbu and the lower bead portion Tbd of the tire T.

When the lubricant application to the tire T is completed, the driving of the entrance conveyor 11 and the intermediate conveyor 22 is started, and the tire T is conveyed to the downstream side (+) X. If the tire T is conveyed into the test area, the intermediate conveyor 22 is stopped. The test region is a cylindrical region having an outer diameter around the rotation axis Lr substantially equal to the outer diameter of the tire T.

When the intermediate conveyor 22 stops, the conveyor lifting device 25 is driven to lower the intermediate conveyor 22 and the tire T placed thereon. The upper surface of the intermediate conveyor 22 is lowered to a position lower than the lower rim 40 d. In this lowering process, the lower bead portion Tbd of the tire T is fitted into the lower rim 40d attached to the lower spindle 31d, and the tire T is supported from below by the intermediate conveyor 22 and the lower rim 40 d.

Subsequently, the upper rim 40u held by the upper rim holding mechanism 32u is lowered by the driving of the rim lifting machine 37. By this lowering, the upper bead portion Tbu of the tire T is fitted into the upper rim 40 u. As a result, the tire T is sandwiched between the upper rim 40u and the lower rim 40 d. The lower portion of the upper spindle portion 46u enters the lower spindle 31 d. The upper main shaft portion 46u is coupled to the lower main shaft 31d by a lock mechanism (not shown) provided in the lower main shaft 31 d.

Then, air is supplied from the outside through the upper spindle portion 46u or the lower spindle 31d into the tire T. When air is supplied into the tire T, the lower spindle 31d rotates. The lower rim 40d attached to the lower spindle 31d, the upper rim 40u coupled to the lower spindle 31d, and the lower spindle 31d rotate integrally with each other in accordance with the rotation of the lower spindle 31 d. As a result, the tire T held between the upper rim 40u and the lower rim 40d also rotates. During the rotation of the tire T, various measurements related to the tire T are performed.

When the above various measurements are completed, air is extracted from the tire T. Then, the coupling state between the upper rim 40u and the lower spindle 31d by the lock mechanism is released. The upper rim 40u released from the coupled state with the lower spindle 31d is raised by the driving of the rim lifting machine 37. When the upper rim 40u is retracted upward, the conveyor lifting device 25 is driven to raise the intermediate conveyor 22 to the conveyance height position. The tire T rises as the intermediate conveyor 22 rises. On the other hand, the lower rim 40d in which the lower bead portion Tbd of the tire T is fitted does not rise. Therefore, during the ascent of the tire T, the lower bead portion Tbd of the tire T is disengaged from the lower rim 40 d. Then, the plurality of tire strippers 49 provided to the rim lifting and lowering machine 37 are driven to press down the tire T against the upper rim 40 u. As a result, the upper bead portion Tbu of the tire T is separated from the upper rim 40 u. Further, the extraction from the upper bead portion Tbu of the upper rim 40u by the driving of the tire stripper 49 may be performed at the time of the ascent of the upper spindle 31u performed before the ascent of the intermediate conveyor 22. In this way, the tire T is pulled out from the upper rim 40u and the lower rim 40 d.

When the tire T is pulled out from the upper rim 40u and the lower rim 40d, the intermediate conveyor 22 is driven to convey the tire T on the intermediate conveyor 22 to the downstream side (+) X. As described above, the conveyance height position of the intermediate conveyor 22 is a position where the level of the intermediate conveyance path is the same as the level of the entrance conveyance path and the exit conveyance path. Therefore, the tire T on the intermediate conveyor 22 is transferred from the intermediate conveyor 22 to the exit conveyor 51. The exit conveyor 51 marks the tire T with various information such as measurement results by a marking mechanism not shown.

In the tire testing system, various tests related to tires of different sizes are also performed. Therefore, the tire testing system includes the belt opening/closing mechanism 24, and the belt opening/closing mechanism 24 adjusts the interval between the pair of belts 23 constituting the intermediate conveyor 22 in the path width direction Y. The tire testing system further includes a rim replacement machine 60 that replaces the upper rim 40u and the lower rim 40d fitted to the tire T.

Here, as shown in fig. 3, the upper rim 40u held by the rim holding machine 30 is set as the first upper rim 40u1, and the lower rim 40d held by the rim holding machine 30 is set as the first lower rim 40d 1. Then, the upper rim 40u replaced with the first upper rim 40u1 is set as a second upper rim 40u2, and the lower rim 40d replaced with the first lower rim 40d1 is set as a second lower rim 40d 2.

As shown in fig. 3, when the upper rim 40u and the lower rim 40d are replaced, the tire T is not mounted on the first upper rim 40u1 and the first lower rim 40d1 held by the rim holding machine 30. Also, the intermediate conveyor 22 is located at the lower limit position. The second upper rim 40u2 and the second lower rim 40d2 are supported by any one of the upper and lower rim support portions 62 among the plurality of upper and lower rim support portions 62. The other upper and lower rim support portion 62 of the plurality of upper and lower rim support portions 62 does not support the upper rim 40u and the lower rim 40 d. The open end 63a of the other upper and lower rim support portions 62 faces the rim retainer 30, more precisely, the rotation axis Lr side of the rim retainer 30. The rim stocker 61 supporting the second upper rim 40u2 and the second lower rim 40d2 is located at the retracted position.

In the replacement of the upper rim 40u and the lower rim 40d, a replacement preparation process is first performed. In this replacement preparation step, first, as shown in fig. 4, all the support body moving mechanisms 28c of the intermediate conveyor 22 are driven to position all the lower rim support bodies 28a at the support positions as shown by the broken lines in fig. 4. Next, as shown in fig. 8, the lower rim holding mechanism 32d is driven to release the holding of the first lower rim 40d1 by the lower rim holding mechanism 32 d. Subsequently, the conveyor elevator 25 is driven to raise the intermediate conveyor 22. In this process, the rim support surface 28b of the lower rim support body 28a located at the support position is in contact with the first lower rim 40d1, and the first lower rim 40d1 is supported by the lower rim support body 28 a. The intermediate conveyor 22 also rises thereafter and stops at the position of (lower rim delivery height Hd + α). Here, the lower rim delivery height Hd refers to the height of the intermediate conveyor 22 at which the lower surface level of the lower flange portion 45d in the first lower rim 40d1 supported by the lower rim support body 28a of the intermediate conveyor 22 is the same level as the level of the flange support surface 63b of the lower rim support portion 62 d. The position of the intermediate conveyor 22 at this height is the upper limit position of the intermediate conveyor 22 described above. And alpha is several mm to about 2 cm. Subsequently, the rim lifting machine 37 is raised or lowered to raise or lower the first upper rim 40u1 held by the upper rim holding mechanism 32 u. The rim lifting machine 37 is stopped at a position (upper rim transfer height Hu + α). Here, the upper rim delivery height Hu is a height of the rim lifting machine 37 at which the lower surface level of the upper flange portion 45u in the first upper rim 40u1 held by the upper rim holding mechanism 32u and the level of the flange support surface 63b of the upper rim support portion 62u are at the same level. Further, as described above, α is about several mm to 2 cm.

The replacement preparation step is completed in this manner. In the replacement preparation step, after the intermediate conveyor 22 is raised, the rim lifting machine 37 is raised or lowered. However, the intermediate conveyor 22 may be raised after the rim lift 37 is raised or lowered. Further, the raising or lowering of the rim lifting machine 37 and the raising of the intermediate conveyor 22 can be performed simultaneously.

Subsequently, an acceptance step is performed. In this receiving step, as shown in fig. 9, first, the stocker moving mechanism 70 is driven to advance the rim stocker 61 from the retracted position to the transfer position. By this forward movement of the rim stocker 61, the upper and lower rim support portions 62 that do not support the upper rim 40u and the lower rim 40d reach positions capable of receiving the first upper rim 40u1 and the first lower rim 40d 1. In this position, the body 42u of the first upper rim 40u1 enters between the 2 support arms 63 of the upper rim support portion 62u in the upper and lower rim support portions 62, and the body 42d of the first lower rim 40d1 enters between the 2 support arms 63 of the lower rim support portion 62d in the upper and lower rim support portions 62. However, the upper flange portion 45u of the first upper rim 40u1 and the flange support surface 63b of the upper rim support portion 62u are separated in the plumb direction and do not contact each other. Also, the lower flange portion 45d of the first lower rim 40d1 and the flange support surface 63b of the lower rim support portion 62d are separated in the plumb direction, and are not in contact with each other.

Subsequently, the rim elevator 37 is lowered by a height corresponding to α. As a result, the upper flange portion 45u of the first upper rim 40u1 contacts the flange support surface 63b of the upper rim support portion 62 u. Then, the upper rim holding mechanism 32u is driven to release the holding of the first upper rim 40u1 by the upper rim holding mechanism 32 u. As a result, the first upper rim 40u1 is supported by the upper rim support portion 62 u.

Subsequently, the conveyor elevator 25 is driven to lower the intermediate conveyor 22. By the lowering of the intermediate conveyor 22, the lower flange portion 45d of the first lower rim 40d1 supported by the lower rim support body 28a of the intermediate conveyor 22 comes into contact with the flange support surface 63b of the lower rim support portion 62 d. As a result, the first lower rim 40d1 is supported by the lower rim support portion 62 d. The intermediate conveyor 22 also descends thereafter, and stops at an intermediate standby position above the lower limit position.

The reception step is completed as described above. In this receiving step, the rim lifting machine 37 is lowered, and then the intermediate conveyor 22 is lowered. However, the rim elevator 37 may be lowered after the intermediate conveyor 22 is lowered. Further, the lowering of the rim lifting machine 37 and the lowering of the intermediate conveyor 22 can be performed simultaneously.

Then, a handover process is performed. In the delivery step, as shown in fig. 10, the rim lifting machine 37 is first raised to the intermediate standby position and stopped at the intermediate standby position. Next, the belt opening/closing mechanism 24 is driven to change the distance between the pair of belts 23 constituting the intermediate conveyor 22 in the path width direction Y. As a result, the gap between the pair of conveyor belts 23 is a gap at which the second lower rim 40d2 can be supported by all the lower rim support bodies 28 a. Next, the stocker rotation mechanism 67 is driven to rotate the plurality of upper and lower rim support portions 62 about the stocker rotation axis Lrs. By the rotation of the plurality of upper and lower rim support portions 62, the upper and lower rim support portions 62 supporting the second upper rim 40u2 and the second lower rim 40d2 reach the delivery position.

Next, as shown in fig. 11, the rim lifting machine 37 is lowered from the intermediate standby position to the upper rim delivery height Hu, and is stopped at the upper rim delivery height Hu. Then, the upper rim holding mechanism 32u is driven to hold the second upper rim 40u2 supported by the upper rim support portion 62 u. Further, as described above, the upper rim transfer height Hu is the height of the rim lifting machine 37 at which the lower surface level of the upper flange portion 45u of the second upper rim 40u2 supported by the upper rim support portion 62u and the level of the flange support surface 63b of the upper rim support portion 62u are the same level. In other words, the upper rim delivery height Hu is a height of the rim lifting machine 37 capable of holding the second upper rim 40u2 supported by the upper rim support portion 62u by the upper rim holding mechanism 32 u. Next, the intermediate conveyor 22 is raised from the intermediate retracted position to a position (lower rim delivery height Hd + α), and stopped at this position. In this process, the lower rim support body 28a of the intermediate conveyor 22 is in contact with the second lower rim 40d2, and the second lower rim 40d2 is supported by the lower rim support body 28 a. Similarly to the above, the lower rim delivery height Hd is the height of the intermediate conveyor 22 at which the lower surface level of the lower flange portion 45d of the second lower rim 40d2 supported by the lower rim support body 28a of the intermediate conveyor 22 is the same level as the level of the flange support surface 63b of the lower rim support portion 62 d.

The handover process is completed as described above. In the transfer step, the rim lifting machine 37 is lowered, and then the intermediate conveyor 22 is raised. However, the rim elevator 37 may be lowered after the intermediate conveyor 22 is raised. Further, the lowering of the rim lifting machine 37 and the raising of the intermediate conveyor 22 can be performed simultaneously.

Finally, a tire test preparation process is performed. In the tire test preparation step, first, the stocker moving mechanism 70 is driven, and the rim stocker 61 is retracted to the retracted position as shown in fig. 12. Subsequently, the rim lifting machine 37 is lifted up to the standby position. Subsequently, the conveyor elevator 25 is driven and the intermediate conveyor 22 is lowered to the lower limit position. During the lowering of the intermediate conveyor 22, the second lower rim 40d2 supported by the lower rim support body 28a of the intermediate conveyor 22 comes into contact with the lower spindle 31 d. When the second lower rim 40d2 comes into contact with the lower spindle 31d, the lower rim holding mechanism 32d is driven to hold the second lower rim 40d 2.

The tire test preparation step is completed as described above. In the tire test preparation step, after the rim stocker 61 is retracted to the retracted position, the rim elevator 37 is raised to the standby position. Also, thereafter, the intermediate conveyor 22 is lowered to the lower limit position. However, the order of execution of the retreat of the rim stocker 61, the ascent of the rim elevator 37, and the descent of the intermediate conveyor 22 is not limited to the above, and may be another order. Further, the retreat of the rim stocker 61, the raising of the rim elevator 37, and the lowering of the intermediate conveyor 22 can be simultaneously performed.

At the end of the tire test preparation process, the rim lifting machine 37 is located at the standby position. The second upper rim 40u2 is held by an upper rim holding mechanism 32u provided in the rim lifting machine 37. Also, the intermediate conveyor 22 is located at the lower limit position. The second lower rim 40d2 is held by the lower rim holding mechanism 32 d. The rim stocker 61 is located at the retracted position. The first upper rim 40u1 and the second lower rim 40d2 are supported by any one of the plurality of upper and lower rim support portions 62 of the rim stocker 61.

When the tire test preparation process is completed, the tire T corresponding to the second upper rim 40u2 and the second lower rim 40d2 held by the rim holding machine 30 is placed on the entrance conveyor 11 of the preprocessing device, and the preprocessing by the preprocessing device 10, the test by the testing device 20, and the post-processing by the post-processing device 50 are performed on the tire T as described above.

As described above, in the present embodiment, since both the upper rim support portion 62u and the lower rim support portion 62d of the rim stocker 61 have the open end 63a, when the rim stocker 61 is moved horizontally, the body 42 of each rim can be inserted between the 2 support arms 63 without moving the upper rim holding mechanism 32u and the lower rim holding mechanism 32d relative to the rim stocker 61 in the vertical direction. Therefore, the rim replacement time can be shortened by at least any one of the following reasons 1)2) 3).

1) The distance by which the upper rim 40u moves up and down relative to the upper rim support portion 62u is shortened.

2) The number of steps for moving the upper rim 40u up and down is reduced.

3) The restrictions on the timing of executing the process of moving the upper rim 40u up and down and the timing of executing the process of moving the upper and lower rim support portions 62 horizontally are alleviated.

Specifically, for example, for the reason 3) described above, in the tire test preparation step of the present embodiment, as described above, the raising of the rim lifting machine 37 (the raising of the upper rim 40u) and the retreat of the rim stocker 61 (the horizontal movement of the upper and lower rim support portions 62) can be simultaneously performed. On the other hand, in the technique described in patent document 1, the rim stocker cannot be retracted unless the upper rim 40u is raised and the spindle portion of the upper rim is taken out from the rim hole of the upper seat plate. As a result, although the description is repeated, the present embodiment can shorten the rim replacement time as compared with the technique described in patent document 1.

The rim stocker 61 of the present embodiment has a plurality of upper and lower rim support portions 62. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the upper rim 40u and the lower rim 40d to be replaced are supported by one upper and lower rim support portion 62 among the plurality of upper and lower rim support portions 62 and the remaining upper and lower rim support portions 62 are left empty, the upper rim 40u and the lower rim 40d can be replaced between the rim retaining machine 30 and the rim replacement machine 60 by one reciprocating movement of the rim stocker 61.

The stocker moving mechanism 70 of the present embodiment is located above the plurality of upper and lower rim support portions 62, and suspends and holds the rim stocker 61. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the space below the rim stocker 61 is not occupied by the stocker moving mechanism 70, and therefore the space below the rim stocker 61 can be effectively used. Specifically, for example, as shown in fig. 3 and the like, the dimension measuring instrument 39b can be disposed as a tire measuring instrument below the stocker moving mechanism 70 and the rim stocker 61.

In the present embodiment, when the lower rim 40d is moved relative to the lower rim holding mechanism 32d, the lower rim 40d is supported by the lower rim support body 28 a. In the present embodiment, the lower rim support body 28a is disposed at a position different from the conveyor belt 23 in the horizontal direction and below the upper surface of the conveyor belt 23. Thus, in the present embodiment, when the lower rim 40d is moved relative to the lower rim holding mechanism 32d, the lower rim 40d does not contact the conveyor belt 23, and therefore damage to the conveyor belt 23 can be suppressed.

Modification example "

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and includes modifications of the above embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. That is, the specific shape, structure, and the like described in the embodiments are merely examples, and can be modified as appropriate.

In the above embodiment, the intermediate conveyor 22 is moved relative to the lower rim 40d by lowering the intermediate conveyor 22. However, for example, the intermediate conveyor 22 may be moved relative to the lower rim 40d by raising the lower rim 40 d.

In the above embodiment, the first rim moving mechanism that moves the upper rim holding mechanism 32u relative to the lower rim holding mechanism 32d in the plumb direction is the rim lifting machine 37 that moves the upper rim holding mechanism 32u in the plumb direction. However, the first rim moving mechanism may be a mechanism that moves the lower rim holding mechanism 32d in the plumb direction. The second rim moving mechanism that moves the rim to be held by one of the rim holding mechanisms in the plumb direction relative to the one of the upper rim holding mechanism 32u and the lower rim holding mechanism 32d is the conveyor lifting device 25 that moves the lower rim 40d in the plumb direction relative to the lower rim holding mechanism 32d together with the intermediate conveyor 22. However, the second rim moving mechanism may be a mechanism that relatively moves the upper rim 40u with respect to the upper rim holding mechanism 32u in the plumb direction.

In the above embodiment, first, the tire T is placed on the lower rim 40d, and then the upper rim 40u is lowered, and the tire T is sandwiched between the upper rim 40u and the lower rim 40 d. However, by first depositing the tire T on the upper rim 40u and then bringing the lower rim 40d close to the tire T, the tire T can be held between the upper rim 40u and the lower rim 40 d.

The protruding portion 45 of the rim 40 of the above embodiment is a plate-shaped flange portion that protrudes outward in the radial direction with respect to the rim axis from the main body 42 of the rim 40. However, the protruding portion 45 may not be plate-shaped as long as it protrudes outward in the radial direction with respect to the rim axis from the main body 42 of the rim 40. That is, the projection 45 may not be a flange.

The above embodiment is an embodiment of a tire testing system. However, the rim changer of the present invention may be applied to systems other than the tire testing system.

Industrial applicability

According to an aspect of the present invention, the rim can be replaced in a short time.

Description of the symbols

10-pretreatment device, 11-entrance conveyor, 12-centering mechanism, 20-test device, 21-frame, 21 a-base, 21 b-main frame, 22-middle conveyor, 23-conveyor belt, 24-conveyor belt opening and closing mechanism, 25-conveyor lifting device, 25 a-guide member, 26 a-upstream side pulley, 26 b-downstream side pulley, 27-conveyor frame, 28-lower rim support mechanism, 28 a-lower rim support, 28 b-rim support surface, 28 c-support moving mechanism, 30-rim holder (tire holder), 31 d-lower spindle, 32 u-upper rim holding mechanism, 32 d-lower rim holding mechanism, 37-rim lifting device, 37 a-guide member, 39-tire gauge, 39 b-dimension gauge, 40-rim, 40 u-upper rim, 40u 1-first upper rim, 40u 2-second upper rim, 40 d-lower rim, 40d 1-first lower rim, 40d 2-second lower rim, 41 u-upper rim body, 41 d-lower rim body, 42-body, 42 u-upper rim body, 42 d-lower rim body, 43 u-upper rim retained portion, 43 d-lower rim retained portion, 44 u-upper bead insert portion, 44 d-lower bead insert portion, 45-flange portion (protrusion), 45 u-upper flange portion (protrusion), 45 d-lower flange portion (protrusion), 46 u-upper main shaft portion, 49-tire stripper, 50-post-processing device, 51-outlet conveyor, 60-rim changing machine, 61-rim stocker, 62-upper and lower rim support sections, 62 u-upper rim support section, 62 d-lower rim support section, 63-support arm, 63 a-open end, 63 b-flange support surface (protrusion support surface), 64-arm connection section, 65-connection section, 66-stocker rotation shaft section, 67-stocker rotation mechanism, 68 a-driven pulley, 68 b-drive pulley, 68 c-conveyor belt, 68 d-motor, 68 e-bearing, 69-base, 70-stocker movement mechanism, 71-threaded shaft, 72-nut member, 72 a-bearing, 72 b-motor, 75-changer frame, 75 a-strut, 75 b-beam, T-tire, Tbu-upper bead portion, Tbd-lower bead portion, Twu-upper sidewall, Twd-lower sidewall, Lc-path centerline, Lr-axis of rotation, Lru-upper rim axis, Lrd-lower rim axis, Lrs-hopper axis of rotation, X-conveyance direction, (-) X-upstream side, (+) X-downstream side, Y-path width direction.