JPH0460891B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

<Industrial Application Field> The present invention provides a tire sorting method for reading a barcode ticket indicating the tire size that is integrally attached to the surface of a vulcanized tire, a raw tire, or a raw cover (without tread), and Regarding equipment. <Prior Art> Conventionally, this type of tire sorting device is known as one described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 144235/1983, which reads a bar code stamped directly on the surface of a finished tire using a mold. This tire sorting device is equipped with a frame that is pivotally attached to the conveyor frame at one end and rotates to emerge and retract from the conveyor surface, in a rectangular notch provided longitudinally in the widthwise center of a conveyor that conveys tires horizontally. A pair of copying rollers that reciprocate in the longitudinal direction and come into contact with the inner peripheral edge of the lower tire and a pair of fixed support rollers that come into contact with the lower surface of the tire are each provided symmetrically about the center line on this frame. ,
A pressure bonding means having a roller that moves up and down between the pair of copying rollers and presses the tire circumference near the barcode, and a sensor for reading the barcode integrated with the pressure bonding means are provided, while a frame rotation end side A pair of stoppers/driving rollers are protrudingly provided on both sides of the rectangular notch, which can be recessed under the surface of the conveyor, and which abut against and rotate the outer peripheral edge of the tire. When the tire conveyed on the conveyor comes into contact with the stopper/driving roller, the frame rotates and the other end protrudes above the conveyor surface, and then the roller moves longitudinally along the frame. The pressure bonding means presses and holds the inner circumferential edge of the lower tire, and then the pressure bonding means rises and presses the tire circumference, and then the stopper and drive roller rotates to rotate the tire, and the pressure bonding means causes the tire to rotate. The sensor, which is kept at a constant distance from the circumference of the tire, reads the barcode. <Problems to be Solved by the Invention> However, in the conventional tire sorting device described above, only a part of one side of a horizontally placed tire is held between a pair of rollers from the outer circumferential edge and a lower inner circumferential edge, and The tire is rotated by a roller that rotates in contact with the periphery, and the barcodes of multiple tire sizes are read with a single sensor, which results in poor centering accuracy and uneven rotation of the drive roller. This has the disadvantage that the barcode often deviates from the sensor position due to changes in tire size, making it impossible to read it accurately. Furthermore, since the crimping means and the leader are provided and moved in one piece, the overall structure is complicated. Furthermore, because the conventional apparatus described above uses a method of reading a bar code engraved on the tire using a mold during vulcanization, it is only possible to identify vulcanized tires, and it is not possible to identify green tires or green covers. Additionally, for tires that have a barcode ticket that displays the tire size attached, there is no device that can automatically read this barcode ticket.
Furthermore, if a device for reading general products with barcodes is used as is for reading tires with barcode tickets, the centering accuracy will be low, resulting in large reading errors. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vulcanized tire, a raw tire, or a raw cover to which a versatile and convenient barcode ticket is integrally attached as a tire type label, by using a relatively simple mechanism. It is an object of the present invention to provide a tire sorting method and device capable of sorting tires by accurately and reliably reading tickets. <Means for Solving the Problems> In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the tire sorting method of the present invention is such that a tire having a barcode ticket indicating the size affixed thereto is placed on a transport means along the center line of the transport means. Then, the tire is rotated until its barcode ticket is on the center line, and then transported, and during the transport, the tire's barcode ticket is read by a reading means placed on the centerline. The tire sorting device of the present invention is characterized by having a conveyor for transporting tires on which barcode tickets indicating the tire size are affixed, and a pivot point on both sides of the conveyor with one end facing each other. It consists of an opening/closing arm of equal length attached to the belt, and a sub-centering means that detects tires and closes the transfer path, and a sub-centering means that is installed at the center of the conveyor in front of this sub-centering means and that reciprocates to approach and separate from the tires and rotates. A plurality of rollers that can move in the radial direction and expand and contract concentrically are installed at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction on a horizontal table that detects a tire and moves the inner edge of the tire with the rollers. a main centering means for holding the tire, a sensor for detecting when the barcode ticket of the tire rotated by the main centering means comes to the center of the conveyor and outputting a control signal to the main centering means; The present invention is characterized by comprising a barcode reader provided above the center of the front conveyor to read the barcode ticket of the tire being transported on the conveyor. <Function> In the tire sorting device of the present invention, the sub-centering means detects the tires transferred on the conveyor, rotates the opening/closing arm to close the transfer path in a V-shape, and removes the tires. After being positioned approximately at the center of the conveyor, it is rotated in the opposite direction again to open the transfer path.
Next, the main centering means detects the tire transferred from the sub-centering means,
First, the conveyor is stopped, the table is moved forward (raised) so as to be in contact with this tire, and then the plurality of rollers are moved radially outward to expand, and these rollers hold the inner peripheral edge of the tire. After centering, rotate. Meanwhile, the sensor detects the barcode ticket attached to the surface of the rotating tire at the center of the conveyor, outputs a control signal to the main centering means, stops the rotation of the table, and retracts the roller in the opposite direction. After the table is moved back (downward) away from the tires, the conveyor is started. In this way, the barcode ticket of the tire accurately positioned at the center of the conveyor is read by the barcode reader provided above while being transported on the conveyor, and the tires are sorted. <Examples> Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to illustrated examples. FIGS. 1 and 2 are a plan view and a side view, respectively, showing an example of an apparatus used to carry out the tire sorting method, in which 1 is a roller conveyor for carrying tires T and transporting them in the direction shown by arrow X; Reference numeral 2' has one end fixed to rotating shafts 2a and 2a', respectively, which are set upright to face the longitudinal frames 3 and 3' of this roller conveyor 1, and serves as a sub-centering means for eliminating left-right displacement of the tires. A long opening/closing arm 4 is installed below the rectangular notch 5 at the center of the roller conveyor in front of the opening/closing arm 2, 2', and in the raised position positions the barcode affixed to the tire on the conveyor center line. Main centering means, 6a, 6
Reference numerals b and 6c denote phototube position sensors which are arranged vertically at the same height on the center line of the roller conveyor above the rectangular notch 5 and detect barcode tickets on rotating tires; 7a, 7b and 7c are phototube position sensors. These barcode readers are arranged vertically at different heights on the center line of the roller conveyor in front of the roller conveyors 6a, 6b, and 6c, and read barcode tickets on tires moving on the conveyor. The roller conveyor 1 has a V-belt 8 stretched across one end of each roller so as to connect the rollers (first
(see figure), the roller 1a at the end is driven by a motor 10 via a V-belt 9 (see figure 2),
A V-belt 11 is stretched over the other end of the roller on the other end side of the rectangular notch 5, as well as the other ends of the front and rear rollers 1b, 1c that sandwich these. Further, the rollers 1d to 1a on the side of the barcode reader 7 are provided with guide grooves, and belt receiving plates 12, 12, . ~1a and the guide rollers 13, 14 are provided with a conveyor belt 15 with guide protrusions (Fig. 8) that fits into the guide grooves over the entire width to prevent meandering and vertical movement of the transported tires. (See Figure 2). In order to prevent the tires from meandering during transportation from the main centering means to the barcode reader, the pitch of each roller of the roller conveyor should be small. The above opening/closing arm 2,
2' has rotatable rollers 16 and 16' at their tips, respectively, and is rotated symmetrically around rotating shafts 2a and 2'a to open and close the transfer path by a drive means (not shown). When the transfer path is closed, the roller conveyor 1 is urged in a direction opposite to the transfer direction of the roller conveyor 1 by a force stronger than the rolling friction between the tires and the roller conveyor, and can rotate. This allows the arms 2 and 2' to smoothly center the tire, that is, correct the left and right deviation of the tire. The phototube position sensor 17 fixed to the longitudinal frame 3' in front of the opening/closing arm 2' detects when the tire T is transferred to this position, and after a certain period of time has elapsed, the phototube position sensor 17 is fixed to the longitudinal frame 3' in front of the opening/closing arm 2'. A stop signal is output to motor 10, and then the motor 1 is restarted after a certain period of time.
0 and an opening/closing motion signal to the drive means of the opening/closing arms 2, 2', respectively. The main centering means 4 is an air cylinder 3
A disk-shaped table 20 is fixed horizontally to the upper end of a rotating shaft 19 that is moved up and down (see arrow A in FIG. 2) at 0, and three chuck rollers 21, 21, 21, 21, 21 projecting at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction, and the rotating shaft 19 is rotated as shown by arrow B by a motor 18 with a brake fixed to the rotating shaft.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the table 20 is fixed to the upper end of the rotating shaft 19 by a key 22, and has three holes drilled in the radial direction on the outer circumference at equal angular intervals (120 degrees). Insert the shaft 24 of each of the chuck rollers 21 into the elongated holes 23, 23, 23, and
The base end 24a of the table 20 is slidably housed in a guide 25 fixed to the back surface of the table 20. and,
The base end 24a of the shaft 24 is connected to a rod 26a of an air cylinder 26 fixed in the radial direction to the inner back surface of the table 20, and each shaft 24 reciprocates so that its diameter expands and contracts concentrically with respect to the center of the table. A chuck roller 21 is rotatably attached to the upper part 24b of each shaft 24 via ball bearings 27, 27. In addition,
The chuck crawler 21 has a height that allows it to contact the upper and lower beads of the tire with the largest bead width. or,
The circumscribed diameter of the three chuck crawlers must be designed to be as small as possible, and the stroke must be sufficient to accommodate the tire with the maximum rim diameter. The longitudinal frame 3' (see Figures 1 and 2) above the main centering means 4 includes:
The chuck crawler 2 of this main centering means 4
A phototube position sensor 28 is fixed at a position corresponding to the front end of the smallest tire T' (see the broken line in FIG. 1) whose inner peripheral edge is held by points 1, 21, and 21. This phototube position sensor 28 detects when a tire is transferred to this position and sends a stop signal to the motor 10 of the roller conveyor 1 and a closing movement signal to the driving means of the opening/closing arms 2 and 2'. At the same time, the air cylinder 3 of the main centering means 4
A signal is output to 0 to cause the table 20 to rise. The air cylinder 30 is provided with a limit switch (not shown) that stops the upward drive by the air cylinder 30 and projects the rod 26a of the air cylinder 26 when the air cylinder 30 moves to the rising end.
A motor 1 with a brake that rotates the table 20 after holding the tire at three points by expanding the diameter of the tire concentrically in the radial direction for a certain period of time using a timer.
8 (using timing belt). In addition,
The phototube position sensor 28 is arranged at such a position that no matter what size tire is stopped at this position, the three chuck rollers 21 with reduced diameter can be inserted into the inner peripheral edge of the tire. The phototube position sensors 6a, 6b, and 6c are mounted on the surface near the inner peripheral edge (bead) of tires T of various sizes whose inner peripheral edges are held and rotated by three chuck rollers 21 with enlarged diameters of the main centering means 4. Attached barcode ticket U (second
They are arranged on the center line of the conveyor in order from those for small diameter tires, corresponding to the positions of (see figure), respectively. For example, since a passenger tire rim is 10" to 15", a plurality of sensors are arranged in tandem on the conveyor center line in 1/2" increments.Also, as another example, a sensor can be arranged in tandem with the opening operation of the chuck roller. , a single sensor may be moved back and forth on the center line of the conveyor using a motor/threaded rod method to detect the ticket positions of various tires.This phototube position sensor 6 is
The rotating barcode ticket U is captured and detected vertically downward as shown by the arrow C, and the motor with a brake that rotates the table 20 is stopped, whereby the position of the barcode ticket U on the tire is aligned with the conveyor. positioned on the center line.
Next, the rod 26a of the air cylinder 26 is retracted to reduce the diameter of the three chuck rollers 21 to the minimum diameter (see FIG. 4). When the chuck roller 21 finishes reducing its diameter, the air cylinder 30 then lowers the table 20 to its original position below the roller conveyor 1. In this way, when the table 20 finishes lowering, the main centering means 4 outputs a start signal to the motor 10 of the roller conveyor 1. Furthermore, even if the phototube position sensor 6 detects a barcode ticket U within a predetermined time (for example, 0.5 seconds) after the rotation of the table 20, this is invalidated and the table 20 is rotated until the next barcode ticket is detected. A timer is installed to eliminate centering errors. That is, there may be a slight deviation between the position of the barcode ticket when the barcode ticket is stopped after centering and rotation and the position of the barcode ticket when the barcode ticket is stopped only by centering, and the stopping accuracy may deteriorate. Note that the surfaces of the table 20 and chat crawler 21 are painted black, and the phototube position sensor 6 is
This is to prevent malfunctions. The barcode readers 7a, 7b, and 7c correspond to the height of the barcode ticket U, which is accurately positioned at the center of the roller conveyor 1 and transferred by the main centering means 4 and the phototube position sensor 6, respectively. They are arranged in steps starting from those for tires with small bead width, and the beam is irradiated in the direction of an angle θ (15°) with respect to the vertical line (see arrow D in Figure 2) to read the barcode ticket U and print the tire. It is designed to output a signal indicating the type. For example, if the variation width V of the barcode ticket affixing position (height) for all sizes of tires in the same category (passenger cars, trucks, buses, etc.) is 100 mm, use a reader whose 100% readable distance y is 200 mm ± 20 mm. In this case, the second leader 7b is arranged upward by 40 mm with respect to the first leader 7a (y=200 mm), and the third leader is arranged upward by 20 mm with respect to the second leader. Become. In another embodiment, the only reader is placed at a standard height position so as to be movable up and down by a motor/threaded rod, and the deviation sensor 3
The barcode tickets of various tires may be read by measuring the distance w from the tire in step 1 and moving the reader up and down by the deviation from the standard value. In addition, in order to prevent misalignment during movement and ensure reliable reading, the distance between the main centering means 4 and the barcode reader 7 is made as short as possible, and the distance between the starting end of the conveyor belt 15 and the barcode reader 7a is kept as short as possible.
The distance l between each tire is set to a distance greater than the radius of the tire, so that the bar code is read with any tire completely riding on the conveyor belt 15. FIGS. 6a and 6b are a cross-sectional view and a view taken in the direction of arrow b, showing the position where the barcode ticket U is pasted. The barcode ticket U is affixed to the outer surface T ₂ of the tire T at a distance of ho (3 mm) from the inner circumferential edge T ₁ containing the bead S of the tire T when the raw tire is completed, and the ticket size is w ₁
(22mm) x h ₁ (10mm), barcode part dimensions are w ₂ (13
mm) x h ₂ (7 mm), and the number below the barcode section indicates the tire size code. Alphabet a is a control code to prevent erroneous reading. If the ticket is defective and cannot be read, a signal from the computer activates a defective tire removal conveyor built into the discharge conveyor to remove the defective tire. The operation of the tire sorting device having the above-mentioned configuration will be described below, including an embodiment of the tire sorting method of the present invention, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 and according to each step of I to T shown in FIG. . (a) After confirming that the sensor 28 above the main centering means 4 is in a bright state and the table 20 is in a lowered state,
A roller conveyor 1 is activated by a motor 10 via belts 9 and 8, and tires T are transported one by one in the direction of arrow X on this roller conveyor 1. At this time, the opening/closing arms 2, 2' are in a state where the transfer path is closed. (b) When the sensor 17 in front of the opening/closing arms 2 and 2' detects the tire being transferred, after a certain period of time (sufficient time for one tire to reach from the sensor 17 to the sensor 28), as shown in the step , the motor 10 is stopped and the roller conveyor 1 is stopped. During this time, the tires are moved to rollers 16,1
6' and while rotating it, the opening/closing arms 2, 2' are pushed open to the position shown in FIG. (d) After confirming that the sensor 28 above the main centering means 4 is in the bright state, the roller conveyor 1 is started again, and after a certain period of time, the opening/closing arms 2, 2' are rotated to open the transfer path, and the tires are sent further forward. The opening/closing arms 2, 2' close after a passing time corresponding to one tire. (e) The sensor 28 above the main centering means 4 is
When an incoming tire is detected, the roller conveyor 1 is stopped and the table 20 of the main centering means 4 is projected from the rectangular notch 5 of the roller conveyor 1 in the direction of arrow A via the air cylinder 30, as shown in step 1. Raise it so that it does. (G) The limit switch provided on the cylinder 30 stops the rise of the table 20 when it reaches the rising end, and also stops the rise of the table 20 when the cylinder 30 reaches the rising end.
6a (see FIG. 4) to protrude and expand the diameters of the three chuck rollers 21 concentrically in the radial direction. With the chuck roller 21 expanded in diameter, after a certain period of time, the table 20 is rotated via the motor with a brake, as shown in the step. This allows the tire to be accurately positioned at the center of the roller conveyor 1. (li) When the sensor 6 located at the center of the roller conveyor above the rotating tire T detects the barcode ticket U affixed to the tire T, it stops the rotation of the table 20 and moves it to the stepple as shown in the step. As shown, the three chuck rollers 21 are reduced in diameter to the minimum diameter. The tire ticket position is now positioned on the conveyor center line. (wo) When the diameter of the chuck crawler 21 is completed,
Air cylinder 18 lowers table 20 to its original position below roller conveyor 1. (W) When the table 20 has finished lowering, the roller conveyor 1 is started again, and the tire is further conveyed forward on the conveyor belt 15 while being accurately positioned at the center of the roller conveyor 1. (F) The barcode reader 7 located at the center of the roller conveyor above the conveyor belt 15 reads the barcode ticket U sent over the center of the roller conveyor.
After reading the tire type and outputting a signal representing the tire type to a display device (not shown), the tire is discharged onto a discharge conveyor and returns to the start as shown in the steps. On the other hand, if the tire cannot be read, the roller conveyor 1 is stopped as shown in the stepper, an error message is displayed on the display device, etc., and the defective tire is removed by the defective tire removal conveyor. In the operation of the tire sorting device, in order to improve the stopping accuracy and reading rate of barcode tickets, it is desirable that the rotational speed of the table 20 be 10 rpm or less and the transfer speed of the roller conveyor 1 be 10 m/min or less. When the rotation speed was 10 r.pm and the roller conveyor transfer speed was 10 m/min, one cycle time from step to step was 25 seconds at the most. Table 1 listed at the end shows barcode tickets U
and the distance y between the barcode reader 7 (see Figure 2)
The graph also shows the results of testing the barcode ticket reading rate for tires of three different sizes by varying the beam scan width of the barcode reader. From Table 1 above, for the reader used in this test, the distance between the barcode ticket and the barcode reader is 200mm ± 20mm (appropriate distance).
This shows that the reading rate is 100%.
Also, if the distance x between the sensor 6 (for example, a reflective photoelectric switch) and one surface of the roller conveyor is 210 mm, then
It has been confirmed that barcode tickets with a height H of 122 mm to 182 mm can be detected accurately. Note that the main centering means provided below the roller conveyor 1 can also be provided above the roller conveyor 1. <Effects of the Invention> As is clear from the above explanation, the tire sorting method of the present invention allows tires with barcode tickets affixed to display size to be placed on a transport means so that the center of the tire is aligned with the center line of the transport means. The tires are positioned so that they match, and then the tire is rotated until its barcode ticket is on the center line, and then transported, and the barcode ticket on the tire is read by a reading means placed on the centerline during transport. And, the tire sorting device of the present invention is
It consists of a conveyor that carries tires on which a barcode ticket indicating the tire size is integrally affixed on the surface, and an opening/closing arm of equal length that is pivoted to the longitudinal frame on both sides of this conveyor with one end facing each other. There is a sub-centering means that detects the tires and closes the transfer path, and a horizontal table that is installed at the center of the conveyor in front of the sub-centering means and rotates as it moves up and down so as to approach and separate from the tires. a main centering means comprising a plurality of movable and concentrically expandable and contractible chuck crawlers protruding at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction, detecting the tire and holding the inner peripheral edge of the completed tire with the chuck crawlers; a sensor for detecting when the barcode ticket of the tire rotated by the centering means comes to the center of the conveyor and outputting a control signal to the main centering means; and a sensor provided above the center of the conveyor in front of the main centering means. , is equipped with a barcode reader that reads the barcode ticket on the tire moving on the conveyor, so the barcode ticket attached to the tire can be accurately positioned in the center of the conveyor, and the barcode reader can accurately locate the barcode ticket attached to the tire. Moreover, it can be read reliably, and has a remarkable effect on ensuring the reliability and efficiency of tire sorting.

【table】

[Table] (Note) There were no misrecognitions.
(Number of tires whose barcodes were read correctly)
(reading rate)=

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A tire with a barcode ticket indicating the size affixed is positioned on a transport means so that the center of the tire coincides with the center line of the transport means, and then the tire is rotated and its bar code is When the code ticket reaches the center line, stop the rotation and position the barcode ticket on the center line,
A tire sorting method characterized in that the tire is then transferred forward on the transfer means, and during the transfer, a barcode ticket of the tire is read by a reading means arranged on the center line. 2. It consists of a conveyor that transports tires with barcode tickets affixed to the surface that display the tire size, and opening/closing arms of equal length that are pivoted on both sides of this conveyor with one end facing each other to detect tires. A sub-centering means that closes the transfer path with a horizontal table, which is provided at the center of the conveyor in front of the sub-centering means, and which is movable in the radial direction and arranged in concentric circles on a horizontal table that reciprocates and rotates so as to move toward and away from the tires. A main centering means for detecting a tire and holding the inner circumferential edge of the tire with the rollers; a sensor configured to output a control signal to the main centering means so as to detect when the barcode ticket of the tire comes to the center of the conveyor and stop the rotation of the tire; and a sensor provided above the center of the conveyor in front of the main centering means. A tire sorting device comprising: a barcode reader for reading the barcode ticket of a tire being transferred on a conveyor.