# US 10,369,757 B2 · Method and plant for building tyres

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- Number: US 10,369,757 B2
- Document ID: US10369757B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/651,078
- Filed: 2013-12-19
- Published: 2015-11-19
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-20
- Assignees: Pirelli Tyre S.p.A.
- Applicants: PIRELLI TYRE S.p.A.
- Inventors: Gianni Mancini; Riccardo Antoj; Vincenzo Boffa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369757B2

## CPC

- B29D 30/00: Producing pneumatic or solid tyres or parts thereof (producing inner tubes B29D23/24; constructional form of tyres or parts thereof B60C; connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; testing of tyres G01M17/02)
- B29D 30/06: Pneumatic tyres or parts thereof {(e.g. produced by casting, moulding, compression moulding, injection moulding, centrifugal casting)}
- B29D 30/0601: {Vulcanising tyres; Vulcanising presses for tyres}
- B29D 30/08: Building tyres
- B29D 2030/0066: {Tyre quality control during manufacturing}
- B29D 2030/0635: {Measuring and calculating tyre uniformity, e.g. using mathematical methods}
- B29D 2030/0665: {Measuring, calculating and correcting tyre uniformity before vulcanization}
- B29D 2030/0675: {Controlling the vulcanization processes}
- B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00)

## Abstract

A plant for building tires includes a system for managing initial components; a system for managing the manufacturing of semi-finished products starting from one or more initial components; a system for managing the building of a green tire starting from one or more semi-finished products; and a system for managing the curing of said green tire. The logical set of a control unit for the plant and/or of one or more from among control units for the management systems and/or of an automatic visual control system is programmed for controlling at least two parameters, assigning to each of these a quality index, discarding a tire being processed when a quality index corresponding to said discard level is assigned to at least one of said parameters and feedbacking the control result of at least one parameter in order to verify the quality index of the parameters.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for building a tyre comprising:
processing structural elements comprising initial components and semi-finished products into a moulded and cured tyre, comprising:
(a) introducing said initial components into a tyre manufacturing operation;
(b) manufacturing said semi-finished products starting from one or more of said initial components;
(c) building a green tyre starting from one or more of said semi-finished products; and
(d) moulding and curing said green tyre;
wherein said processing includes:
detecting an initial parameter relative to said initial components, said initial parameter being a date of use of an elastomeric material for ply rubberizing;
assigning to said initial parameter a quality index corresponding to one of a discard level, an acceptable level, and an acceptable level with reserve, the assignment comprising comparing said initial parameter with a discard threshold and a reserve threshold for the initial parameter, wherein said discard threshold for the initial parameter separates the discard level from the acceptable level and wherein said reserve threshold for the initial parameter corresponds to the acceptable level and defines one or more acceptable levels with reserve proximal to the discard threshold;
at said processing step b), wherein the quality index of the initial parameter corresponds to an acceptable level with reserve, detecting a further parameter relative to said semi-finished products, said further parameter being a concentration of air bubbles of a rubberized ply, and assigning a subsequent quality index to said further parameter, said subsequent quality index being assigned by comparing said further parameter with a discard threshold and a reserve threshold for the further parameter, wherein said discard threshold for the further parameter separates a discard level from an acceptable level for the further parameter and wherein said reserve threshold for the further parameter corresponds to the acceptable level for the further parameter and defines one or more acceptable levels with reserve for the further parameter proximal to the discard threshold for the further parameter;
discarding said rubberized ply when said subsequent quality index corresponding to said discard level is assigned to said further parameter;
feedbacking from the processing step b) the assignment of said subsequent quality index in order to verify the quality index of said initial parameter and the subsequent quality index of said further parameter; and
modifying at least one of the quality index of said initial parameter and the subsequent quality index of said further parameter by said feedbacking so as to be assigned with the quality index corresponding to said acceptable level at a subsequent control.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method for building a tyre as claimed in claim 1, wherein the quality index of said initial parameter is modified by said feedbacking so as to correspond to said acceptable level at the subsequent control.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method for building a tyre as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
at said processing step b), during the building of another tyre, assigning said initial parameter with the quality index corresponding to the discard level prior to manufacturing said semi-finished products, and discarding the initial component.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method for building a tyre as claimed in claim 1, wherein detecting at least one of said initial parameter and further parameter comprises reading at least one of said initial parameter and further parameter with detecting devices.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method for building a tyre as claimed in claim 1, wherein detecting said initial parameter comprises entering said initial parameter into a control unit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method for building a tyre as claimed in claim 1, wherein detecting said initial parameter comprises entering said initial parameter into a control unit of a system for managing the initial components.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method for building a tyre as claimed in claim 1, wherein detecting said initial parameter comprises entering said initial parameter into a control unit for an automatic visual control operating on the moulded and cured tyre.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method for building a tyre as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of said quality index of the initial parameter and said subsequent quality index of the further parameter corresponds to an upper discard level separated from said acceptable level by means of an upper discard threshold.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method for building a tyre as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of said quality index of the initial parameter and said subsequent quality index of the further parameter corresponds to an upper acceptable level with reserve proximal to an upper discard threshold and defined within the acceptable level by means of an upper reserve threshold.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method for building a tyre as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of said quality index of the initial parameter and said subsequent quality index of the further parameter corresponds to an acceptable level with reserve adjacent to a second acceptable level with reserve.