Autoclave for curing retreaded tires
AssigneeMichelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
InventorsJan Lahmann, Theophile Louchart
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved autoclave for curing retread tires includes a chamber with circulating air flow having turbulence generating devices located in a middle length-wise portion of the chamber. The turbulence generating devices include apertures to guide air from a supply duct into the chamber, and/or wedge-shaped elements or fins mounted on the interior wall of the chamber to disrupt the air flow and cause turbulence.
Claims18
1-10. (canceled)
An autoclave for curing a tread strip to a tire casing with heated, pressurized air, comprising:
- an elongated chamber having a frame for supporting tire casing and tread assemblies within the chamber;
- a heat source for heating air;
- a supply duct defined by a wall, the supply duct having an inlet and an outlet at opposite ends,
- an air circulating system for circulating air as a flow through the chamber, past the heat source, and through the supply duct;
- and
- a set of air flow turbulence generators disposed in a path of the air flow through the chamber, the generators comprising one or more air deflectors mounted on a wall surface.
An autoclave for curing a tread strip to a tire casing with heated, pressurized air, comprising:
- an elongated chamber having a frame for supporting tire casing and tread assemblies within the chamber;
- a heat source for heating air;
- a supply duct defined by a wall, the supply duct having an inlet and an outlet at opposite ends,
- an air circulating system for circulating air as a flow through the chamber, past the heat source, and through the supply duct;
- and
- an air flow turbulence generator comprising one or more apertures formed on a wall of the supply duct to guide air from the duct into the chamber in a direction disruptive to the main air flow in the chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.