Abstract:
An apparatus for cooling a cured tire comprising: 
     A retractable support member having a distal end connected to a support plate; Said support plate having an inflatable bladder mounted about its circumferential edge; and wherein said retractable support member is rotatable about its axis.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for post mold cycle cooling of a pneumatic tire after removal of the tire from the mold. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A tire is typically removed from a tire curing mold while it is still hot. The tire typically continues to cure as it cools down outside of the mold. While cooling, the reinforcement fibers of the carcass and belts are contracted. However, the degree of contraction may not be uniform, contributing to tire nonuniformity. Further, conveyors are often utilized to transport the tire hot off the press, typically in a horizontal fashion. This type of handling may contribute to mechanical stress on the tire and hence, tire nonuniformity. 
         [0003]    Various methods have been proposed in the art to cool the tire. These methods are often referred to as post cure inflation, where upon removing the tire from the curing mold, the tire is placed upon a stand which allows the tire to be inflated and then held at a pressure as the cooling continues. The post cure inflation type devices of the prior art often involve complex mechanical devices. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    A first aspect of an invention includes an apparatus for cooling a cured tire which includes a retractable support member having a distal end connected to a support plate. The support plate has an inflatable bladder mounted about its circumferential edge; and the retractable support member is rotatable about its axis. The inflatable bladder may optionally include a plurality of holes. The retractable support member may be retracted through a conveyor belt. The apparatus may further include a fan blade rotatable about the retractable support member. The retractable support member may further include one or more nozzles for directing a stream of cooling fluid towards the cured tire. 
       Definitions 
       [0005]    “Aspect Ratio” means the ratio of a tire&#39;s section height to its section width. 
         [0006]    “Axial” and “axially” means the lines or directions that are parallel to the axis of rotation of the tire. 
         [0007]    “Bead” or “Bead Core” means generally that part of the tire comprising an annular tensile member, the radially inner beads are associated with holding the tire to the rim being wrapped by ply cords and shaped, with or without other reinforcement elements such as flippers, chippers, apexes or fillers, toe guards and chafers. 
         [0008]    “Belt Structure” or “Reinforcing Belts” means at least two annular layers or plies of parallel cords, woven or unwoven, underlying the tread, unanchored to the bead, and having both left and right cord angles in the range from 17° to 27° with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire. 
         [0009]    “Bias Ply Tire” means that the reinforcing cords in the carcass ply extend diagonally across the tire from bead-to-bead at about 25-65° angle with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire, the ply cords running at opposite angles in alternate layers 
         [0010]    “Breakers” or “Tire Breakers” means the same as belt or belt structure or reinforcement belts. 
         [0011]    “Carcass” means a laminate of tire ply material and other tire components cut to length suitable for splicing, or already spliced, into a cylindrical or toroidal shape. Additional components may be added to the carcass prior to its being vulcanized to create the molded tire. 
         [0012]    “Circumferential” means lines or directions extending along the perimeter of the surface of the annular tread perpendicular to the axial direction; it can also refer to the direction of the sets of adjacent circular curves whose radii define the axial curvature of the tread as viewed in cross section. 
         [0013]    “Cord” means one of the reinforcement strands, including fibers, which are used to reinforce the plies. 
         [0014]    “Inner Liner” means the layer or layers of elastomer or other material that form the inside surface of a tubeless tire and that contain the inflating fluid within the tire. 
         [0015]    “Inserts” means the reinforcement typically used to reinforce the sidewalls of runflat-type tires; it also refers to the elastomeric insert that underlies the tread. 
         [0016]    “Ply” means a cord-reinforced layer of elastomer-coated, radially deployed or otherwise parallel cords. 
         [0017]    “Radial” and “radially” mean directions radially toward or away from the axis of rotation of the tire. 
         [0018]    “Radial Ply Structure” means the one or more carcass plies or which at least one ply has reinforcing cords oriented at an angle of between 65° and 90° with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire. 
         [0019]    “Radial Ply Tire” means a belted or circumferentially-restricted pneumatic tire in which the ply cords which extend from bead to bead are laid at cord angles between 65° and 90° with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire. 
         [0020]    “Sidewall” means a portion of a tire between the tread and the bead. 
         [0021]    “Laminate structure” means an unvulcanized structure made of one or more layers of tire or elastomer components such as the innerliner, sidewalls, and optional ply layer. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0022]    The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0023]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a tire press assembly and conveyor belt; 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of a tire cooling station of the present invention shown in the unactuated condition; 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  is the tire cooling station of  FIG. 2  shown in the actuated condition; 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  is a second embodiment of a tire cooling mechanism; 
           [0027]      FIG. 5  is a third embodiment of a tire cooling mechanism; 
           [0028]      FIG. 6  is a fourth embodiment of a tire cooling mechanism; 
           [0029]      FIG. 7  is a fifth embodiment of a tire cooling mechanism; 
           [0030]      FIG. 8  is a sixth embodiment of a tire cooling mechanism; and 
           [0031]      FIG. 9  is a seventh embodiment of a tire cooling mechanism. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0032]      FIG. 1  illustrates a prior art tire building press  10  having a tire loader  12  for loading a green tire carcass into a mold  14 . After the green tire carcass is cured in the tire mold, the hot cured tire carcass is typically removed from the tire mold and placed onto a conveyor belt  20 . Located on the conveyor belt  20  is a tire cooling mechanism of the present invention as shown in  FIGS. 2-9 . The tire cooling mechanism  30  includes a tire lift mechanism which includes a translating vertical support bar  32  which is retractable from a first position to a second position. The vertical support bar  32  is actuated by one or more pneumatic cylinders  34 . Preferably two pneumatic cylinders  34  are used. A piston  35  of pneumatic cylinder  34  is connected to cross member  36 . Actuation of piston  35  raises and lowers cross member  36  and support frame members  38 ,  39 . The vertical support member  32  is connected to the support frame members  38 ,  39  at junctions  40 ,  42 . Actuation of pistons  35  raises and lowers vertical support bar  32 . The tire lift mechanism further includes an outer support frame comprised of one or more vertical supports  44 ,  46  joined to a horizontal member  48 . The horizontal member  48  has a guide bushing  50  which surrounds the vertical support member  32  and provides lateral support. Located on the distal end of the vertical support member is a tire support plate  60 . The tire support plate  60  is circular in shape oriented in a horizontal plane and sized to support the tire bead area. The tire support plate  60  is actuated by pistons  35  through a hole in the conveyor belt. The tire support plate  60  is flush with the conveyor belt in an unactuated position, as shown in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 3  illustrates the tire support member in the actuated position, and supporting a cured tire. Located on the outer circumferential edge of the support plate  60  is an inflatable bladder  70 . Inflation of the bladder secures the tire to the support plate, because the bladder is wedged between the tire bead and the plate. An air supply line  72  provides a source of air/gas to the inflatable bladder. The air supply line  72  may be embedded within the support plate  60  and located within the hollow interior of the vertical support member. 
         [0033]    When the tire support mechanism is in the actuated position of  FIG. 3 , the vertical support member is rotated by motor  80  about 10 to about 15 rpm (revolutions per minute).  FIG. 4  illustrates an optional fan blade which is rotatable about the vertical support member  32 . Rotation of the fan blades assists in the cooling of the tire. 
         [0034]      FIG. 5  illustrates a second embodiment of the invention wherein all of the above features are included unless otherwise indicated. The bladders  70  have a plurality of holes  100  disposed about the outer surface for cooling of the interior of the tire.  FIG. 6  illustrates that the tire support mechanism can further include an optional external blower which targets the outer surface of the cured tire while it rotates.  FIG. 7  illustrates an additional optional feature wherein one or more nozzles  110  or orifices are mounted about the vertical support member and circulate air within the interior of the cured tire. 
         [0035]      FIG. 8  illustrates a third embodiment of the invention wherein there are two support plates  60 ,  120 , one for each bead. The outer surface of each support plate  60 ,  120  further includes the inflatable bladder  70 ,  140 . Air or other fluid is supplied to the inflatable bladders  70 ,  140  via supply line  72 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 9  illustrates a fourth embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, bladder  70  is replaced with an inflatable bladder  150  which when inflated, conforms as shown to the interior of the tire. The bladder need not fully conform to the internal shape of the tire and may have shape  152 . The bladders  150 ,  152  may optionally include holes for allowing the passage of air/gas out of the bladder and adjacent the tire. 
         [0037]    Variations in the present invention are possible in light of the description of it provided herein. While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the subject invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the subject invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that changes can be made in the particular embodiments described which will be within the full intended scope of the invention as defined by the following appended claims.