X-ray or gamma ray systems or devices – Specific application – Absorption
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-02
2001-12-04
Kim, Robert H. (Department: 2882)
X-ray or gamma ray systems or devices
Specific application
Absorption
C378S058000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06327333
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tire interior inspecting method and a tire interior inspecting system using x-rays for inspecting the interior of a tire.
2. Description of the Related Art
When inspecting tires, a sample tire is taken from a tire manufacturing line, the sample tire is set on an x-ray photographing apparatus to form an x-ray image of the interior of the sample tire by using an x-ray film or an image intensifier, and the x-ray image of the interior of the sample tire is examined visually by the operator. A tire conveying line must be stopped every time a tire is sampled, which reduces the productivity of the tire manufacturing line. Therefore, the total inspection of tires is practically impossible and, consequently, tires must be inspected by sampling inspection. A final decision about the quality of the interior of the tire must be made by the operator on the basis of the results of visual inspection of the x-ray image. Decisions based on the results of visual inspection include subjective errors, and the operator's subjective decision is unsuitable for determining rigorous numerical quality assurance references. It is difficult to exclude differences in decision between the operators.
A tire conveyor of the tire conveying line is operated at a very high conveying speed to let a tire pass a fixed position in about 2s. Therefore, the total inspection of tires by the operator is impossible. A special high-speed image processing system is expensive and the development of the special high-speed image processing system involves economical risk.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tire interior inspecting method and an inexpensive tire interior inspecting system capable of automatically inspecting tires being conveyed by a tire conveyor for total inspection without stopping the tire conveying line.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a tire interior inspecting method comprises the steps of: irradiating a tire being continuously conveyed by a conveyor with x-rays emitted from a predetermined position; receiving the x-rays penetrated through the tire by a high-resolution linear x-ray sensor to obtain x-ray image information about the tire; comparing the x-ray image information with normal tire image information about the metallic components of a normal tire; and deciding the quality of the interior of the tire.
An x-ray image of the tire being continuously conveyed by the tire conveyor can be formed by the high-resolution liner x-ray sensor, and the quality of the interior of the tire is decided on the basis of the result of comparison of the x-ray image information and the normal tire image information, and hence a quality deciding process can be quickly achieved.
Thus, all the tires being conveyed by the tire conveyor can be inspected for total inspection without stopping the tire conveying line.
In this tire interior inspecting method, the step of comparing the x-ray image information with the normal tire image information carries out an image processing process that uses an image of one or a plurality of annular parts corresponding to the component members of the normal tire as normal tire image information representing the normal tire and removes parts of the x-ray image information about the tire coinciding with the normal tire image information representing the normal tire, and the step of deciding the quality of interior of the tire decides the quality of the interior of the tire on the basis of an image obtained by thus processing the x-ray image information by the image processing process.
The image processing process that removes the parts of the x-ray image information coinciding with the normal tire image information representing one or a plurality of annular images of the component members of the normal tire makes images of irregularly arranged wires and foreign matters stand in strong relief, which facilitates quick decision of the quality of the interior of the tire.
In the step of comparing the x-ray image information with the normal tire image information in this tire interior inspecting method, the normal tire image information may be superposed on the x-ray image information to obtain superposed image information, and parts of the x-ray image information about the tire coinciding with the normal tire image information may be removed by the image processing process, and the quality of the interior of the tire may be decided on the basis of an image obtained by thus processing the x-ray image information by the image processing process.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a tire interior inspecting system comprises: an x-ray irradiating means for irradiating a tire being continuously conveyed by a conveyor with x-rays from a predetermined position; a high-resolution linear x-ray sensor capable receiving x-rays penetrated the tire to obtain x-ray image information; a comparing means for comparing the x-ray image information with normal tire image information about metallic components of a normal tire; and a quality deciding means for deciding quality of interior of the tire on the basis of result of comparison of the x-ray image information with the normal tire image information.
The high-resolution linear x-ray sensor is capable of obtaining x-ray image information about the tire while the tire is being continuously conveyed by the conveyor, the comparing means compares the x-ray image information with the normal tire image information about the metallic components of the normal tire, and the quality deciding means decides the quality of the interior of the tire on the basis of the result of comparison of the x-ray image information with the normal tire image information.
Thus, a quality deciding process for deciding the quality of the interior of the tire can be quickly achieved. Thus, all the tires can be automatically inspected for total inspection without stopping the tire conveying line.
In this tire interior inspecting system, the comparing means may be an image processing means that superposes the normal tire image information on the x-ray image information to obtain superposed image information, and removes parts of the x-ray image information coinciding with the normal tire image information by the image processing process, and the quality deciding means may decide the quality of the interior of the tire on the basis of an image obtained by thus processing the x-ray image information by the image processing means.
Since the image processing means superposes the normal tire image information on the x-ray image information to obtain the superposed image information and removes parts of the x-ray image information coinciding with the normal tire image information, and the quality deciding means decides the quality of the interior of the tire on the basis of an image obtained by thus processing the x-ray image information by the image processing means, the quality of the interior of the tire can be quickly decided without requiring any special high-speed image processing apparatus.
In this tire interior inspecting system, the high-resolution linear x-ray sensor may have a resolution not greater than the diameter of the tire cords of the tire.
When the high-resolution linear x-ray sensor has a resolution not greater than the diameter of the tire cords, irregular wires, such as belt wires, i.e., components of the tire, and foreign matters including small metal pieces and small stones can be easily detected.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4350942 (1982-09-01), Heisner et al.
patent: 4928297 (1990-05-01), Tsutsui et al.
patent: 4949366 (1990-08-01), Collmann
patent: 5583904 (1996-12-01), Adams
patent: 6023497 (2000-02-01), Takahashi et al.
Kokubu Takao
Uchida Norimichi
Bridgestone Corporation
Kiknadze Irakli
Kim Robert H.
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
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