US 11,733,126 B2
Tire defect detection system that images localized cooling at a defect
Gary William Box, Golden Valley, MN (US); Brian B. Brasch, Fargo, ND (US); and Anthony S. Rike, Ramsey, MN (US)
Assigned to Paul E. Hawkinson Company, St. Michael, MN (US)
Filed by Paul E. Hawkinson Company, St. Michael, MN (US)
Filed on Jul. 7, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/369,347.
Prior Publication US 2023/0008450 A1, Jan. 12, 2023
Int. Cl. G01M 17/02 (2006.01); B60C 25/05 (2006.01); B60C 25/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01M 17/027 (2013.01) [B60C 25/002 (2013.01); B60C 25/0554 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
9. A system for inspecting a tire, the system comprising:
a pneumatic source adapted to inflate the tire;
an infrared camera having a field-of-view;
a tire positioner adapted to position the tire; and
a processing circuit adapted to control the pneumatic source, the tire positioner and the infrared camera,
wherein, the tire positioner positions a first section of the tire in the field-of-view of the infrared camera and maintains the first section of the tire in a first stationary position while:
the pneumatic source inflates the tire with an expanding gas,
the infrared camera captures a first reference frame of the first section of the tire after the tire is inflated, and
after a first period of time has elapsed, the infrared camera captures a first subsequent frame of the first section of the tire, and
wherein the tire positioner rotates the tire, positions a second section of the tire in the field-of-view of the infrared camera and maintains the second section of the tire in a second stationary position while:
the pneumatic source inflates the tire with the expanding gas,
the infrared camera captures a second reference frame of the second section of the tire after the tire is inflated, and
after a second period of time has elapsed, the infrared camera captures a second subsequent frame of the second section of the tire, and
wherein the processing circuit compares the first and second reference frames to the respective first and second subsequent frames to detect a decrease in a temperature in at least one of a first portion of the first section and a second portion of the second section caused by escape of the expanding gas from the respective first and/or second portion, wherein the decrease in the temperature occurs during the period of time between capture of the first reference frame and capture of the first subsequent frame and/or between capture of the second reference frame and the capture of the second subsequent frame, whereby the decrease in the temperature of the first and/or second portion of the respective first and/or second section indicates a defect.