| CPC B29D 30/0601 (2013.01) [B29D 30/0605 (2013.01); B29D 30/0662 (2013.01); B29D 30/0629 (2013.01)] | 12 Claims |
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1. A heating press (1) for vulcanizing a vehicle tire under a vacuum,
having a heating press upper part (3) and a heating press lower part (6), wherein the heating press upper part (3) has a hood upper part (4) mounted thereon and a container (2), which contains mold parts (16, 18, 21) of a vulcanizing mold, in this hood upper part (4), wherein the hood upper part (4) has a first circular ring (23), which is arranged fixedly on the heating press upper part (3), and a second circular ring (24), which adjoins this first circular ring coaxially in an axial direction (P1) and can be telescopically retracted and extended on the inside of the first circular ring in the axial direction (P1),
wherein the heating press upper part (3) and the heating press lower part (6) are connected to the container (2) such that, when the heating press upper part (3) is being lowered through a total stroke (GH) that takes place in the axial direction (P1), during which total stroke an open end of the hood upper part (4) moves onto the heating press lower part (6), the mold parts (14, 16, 17, 18, 21) of the vulcanizing mold can be closed in a radial direction (P2),
wherein vacuum-tight seals (5, 9) are arranged between the first and second circular rings (23, 24) and between the second circular ring (24) and the heating press lower part (6),
wherein the total stroke (GH) can be traveled in a manner composed of a first partial stroke (TH1) and a second partial stroke (TH2),
wherein, after the first partial stroke (TH1), the hood upper part (3) is moved in such a way that it rests on the heating press lower part (6) by way of the extended second circular ring (24) to thereby enclose an interior space, and the interior space can be closed in a vacuum-tight manner by the seals (5, 9) while the vulcanizing mold is still open in an air-permeable manner and
wherein a pump (10) and a vacuum tank (11), by way of which a vacuum can be generated in the interior space after the first partial stroke (TH1), are provided, wherein the vacuum tank (11) and the pump (10) are connected to the interior space, and wherein the vacuum tank (11) and the pump (10) are connected to one another, and
wherein, after the second partial stroke (TH2), the hood upper part (3) is moved in such a way that the second circular ring (24) is retracted further relative to the first circular ring (23) and the vulcanizing mold can be completely closed under vacuum conditions in the interior space.
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11. A method for vulcanizing a pneumatic vehicle tire under a vacuum, the method comprising:
providing the heating press according to claim 1, and operating the heating press including the following steps:
a) loading the open heating press (1) by inserting the green tire for vulcanization into the container (2), wherein the second circular ring (24) of the hood upper part (4) is retracted on the inside of the first circular ring (23),
b) moving the heating press upper part (3) through the first partial stroke (TH1), extending the second circular ring (24) toward the heating press lower part (6) until it rests on the heating press lower part (6), in order to close the interior space (12), while the vulcanizing mold is only closed to some extent,
c) opening the connection between the vacuum tank (11) and the interior space (12) in order to generate a partial vacuum, by way of pressure equalization between the vacuum tank (11) and the interior space (12), in the interior space (12) that has been closed in a vacuum-tight manner,
d) when the partial vacuum is obtained in the interior space (12): closing the connection between the vacuum tank (11) and the interior space (12), opening the connection between the interior space (12) and the pump (10), and pumping the remaining air out of the interior space (12) in order to generate the vacuum,
e) moving the heating press upper part (3) through the second partial stroke (TH2), during which the second circular ring (24) is retracted on the inside of the first circular ring (23), with the result that the vulcanizing mold is completely closed, and subsequently closing the connection between the interior space (12) and the pump (10),
f) vulcanizing the green tire and opening the connection between the pump (10) and the vacuum tank (11) and generating a vacuum in the vacuum tank (11), wherein the connection of the pump (10) to the interior space (12) and the connection of the vacuum tank (11) to the interior space (12) are each closed,
g) opening the heating press (1) and unloading the fully vulcanized tire, and repeating the steps a)-g) in order to vulcanize each further tire.
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