Abstract: A tire inspection apparatus for the optical inspection of a tire (4) comprises a housing with a support surface (3) for the tire (4) to be inspected; several measuring heads (7, 8, 9, 10; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17), each of which comprises an optical measuring system, for inspecting the inside tread surface (11) and/or the external lateral surface (18) of the tire (4); and a positioning device (21, 22, 23, 24) for moving some or all of the measuring heads (7-10; 12-17) into a rest position and into a measuring position. To improve a tire inspection apparatus of this type, the measuring heads (7-10; 12-17) and the support surface (3) are installed without freedom of rotation.

Abstract: A tire inspection apparatus for the optical inspection of a tire (4) comprises a housing with a support surface (3) for the tire (4) to be inspected; several measuring heads (7, 8, 9, 10; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17), each of which comprises an optical measuring system, for inspecting the inside tread surface (11) and/or the external lateral surface (18) of the tire (4); and a positioning device (21, 22, 23, 24) for moving some or all of the measuring heads (7-10; 12-17) into a rest position and into a measuring position. To improve a tire inspection apparatus of this type, the measuring heads (7-10; 12-17) and the support surface (3) are installed without freedom of rotation.

Abstract: A method for moving a movable element into a block position includes providing a supply voltage to an electric motor associated with the movable element for the motor to generate a motor current and drive the element with motor power dependent on the motor current in order to move the element along a path. Upon the element being moved into a block position of the path, the supply voltage provided to the motor is controlled such that the motor current generated by the motor is continuously reduced over a time period to zero. For instance, the supply voltage is pulse-width modulated at a decreasing pulse duty ratio over the time period such that the motor current generated by the motor is continuously reduced over the time period to zero.

Abstract: A method for providing a digital current signal from an analog armature current signal of a motor. The method includes subjecting the analog current signal to an analog-to-digital conversion to produce a first digital current signal having current ripples for each current ripple of the analog current signal. During start-up and run-down motor operation phases, the analog current signal is sampled at a sampling rate which is greater than an expected rate of the current ripples of the analog current signal to produce a second digital current signal having current ripples for each current ripple of the analog current signal during the start-up and run-down motor operation phases. The current ripples of the first and second digital current signals are then compared. The current ripples of the second digital current signal which are in non-conformance with the current ripples of the first digital current signal are evaluated.

Abstract: A method for determining the position of an element driven along a travel segment by a shaft of a motor includes counting current ripples detected in an armature current signal of the motor as the motor shaft rotates to drive the element. A first time interval between when the motor is turned on with power being supplied to the motor and when the first current ripple is detected is determined. A second time interval between when the last current ripple is detected after the motor has been turned off with the power supplied to the motor being interrupted and when the motor shaft stops rotating is determined. First and second current ripple components corresponding to the first and time intervals, respectively, are estimated. The position of the element along the travel segment is determined based on the counted current ripples and the estimated first and second current ripple components.

Abstract: A method for determining the position of an element drivable by a motor within a travel segment between first and second positions. The method includes energizing a motor to drive the element along the travel segment. Current ripples contained in an armature current signal of the motor are counted as the motor drives the element. The position of the element along the travel segment is determined as a function of the counted current ripples. The motor is de-energized once the position of the element is within a certain distance of the first position if the element is to be driven into the first position. The motor is then re-energized to drive the element into the first position. The counted current ripples is set to a reset value after the element has been driven into the first position such that the reset value corresponds to the first position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for providing a digital current fluctuation signal from the analogue armature current signal of a direct current motor that is supplied with current. The method is characterized in that, the analogue armature current signal after being filtered is subjected to an analogue/digital conversion, based on a threshold value, the analogue armature current signal is oversampled at a predetermined clock pulse rate during the start-up phase when the direct current motor is switched on and during the run-down phase when the motor is switched off, the oversampling being predominantly limited to these phases and the current fluctuation(s) determined from the analogue/digital conversion based on a threshold value is/are compared with the current fluctuation from the oversampling. If the respective current fluctuations that have been determined do not sufficiently correspond, the current fluctuations that have been determined from the overlapping are considered for further evaluation.

Abstract: A method for determining the position of a movable element driven by a motor shaft includes using a counter to count current ripples contained in an armature current signal of the motor as the motor shaft rotates to drive the element. The position of the element is determined based on the counted current ripples. Upon power to the motor being interrupted such that the motor shaft slows down during the power interruption and upon the counter being prevented from counting the current ripples contained in the armature current signal of the motor during the slowdown of the motor shaft, an amount of current ripples expected to be contained in the armature current signal of the motor during the slowdown of the motor shaft is estimated. The position of the element during the slowdown of the motor shaft is determined based on the estimated amount of current ripples.

Abstract: A method for determining the position of an element drivable by a motor within a travel segment between first and second positions. The method includes energizing a motor to drive the element along the travel segment. Current ripples contained in an armature current signal of the motor are counted as the motor drives the element. The position of the element along the travel segment is determined as a function of the counted current ripples. The motor is de-energized once the position of the element is within a certain distance of the first position if the element is to be driven into the first position. The motor is then re-energized to drive the element into the first position. The counted current ripples is set to a reset value after the element has been driven into the first position such that the reset value corresponds to the first position.

Abstract: A method for determining the position of an element driven along a travel segment by a shaft of a motor includes counting current ripples detected in an armature current signal of the motor as the motor shaft rotates to drive the element. A first time interval between when the motor is turned on with power being supplied to the motor and when the first current ripple is detected is determined. A second time interval between when the last current ripple is detected after the motor has been turned off with the power supplied to the motor being interrupted and when the motor shaft stops rotating is determined. First and second current ripple components corresponding to the first and time intervals, respectively, are estimated. The position of the element along the travel segment is determined based on the counted current ripples and the estimated first and second current ripple components.

Abstract: A method for determining the position of a movable element driven by a motor shaft includes using a counter to count current ripples contained in an armature current signal of the motor as the motor shaft rotates to drive the element. The position of the element is determined based on the counted current ripples. Upon power to the motor being interrupted such that the motor shaft slows down during the power interruption and upon the counter being prevented from counting the current ripples contained in the armature current signal of the motor during the slowdown of the motor shaft, an amount of current ripples expected to be contained in the armature current signal of the motor during the slowdown of the motor shaft is estimated. The position of the element during the slowdown of the motor shaft is determined based on the estimated amount of current ripples.

Abstract: A method for determining the position of a movable element to be driven by a direct current motor between first and second positions includes counting ripples contained in a motor current signal as the motor rotates to drive the element. The position of the element is determined based on the counted ripples. The motor actuates, until the current signal is void of ripples, to move the element into the first position when the element is to be moved out of the first position towards the second position. The counted ripples is reset to a reset value after the motor has been actuated to move the element into the first position such that the reset value corresponds to the position of the element being in the first position. The motor actuates to move the element towards the second position after the counted ripples has been reset.

Abstract: A method for determining the position of a movable element to be driven by a direct current motor between first and second positions includes counting ripples contained in a motor current signal as the motor rotates to drive the element. The position of the element is determined based on the counted ripples. The motor actuates, until the current signal is void of ripples, to move the element into the first position when the element is to be moved out of the first position towards the second position. The counted ripples is reset to a reset value after the motor has been actuated to move the element into the first position such that the reset value corresponds to the position of the element being in the first position. The motor actuates to move the element towards the second position after the counted ripples has been reset.