Mold for a tire having a shell with removable parts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9969138-B2
Application number	US-201414910620-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2014
Priority date	Aug 5, 2013
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A mold for vulcanizing and molding a tire is disclosed herein. The tire includes a tread delimited by two sidewalls, and the mold includes a ring for molding the tread of the tire and two shells having tire-molding surface features for molding the sidewalls. At least one of the shells has a removable shell part extending circumferentially on the side of the sidewall of the tire to be molded, with the tire-molding surface features being incorporated into the removable shell part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mold for vulcanizing and molding a tire, comprising:
the tire including a tread delimited by two sidewalls,
the mold including a ring for molding the tread of the tire and two shells having tire-molding surface features for molding the sidewalls,
wherein at least one of the shells has a removable shell part, the thickness of which is between 0.25 and 4.00 mm, extending circumferentially, one of the two sidewalls being molded, the molding surface features being incorporated into the removable shell part, and
further comprising a L-shaped element, wherein the removable shell part has a first surface with a first shape, and the L-shaped element is provided on the first surface, extending outward from the removable shell part with a different shape than the first shape,
and within a bearing face, a L-shaved groove sized to fit the L-shaped element, the L-shaped groove facilitating positioning for the removable shell part, and the bearing face being conformed to fit with the first shape and the different shape.

2. A mold according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing face defines an annular surface against which the removable shell part is disposed.

3. A mold according to claim 2 , wherein the bearing face is substantially planar.

4. A mold according to claim 2 , wherein the bearing face has a substantially curved profile, the substantially curved profile adjacent to the removable shell part having a substantially corresponding shape.

5. A mold according to claim 1 , wherein the removable shell part is defined by a plurality of sections that are positioned one after another against the bearing face of the shell.

6. A mold according to claim 5 , wherein each section has a molding surface able to be in contact with the tire, characterized in that at least two sections have different moulding surface features.

7. A mold according to claim 1 , wherein at least one section of the plurality of sections is produced by laser sintering, the one section having all or some of the molding surface features.

8. A mold according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one section is produced from cast aluminium.

9. A mold according to claim 1 , wherein the L-shaped element is adapted to mate with the L-shaped groove in the radial direction without requiring sliding the L-shaped element circumferentially along the L-shaped groove.

Assignees

• Michelin & Cie
• Michelin Rech Tech
• Michelin Rech Tech

Inventors

• Villeneuve Bernard
• Gueugneau Anthony

Classifications

• B29D30/0662

  Accessories, details or auxiliary operations · CPC title

• B29D2030/726

  Decorating or marking the sidewalls before tyre vulcanization · CPC title

• B29D30/0606 Primary

  Vulcanising moulds not integral with vulcanising presses (for solid tyres B29D30/02) · CPC title

• B29C33/424

  Moulding surfaces provided with means for marking or patterning (for injection moulding B29C45/372) · CPC title

• B29L2030/007

  Sidewalls · CPC title