Rigid core mold removal device and tire manufacturing method

A method for manufacturing a tire comprising:

• a first step of forming a green tire on an outside portion of an assembling type rigid core mold at a green tire station, wherein the rigid core mold comprises a core main portion formed in a circular ring having a central hole including the tire revolution axis, by arranging a plurality of core segments in the tire circumferential direction, and a cylindrical core being able to fit in the central hole and able to be removed from the central hole by its axial movement, wherein by being fitted, the core allows each core segment to be fixed in the tire radial direction and the tire circumferential direction, and by being removed, the core allows the core segments to move inwardly in the tire radial direction,
• a second step of obtaining a tire-accompanied rigid core mold by vulcanization-molding the green tire together with the rigid core mold,
• a third step of removing the core from the tire-accompanied rigid core mold placed at a disassembly station by moving a core holding unit and a core main portion holding section upwardly to move the tire-accompanied rigid core mold upwardly, and then moving a connecting part of the core holding unit downwardly, and removing the core together with a side plate from the tire-accompanied rigid core mold by downward movement of the connecting part, transferring the removed core to an assembly station, and setting the core at the assembly station, and
• a fourth core segment removal and assembly step of removing one of the core segments from the tire at the disassembly station by moving it inwardly in the tire radial direction from the tire-accompanied rigid core mold from which the core is removed, transferring the removed core segment to the assembly station, and mounting it on the core being set at the assembly station,
• wherein, for each of the core segments in the tire, the fourth core segment removal and assembly step is repeatedly performed, whereby the core segments are assembled into a rigid core mold at the assembly station while removing the core segments of the rigid core mold in the tire placed at the disassembly station,
• wherein an outer circumferential surface in the tire radial direction of the core is provided with a first engaging portion and an inner circumferential surface in the tire radial direction of each of the core segments is provided with a second engaging portion for engaging with the first engaging portion, and
• wherein the first engaging portion and the second engaging portions are dovetail grooves and dovetail tenons, whereby the core segments are attached to the core one after another by engaging the second engaging portion with the first engaging portion through the repeated fourth core segment removal and assembly step.