Tire with laminate and method of making same
AssigneeBridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
InventorsKathleen A. Clemmer, John P. Rodak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of laminating a vulcanized tire includes providing a vulcanized tire having a circumferential tread and a pair of sidewalls constructed of a base rubber. The method further includes cleaning the circumferential tread, providing a laminate, and forming a plurality of holes in the laminate. The method also includes applying the laminate to at least a portion of one of the circumferential tread and a sidewall of the vulcanized tire. The method further includes applying pressure to the laminate, thereby evacuating air between the laminate and the circumferential tread of the vulcanized tire and curing the laminate.
Claims19
A method of applying a laminate to a cured tire, the method comprising:
- providing a cured tire having a circumferential tread constructed of a base material, wherein the circumferential tread has a plurality of tread elements, each of the plurality of tread elements having a top surface and a plurality of side surfaces, and wherein the circumferential tread further has a plurality of grooves disposed between the plurality of tread elements;
- providing an uncured laminate;
- puncturing the uncured laminate to form a plurality of holes in the uncured laminate;
- placing the uncured laminate about the circumferential tread of the cured tire, such that the uncured laminate covers at least some of the plurality of tread elements and at least some of the plurality of grooves, wherein the laminate has greater snow traction than the base material;
- stitching the uncured laminate to the cured tire by applying pressure to the uncured laminate;
- buffing off the uncured laminate from a top surface of the plurality of tread elements;
- and
- heating the uncured laminate and the cured tire.
A method of laminating a vulcanized tire comprising:
- providing a vulcanized tire having a circumferential tread with a plurality of grooves, and a pair of sidewalls constructed of a base rubber;
- cleaning the circumferential tread;
- providing a laminate;
- forming a plurality of holes in the laminate;
- applying the laminate to at least a portion of one of the circumferential tread and at least one of the grooves of the vulcanized tire;
- applying pressure to the laminate, thereby evacuating air between the laminate and the circumferential tread of the vulcanized tire;
- grinding away the laminate from a top surface of the plurality of tread elements;
- and
- curing the laminate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.