Method for inserting an insert into a tire

A method for inserting an insert into a tread of a tire, the tire comprising a vulcanized tire, the method comprising:

• arranging the insert and the vulcanized tire comprising tread blocks forming the tread of the vulcanized tire,
• wherein the insert extends in a longitudinal direction from a bottom of the insert to the top of the insert and has a first cross section at a first longitudinal position from the bottom and a second cross section at a second longitudinal position from the bottom,
• wherein the first longitudinal position is located closer to the top than the second longitudinal position and an area of the second cross section is greater than an area of the first cross section,
• machining a blind hole into a tread block of the vulcanized tire,
• arranging at least a part of the insert into a sleeve that is configured to receive at least a part of the insert that has the first cross section and support at least a part of the insert that has the second cross section in the longitudinal direction and/or a transversal direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and
• inserting the insert into the blind hole so that the bottom of the insert is inserted deeper in the blind hole than the top of the insert,
• wherein the insert is configured to measure an environmental parameter, or the insert is configured to indicate a condition of the vulcanized tire,
• wherein the insert comprises a flange residing on a plane on which a cross-section of the insert is at a maximum, the flange being located at the bottom of the insert, and a part of the sleeve is geometrically congruent with a part of the insert that is left in between the first longitudinal position and the second longitudinal position, and the sleeve is configured to support at least the flange when the insert is inserted into the blind hole so that the sleeve comprises a wall and the wall is configured to contact the flange when the insert is inserted into the blind hole, wherein the flange is prevented from deforming when the insert is being inserted into the blind hole;
• wherein the blind hole has a first cross-section at a first depth and a second cross-section at a second depth, wherein an area of the second cross-section of the blind hole is larger than an area of the first cross-section of the blind hole and the second depth is greater than the first depth;
• wherein the sleeve is an integral part of a punch that is used to insert the insert into the blind hole whereby the method comprises removing the sleeve from the blind hole after inserting the insert to the blind hole with the sleeve;
• the sleeve limits a first aperture for receiving at least a part of the insert at a first end of the sleeve and a second aperture at an opposite second end of the sleeve, the first aperture defining a cavity extending to the second aperture;
• the method comprising pushing the insert out of the sleeve by using a rod or pressurized gas through the second aperture.