Tire mold and a method of rapidly depressurizing the mold
AssigneeThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
InventorsClifford Jack Ciesa, Jean-Marc Francois Fortin, Joseph Alan Incavo, Michael Eugene Porter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tire mold 2 for curing new or retreaded tires 20 has an upper platen 4, a lower platen 6, and a central rim 30 with a frangible member 50 designed to open when a predetermined pressure P1 in excess of the normal curing pressure Pc is observed. The frangible member 50 preferably includes a rupture disk 60 that breaks upon exposure to the pressure P1.
Claims9
A method of rapidly depressurizing a mold for curing retreated or new tires, the mold having an upper platen, a lower platen, and a central rim for sealing the tire at the beads, the central rim being open to atmospheric pressure at the radially inner surfaces, the radially outer surfaces in combination with the upper platen and lower platen forming a toroidal pressure chamber for curing the tire;
- the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a frangible member atttached and open to the toroidal pressure chamber through an opening in the central rim;
- and opening the frangible member to the atmosphere pressure Po when the chamber pressure reached a predetermined pressure P1, P1 being greater than the tire curing pressure Pc.
The method of rapidly depressurizing a mold for curing retread or new tires further comprises the step of directing the chamber flow exhaust orthogonal relative to the attachment to the rim.
An improved mold for curing retreaded or new tires, the mold having
- an upper platen
- a lower platen
- a central rim, the central rim having a radially inner surface open to atmospheric pressure and an exterior surface in combination with the upper platen and lower platen forming toroidal pressure chamber for curing a tire;
- the improved mold being characterized by a frangible member being attached to an opening in the central rim and being connected on a radially inner surface of the rim, the frangible member opens to atmospheric pressure Po when the chamber pressure reaches a predetermined pressure P1, P1 being greater than the tire curing pressure Pc.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.