Degradable blading for tire curing molds
AssigneeThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
InventorsMarc Weydert, Frank Schmitz, Rene Zimmer, Bernd Fuchs
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A degradable sipe blade for forming sipes in a tire tread, where the degradable material may be removed by exposure to water. A tire curing apparatus is also provided having a plurality of degradable sipe blades affixed to the mold surface within the tread pattern. In addition, a cured tire is provided having the degradable sipe blades embedded in the tread elements of the tire tread after removal of the cured tire from a curing mold. Further provided is a method for forming sipes in a tire tread using degradable blading.
Claims37
A degradable sipe blade affixable to a surface of a tire curing mold and releasable therefrom and having a shape for forming a sipe in a cured tire tread, the sipe blade comprising a material that is a water soluble polymer, a hydrolyzable polymer, or a biodegradable polymer, or a combination thereof, that is capable of being removed from the cured tire tread by exposure to water, and that is capable of maintaining the shape at a vulcanization temperature applied to the sipe blade while embedded in a green tire compound in the tire curing mold.
A tire comprising:
- a tread comprising a vulcanized rubber compound and having a pattern of recessed grooves defining raised tread elements each having a top surface designed to be ground-contacting;
- a plurality of degradable sipe blades positioned in the raised tread elements adjacent the respective top surfaces, and which are shaped to leave a pattern of sipes in the raised tread elements upon degradation, wherein the plurality of degradable sipe blades comprise a material that is a water soluble polymer, a hydrolyzable polymer, or a biodegradable polymer, or a combination thereof, capable of being removed from the tread by exposure to water.
A method of forming sipes in a tire tread, comprising:
- affixing a plurality of degradable sipe blades to recessed surfaces in a negative form of a tread pattern formed in a tire curing mold;
- forcing an uncured tread strip into the negative form of the tread pattern in the tire curing mold and thereby forcing the degradable sipe blades into the uncured tread strip;
- applying a vulcanization temperature to the uncured tire strip in the tire curing mold to form a cured tire tread, wherein the sipe blades comprise a material capable of maintaining their shape at the vulcanization temperature;
- removing the cured tire tread from the tire curing mold and thereby releasing the plurality of degradable sipe blades from the recessed surfaces such that the degradable sipe blades are embedded in raised tread elements in a positive form of the tread pattern formed in the cured tire tread;
- and
- exposing the degradable sipe blades to water to remove the sipe blades and to leave a plurality of sipes formed in the raised tread elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.