METHOD FOR FORMING A TIRE HAVING A ZERO THICKNESS SIPE AND TIRE OBTAINED THEREBY

摘要

A method of forming a tire that includes providing a mold configured to mold a tire tread and having a sipe-forming element, spaced apart inwardly from an outermost molding surface, that includes a knife edge oriented towards the outermost molding surface and a submerged void-forming portion extending from the knife edge, arranging an uncured tire tread within the mold, molding the tire tread arranged within the mold, and demolding the tire tread from the mold such that the sipe-forming element forms a sipe by the knife edge (48) lacerating a thickness of the tire tread as the sipe-forming element is pulled in a direction toward the outermost molding surface and forms a submerged void arranged below the sipe within the tire tread. A tire including a sipe (30) and a submerged void (32) as described above is also disclosed.

主权项

1. A method of forming a tire, the method comprising:
providing a mold configured to mold a tire tread, the mold having an outermost molding surface configured to form a ground-engaging side of the tire tread and a sipe-forming element spaced apart inwardly from the outermost molding surface and having a knife edge oriented towards the outermost molding surface and a submerged void-forming portion extending from the knife edge, the sipe-forming element having a length extending in a direction transverse to a tread thickness; arranging an uncured tire tread within the mold, the tire tread having a thickness extending depthwise into a molding cavity from the outermost molding surface such that a portion of the tire tread is arranged between the outermost molding surface and the sipe-forming element; molding the tire tread arranged within the mold to form a cured molded tread having a thickness extending from a ground-engaging side of the cured molded tread; and demolding the tire tread from the mold such that the sipe-forming element forms a sipe by the knife edge lacerating a thickness of the cured molded tread as the sipe-forming element is pulled in a direction toward the outermost molding surface and forms a submerged void spaced below the ground-engaging side and arranged below the sipe within the thickness of the cured molded tread, the sipe having a length extending in a direction transverse to the tread thickness.