METHOD OF MOULDING TIRE TREADS HAVING A ZERO THICKNESS SIPE AND TIRE OBTAINED THEREBY

摘要

A method of forming a tire that includes providing a mold (40) having a molding cavity defined at least in part by an outermost molding surface and a pair of opposing shoulder-forming portions. The mold (40) includes a sipe-forming element (46) spaced apart inwardly from the pair of opposing shoulder-forming portions with a knife edge (48) oriented towards a first shoulder-forming portion and a knife edge translation member arranged outside the mold cavity and configured to translate in a direction towards the first shoulder- forming portion and from which a sipe-forming portion extends. The method further includes arranging an uncured tire tread within the mold (40), molding the uncured tire tread, and demolding the tire tread such that the sipe-forming element (46) forms a sipe (30) by the knife edge (48) lacerating a thickness of the cured molded tread as the sipe-forming element (46) is pulled in a direction toward the first shoulder-forming portion.