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

摘要

A method of forming a tire (10) 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 submerged void-forming portion extending in a direction towards the first shoulder-forming portion. The method further includes arranging an uncured tire tread (20) within the mold (40), molding the uncured tire tread arranged within the mold, and demolding the tire tread from the mold such that the sipe-forming element (46) forms a sipe (30) by the knife edge lacerating a thickness of the cured molded tread as the sipe-forming element is pulled in a direction toward the first shoulder- forming portion. A tire including a sipe and a submerged void formed as described above is disclosed.