Pneumatic tire and method for making uncured rubber tire component

Abstract

A pneumatic tire is manufactured by vulcanizing the uncured tire formed by assembling uncured rubber tire components, at least one of which is made by winding a plurality of tapes around an axis while traversing the tapes along the axis, wherein the number of stroke of the traversing of the tapes is increased in a thick portion than in a thin portion of the tire component, and an angle between one end and the other end of each of the tapes around said axis is at most 90 degrees. The respective midpoints between the one end and the other end around the axis, of the tapes are sifted from each other in the circumferential direction of the tire.

Description

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a pneumatic tire according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of an uncured rubber tire component therefor which is an uncured tread rubber provided with two circumferential extending indentations;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of another example of the uncured rubber tire component which is provided with a single indentation extending in the circumferential direction thereof.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the winding operation for the uncured rubber tire component shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining another example of the winding operation for the component shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the winding operation for the uncured rubber tire component shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining another example of the winding operation for the component shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the circumferential positions of the two ends of each rubber tape.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the circumferential positions of the ends of all of the rubber tapes.

Claims

1. A method for making an uncured rubber tire component comprising: winding a plurality of tapes around an axis while traversing the tapes along the axis, so as to form the uncured rubber tire component as an annular body collectively formed by windings of the tapes, wherein said tapes are made of an uncured rubber compound,the number of stroke of the traversing of the tapes is increased in a thick portion than in a thin portion of the tire component,an angle between one end and the other end of each of the tapes around said axis is at most 90 degrees, andthe respective midpoints between said one end and the other end around said axis, of the tapes are sifted from each other in the circumferential direction of the tire component.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the uncured rubber tire component has a circumferentially extending indentation on the outer surface thereof defining a steep slope, andsaid winding of the tapes includes winding at least one of the tapes so as to heap up the windings of the tape to form said steep slope.

3. A method for manufacturing a rubber tire comprising the steps of: making an uncured rubber tire by assembling uncured rubber tire components; and vulcanizing the uncured rubber tire, wherein at least one of said uncured rubber tire components is made by the method according to claim 1.

4. A pneumatic tire comprising a rubber component which is composed of multiple windings of a plurality of rubber tapes each having two ends, wherein said plurality of rubber tapes are made from the same rubber compound,.an angle between one end and the other end of each of the tapes around the rotational axis of the tire is at most 90 degrees, andthe respective midpoints between said one end and the other end around the tire rotational axis, of the tapes are sifted from each other in the circumferential direction of the tire.

5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 4, wherein said angle is less than 20 degrees, and the midpoints are equiangularly disposed around the tire rotational axis.