Patent Application
20070154584
The present invention relates to a two-division type of tire forming mold and a pneumatic tire producing method using the two-division type of tire forming mold. More specifically, the present invention relates to a tire forming mold which prevents damages on a rib and a block effectively in spite of a simple structure thereof when the tire is removed from the tire forming mold, and to a pneumatic tire producing method using the tire forming mold.
A two-division type of tire forming mold has heretofore been used in a process of curing a tire. Such a two-division type of tire forming mold includes a molding surface for molding one side of the tire integrally, and has a simple structure. This has brought up an advantage that costs for related facilities are small. However, in the two-division type of tire forming mold, the tire needs to be separated from the mold in the direction of the tire axis in a state where groove forming ribs arranged on a tread forming surface engage with tread portions. For this reason, there may be a case where parts of the ribs and blocks are damaged while the tire is separated from the mold.
FIGS. 7(a) to 7(c) schematically show how to remove the tire from the two-division type of tire forming mold when the tire has been cured by use of the tire forming mold.
In order to prevent such damages on the ribs and blocks, it has been suggested that a plurality of sector molds for forming the tread portions are provided separately from the lower and upper halves of the tire forming mold, and that these sector molds are displaced outward in the direction of the tire diameter when the tire is removed from the tire forming mold (see Japanese Patent Laid-open Official Gazette No. 2001-129831, for example). However, the sectional type of tire forming mold using the sector molds has a disadvantage that the sectional type of tire forming mold increases costs for related facilities to a large extent.
As other measures, change in the tread compound and modification in the shape of the grooves have been proposed. However, in a case where the tread compound is changed and the shape of the grooves is modified, this makes it difficult to achieve performance required for the tire. In addition, processing application has been proposed. Such processing application includes the coating of the inner surface of the tire forming mold with silicone resin, and vapor deposition of fluororesin on the inner surface of the tire forming mold. However, these cases require maintenance services to be performed continuously, since the coated resins do not have sufficient endurance.
An object of the present invention is to provide a tire forming mold which can make it possible to prevent damages on a rib and a block effectively in spite of a simple structure thereof when the tire is removed from the tire forming mold. Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic tire producing method using the tire forming mold.
A tire forming mold according to the present invention for achieving the aforementioned objectives is a two-division type of tire forming mold, which includes a mold main body for forming one side of a tire, characterized in that the mold main body is provided with a movable part which constitutes a part of a tread forming surface in the direction of the circumference thereof while the tire forming mold is being closed, and which can be moved while the tire is being removed from the tire forming mold.
According to the present invention, the mold main body is provided with the movable part, which constitutes a part of the tread forming surface in the direction of the circumference thereof while the tire forming mold is closed, and which can be moved while the tire is separated. For this reason, the tire is easy to be locally separated from the tire forming mold in the movable part. Consequently, this can prevent concentration of stress on the tread portion of the tire, which is caused due to a groove forming rib arranged on the tread forming surface. Accordingly, a rib and a block can be effectively prevented from being damaged when the tire is removed. In addition, the movable part may only constitute a part of the tread forming surface in the direction of the circumference thereof, and the movable part requires no special power. For this reason, the structure of the tire forming mold as a whole is simple. This enables an inexpensive tire forming mold to be provided, and enables costs for related facilities to be inhibited from increasing to a large extent.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the measurement of the movable part be one eighth to a half of the circumferential length of the tread forming surface. This makes it easy to separate the tire from the tire forming mold. In addition, while the tire forming mold is being closed, the movable part needs to be fixed to the mold main body. For this reason, the behavior of the movable part may be restricted by a tightening force of the other half of the tire forming mold, the other half being opposite to the movable part while the tire forming mold is being closed. For the same reason, it is preferable that a contact surface of the movable part with the mold main body, the contact surface extending in the direction of the tire diameter, be inclined in a way that the inner in the direction of the tire diameter a point on the contact surface is, the outer in the direction of the tire axis the point on the contact surface is.
As a structure by which the movable part is fitted to the mold main body, the followings can be adopted. First, the movable part can be mounted swingably around a rotating shaft orthogonal to the direction of the tire axis. In this case, the rotating shaft of the movable part may be arranged outward of a dividing position on the inner surface of the tire forming mold, where the mold main body and the movable part are divided, in the direction of the tire axis. Second, the movable part can be mounted slidably along an inclined surface which is inclined with respect to the direction of the tire axis. Third, the movable part can be mounted slidably along an inclined surface which is inclined with respect to the direction of the tire diameter. In any one of these cases, the movable part is displaced in a natural manner in response to the displacement of the tire.
According to the present invention, the pneumatic tire producing method is provided, by which the tire is cured by use of the aforementioned tire forming mold, and by which the cured tire is removed from the tire forming mold including the movable part.
FIGS. 7(a) to 7(C) are schematic diagrams showing how to remove a tire from a conventional two-division type of tire forming mold in a case where the tire has been cured by use of the conventional two-division type of tire forming mold.
Detailed descriptions will be given of a configuration according to the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.
It is preferable that the measurement of the movable part 3 is set at one eighth to a half of the circumferential length of the tread forming surface 4. More preferably, the measurement of the movable part 3 is set at one third to a half of the circumferential length of the tread forming surface 4. In other words, as shown in
A structure in which the movable part 3 is fitted to the mold main body 2 is as follows. Specifically, the mold main body 2 includes a hollow portion 6 in a part of the tread forming surface 4 in the direction of the circumference thereof, the hollow portion 6 being one in which the movable part 3 is arranged. A rotating shaft 7 orthogonal to the direction of the tire axis is arranged pivotally in the hollow portion 6 of the mold main body 2. The movable part 3 is fitted swingably around this rotating shaft 7 in the hollow portion 6 of the mold main body 2. In addition, the movable part 3 is designed to be displaced freely without apowerbetweena position (shown by a solid line) where the tire forming mold is closed and the other position (shown by a broken line) where the movable part 3 is positioned when the tire is separated from the tire forming mold.
In particular, it is suitable that the rotating shaft 7 of the movable part 3 be positioned outward of a dividing position on the inner surface of the tire forming mold, where the mold main body 2 and the movable part 3 are divided, in the direction of the tire axis. In
The movable part 3 is formed so that it is flush with the mold main body 2 at the mold dividing position in a state where the tire forming mold is closed. For this reason, the behavior of the movable part 3 is restricted by a tightening force of the other half of the tire forming mold, the other half being opposite to the movable part 3 while the tire forming mold is being closed. In other words, the movable part 3 is fixed with respect to the mold main body 2 in a state where the tire forming mold is closed.
A contact surface 8 of the movable part 3 with the mold main body 2, the contact surface extending in the direction of the tire diameter, is inclined in a way that, the inner in the direction of the tire diameter a point on the contact surface is, the outer in the direction of the tire axis the point on the contact surface is. It is suitable that an angle of inclination of the contact surface 8 with respect to the direction of the tire diameter be 15° to 35°. In a case where the contact surface 8 of the movable part 3 is inclined in this manner, the movable part 3 is energized inward in the direction of the tire diameter when the movable part 3 receives a tightening force from the other half of the tire forming mold. Thereby, the movable part 3 is brought into close contact with the mold main body 2 without creating an interstice on the inner surface of the tire forming mold.
Next, a description will be given of a curing method in which the aforementioned tire forming mold (lower half of the tire forming mold) is used. First, a tire T which has not been cured yet is inserted in the cavity 1 of the mold main body 2. Thereafter, the tire T is covered with the other half of the tire forming mold (upper half of the tire forming mold), and the lower and upper halves of the tire forming mold are fastened together. At this time, the movable part 3 is fixed with respect to the mold main body 2 by the tightening force of the other half of the tire forming mold. Thereby, a state that the movable part 3 complements the tread forming surface 4 (shown by the solid line) is brought about. The other half of the tire forming mold is removed after completion of curing, and the tire T which has been cured is elevated. At this time, the movable part 3 is released from the tightening force which the movable part 3 has received from the other half of the tire forming mold, and the movable part 3 is in a movable state. For this reason, the movable part 3 swings around the rotating shaft 7 as the tire T is elevated upper. In other words, the tire T is easy to be locally separated from the lower half of the tire forming mold in the area of the movable part 3. As a result, this can prevent concentration of stress on the tread portion of the tire T, which is caused due to the groove forming ribs 5a and 5b arrangedonthe tread forming surface 4. Accordingly, the ribs and blocks of the tire can be effectively prevented from being damaged when the tire is removed.
In
The present embodiment causes the groove forming ribs 5a extending in the direction of the tire circumference to belong to the movable part 3, and, on the other hand, causes the groove forming ribs 5b extending in the direction of the tire width to belong to the mold main body 2. However, the present embodiment can obtain the same operation and effect as the first embodiment does. Specifically, the groove forming ribs 5b extending in the direction of the tire width is less prone to become a cause of damage on the ribs and blocks. For this reason, the groove forming ribs 5b can be removed from the movable part 3.
In
In the aforementioned tire forming mold, the movable part 3 is fixed with respect to the mold main body 2 by a tightening force of the other half of the tire forming mold while the tire forming mold is being closed. Thereby, a state that the movable part 3 complements the tread forming surface 4 (shown by the solid line) is brought about. The other half of the tire forming mold is removed after completion of curing, and the tire T which has been cured is elevated. At this time, the movable part 3 is released from the tightening force which the movable part 3 has received from the other half of the tire forming mold, and the movable part 3 is in a movable state. For this reason, the movable part 3 slides along the inclined surface 9 inward (upward in
In
In the aforementioned tire forming mold, the movable part 3 is fixed with respect to the mold main body 2 by a tightening force of the other half of the tire forming mold while the tire forming mold is being closed. Thereby, a state that the movable part 3 complements the tread forming surface 4 (shown by the solid line) is brought about. The other half of the tire forming mold is removed after completion of curing, and the tire T which has been cured is elevated. At this time, the movable part 3 is released from the tightening force which the movable part 3 has received from the other half of the tire forming mold, and the movable part 3 is in a movable state. For this reason, the movable part 3 slides along the inclined surface 10 outward in the direction of the tire diameter as the tire T is elevated upper. In other words, the tire T is easy to be locally separated from the lower half of the tire forming mold in the movable part 3. As a result, this can prevent concentration of stress on the treadportionof the tire T, which is caused due to groove forming ribs 5a and 5b arranged on the tread forming surface 4. Accordingly, the ribs and blocks can be effectively prevented from being damaged when the tire is removed.
In
In the aforementioned tire forming mold, the movable part 3 is fixed with respect to the mold main body 2 by a tightening force of the other half of the tire forming mold while the mold is being closed. Thereby, a state that the movable part 3 complements the tread forming surface 4 (shown by the solid line) is brought about. The other half of the tire forming mold is removed after completion of curing, and the tire T which has been cured is elevated. At this time, the movable part 3 is released from the tightening force which the movable part 3 has received from the other half of the tire forming mold, and the movable part 3 is in a movable state. For this reason, the movable part 3 slides along the inclined surface 10 outward in the direction of the tire diameter as the tire T is elevated upper. In other words, the tire T is easy to be locally separated from the lower half of the tire forming mold in the movable part 3. As a result, this can prevent concentration of stress on the tread portion of the tire T, which is caused due to groove forming ribs 5a and 5b arranged on the tread forming surface 4. Accordingly, the ribs and blocks can be effectively prevented from being damaged when the tire is removed.
With regard to the above described tire forming molds of the respective embodiments, only the movable part 3 constituting a part of the tread forming surface 4 in the direction of the circumference thereof is added to the mold main body 2 for forming most parts of one side of the tire T. Furthermore, a special power is not required. For these reasons, the structures of the respective tire forming molds as a whole are simple. This makes it possible to provide the tire forming mold which is inexpensive compared with the sectional type of tire forming mold, and this enables costs for related facilities to be inhibited from increasing. Since the aforementioned tire forming molds have a good releasability, it is a matter of course that the tread compound needs not be changed, a shape of the grooves needs not be modified, and the inner surface of the tire forming mold needs not be processed with resin.
Each of the aforementioned embodiments has been described by citing the example that the present invention is applied to the lower half of the two-division type of tire forming mold which is divided into the upper and lower halves. Instead, the present invention can be applied to the upper half or the like of the two-division type of tire forming mold which is divided into the upper and lower halves.
Detailed descriptions have been given above of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that various modifications, substitutions and replacements can be made as long as these modifications, substitutions and replacements do not depart from the spirit or scope of the present invention defined in the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP2003-390196 | Nov 2003 | JP | national |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10991144 | Nov 2004 | US |
| Child | 11715848 | Mar 2007 | US |
