An advanced tire mold has been developed which offers the advantages of reducing the level of whiskers on the surface of the tire, reduces sticking to the mold, and which facilitates enhanced gas removal. This tire mold includes a mold segment having an inner side for contacting the uncured tire, an outer side opposite to the inner side, and a plurality of vent passages which allow gas to pass from the inner side of the mold segment to the outer side of the mold segment, the vent passages comprising vent slots, wherein each vent slots have an inlet at the inner side of the mold segment, and wherein the vent slots taper from the inlets to the outer side of the mold segment. This tire mold can be comprised of multiple mold segments which can be utilized in a tire curing press.

The invention relates to a matrix for a tire mold for vulcanizing tire blanks, the matrix forming a negative mold of a profiled tread of a tire, the matrix having a mold shell and at least one fin plate disposed thereon, the mold shell forming a mold inside and the fin plate forming a web of the negative mold, a slit being formed in the mold shell, the fin plate being inserted into the slit and attached to the mold shell. The slit penetrates a mold wall of the mold shell and extends from the mold inside to a mold back side of the mold shell, the fin plate being bonded to the mold shell from the mold back side.

The invention relates to a molding process wherein a green tire is formed and then molded within a tire mold, the tire mold having one or more moving elements configured to move at least into an open configuration and a closed configuration of the tire mold. The tire mold further comprises a mold cavity, and wherein the process comprises the step of injecting one or more gases in the mold cavity after the tire was cured and before opening the tire mold to retrieve the molded tire.

A removably attached coupling assembly can be used to be attached to a laser focus optic assembly of a liquid jet guided laser system. The coupling assembly can include a coupling body, a window assembly, and a nozzle assembly. The coupling assembly thus can allow the independent and separate servicing of the window and the nozzle. For example, to service the window, the coupling assembly can be first detached from the laser focus optic assembly, exposing the top portion of the coupling assembly. The window assembly then can be detached from the coupling assembly. The window can be removed from the window assembly for servicing, such as being repaired or replaced.

Provided is a sipe blade for molding a cavity in a tire tread. The sipe blade may comprise an elongated bulb core having an axis of elongation and a peripheral surface and an elongated thin strap. The elongated thin strap may have a first end fixedly mounted to an associated tire tread mold surface, a second end opposite the first end, and may extending substantially normally to the associated tire tread mold surface. The first end and the second end may be connected by a first face. A bulb may be formed from the first face wrapped over the peripheral surface starting from the second end.

The present invention relates to a set of mould elements comprising main blades and secondary blades, intended to be added to a mould for vulcanizing a tread of a tyre, said mould elements being capable of moulding cuts in the tread, characterized in that a main blade comprises at least one assembly means for assembling a secondary blade, said assembly means comprising two series of at least one protrusion arranged facing one another. It is thus possible to ensure a relative positioning and an assembly that can withstand mechanical stresses over the entire height of the blade during moulding/demoulding, while minimizing the volume of material added. This assembly is barely visible on the tyre.

Provided is a tire vulcanization mold which includes a sector mold configured to mold a tread portion; and a pair of upper and lower side plates positioned on an inner diameter side of the sector mold and configured to mold side wall portions, the sector mold and the pair of upper and lower side plates being configured to engage with each other by fitting engagement by way of fitting portions which opposedly face each other in a radial direction. At least either one of the sector mold and the side plate has: a recessed portion extending from each fitting surface in a tire radial direction and indented outward in a tire width direction; and a saw cut groove having a groove shape extending in a tire radial direction along at least one of an edge portion and a corner portion of the recessed portion and communicating with the fitting surface.

A tire vulcanization mold including a sector mold divided into a plurality of pieces along a circumferential direction of a green tire, the sector mold configured to vulcanization mold a tread portion of the green tire into a predetermined shape, and an upper mold and a lower mold disposed on both sides of the green tire so as to sandwich the green tire therebetween in an axial direction of the green tire, the upper mold and lower mold configured to vulcanization mold a side portion of the green tire into a predetermined shape. The sector mold has a weir portion in a vicinity of a fitting portion between the sector mold, and the upper mold and the lower mold.

A rim guard of a tire has a top, an inner surface, and an outer surface. A contour of the inner surface is represented by a circular arc, and the circular arc has a radius of not less than 20 mm and not greater than 30 mm. A contour of the outer surface is represented by a circular arc, and the circular arc has a radius of not less than 100 mm and not greater than 500 mm. In a radial direction, a position of an outer edge of the outer surface coincides with a cross-sectional width specified position, or the outer edge of the outer surface is located outward of the cross-sectional width specified position.

A tire 22 includes a pair of bead portions 66 to be fitted to a rim R. Each bead portion 66 includes a bead 30 having a core 52 and an apex 54. An outer surface 68 of the bead portion 66 includes a seat face 70 and a flange face 72 disposed radially inward and axially outward, respectively, of the bead 30, a heel face 74 disposed between the seat face 70 and the flange face 72, and a plurality of vent lines 78 projecting from the heel face 74 and extending in the circumferential direction. A contour of the heel face 74 is represented by an arc on a cross-section, of the tire 22, taken along a plane including a rotation axis of the tire 22, and a radius Rh of the arc is not less than 8 mm and not greater than 15 mm.