A tire comprises an inner surface defining and facing an inner hollow space, an outer surface pointing away from the inner hollow space. A method of processing the tire comprises identifying the position of a first feature on the outer surface and cleaning a surface portion of the inner surface of the tire, wherein the surface portion has a first predetermined position relative to the position of the first feature on the outer surface. A separate element is attached with its attachment surface to the surface portion, wherein a ratio of a size of the surface portion over a corresponding size of the attachment surface is smaller than 10.

A method for depositing at least one colored layer on the surface of a vulcanized tire sidewall includes applying by inkjet a colored layer to the whole of the sidewall or to at least a part of the sidewall of the tire and then, after drying, selectively removing the colored layer in such a manner as to create a first pattern. A tire obtained on completion of that method is also disclosed.

A method and associated apparatus for uniquely identifying tyres for wheels of vehicles as part of wheel maintenance processes. The method envisages that a vehicle wheel is mounted on a support of a wheel maintenance apparatus, said wheel comprising a rim and a tyre. Moreover, a digital code is created to uniquely identify the tyre. Finally, via a marking system, preferably of the optical type, at least one marking is created on the surface of one side wall of the tyre of said wheel, corresponding to the previously created digital code.

Described is in particular a method of generating a transfer pattern (110) defining a digital code pattern. According to the described method, a digital code pattern definition (104) defining a plurality of light and dark portions is received, wherein each of such portion has a size A. The transfer pattern (110) is generated by rasterizing the digital code pattern definition (104) with structure pixels, in particular by mapping the digital code pattern definition into an array of equally sized structure pixels, wherein the size A of the light and dark portions is an integer multiple of a size B of the structure pixels. The array of structure pixels comprises at least two different types of structure pixels. Each type of structure pixel defines a certain surface structure on the rubber article, the surface structure causing a certain optical reflectivity of the structure pixel. Further, at least two types of structure pixels have a different optical reflectivity.

This printing device includes a first supply roller and a second supply roller that supply the pair of ink ribbons; a first winding roller and a second winding roller that are pulled out from the first supply roller and the second supply roller and wind the pair of ink ribbons passing through a printing position; and a roller driving unit that rotates the first winding roller and the second winding roller. The roller driving unit includes one rotational driving device in which a rotating shaft is rotatable in a normal direction and a reverse direction, a first transmission mechanism that transmits only the rotation of the rotating shaft in the normal direction to the first winding roller, and a second transmission mechanism that transmits only the rotation of the rotating shaft in the reverse direction to the second winding roller.

A tire made of rubbery material comprising a sidewall (3). The sidewall (3) comprises at least one coded matrix symbol (4), the coded matrix symbol (4) comprising dark parts and light parts, the dark parts being made up of a texture formed as an integral part of the sidewall (3) and contrasting against the rest of the tire (1). The texture is an organized arrangement of a plurality of elements (401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 411, 414).

A tire or other rubber item is described that has a surface such as a sidewall. A region on the surface includes a plurality of protrusions. The protrusions are positioned in a pseudo-random pattern within the region. Various features of the protrusions may be varied in a random or pseudo-random manner.

Described is a method of providing a rubber article (100) with a digital code pattern (102), wherein the rubber article (100) comprises a cured polymer material (104), the method comprising: Generating, e.g. by means of electromagnetic radiation (110), a digital code pattern (102) in the cured polymer material of the rubber article, the digital code pattern (102) comprising a first surface portion (106) and a second surface portion (108) having different optical reflectivity. Generating the digital code pattern (102) may include generating protrusions (114) or holes (126) in the second surface portions (108). The digital code pattern (102) may identify the rubber article (100) e.g. within a batch of rubber articles. Described is also a rubber article (100) comprising a digital code pattern (102), a rubber article marking device and a computer program product for controlling a rubber article marking device.

Display assemblies as disclosed herein are configured for attachment with a vulcanized rubber article and are provided in the form of different material layers. Display assemblies generally comprise one or more display layers of elastomeric material configured to provide a desired display indicia, an intermediate layer formed from an elastomeric material different from that of the one or more display layers, and an adhesive layer wherein the intermediate layer is interposed between the adhesive layer and the one or more display layers. The one more display layers may be configured to act together or separately to provide a desired display indicia to provide a desired visual display or feature on the surface of the vulcanized rubber article, which may be a sidewall surface of a tire.