A tire vulcanization mold disclosed herein includes sectors 13 divided in a tire circumferential direction and molding a tread portion 1 of a tire, and a pair of upper and lower side plates 11 and 12 molding a sidewall portion 2 of the tire. Mold parting lines 16a and 17a formed by the sectors 13 and a pair of the upper and lower side plates 11 and 12 are located in the tread portion 1 and a distance from a tire equator CL to the mold parting lines 16a and 17a changes periodically in the tire circumferential direction.

A tire vulcanizer is disclosed that has superior durability and in which mold parting surfaces defined by a sector and side plates are less likely to be worn even after repeated use. The tire vulcanizer includes: the sector that shapes a tread of a tire; paired upper and lower side plates that shape sidewalls of the tire; a segment that is fixed to the sector and causes the sector to move in a tire radial direction; paired upper and lower attachment plates that are respectively fixed to the paired upper and lower side plates; and the mold parting surfaces defined by the sector and the side plates. Mold inner ends of the mold parting surfaces are arranged on the tread, and the mold parting surfaces extend outward in the tire radial direction from the mold inner ends.

A tire vulcanization mold disclosed herein includes sectors 13 divided in a tire circumferential direction and molding a tread portion 1, and a pair of upper and lower side plates 11 and 12 molding a sidewall portion 2 of a tire. Mold parting lines 16a and 17a formed by the sectors and the side plates are located in the tread portion 1. A lateral groove molding rib 18 molding a lateral groove 5 in the tread portion is provided to bridge from the sectors 13 to the side plates 11 and 12 and a protrusion molding recess 18a used to mold a protrusion 5a at a groove bottom of the lateral groove 5 is provided to the lateral groove molding rib 18. Mold parting planes 16 and 17 are provided to divide the lateral groove molding rib 18 at a position where the protrusion molding recess 18a is provided.

A tire vulcanizing method comprises: a step of causing a connecting body, at which an upper mold of a vulcanization mold is supported and that connects together upper end portions of upper tubes of a plurality of supporting pillars, the supporting pillars being disposed so as to be apart in a peripheral direction at a periphery of the vulcanization mold, which is formed from a lower mold and the upper mold, which is set above the lower mold, and the supporting pillars having lower tubes that are hollow and the upper tubes, which are hollow and are slidably engaged with the lower tubes, and the supporting pillars extending in a vertical direction, to, together with the upper tubes and the upper mold, approach the lower mold, and close the vulcanization mold; and a step of vulcanizing an unvulcanized tire that is accommodated at an interior of the vulcanization mold that is closed, wherein the causing the connecting body, the upper tubes and the upper mold to approach the lower mold is carried out by operating raising/lowering mechanisms that are accommodated at interiors of the supporting pillars.

An actuating ring for a tire mold includes an upper sidewall portion and a lower sidewall portion providing radial and axial movement of the actuating ring relative to the upper sidewall portion and the lower sidewall portion. The actuating ring has axially upper, circumferentially extending slots and axially lower, circumferentially extending slots axially offset from the axially upper, circumferentially extending slots.

A mold (10) for forming a tire (12) is provided that has an interchangeable element (14) configured for engaging the tire (12) and forming a section of tread (16) of the tire (12) when the tire (12) is molded by the mold (10). A lamelle (18) is removably attachable to the interchangeable element (14) and is configured for engaging the tire (12) and forming a sipe (20) of the section of tread (16) of the tire (12). The lamelle (18) is removably attachable in that the lamelle (18) is configured to be attached to the interchangeable element (14) and then removed from attachment to the interchangeable element (14).

A vulcanization mold is for a tire in which a plurality of sipes are arranged in a tire circumferential direction. The vulcanization mold includes a tread mold having a plurality a blades, for forming the sipes, provided on a tread forming surface. The tread mold is composed of a plurality of segments divided in the tire circumferential direction such that the segments are movable in a tire radial direction, and the number of divisions of the segments is 17 or more and 29 or less.

A tire vulcanizing method includes a tire removal step for removing a vulcanized tire from a mold. The tire removal step includes a stage in which upper and lower side molds are moved inward in a tire axial direction so as to deform the vulcanized tire in a direction in which a bead width of the vulcanized tire is decreased, and a stage in which, in the deformed state of the vulcanized tire, the segments are moved outward in a tire radial direction so that the segments are removed from the vulcanized tire.

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 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.