A tire cure metal mold has a plurality of blades for forming a sipe provided in a protruding manner on a tread, forming surface. The tire cure metal mold has a first blade extending along a first direction, a second blade extending along a second direction intersecting the first direction and a protrusion portion. The protrusion portion is formed by a local protrusion of the tread forming surface and comes into contact with a side surface of the first blade and an end surface of the second blade facing to the side surface of the first blade.

A composite lining element for a tire mould comprises first and second bodies 12, 14 which are able to mould, at least in part, the one same tread pattern in a tread of the tire and each delimiting an exterior moulding surface 12b, 14b and an opposite interior surface 12a, 14a. The composite lining element further comprises at least a means 16 of assembling the first and second bodies. The interior surfaces 12a, 14 of the bodies are kept by the means of assembling at least locally in a separated position that creates an interior space 22.

A tread block arrangement is for a tire or for a tread band for a tire. The tread block arrangement includes a tread block having at least a first sipe delimited by a first sipe wall, a second sipe wall and a bottom of the sipe. The first sipe wall and the second sipe wall are arranged parallel to each other and define a width (w) of the sipe. At least the first sipe wall has at least one inclined section in which a width of a surface of the first sipe wall in a longitudinal direction of the sipe and the width of the sipe increases towards the bottom of the sipe.

The invention includes tire treads, tires including the tire treads, and methods of forming a tire tread. The tire tread includes a length extending in a lengthwise direction, a width extending in a lateral direction, and a thickness extending in a depth-wise direction from an outer, ground-engaging side of the tread. The tire treads further include a sipe having a length, a height, a width, a thickness extending in a direction of the sipe width, and a cross-section taken along a plane extending in a direction of the sipe width and height, where the cross-section twists as the sipe thickness extends along the length of the sipe. Method of forming the tire tread includes molding into the tread a sipe and a void feature as recited herein.

A removably attached coupling assembly can he used to he 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.

A tire vulcanization mold has a mold main body, and blades having, at proximal end sides thereof, embedded portions that are fixed to the mold main body in embedded states, and, at distal end sides thereof, projecting portions that project-out from the mold main body's inner surface, wherein at least one introducing path extends from a projecting portion side surface toward a blade inner portion is formed at each blade, and, a connecting path, shaped as a closed space and connects the introducing path and a proximal end opening, is formed at each blade's interior, a discharge path, whose one end opening communicates with proximal end opening and whose other end opening communicates with external space, is formed in the mold main body, and, a maximum flow path sectional area at the connecting path less than or equal to an opening surface area of discharge path's one end opening.

The liming element for a tire mould comprises a body 12 delimiting a moulding surface 14 intended to at least partially mould a rolling surface of the tire, at least one injection nozzle 26 arranged on the body and provided with at least one outlet orifice 26a, at least one supply duct extending inside the body and the injection nozzle while being in communication with the said outlet orifice, and at least one shut-off member 30 mobile with respect to the injection nozzle between an outlet orifice closed position and an outlet orifice open position. The body 12, the injection nozzle 26 and the shut-off member 30 are manufactured by the deposition and selective melting of stacked layers of powder.

A tire vulcanization mold comprises a ring shaped tread mold which comprises a plurality of segments, each segment with a radially inner face and a pair of end faces each of which extends from a circumferential end of the inner face toward radially outwardly of the tire, the segments arranged in a circumferential direction of the tire to have a substantially continuous tread molding face by connecting inner faces one another, each inner face of segments comprising a circumferentially extending rib, a laterally extending rib, and blades for molding sipes, the blades including three dimensional blades which comprises a first blade with a thickness not more than 0.3 mm and a second blade with a thickness of from 0.4 to 0.6 mm arranged in one of the circumferentially end regions.

The present invention includes tire treads having a sipe (18) and a void feature (22) in fluid communication with the sipe. Particular embodiments of the present invention also include methods for forming the same. In various embodiments, the sipe has a length, a height, and a thickness that is variable across the length and height of the sipe. The thickness of the sipe includes a thick portion (24) and a thin portion (26), the thick portion at least partially extending around a perimeter of the thin portion. In particular embodiments, the void feature (22) which is in fluid communication with the sipe extends primarily in a direction of the sipe length and has a width extending in the direction of the sipe thickness equal to or greater than substantially 1 millimeter.

The present invention includes tire treads having a plurality of lateral voids and methods of forming a tire tread having a plurality of lateral voids. The lateral voids of the tire treads each have a length extending primarily in the lateral direction of the tread, and where each of the plurality of lateral void features include a groove portion (18) and a sipe portion (26). Arranged at the bottom of each of the plurality of lateral void features is a submerged groove (28). Additionally or alternatively, each of the plurality of lateral void features include a groove bumper (32).