A tire vulcanization mold 10 of an embodiment includes a side mold 14 having a side molding surface 20 for molding a side wall portion. The side mold 14 includes: a side mold body 24 having a plurality of recesses 30 provided at intervals in a tire circumferential direction; a plurality of side pieces 26 fitted into the recesses 30 and forming an annular side molding surface 20 together with the side mold body 24; and a plurality of vent gaps 28 provided between side surfaces 26A on both sides in the tire circumferential direction of the side pieces 26 and wall surfaces 30A of the recesses 30. An inner end 26E in a tire radial direction of the side piece 26 is positioned inwardly in the tire radial direction from an inner end 20E in the tire radial direction of the side molding surface 20.

The disclosure relates to a selective laser sintering method of manufacturing a tread molding element, said tread molding element including at least a fine lamella adapted to mold a shallow sipe in a tire tread, the fine lamella having a length (L2). The fine lamella is sintered in a plurality of portions (p2) at different layers (N), in each layer (N) the laser beam sinters the portion (p2) of the fine lamella in only one passage in the length (L2) of the fine lamella without round-trip passage of the laser beam, the direction (D1) of this passage being the same at the different layers (N) for building the different portions (p2) of the fine lamella. The thickness (w) of the fine lamella is smaller than 0.2 mm, and the height (h) of the fine lamella is smaller than or equal to 2 mm.

A tire vulcanizing mold is disclosed capable of accurately providing a clearance, from which air existing between a green tire and a side mold is released, on a side shaping surface and thereby preventing shaping defect. The tire vulcanizing mold includes an upper and lower pair of side molds having side shaping surfaces. Each of the side molds includes a side mold main body, plural pieces, and a clearance provided between the side mold main body and each of the pieces. The side mold main body includes plural recesses, each of which is opened to the side shaping surface and an outer surface, at spaced intervals. Each of the pieces is fitted into the recess and forms the side shaping surface with the side mold main body. The clearance is opened to the side shaping surface and extends from an inner side to an outer side.

A tire building drum (10) is used to build a large green tire. The tire building drum (10) comprises: a cylindrical drum main body (12) having an outer peripheral surface (14) a diameter of which is capable of being increased and reduced; and a coating (16) formed on the outer peripheral surface of the drum main body. The coating (16) includes a silicon layer (26) defining a surface of the coating (16), and the silicon layer has a surface roughness Ra of 10 m or greater. The tire building drum (10) requires no application of stearic acid onto the surface thereof in release of the green tire.

A mould element (18) intended to be attached in a mould (10) for vulcanizing tires, the mould element (18) having the form of a skin with a thickness (E) comprised between 0.25 and 6 mm and comprising a bearing surface (20) with, on the opposite side, a moulding surface (22) intended to form all or part of the external surface of the tire. The mould element comprises a pattern (30) comprising a plurality of recessed (19, 21, 112) or protruding (106, 107) elements, formed as integral parts of the mould element (18).

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. The mold parting lines 16a and 17a are set within a range PR which accounts for up to 7.5% of a width BW of an outermost belt 5a of the tire on each of an outer side and an inner side than belt end positions BP of the outermost belt in a tire width direction.

A mould (10) for a tire, comprising two shells (30) that are each intended to mould a lateral sidewall of the tire, a ring of sectors (20) intended to mould a tread of the tire, each sector (20) of the ring of sectors comprising a radially inner face (21) having a moulding lining (22). The mould (10) has microstructures (50) that are designed to fill a clearance between two moulding linings (22) of adjacent sectors (20) and/or between a moulding lining (22) of one sector (20) and a shell (30), when the mould is closed.

A tire vulcanization mold in which a surface roughness in the groove molding portion of the tread molding surface is made smaller than a surface roughness in the land portion molding portion, in which a surface roughness in the groove molding portion is minimized to 0.12 ?m or less in a range including at least a main groove molding portion, and in which a surface roughness in the land portion molding portion is made to be 3.2 ?m or more, is used to manufacture a tire, and when cleaning the tread molding surface, the tread molding surface is irradiated with a laser beam to remove contaminant adhered to the tread molding surface.

A tire tread mold which allows more flexibility in the design of tread patterns and which reduces the risks of blades being damaged during molding operations is needed. Such a mold has a tread mold portion which is divided in into a plurality of mold segments having an inner face curved along the circumferential direction according to an arc angle , each of the mold segments including laterally extending blades forming projections from their inner face; wherein the mold segments have a first end portion, a second end portion and a central portion; wherein laterally extending blades of the central portion extend in the operating direction, and wherein laterally extending blades of the end portions are inclined blades that extend in a direction forming an angle with the operating direction, wherein with angle being less than half of angle .

A tire vulcanization mold includes a molding surface for molding a tire during vulcanization molding. The molding surface can include a first region in which a plurality of recesses for forming a plurality of projections on a surface of the tire can be provided. In the first region, at least two of the recesses can be arranged per mm.sup.2. Each of the recesses can include a side wall surface, a bottom surface, and a virtual recess central axis extending in a depth direction of the recess. In a cross-sectional view of the recess including the recess central axis, the bottom surface can include a bottom projection projecting outward in the depth direction, and the side wall surface can include an arc-shaped surface smoothly connected to the bottom surface.