A mold (20) for curing a tire comprises at least one body, such as a shell (21) or a lining, and at least one insert (22) mounted removably in a housing of the body, the molding surface (23) of the body having a first texture pattern (24), the molding surface (25) of the insert having a marking pattern (26). The molding surface of the insert also has a second texture pattern (27) chosen such that the surface molded by the second texture pattern contrasts with the surface molded by the marking pattern (26), and contrasts barely, if at all, with the surface molded by the first texture pattern (24).

A pneumatic tire includes a tread portion and a pair of sidewall portions extending inward in a tire radial direction from both edges of the tread portion. At least one of the sidewall portions is provided with a vent line and a recessed portion adjacent to each other in the tire radial direction. The vent line protrudes from a sidewall outer surface and extends in a tire circumferential direction. The recessed portion is recessed from the sidewall outer surface at a first depth. A serration pattern, in which a plurality of ridges extending in the tire radial direction are arranged in the tire circumferential direction, is formed in the recessed portion. Each of heights of the ridges is smaller than the first depth.

A mold (20) for vulcanizing tires comprises an upper part (24) and a lower part (26), the upper part and the lower part being able to move axially between an open position and a closed position in which the lower part and the upper part meet along a joint line (31). A mold part (24, 26) has at least one sipe blade (50), all or some of the sipe blades extending substantially axially or helically on the radially internal surface (30) of the mold, all or some of the sipe blades being: contiguous at one of their ends with a protruding element (46) and contiguous at the other of their ends with a recessed element (44) or with the other part of the mold, and able to move relative to the tire in the wake of the protruding element (46), during opening of the mold.

Method for curing a tyre during which a green tyre is pressed against the lining of a curing mould provided with a venting device, the moulding surface of said lining forming protrusions that define cavities, the venting device comprising vents that pass through the lining, one cavity being divided into chambers by a protrusion in the form of a blade (26), each cavity closing on one or more vents, at least one of said chambers not closing on a vent, at least one duct (42) passing through the blade (26) so that the chamber(s) that does/do not close on a vent communicate(s) through the duct with a chamber that does close on a vent.

According to the invention, the cross-section of the duct (42) has an area of between 0.0001 mm.sup.2 and 0.25 mm.sup.2 and, more preferably, 0.01 mm.sup.2 and 0.1 mm.sup.2.

A mould comprising a first and a second half-part (15a, 15b) that are mutually side-by-side along a geometric centring axis (X) in order to define a moulding cavity (16). An internal wall (16a) of the moulding cavity (16) has a first and a second series of slots (17a, 17b) having the respective axially outer terminal portions (19a) respectively in the first and in the second half-part (15a, 15b). The slots (17a, 17b) respectively belonging to the first and second series are circumferentially offset from each other and have respective axially inner terminal portion (20a, 20b) in proximity to an intermediate reference plane (P). A junction line (22) between the first half-part (15a) and the second half-part (15b) has an undulating progression astride the intermediate reference plane (P), to form alternatively arranged crests (23), each intersecting the axially inner terminal portion (20a, 20b) of one of the slots (17a, 17b).

A tire mold having moveable elements displaceable to bring the tire mold into an open or into a closed position. The mold comprises upper and lower side members; a plurality of mold segments defining a mold cavity; a vacuum device for removing gas from the mold cavity; and sealing means with closing seal members configured to cooperate with associated cooperating surfaces for sealing the mold cavity by contact with each other. The one or more closing seal members and the associated cooperating surfaces are moveable relative to each other upon displacement of the one or more moveable elements. Said one or more closing seal members are placed in a position in which they are facing their associated cooperating surfaces without contacting them both in a partial closure position of the tire mold and in the closed position of the tire mold when the vacuum device is not activated.

A process for molding a tire within a tire mold having movable elements displaceable to bring the tire mold into an open position or a closed position. The tire mold comprises upper and lower side members; mold segments defining a mold cavity; and sealing means for sealing the mold cavity. The process comprises steps of providing a tire mold having one or more closing seal members; placing the green tire into the mold cavity; placing one or more closing seal members next to a cooperating surface so as to face it without contacting it, by bringing the tire mold into a partial closure position; and drawing a vacuum on the mold cavity causing the one or more closing seal members to be moved or deformed by suction until they are in contact with the cooperating surface so that the mold cavity is sealed in an airtight manner.

A method of mounting an object on a tire includes providing a tire having a sidewall, wherein the sidewall includes a mounting portion configured to receive an object. The method further includes mounting the object on the mounting portion of the sidewall, such that the object is visible without extending outwardly beyond the mounting portion.

A tire 2 includes a bead portion 2B to be fitted onto a rim R. The bead portion 2B includes a first vent line 50 extending in a circumferential direction, a second vent line 52 located outward of the first vent line 50 and extending in the circumferential direction, a columnar protrusion 54 located outward of the second vent line 52, and a saw cut 56 extending between the first vent line 50 and the columnar protrusion 54 and intersecting the second vent line 52. The first vent line 50, the second vent line 52, the columnar protrusion 54, and the saw cut 56 project from an outer surface of the bead portion 2B. The second vent line 52 is located on the columnar protrusion 54 side with respect to a midpoint LC between the first vent line 50 and the columnar protrusion 54.

In order to improve tire production efficiency, there is provided a conveying apparatus that conveys a tire-accompanied rigid core in a lying-sideways position to a loading position P1, a preheating device for preheating at a preheating position P2, a vulcanizing device for vulcanizing at a vulcanizing position P3, a cooling device for cooling at a cooling position P4, and a transferring device. The transferring device has a turning arm capable of turning horizontally around an axis of turning and movable up and down, and transfers the tire-accompanied rigid core from and to the conveying device, the preheating device, the vulcanizing device, and the cooling device at the positions P1 to P4. The loading position P1, the preheating position P2, the vulcanizing position P3 and the cooling position P4 are arranged on the same circumferential line centered on the axis of turning.