Evaluation device and method for monitoring a vulcanization process of a vehicle tire in a tire heating press, wherein at least one sensor value and/or at least one control variable of the tire heating press is acquired, where the sensor value and/or the control variable is fed to an evaluation device that includes an ML model, and the evaluation device and/or the ML model outputs a warning notification when an evaluation of the at least one sensor value and/or the at least one control variable by the evaluation device reveals that there is a defect or an anomaly with the tire heating press or at least part of the tire heating press, or that there will be a defect or an anomaly with the tire heating press or at least part of the tire heating press in the foreseeable future.

The subject invention relates to a mold segment comprising a tread molding element for manufacturing a tire wherein the tread molding element comprises a shell and an infill, wherein the shell has a first wall with a negative tread pattern extending from its external surface for molding the tread, a second wall opposed to the first wall, and lateral walls; wherein the infill is a fluid-permeable structure defining a fluid-permeable infill; and wherein at least one of a lateral wall and the second wall comprises at least one fluid passage passing through the lateral wall or the second wall.

Provided are a vulcanization device for a pneumatic tire and a method for vulcanizing a pneumatic tire. A pressurizing medium having a relatively low pressure is supplied through a pressurizing medium low-pressurization/supply line into a vulcanization bladder having a tube-like shape inserted into a green tire in a vulcanization mold to inflate the vulcanization bladder. Thereafter, a heating medium is supplied through a heating medium supply line into the vulcanization bladder (2). Then, a pressurizing medium having a relatively high pressure is supplied through a pressurizing medium supply line into the vulcanization bladder to increase internal pressure of the vulcanization bladder while the media in the vulcanization bladder are circulated through a circulation line extending outside the vulcanization bladder, thereby vulcanizing the green tire.

An example of a piping structure of a tire vulcanizer to which the present invention is applied has a central mechanism 1 of the tire vulcanizer as illustrated in FIG. 1. The central mechanism 1 has a bug head 2, a hydraulic cylinder 3, and exhaust circulation path pipes 4. In addition, the central mechanism 1 has a bladder (not illustrated) which may be expanded and contracted as a vulcanizing medium is supplied into the bladder. One end of the exhaust circulation path pipe 4 is connected to an interior of the bladder, and the two exhaust circulation path pipes 4 are connected to each other through a bypass pipe 5. The other end of the exhaust circulation path pipe 4 is connected to an exterior of the central mechanism 1.

A tire vulcanization mold including a sector mold divided into a plurality of pieces along a circumferential direction of a green tire, the sector mold configured to vulcanization mold a tread portion of the green tire into a predetermined shape, and an upper mold and a lower mold disposed on both sides of the green tire so as to sandwich the green tire therebetween in an axial direction of the green tire, the upper mold and the lower mold configured to vulcanization mold a side portion of the green tire into a predetermined shape. The sector mold has a relief groove in a vicinity of a fitting portion between the sector mold, and the upper mold and the lower mold.

A method and the device are used to control valves. The valves are arranged in the region of lines for a fluid. At least one first valve is in the form of a control valve arranged in the region of a primary line. At least one second valve is in the form of a switching valve. At least one branch is arranged downstream of the control valve in the region of a direction of flow. At least two secondary lines extend downstream of the branch. Each secondary line has one of the switching valves. The valves are connected to a control unit which coordinates the function of the valves.

A system for maintaining low pressure within a tire press bladder when the press is open and controlling pressure by using an orifice on the supply line side of the tire press bladder. The supply line runs from a high-pressure supply media to a tire press bladder. A three-way valve alternates in directing high pressure directly through the supply line and directing high pressure to an orifice. Simultaneously the pressure in the bladder is controlled by a regulating valve on the drain side piping. When the press is closed on a tire, the three-way valve supplies high pressure from the supply line directly to the tire press bladder.

A method and the device are used to control valves. The valves are arranged in the region of lines for a fluid. At least one first valve is in the form of a control valve arranged in the region of a primary line. At least one second valve is in the form of a switching valve. At least one branch is arranged downstream of the control valve in the region of a direction of flow. At least two secondary lines extend downstream of the branch. Each secondary line has one of the switching valves. The valves are connected to a control unit which coordinates the function of the valves.

An example of a piping structure of a tire vulcanizer to which the present invention is applied has a central mechanism 1 of the tire vulcanizer as illustrated in FIG. 1. The central mechanism 1 has a bug head 2, a hydraulic cylinder 3, and exhaust circulation path pipes 4. In addition, the central mechanism 1 has a bladder (not illustrated) which may be expanded and contracted as a vulcanizing medium is supplied into the bladder. One end of the exhaust circulation path pipe 4 is connected to an interior of the bladder, and the two exhaust circulation path pipes 4 are connected to each other through a bypass pipe 5. The other end of the exhaust circulation path pipe 4 is connected to an exterior of the central mechanism 1.

A device is used to vulcanize tire blanks and has at least one heatable mold for receiving the tire blank. Furthermore, the device has at least one controllable supply device for a heating medium, which is provided with at least one valve. The valve has a positioning device that is actuated by a liquid fluid.