A robot arm having seven axes of actuation imparts to a toroidal support a circumferential distribution motion about its own geometric axis simultaneously with controlled transverse distribution displacements in front of a dispensing organ of a strip of elastomeric material. The strip thus forms a plurality of turns, the orientation and mutual superposition whereof are controlled in such a way as to control the thickness variations to be conferred to a component of a tire being manufactured, based on a pre-determined laying scheme pre-set on an electronic computer. The rotation of the toroidal support is controlled in such a way as to obtain a peripheral speed of application exceeding the theoretical feeding rate of the strip, able to be increased or decreased as needed to form turns with reduced or, respectively, enlarged cross section.

Provided are a pneumatic tire and a method for manufacturing the pneumatic tire. A partial tie rubber layer is selectively disposed in each region between a carcass layer and an innerliner layer and on both sides in a tire lateral direction of a tread portion excluding a center region of the tread portion. End portions on both sides of the partial tie rubber layers in the tire lateral direction form inclined surfaces acutely angled with respect to a surface of the partial tie rubber layer on the carcass layer side. The inclined surfaces have an inclination angle from 20° to 60° with respect to the surface of the partial tie rubber layer on the carcass layer side.

In a method of manufacturing a pneumatic tire, a placement unit is moved relative to a forming drum in a drum circumferential direction to repeatedly perform a one-side step of delivering a reinforcing wire in a folded back state in a length from a central portion toward one side in the width direction of the forming drum and compression bonding the reinforcing wire to an innerliner of an outer surface of the forming drum, and after delivering the reinforcing wire in the length toward the one side in the width direction as described above, perform an other-side step of delivering the reinforcing wire in a folded back state in a length from the central portion toward an other side in the width direction of the forming drum and compression bonding the reinforcing wire to an outer surface of the innerliner.

A strip rubber adhering apparatus includes a rotating drum; an extruder configured to extrude strip rubber of a shape having an apex portion in cross section toward the drum; a pressure bonding roller configured to press a surface of the strip rubber on the apex portion side in the direction of the drum, and adhere the surface of the strip rubber on a side opposite to the apex portion side to the drum; and a blowing apparatus configured to supply wind toward the surface of the strip rubber on the apex portion side in the vicinity of a position of adhesion of the strip rubber with respect to the drum, wherein the drum and the extruder are relatively movable in the direction of axis of the drum with respect to each other.

Provided are a pneumatic tire and a method for manufacturing the pneumatic tire. A partial tie rubber layer is selectively disposed in each region between a carcass layer and an innerliner layer and on both sides in a tire lateral direction of a tread portion excluding a center region of the tread portion. End portions on both sides of the partial tie rubber layers in the tire lateral direction form inclined surfaces acutely angled with respect to a surface of the partial tie rubber layer on the carcass layer side. The inclined surfaces have an inclination angle from 20 to 60 with respect to the surface of the partial tie rubber layer on the carcass layer side.

This manufacturing method of a pneumatic tire having a tread reinforcing layer reduces tire mass while maintaining the durability performance of the tire. A tread reinforcing layer formation step includes a winding step for winding belt-shape plies around an approximately cylindrical winding surface. The winding step involves: a first winding step in which, with the side edges of the belt-shape plies spaced from one another, said belt-shape plies are spirally wound from a first end located on one side of the tire in the axial direction, to a second end located on the other side of the tire in the axial direction; and a second winding step in which, with the side edges of the belt-shape plies spaced from one another, said belt-shape plies are spirally wound from the second end to the first end in the direction opposite that in the first winding step. A lattice-form tread reinforcing layer is formed that has gaps substantially rhombic in shape and bounded by the belt-shape plies.

In a method of manufacturing a pneumatic tire, a placement unit is moved relative to a forming drum in a drum circumferential direction to repeatedly perform a one-side step of delivering a reinforcing wire in a folded back state in a length from a central portion toward one side in the width direction of the forming drum and compression bonding the reinforcing wire to an innerliner of an outer surface of the forming drum, and after delivering the reinforcing wire in the length toward the one side in the width direction as described above, perform an other-side step of delivering the reinforcing wire in a folded back state in a length from the central portion toward an other side in the width direction of the forming drum and compression bonding the reinforcing wire to an outer surface of the innerliner.

A strip rubber adhering method includes: extruding strip rubber of a shape having an apex portion in cross section from an extruder and moving the same forward toward a drum; pressing a surface of the strip rubber on the apex portion side by a pressure bonding roller, adhering the strip rubber to the drum, moving relatively the drum and the extruder with respect to each other in an axial direction of the drum, and winding the strip rubber around the drum in a spiral manner; and exposing the surface of the strip rubber on the apex portion side to wind from a blowing apparatus in the vicinity of a position of adhesion of the strip rubber to the drum and cooling the surface of the strip rubber on the apex portion side.

The strip is formed of a single layer including a first layer arranged in a tire innermost layer or composite layers of the first layer and a second layer disposed adjacently to a carcass ply and made of a thermoplastic elastomer composition. The first layer is a thermoplastic elastomer composition containing a styrene-isobutylene-styrene block copolymer and a tackifier, a butyl-based rubber and a natural rubber. The strip has a strip main body having a thickness (T1) of 0.02 to 1.0 mm and ear portions formed on opposite sides of the strip main body. The ear portions have a thickness (T2) smaller than the thickness (T1) and a width (W2) of 0.5 mm to 5.0 mm.

It is ensured the strength of a welded section in a tire that is configured by welding tire constituent members formed of a thermoplastic material. A tire has a first welded portion, in which one section of one tire constituent member and one section of another tire constituent member are both melted and welded, and a second welded portion, which is formed by welding a welding-use thermoplastic material to the surface of the first welded portion, whereby the strength of the joint section is ensured.