VULCANIZATION MOULD FOR PNEUMATIC VEHICLE TYRES

Abstract

The invention relates to a vulcanization mold for pneumatic vehicle tires with cast mold segments (1) forming a tread of a pneumatic vehicle tire, which at least have ribs (5, 6) for forming grooves in the tread and sipes (11) for forming incisions in the tread. The invention was based on the object of creating a vulcanization mold of the type described at the outset which, while retaining the inexpensive casting method for the mold segments, enables tread profiles to be formed with grooves and incisions, with the incisions being able to have chamfers in the transition to adjacent blocks in the tread profile and in which the manufacturing limitations described are minimized. This object is achieved in that the elements (5, 6, 11) for producing grooves and incisions are at least partially subsequently introduced into the mold segments (1) after the mold segments (1) have been cast.

Claims

1-6. (canceled)

7. A vulcanization mold for pneumatic vehicle tires, the mold comprising: a plurality of cast mold segments forming a tread; a plurality of ribs in the mold segments for forming grooves in the tread; a plurality of sipes for forming incisions in the tread; and wherein the ribs and the sipes are introduced into the mold segments subsequently after the casting of the mold segments.

8. The mold of claim 1, wherein the mold segments include a plurality of recesses in predetermined regions into which a plurality of separately produced mold inserts can be inserted, the mold inserts comprising ribs, sipes and other elements forming a chamfer.

9. The mold of claim 8, wherein the recesses in the mold segments have a plurality of anchoring modules and the mold inserts have corresponding components with the anchoring modules, the anchoring modules and the components are to ensure that the mold inserts are held securely in the recesses when the mold inserts are inserted into the recesses.

10. The mold of claim 9, the mold inserts are porous.

11. The mold of claim 10, the mold produced is 3D printed.

12. The mold of claim 8, the mold inserts are produced by a laser fusion.

Description

[0027] An example of the invention will be explained in more detail below on the basis of the drawing. In the drawing:

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a section of a mold segment of a vulcanization mold according to the invention; and

[0029] FIG. 2 shows a fragment of the mold segment with an inserted sipe

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a section of a mold segment 1 of a vulcanization mold according to the invention in a schematic cross section. The mold segment 1 is cast from aluminum and has two recesses 3 and 4 and two ribs 5 and 6. The ribs 5 and 6 point into the interior of the vulcanization mold, not shown here, i.e. upward in the drawing position. Two sipes 7 and 8 are disposed in the recesses 3 and 4, shown here in a lateral view.

[0031] In the recesses 3 and 4, an anchoring device 9 and 10, not shown in detail, is fixedly connected to the mold segment 1. The anchoring devices interact with the sipes 7 and 8 and couple them firmly to the mold segment 1.

[0032] Shown in FIG. 2 is a fragment of a mold segment 1 in a partial section. The recess 3 extends into the mold segment 1 and includes the anchoring device 9, the anchoring device 9 being anchored in the recess 3 here by an interference fit. The sipe 7 is disposed on the anchoring device 9, the anchoring device being integral to the sipe 7. The sipe 7 with the anchoring device 9 are printed integrally from a high-strength and temperature-stable material using a 3D printing method.

[0033] In the foot region 11 of the sipe 7 there are oblique transition regions 12 and 13 which are also 3D printed conjointly with the sipe 7 and the anchoring device 9 in one operation. The oblique transition regions 12 and 13 each have a radius in their ends 14 and 15 protruding from the sipe 7, which is visualized in the partial illustration A. Due to the fact that the sipe 7 is fixedly connected to the mold segment 1 via the anchoring device 9 and the anchoring device is clamped in the recess 3, the oblique transition regions 12 and 13 lie fixedly on a surface 16 of the mold segment 1, so that a gap formation between the surface 16 and the sipe 7 can be neglected. The sipe 7 creates an incision in a pneumatic vehicle tire tread (not shown here) to be produced with the vulcanization mold, which is bordered by chamfers to be produced by the oblique transition regions 12 and 13 (also not shown).

[0034] Because the mold segment 1 is cast from aluminum, it can be produced easily and inexpensively, with the relatively unproblematic ribs 5 and 6 also being integrally cast. 3D printing makes it possible to also produce oblique transition regions 12 and 13 for the sipes 7 and 8 in one operation without the risk of gap formation.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

Part of the Description

[0035] 1 Mold segment [0036] 3, 4 Recesses in the mold segment 1 [0037] 6 Ribs [0038] 7, 8 Sipes [0039] 9, 10 Anchoring devices [0040] 11 Foot region of the sipe 7 [0041] 12, 13 Oblique transition regions in the foot region 13 of the sipe 11 [0042] 14, 15 Radius at the oblique transition regions 12, 13 [0043] 16 Surface of the mold segment 1