Combined Production Method for a Moulding Tool for the Moulding Vulcanization of a Vehicle Tire and Vehicle Tire

Abstract

A method for producing a molding tool (5) of a vulcanization device for the molding vulcanization of a vehicle tire (1), wherein the molding tool (5) has a negative contrast structure (6) on a molding surface of the molding tool (5), with the following steps: a) providing the molding tool (5) having the molding surface for the stamping of a surface (2, 3) of a vehicle tire (1) in a molding manner in the course of the vulcanization of the tire by means of the vulcanization device, b) creating a first surface structure (9) of first depressions (10) by means of a machining process, wherein the first surface structure (9) extends at least over a surface region (7) of the molding surface, c) creating a second surface structure (11) of second depressions (12) by means of laser engraving, wherein the second structure (11) extends at least over the surface region (7) and wherein the first surface structure (9) and the second surface structure (11) together form the negative contrast structure (6) in the surface region (7).

Claims

1.-13. (canceled)

14. A method for producing a molding tool of a vulcanization device for the molding vulcanization of a vehicle tire, the method comprising: providing the molding tool having a negative contrast structure on a molding surface of the molding tool; providing the molding tool having the molding surface for the stamping of a surface of a vehicle tire in a molding manner in the course of the vulcanization of the tire by the vulcanization device; b) creating a first surface structure of first depressions by a machining process, the first surface structure extends at least over a surface region of the molding surface; c) creating a second surface structure of second depressions by laser engraving, the second structure extends at least over the surface region and the first surface structure and the second surface structure together form a negative contrast structure in the surface region of the molding surface; and the first structure has a number of first elongated depressions and the second structure has a number of second elongated depressions and in that the first depressions and the second depressions are arranged largely parallel to one another.

15. The method of claim 14, the first depressions are created in step b) and the second depressions are created at a separate time and in a separate location in step c).

16. The method of claim 14, the second depressions have a surface which has a greater surface roughness than a surface of the first depressions by a factor of 10.

17. The method of claim 14, the first depressions have an elongated shape.

18. The method of claim 17, the second depressions have an elongated shape.

19. The method of claim 18, the first depressions and the second depressions are arranged to cross one another.

20. The method of claim 14, at least one of the second depressions have a length less than twice the height (H′) of another of the second depressions.

21. The method of claim 14, at least one second depression has a curvature or a kink in its longitudinal extent.

22. The method of claim 14, at least one first depression has mutually opposite flanks which enclose an angle (17) of at least 50°.

23. The method of claim 14, at least one first depression and/or the height of the at least one second depression is a maximum of 0.8 mm.

Description

[0058] Further features, advantages and details of the invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the schematic drawings, which represent exemplary embodiments. In the drawings:

[0059] FIG. 1 shows a pneumatic vehicle tire having a positive contrast structure;

[0060] FIG. 2 shows a molding tool after step b);

[0061] FIG. 3 shows the molding tool after step c);

[0062] FIG. 4 shows a pneumatic vehicle tire produced by means of the molding tool;

[0063] FIG. 5 shows a plan view of a molding tool.

[0064] FIG. 1 shows a pneumatic vehicle tire 1 with sidewalls 2 and a tread 3 and with at least one positive contrast structure 4 on at least one of the sidewalls 2 and/or the tread 3. In the case of an arrangement on the tread 3, the positive contrast structure 4 may in particular also be provided on groove flanks and/or groove bases of grooves running in the tread 3, or at the tread runout, that is to say at the shoulder flanks running outside the ground contact area to the sidewalls, or on the outer surface of the tread, that is to say on tread that comes into contact with the ground.

[0065] The tire is produced by molding vulcanization of a green tire with a vulcanization device having a molding tool with a negative contrast structure 6 complementing the positive contrast structure 4 on a surface region 7 of a molding surface of the molding tool 5.

[0066] Such a positive contrast structure 4 is outstandingly suitable for depicting a code 41, in particular a two-dimensional code such as for example a QR code. In this case, the areas of the code that are usually shown as dark can be formed as having the positive contrast structure 4.

[0067] FIGS. 2 and 3 serve to illustrate the production of a molding tool 5 suitable for the molding vulcanization.

[0068] The method comprises the following steps:

a) providing the molding tool 5 having the molding surface for the stamping of a surface 2, 3 of a vehicle tire 1 in a molding manner in the course of the vulcanization of the tire by means of the vulcanization device,
b) creating a first surface structure 9 of first depressions 10 by means of a machining process, wherein the first surface structure 9 extends at least over a surface region 7 of the molding surface,
c) creating a second structure 11 of second depressions 12 by means of laser engraving, wherein the second surface structure 11 extends at least over the surface region 7 and wherein the first surface structure 9 and the second surface structure 11 together form the negative contrast structure 6 in the surface region 7.

[0069] FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the method when step b) takes place before step c). However, step c) may also be performed first and then step b).

[0070] FIG. 2 shows a section through the molding tool 5 with the surface region 7 after step b). The first surface structure 9 of first depressions 10 has already been created by a machining process, such as for example milling. The first surface structure 9 extends at least over the surface region 7.

[0071] In step c), a second surface structure 11 of second depressions 12 is created by means of laser engraving. The second surface structure 11 extends at least over the surface region 7, as a result of which the first structure 9 and the second structure 11 together form the negative contrast structure 6 in the surface region 7.

[0072] FIG. 3 shows a section through the molding tool 5 with the surface region 7 after step c). In addition to the first depressions 10 of the first surface structure 9 created by the machining process, the surface region 7 now also has the second depressions 12 of the second surface region 11 created by laser engraving. The first surface structure 9 and the second surface structure 11 together form the negative contrast structure 6 in the surface region 7.

[0073] The second depressions 12 may have a surface 18 which has a greater surface roughness according to DIN EN ISO 4287:1998 than a surface 16 of the first depressions 10, preferably greater by a factor of 10, particularly preferably greater by a factor of 20.

[0074] Preferably, all of the first depressions 10 have first been created in step b) and all of the second depressions 12 have been created at a separate time and/or in a separate location therefrom in a subsequent step c). The means for the machining process and for the laser engraving can consequently be used at a separate time and/or in a separate location from one another and do not have to be combined with one another in one apparatus.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 2, at least one first depression may have an elongated shape. The at least one first depression 10 preferably has a length 13 that is at least twice, particularly preferably at least four times, greater than the width 14 of the at least one first depression 10. In the representation, all of the first depressions 10 have such an elongated shape.

[0076] The width 14 and the length 13 of the first depression 10 can be determined at half the height H of the depression. In the representation

[0077] As shown in FIG. 3, at least one second depression may have an elongated shape. The at least one second depression 12 preferably has a length 13 that is at least 2 times, particularly preferably at least 4 times, greater than the width 14′ of the at least one second depression 12. In the representation, all of the second depressions 12 have such an elongated shape.

[0078] The width 14′ and the length of the second depression 12 can be determined at half the height H′ of the depression.

[0079] In step b), a number of first elongated depressions 10 and in step c) a number of second elongated depressions 12 have been created. The first depressions 10 and the second depressions 12 are created as arranged largely parallel to one another, preferably largely parallel to one another and alternating.

[0080] As shown, the depressions 10, 12 may be aligned largely in a straight line. Alternatively, however, at least one second depression 12 may also have a curvature or a kink in its elongated extent.

[0081] The first depressions 10 and the second depressions 12 may have in each case mutually opposite flanks 16, 18 which enclose an angle 17, 19 with one another. The flanks 16, 18 may each enclose the same angle 17, 19 with one another. But they may also differ in that respect. As shown, at least one first depression 10 may have mutually opposite flanks 16 which enclose an angle 17 of at least 50°, preferably of 55° to 65°, with one another and at least one second depression 12 may have mutually opposite flanks 18 which enclose an angle 19 of 4° to 30°, preferably of 10° to 20°, particularly preferably of 12° to 16°, with one another.

[0082] The height H of the at least one first depression 10 and/or the height H′ of the at least one second depression 12 may be a maximum of 0.8 mm, preferably a maximum of 0.6 mm, particularly preferably a maximum of 0.4 mm.

[0083] The height H, H′ can be measured relative to the unworked molding surface of the surface region of the molding tool before step b).

[0084] FIG. 4 shows a section through a vehicle tire 1 produced by molding vulcanization of a green tire with a vulcanization device having the molding tool 5 with a negative contrast structure 6 on a surface region 7 of a molding surface of the molding tool produced according to the method explained in FIGS. 2 and 3. The vehicle tire 1 has on its surface 2, 3 the positive contrast structure 4 complementing the negative contrast structure 6. The positive contrast structure 4 shown may be located on at least one of the sidewalls 3 and/or the tread 3. It may be the pneumatic vehicle tire 1 shown in FIG. 1.

[0085] The first depressions 10 of the negative contrast structure 6 correspond to complementary first elevations 100 of the positive contrast structure 4. The second depressions of the negative contrast structure 6 correspond to complementary second elevations 120 of the positive contrast structure 4. The positive contrast structure 4 shown corresponds to hatching with hatching ribs 100, 120. The dimensions of the elevations 100, 120 largely correspond to the dimensions of the complementary depressions 10, 12 of the complementary negative contrast structure 6 and are therefore denoted by the same reference signs H, H′, 17, 19, 13, 14 as those for the corresponding negative contrast structure 6. The second elevations 120 may have a surface which has a greater surface roughness according to DIN EN ISO 4287:1998 than a surface of the first elevations 100, preferably greater by a factor of 10, particularly preferably greater by a factor of 20.

[0086] FIG. 5 schematically shows a plan view of a further molding tool 5 produced by means of the method according to the invention. The negative contrast structure 6 differs from the negative contrast structure 6 shown in FIG. 3 at least in that at least one first elongated depression 10 and one second elongated depression 12 are arranged so as to cross one another. In the representation, the second elongated depression 12 has a smaller height H′ than the first elongated depression 10.

[0087] If the second elongated depression 12 was created after the first elongated depression 10, when the second elongated depression 12 was being created, the removal of material by means of laser engraving did not take place over the entire length 13 of the second elongated depression 12 but was interrupted in the crossing region by the first elongated depression 10 that had already been created previously. The second elongated depression 12 may consequently have an interruption.

[0088] The at least one second depression 12 may have a length 13 that is less than twice the height H′ of the second depression 12. The length can be measured at half the height H′ of the second depression.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

Part of the Description

[0089] 1 Pneumatic vehicle tire [0090] 2 Sidewall [0091] 3 Tread [0092] 4 Positive contrast structure [0093] 41 Two-dimensional code [0094] 5 Molding tool [0095] 6 Negative contrast structure [0096] 7 Surface region of the molding surface of the molding tool [0097] 9 First surface structure [0098] 10 First depression [0099] 11 Second surface structure [0100] 12 Second depression [0101] 13 Length [0102] 16, 18 Flanks [0103] 17, 19 Angles [0104] 14, 14′ Width [0105] 100 First elevation [0106] 120 Second elevation [0107] H, H′ Height