Method for producing pneumatic tire

• US 8,900,389 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2007
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Hashimura, Yoshiaki, Kirino, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tucker, Philip
• Assistant Examiner(s): WU, VICKI H
• Application Number:
  US12/278,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20090173431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,805 Days
• Field of Search: 156/123
• US Class Current: 156/123
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/0682 Inner liners
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/0681 Parts of pneumatic tyres; accessories, auxiliary operations
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/3007 by feeding a sheet perpendicular to the drum axis and joining the ends to form an annular element bending sheets and joining the edges B29C53/42
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 5/14 with impervious liner or coating on the inner wall of the tyre

Abstract

A method for producing a pneumatic tire according to the present invention can use existing facilities without change and does not make the spliced parts of an inner liner easily opened even if the tire is produced with use of an inner liner having a low adhesion.

In a method for producing a pneumatic tire having steps of winding an inner liner 8′ around a tire building drum 21 to form a cylindrical body, the cylindrical body is formed by attaching a winding-starting end 8′a of the inner liner 8′ to the building drum 21 via an uncured tacky member 9′, winding the inner liner 8′ attached to the building drum 21 around the building drum21, and splicing a winding-finishing end side of the wound inner liner 8′ with the winding-starting end 8′a of the inner liner 8′ via the uncured tacky member 9′.

Claims

1. A method for producing a pneumatic tire having steps of winding an inner liner around a tire building drum to form a cylindrical body, the steps comprising:

attaching a winding-starting end of the inner liner directly to the building drum using an uncured tacky member;

winding the inner liner attached to the building drum around the building drum;

splicing a winding-finishing end of the wound inner liner with the winding-starting end of the inner liner via the uncured tacky member to form the cylindrical body, body;

applying a tying rubber layer to the inner liner; and

applying an unvulcanized carcass ply to the tying rubber layer,

wherein the uncured tacky member is an uncured tape-shaped tacky member having an adhesive property on both surfaces thereof enabling adhesion to the winding-starting and winding-finishing ends of the inner liner and to the building drum, the attaching step comprising putting the winding-starting end of the inner liner on the building drum, and attaching the winding-starting end of the inner liner to the building drum via the uncured tape-shaped tacky member applied to the winding-starting end of the inner liner, the winding step comprising winding the inner liner attached to the building drum fully around the building drum, the splicing step comprising applying a winding-finishing end of the wound inner liner onto the uncured tape-shaped tacky member,

wherein by placing the winding-starting end of the inner liner around the building drum, the uncured tape-shaped tacky member is attached to an outer surface in a tire radial direction of the winding-starting end of the inner liner,

wherein the carcass ply has reinforcing cords embedded therein, and the inner liner lacks reinforcing cords, and

wherein the adhesive property of the uncured tacky member is of sufficient strength to hold the winding-starting end on the building drum without suction from the building drum.

7. A method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the uncured tacky member comprises at least two tacky layers having different adhesions, the at least two tacky layers comprising an inner tacky layer facing the building drum and an outer tacky layer disposed outward thereof, the inner tacky layer being lower in adhesion than the outer tacky layer.

8. A method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the uncured tacky member contains an epoxidized styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer.

9. A method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the uncured tacky member has a thickness of 0.3 mm to 3.0 mm.

10. A method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the inner liner has at least a film on a side thereof facing the building drum, the film being formed of a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer composition comprising a blend of a thermoplastic resin and an elastomer.

2. A method for producing a pneumatic tire having steps of winding an inner liner around a tire building drum to form a cylindrical body, the steps comprising:

attaching a winding-starting end of the inner liner to the building drum via an uncured tacky member;

winding the inner liner attached to the building drum around the building drum; and

splicing a winding-finishing end of the wound inner liner with the winding-starting end of the inner liner via the uncured tacky member to form the cylindrical body,

wherein the uncured tacky member is an uncured tape-shaped tacky member having an adhesive property on both surfaces thereof enabling adhesion to the winding-starting and winding-finishing ends of the inner liner and to the building drum, the winding-starting end of the inner liner having an inner surface in a tire radial direction and an outer surface in the tire radial direction, whereby the uncured tape-shaped tacky member is applied to both the inner surface of the winding-starting end and the outer surface of the winding-starting end, the attaching step comprising attaching the inner surface of the winding-starting end of the inner liner to the building drum via the uncured tape-shaped tacky member, the winding step comprising winding the inner liner attached to the building drum fully around the building drum, the splicing step comprising applying a winding-finishing end of the wound inner liner onto a portion of the uncured tape-shaped tacky member applied to the outer surface of the winding-starting end.

3. A method for producing a pneumatic tire according to claim 2, wherein the uncured tape-shaped tacky member has a portion applied to the inner surface of the winding-starting end of the inner liner, the portion having a length of 5 mm to 15 mm in a circumferential direction of the drum.

4. A method for producing a pneumatic tire having steps of winding an inner liner around a tire building drum to form a cylindrical body, the steps comprising:

attaching a winding-starting end of the inner liner directly to the building drum via an uncured tacky member;

winding the inner liner attached to the building drum around the building drum; and

splicing a winding-finishing end of the wound inner liner with the winding-starting end of the inner liner via the uncured tacky member to form the cylindrical body;

applying a tying rubber layer to the inner liner; and

applying an unvulcanized carcass ply to the tying rubber layer,

wherein the inner liner has the uncured tacky member applied to at least an outer surface in a tire radial direction of the winding-starting end, the uncured tacky member having an extension portion extending outward of the winding-starting end of the inner liner and having an adhesive property on both surfaces thereof enabling adhesion to the winding-starting and winding-finishing ends of the inner liner and to the building drum, the attaching step comprising attaching the winding-starting end of the inner liner to the building drum by applying the extension portion of the uncured tacky member to the building drum, the winding step comprising winding the inner liner attached to the building drum fully around the building drum, the splicing step comprising applying a winding-finishing end of the wound inner liner onto a portion of the uncured tape-shaped tacky member applied to the outer surface of the winding-starting end,

wherein the carcass ply has reinforcing cords embedded therein, and the inner liner lacks reinforcing cords, and

wherein the adhesive property of the uncured tacky member is of sufficient strength to hold the winding-starting end on the building drum without suction from the building drum.

6. A method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire according to claim 4, wherein the extension portion of the uncured tacky member has a length of 5 mm to 15 mm in a circumferential direction of the drum.

5. A method for producing a pneumatic tire having steps of winding an inner liner around a tire building drum to form a cylindrical body, the steps comprising:

attaching a winding-starting end of the inner liner to the building drum via an uncured tacky member;

winding the inner liner attached to the building drum around the building drum; and

splicing a winding-finishing end of the wound inner liner with the winding-starting end of the inner liner via the uncured tacky member to form the cylindrical body,

wherein the inner liner has the uncured tacky member applied to at least an outer surface in a tire radial direction of the winding-starting end, the uncured tacky member having an extension portion extending outward of the winding-starting end of the inner liner, the attaching step comprising attaching the winding-starting end of the inner liner to the building drum by applying the extension portion of the uncured tacky member to the building drum, the winding step comprising winding the inner liner attached to the building drum fully around the building drum, the splicing step comprising applying a winding-finishing end of the wound inner liner onto a portion of the uncured tape-shaped tacky member applied to the outer surface of the winding-starting end,

wherein the uncured tacky member comprises an uncured sheet-shaped tacky member applied to an entire outer surface, from the winding-starting end to the winding-finishing end, of the inner liner.