Method of producing a pneumatic tire with a surface fastener

• US 8,945,322 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2008
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Tanno, Atsushi, Ogawa, Shiro
• Primary Examiner(s): FISCHER, JUSTIN R
• Application Number:
  US12/530,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20110290395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,486 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 156/110.1
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/0072 Attaching fasteners to tyres, e.g. patches, in order to connect devices to tyres
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/0061 Accessories, details or auxiliary operations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/0662 Accessories, details or auxiliary operations
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0493 for attachment on the tyre
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10495 Pneumatic tire or inner tube

Abstract

A method of producing a pneumatic tire with a surface fastener including filling an uncured rubber between engagement elements of a surface fastener to form a protective rubber layer in which the engagement elements are buried; placing the surface fastener having the protective rubber layer on an uncured tire in a manner that a surface of the surface fastener opposite a surface having the engagement elements is in intimate contact with an inner surface of the tire; and curing the uncured tire having the surface fastener by use of a curing machine equipped with a bladder.

Claims

1. A method of producing a pneumatic tire with a surface fastener characterized by comprising:

filling an uncured rubber between engagement elements of a surface fastener to form a protective rubber layer in which the engagement elements are buried;

placing the surface fastener having the protective rubber layer on an uncured tire in a manner that a surface of the surface fastener opposite a surface having the engagement elements is in intimate contact with an inner surface of the tire; and

curing the uncured tire having the surface fastener by use of a curing machine equipped with a bladder,

wherein the engagement elements comprise hook-like fastening elements.

2. The method of producing a pneumatic tire with a surface fastener according to claim 1, characterized in that,

before the surface fastener is placed on the uncured tire, the protective rubber layer is cured in advance.

3. The method of producing a pneumatic tire with a surface fastener according to claim 1, characterized in that,

the protective rubber layer has a trapezoid shape in a tire-meridian cross section, and

the protective rubber layer has one surface which is in contact with the surface fastener, and which is larger than another surface opposite the one surface.

4. The method of producing a pneumatic tire with a surface fastener according to claim 1, characterized in that,

the bladder which is inflated inside the uncured tire when the uncured tire is cured has one portion which corresponds to the surface fastener and which has a thickness smaller than another portion surrounding the one portion.

5. The method of producing a pneumatic tire with a surface fastener according to claim 1, characterized in that,

a releasing film is pasted on a region of the surface, which is in contact with the surface fastener, of the protective rubber layer, the protective rubber layer protruding from the surface fastener in the region.

6. A method of producing a pneumatic tire with a surface fastener characterized by comprising:

filling an uncured rubber between engagement elements of a surface fastener to form a protective rubber layer in which the engagement elements are buried;

placing the surface fastener having the protective rubber layer on an uncured tire in a manner that a surface of the surface fastener opposite a surface having the engagement elements is in intimate contact with an inner surface of the tire; and

curing the uncured tire having the surface fastener by use of a curing machine equipped with a bladder,

wherein the surface fastener is a surface fastener having an anchor element on the surface opposite the surface having the engagement elements, and

when the surface fastener is placed on the uncured tire, the anchor element penetrates into the tire inner surface.

7. A method of producing a pneumatic tire with a surface fastener characterized by comprising:

filling an uncured rubber between engagement elements of a surface fastener to form a protective rubber layer in which the engagement elements are buried;

placing the surface fastener having the protective rubber layer on an uncured tire in a manner that a surface of the surface fastener opposite a surface having the engagement elements is in intimate contact with an inner surface of the tire; and

curing the uncured tire having the surface fastener by use of a curing machine equipped with a bladder,

wherein before the surface fastener is placed on the uncured tire, a back-surface rubber layer is pasted in advance on the surface of the surface fastener opposite the surface having the engagement elements, the back-surface rubber layer being made of an uncured rubber identical to that of an inner liner layer of the tire.

8. The method of producing a pneumatic tire with a surface fastener according to claim 7, characterized in that,

in the uncured tire before the surface fastener is placed,

the inner liner layer is selectively thinned at a portion where the surface fastener is placed, or

the inner liner layer is selectively removed at the portion where the surface fastener is placed.