Patent ID: 6733259
Filing Date: 2004-05-11
Classification: B29D

Abstract:
A vulcanizing mold for producing a pneumatic tire comprising a tread portion, said tread portion comprising a center region which includes an equatorial plane of the tire, and outer regions on both sides of the center region, said center region and said outer regions of the tread portion being bounded by two planes perpendicular to a center axis of the tire, wherein said mold comprises:a pair of side mold members arranged opposite to each other and movable at least axially of the mold toward each other to define part of a mold cavity in which a green tire is vulcanized, and away from each other to allow setting of a green tire into the mold cavity and removal of a vulcanized tire out of the mold cavity, said side mold members each having an inner peripheral surface provided with ridges corresponding to grooves in the outer region of the tread portion of a tire; a plurality of distance pieces arranged axially between the side mold members and movable radially of the mold, said distance pieces being circumferentially combined with each other when they are moved radially inwards, to form an annular inner peripheral surface provided with at least one ridge corresponding to at least one groove in the center region of the tread portion of the tire; said ridges of the side mold members extending in parallel with each other, as seen in a developed view of the inner peripheral surface of the side mold member, and terminating at positions corresponding to a tread end of the tire so that the grooves formed by these ridges are opened in the tread end; and guide means for guiding the movement of the side mold members away from each other when opening the mold, and positioning the side mold members relative to each other when closing the mold.