Patent Description:
In general, as shown in <FIG>, a body of a tire includes: a tread <NUM> which is a thick rubber layer in direct contact with the road surface; shoulders <NUM> which form shoulder portions of the tire and have the largest thickness; sidewalls <NUM> which enable side portions of the tire to perform a flexible bending movement, thereby improving riding comfort, and have marks engraved thereon to indicate the type and specification of the tire, letters, log and name of a manufacturer, etc.; and beads <NUM> which wrap end portions of the cord fabrics so that the tire is stably mounted on the rim.

The marks engraved on the sidewall are formed through a tire mold, and a recess structure is located on the surface of the tire mold, so as to have a pattern structure corresponding to the surface of the tire through vulcanization.

Basically, the tire is black, but the marks engraved on the sidewall need to have a different contrast from the surroundings with so-called good visibility so that they can be easily seen with eyes.

In order to improve the visibility of the marks engraved on the sidewall of the tire, conventionally, a method of forming a plurality of fine homogeneous concavo-convex portions, etc. in a marking region of the sidewall has been proposed (Patent Document <NUM>). This technique is intended to cause diffuse reflection by forming inhomogeneous concavo-convex portions in the marking region of the sidewall of the tire. However, since the pattern is not processed in this technique, but the type of metal is changed or the concavo and convex on the surface are changed, there is a great limitation in improving the visibility of the marks.

In addition, there is a technique for enhancing the visibility of the marks by providing protruding pattern units having curved portions on the sidewall (Patent Document <NUM>). However, since this technique is still a method of arranging the protruding pattern units, a relatively wide space is formed between the protruding pattern units, such that it is difficult to expect a desired improvement in the visibility of the marks.

In consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tire mold including a plurality of atypical pattern unit formation parts arranged in a marking region of marks to improve visibility of marks engraved on a sidewall of a tire.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tire having a series of protruding pattern unit arrangements matched with atypical pattern unit formation parts manufactured using the tire mold.

In accordance with the invention is a tire mold provided in claim <NUM> and a tire provided in claim <NUM>.

In order to achieve the above objects, the technical idea of the present invention relates to a pattern structure configured in such a manner that a plurality of basic pattern unit formation parts are regularly arranged as a whole in a region of a tire mold corresponding to a marking region of a sidewall of the tire, but a plurality of right-angled recesses are irregularly arranged within one basic pattern unit formation part so as to have horizontal and vertical asymmetry, and thereby significantly improving visibility of marks in the marking region.

In order to achieve the above objects, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tire mold for forming an atypical sidewall pattern, wherein the tire mold is configured to form a marking region of a sidewall of a tire, characterized in that: the tire mold includes a plurality of basic pattern unit formation parts arranged in a region thereof corresponding to the marking region of the sidewall, and the basic pattern unit formation part is formed of a plurality of right-angled recesses when viewed from a surface of the tire mold, and the plurality of right-angled recesses are asymmetrically disposed horizontally and vertically, taken as a whole.

Preferably, the basic pattern unit formation parts are regularly arranged to form a series of pattern unit arrangements.

Preferably, the plurality of right-angled recesses are irregularly arranged in the basic pattern unit formation part.

Preferably, the plurality of right-angled recesses include at least one rectangular recess, or an inverted L-shaped recess or L-shaped recess.

More preferably, the plurality of right-angled recesses in the basic pattern unit formation part are curved or formed only of straight lines without being curved or curves.

Most preferably, the basic pattern unit formation part has an inverted trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.

More preferably, the basic pattern unit formation part has a unit area in a range of <NUM> to <NUM>, without a limitation in a size thereof.

Preferably, the basic pattern unit formation part has a depth in a range of <NUM> to <NUM>.

Preferably, the basic pattern unit formation parts are located in a marking region other than mark portions such as characters or a logo.

In addition, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tire having an atypical sidewall pattern manufactured by the tire mold.

The tire mold of the present invention has atypical pattern unit formation parts, such that the visibility of marks engraved on the tire sidewall can be significantly improved.

In fact, in the tire manufactured using the tire mold of the present invention, atypical protruding patterns are arranged on the sidewall with uniform regularity, thereby improving the visibility of marks engraved on the sidewall.

Embodiments of the present invention are provided to more clearly describe the present invention to those skilled in the art, the following embodiments may be modified in various forms, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Rather, the embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure be more faithful and clear, and to clearly transmit the technical idea of the present invention to those skilled in the art. In addition, the thickness or size of each layer in the drawings is exaggerated for the convenience and clarity of the description.

In the present disclosure, the terms such as first and second are used to describe various members, components, regions, layers and/or portions, but it is obvious that these members, components, regions, layers and/or portions should not be limited by these terms.

Hereinafter, a tire mold according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<FIG> is views illustrating basic first pattern unit formation parts formed in the tire mold of the present invention, wherein <FIG> is a plan view thereof, and <FIG> is a cross-sectional view taken on line A-A of <FIG>.

<FIG> is a plan view illustrating a state where a plurality of first basic pattern unit formation parts shown in <FIG> are arranged in the tire mold.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, a tire mold <NUM> of the present invention includes a plurality of basic pattern unit formation parts <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and. , which are arranged in a region thereof corresponding to a marking region of a sidewall of the tire, thus to form a series of pattern unit arrangements.

In the present disclosure, the basic pattern unit formation part refers to one pattern unit formation part, which means a minimum unit of pattern arrangement in the tire mold.

As shown in <FIG>, the first basic pattern unit formation part <NUM> is formed of a plurality of right-angled recesses <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and. , when viewed from a surface of the tire mold, and the plurality of right-angled recesses <NUM> to <NUM> are asymmetrically arranged horizontally and vertically, taken as a whole. For example, right-angled recesses <NUM> to <NUM> on a left side and right-angled recesses <NUM> to <NUM> on a right side in the basic pattern unit formation part <NUM> are relatively different in terms of the number and size and are asymmetrical to each other. Similarly, right-angled recesses <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> on an upper side and right-angled recesses <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> on a lower side in the basic pattern unit formation part <NUM> are also different in terms of the number and size and are asymmetrical to each other.

As shown in <FIG>, the plurality of right-angled recesses <NUM> to <NUM> forming the basic pattern unit formation part <NUM> may be at least one rectangular recess <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM>, or may include inverted L-shaped recesses <NUM> and <NUM> or L-shaped recesses <NUM> and <NUM>. The technical idea of the present invention is that the plurality of right-angled recesses are irregularly arranged in one basic pattern unit formation part <NUM> so as to be asymmetrical to each other. Any basic pattern unit formation part is preferably employed as long as it is configured so that the plurality of right-angled recesses are disposed to have an irregular arrangement, that is, an asymmetrical arrangement.

These plurality of right-angled recesses <NUM> to <NUM> are formed by conventional laser processing.

It is not necessary to limit the size of the basic pattern unit formation part <NUM>. However, when these formation parts are located within a unit area in a range of about <NUM> to <NUM>, the visibility of the marks is improved.

As shown in <FIG>, the plurality of right-angled recesses <NUM> and <NUM> formed in the basic pattern unit formation part <NUM> preferably have an inverted trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.

The plurality of right-angled recesses <NUM> to <NUM> preferably have a depth d in a range of about <NUM> to <NUM>, and more preferably in a range of about <NUM> to <NUM>.

A distance S between the plurality of right-angled recesses <NUM> to <NUM> in the basic pattern unit formation part <NUM> is preferably in a range of <NUM> to <NUM>, and more preferably in a range of <NUM> to <NUM>.

The plurality of right-angled recesses <NUM> to <NUM> preferably have a base width w in a range of about <NUM> to <NUM>, and more preferably in a range of about <NUM> to <NUM>. In addition, an inclination angle ? between the plurality of right-angled recesses <NUM> to <NUM> is preferably about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees, and more preferably about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees.

It is more preferable that the plurality of right-angled recesses <NUM> to <NUM> are formed only of straight lines without being curved or curves. Although the right-angled recesses <NUM> to <NUM> are adjacent to each other, a space between the right-angled recesses is minimized, such that visibility of the marks in the marking region due to diffuse reflection may be greatly improved.

As mentioned in the technical idea of the present invention, the plurality of right-angled recesses <NUM> to <NUM> are irregularly arranged in the basic pattern unit formation part <NUM> to have irregularity. On the other hand, as shown in <FIG>, the plurality of pattern unit formation parts <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and. are regularly arranged in the region of the tire mold <NUM> corresponding to the marking region of the sidewall of the tire.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, another basic pattern unit formation part <NUM> is located adjacent to an empty region between two right-angled recesses <NUM> and <NUM> at the upper right of the basic pattern unit formation part <NUM>. In the same way, another basic pattern unit formation part <NUM> is also located adjacent to the empty area between the two right-angled recesses at the upper right of the basic pattern unit formation part <NUM>.

In the tire manufactured by the tire mold of the present invention having the above-described pattern, the marks engraved in the marking region of the sidewall become clearer due to the irregular arrangement of the sidewall patterns around the surroundings.

As described above, the basic pattern unit formation part of the present invention is not limited to the first pattern unit formation part, and may be composed of a plurality of right-angled recesses capable of imparting asymmetry. <FIG> illustrates another embodiment of the various types of basic pattern unit formation parts provided in the tire mold of the present invention, wherein <FIG> is a plan view illustrating a second pattern unit formation part 110a, and <FIG> is a plan view illustrating a third pattern unit formation part <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the second pattern unit formation part 110a is basically similar to the first pattern unit formation part <NUM>. However, they are different in that the right-angled recess <NUM> at the lower left corner in <FIG> is formed of two right-angled recesses 103a and 103b in <FIG>, and the right-angled recess <NUM> at the upper right corner in <FIG> is formed of two right-angled recesses 109a and 109b in <FIG>. Similar to the first basic pattern unit formation part <NUM>, also in the second basic pattern unit formation part 110a, all the plurality of right-angled recesses are asymmetrically arranged vertically and horizontally.

As shown in <FIG>, the third pattern unit formation part <NUM> is composed of four right-angled recesses <NUM> to <NUM>, and has an asymmetric shape vertically and horizontally within the pattern unit formation part, taken as a whole.

According to the experiments performed by the present inventors, it can be seen that the tire manufactured by the tire mold having the first and second pattern unit formation parts has better visibility of the marks in the marking region of the sidewall than the tire manufactured by the tire mold having the third pattern unit formation part.

Meanwhile, <FIG> is a plan view of the pattern unit formation part for comparison with that of the present invention, and <FIG> is a plan view illustrating a state where the pattern unit formation parts shown in <FIG> are arranged in the tire mold.

Unlike the basic pattern unit formation parts <NUM> and <NUM> of the present invention, a basic pattern unit formation part <NUM> of the comparative example shown in <FIG> includes a plurality of curved recesses <NUM>-<NUM> having a curved or arc shape. In this case, even if the plurality of curved recesses <NUM> to <NUM> in the basic pattern unit formation part <NUM> are asymmetrically arranged taken as a whole, as shown in <FIG>, when the adjacent pattern unit formation parts <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and. are arranged with each other, an empty space more than necessary is generated in the curved or curved portion. As in the comparative example, in the case of having the curved recesses, diffuse reflection is reduced, such that the visibility of marks in the marking region of the sidewall is decreased. Therefore, in the tire mold of the present invention, the basic pattern unit formation part needs to be formed of the plurality of right-angled recesses as viewed from the surface of the tire mold. In addition, it is preferable that the plurality of right-angled recesses are asymmetrically disposed horizontally and vertically, taken as a whole.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations may be made therein without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Parts of the description and drawings referring to embodiments which are not covered by the claims are not presented as embodiments of claimed subject matter but as background examples useful for understanding the invention and may, if applicable, provide details to further specify embodiments claimed or described in this application.

Claim 1:
A tire mold (<NUM>) for forming an atypical sidewall pattern, wherein the tire mold (<NUM>) is configured to form a marking region of a sidewall of a tire, wherein
the tire mold (<NUM>) comprises a plurality of basic pattern unit formation parts (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) arranged in a region thereof corresponding to the marking region of the sidewall, and
the basic pattern unit formation part (<NUM>) is formed of a plurality of right-angled recesses (<NUM> , <NUM>, <NUM>) when viewed from a surface of the tire mold (<NUM>), wherein the basic pattern unit formation parts (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) are regularly arranged to form a series of pattern unit arrangements,
characterized in that the plurality of right-angled recesses (<NUM> , <NUM>, <NUM>) are asymmetrically arranged horizontally and vertically within each basic pattern unit formation part (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), taken individually.