Patent ID: 8211258

Claim:
A method of producing a tread for a vehicle tire, the tread having: a radially outer rubber layer formed of a first rubber material; a radially inner rubber layer formed of a second rubber material; an electrically conductive layer disposed axially inside a portion of the radially outer rubber layer, the electrically conductive layer extending from the radially inner rubber layer up to a ground contact surface of the tread; and a rubber material of the electrically conductive layer and the second rubber material of the radially inner rubber layer having a higher electrical conductivity than the first rubber material of the radially outer rubber layer; and the method which comprises the following steps: building up a first rubber layer of a relatively higher electrical conductivity, formed to extend over a circumference of the vehicle tire and having a radially outer surface, and building up an accumulation of rubber material of a relatively higher electrical conductivity, formed to extend over the circumference of the vehicle tire and positioned in a region of axial extent of the layer of rubber material of higher electrical conductivity intended to extend up to the ground contact surface in the finished vehicle tire; subsequently shaping the accumulation of rubber material of higher electrical conductivity to form a web extending over the circumference of the vehicle tire, radially outward from the radially outer surface of the first rubber layer, and having, in its cross-sectional planes that contain an axis of the vehicle tire, a predetermined cross-sectional contour; subsequently building up a second rubber layer from a material of relatively lower electrical conductivity on the radially outer surface of the first rubber layer, adjoining the shaped web of rubber material axially on both sides; and shaping and vulcanizing a tread profile of the vehicle tire.