Die for polymer mixer and tire ply produced therefrom

Abstract

To provide a ply formed with a polymer mixer and a die such that cords are arranged in an array state and coated with a topping rubber, so that the ply may thus be a thin array of cords.SOLUTION: A die for a polymer mixer comprises first and second opposing surfaces each defining cylindrical first portions and V-shaped second portions spaced between corresponding first portions. The first and second opposing surfaces form a ply with first portions thicker than second portions and throated portions therebetween.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to extruding plies that can enhance the performance of pneumatic or non-pneumatic tires. [Background technology]

[0002] Plies may be conventionally used in a variety of rubber products, such as tires. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] The ply may be formed by a polymer mixer and die such that the cords are arranged in an array and then covered with a rubber topping. Thus, the ply may be a thin array of cords. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] A polymer mixer die according to the present invention includes first and second opposing surfaces each defining a plurality of cylindrical first sections and a plurality of V-shaped second sections spaced apart between each of the first sections, the first and second opposing surfaces forming a ply having the first sections thicker than the second sections and a grooved portion therebetween.

[0005] According to another aspect of the die, each first portion joins an adjacent second portion to form a linear connection.

[0006] According to yet another embodiment of the die, each second portion is defined by a midpoint between two cords of a ply on one side of a cord and a midpoint between two cords of an opposite side of the cord.

[0007] According to yet another aspect of the die, the first and second opposing surfaces each have an inverted corduroy appearance.

[0008] According to yet another aspect of the die, each opposing face has at least one concave cylindrical surface.

[0009] According to yet another aspect of the die, each opposing face has at least one concave cylindrical surface that joins with another adjacent concave cylindrical surface, thereby forming a linear connection therebetween.

[0010] The die is capable of producing a tire according to the present invention having a pair of axially spaced apart annular bead cores, a carcass ply extending around both bead cores, a tread disposed radially outward of the carcass ply and engaging the contact surface, and a belt structure disposed radially between the carcass ply and the tread. The carcass ply includes a plurality of cords embedded in a polymeric matrix. The carcass ply has a radially upper first surface and a radially lower second surface disposed opposite the first surface. The first surface defines a plurality of first portions and a plurality of second portions spaced apart between each of the first portions. Each of the first portions has a greater thickness than each of the second portions, thereby forming a grooved portion between each of the plurality of cords.

[0011] According to another aspect of the die and tire, each of the first portions joins with an adjacent second portion to form a linear connection.

[0012] According to yet another aspect of the die and tire, each of the second portions is defined by a midpoint between two cords on one side of the cord and a midpoint between two cords on an opposing side of the cord.

[0013] According to yet another aspect of the die and tire, the first surface has the appearance of corduroy.

[0014] According to yet another aspect of the die and tire, the second surface has second cylindrical portions, each of the second cylindrical portions being partially concentric with the cylindrical outer surface of an adjacent cord.

[0015] According to yet another aspect of the die and tire, each of the second cylindrical portions joins an adjacent second cylindrical portion to form a linear connection.

[0016] According to yet another aspect of the die and tire, each of the second cylindrical portions is defined by a midpoint between two cords on one side of the cords and a midpoint between two cords on an opposing side of the cords.

[0017] According to yet another aspect of the die and tire, the second surface has the appearance of corduroy.

[0018] According to yet another aspect of the die and tire, the belt structure has a radially upper first belt surface and a radially lower second belt surface disposed opposite the first belt surface, the first belt surface having first belt cylindrical portions, each of the first belt cylindrical portions being partially concentric with an outer cylindrical surface of an adjacent belt cord.

[0019] According to yet another aspect of the die and tire, the first belt surface has an appearance of corduroy.

[0020] A method according to the present invention produces a die and a corduroy ply, the method including the steps of concentrically applying a first topping rubber to an outer periphery of each of a plurality of cords, forming an array of cords coated with the first topping rubber, concentrically applying a second topping rubber to an outer periphery of each of the plurality of cords, and forming a cord ply having a first corduroy surface and a second corduroy surface opposite the first corduroy surface.

[0021] According to another embodiment of the die and cordroy ply, an additional step includes altering the first planar surface and the second planar surface.

[0022] According to yet another aspect of the die and cord ply, an additional step includes removing rubber from a first flat surface of the cord ply and a second flat surface of the cord ply.

[0023] According to yet another embodiment of the die and cordroy ply, an additional step includes calendering the first topping rubber and the second topping rubber.

[0024] According to yet another aspect of the die and cord roly ply, an additional step includes removing material in the grooved portions between each cord of the plurality of cords.

[0025] According to yet another aspect of the die and cordroy ply, the pressure of the first topping rubber in the topping chamber is 5,000 kPa or more.

[0026] According to yet another aspect of the die and cordroy ply, the pressure of the second topping rubber in the topping chamber is 5,000 kPa or more.

[0027] According to yet another embodiment of the die and cordroy ply, the time interval between the deposition steps is less than or equal to 10 minutes.

[0028] According to yet another aspect of the die and cordroy ply, the first topping rubber has the same rubber mix as the second topping rubber.

[0029] According to yet another aspect of the die and cordroy ply, the first topping rubber has a rubber mix having a greater complex modulus than the rubber mix of the second topping rubber.

[0030] [Definition] As used in the specification and claims, the following applies:

[0031] "Apex" means an elastomeric filler located radially above the bead core and between the plies and the turnup ply.

[0032] "Annular" means shaped like a ring.

[0033] "Aspect ratio" means the ratio of a tire's section height to its section width.

[0034] "Bead cross-sectional aspect ratio" means the ratio of the cross-sectional height of a bead to its cross-sectional width.

[0035] "Asymmetric tread" means a tread having a tread pattern that is not symmetric about the centerplane or equatorial plane EP of the tire.

[0036] "Axial" and "axially" refer to lines or directions that are parallel to the axis of rotation of the tire.

[0037] "Bead" means that portion of a tire that includes an annular tensile member wrapped by ply cords and that may or may not have other reinforcing elements such as flippers, chippers, apex, toe guards and chafers, and that is shaped to fit the designed rim.

[0038] "Belt structure" means at least two annular layers or plies of parallel cords, which may be woven or non-woven, underlying the tread and not fixed to the beads, having cords inclined with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire. The belt structure may also include a ply of parallel cords inclined at a relatively small angle that acts as a restraining layer.

[0039] "Bias tire" (cross-ply) means a tire in which the reinforcing cords in the carcass plies extend diagonally across the tire from bead to bead at angles between approximately 25° and 65° relative to the equatorial plane (EP) of the tire. When multiple plies are present, the cords in the plies extend at opposite angles to each other in alternating layers.

[0040] "Breaker" means at least two annular layers or plies of parallel reinforcing cords oriented at the same angle relative to the equatorial plane (EP) of the tire as the parallel reinforcing cords of the carcass ply. Breakers are typically associated with bias tires.

[0041] "Cable" means a cord formed by twisting together two or more ply yarns.

[0042] "Carcass" means the tire structure apart from the belt structure, tread, undertread, and sidewall rubber over the plies, but including the beads.

[0043] "Casing" means the carcass, belt structure, beads, sidewalls, and all other components of the tire except the tread and undertread; i.e., the tire as a whole.

[0044] "Chippa" refers to a narrow band of fabric or steel cord located in the bead area whose function is to reinforce the bead area and stabilize the radially innermost portion of the sidewall.

[0045] "Circumferential" and "circumferentially" mean lines or directions extending along the perimeter of the surface of the annular tire parallel to the Equatorial Plane (EP) and perpendicular to the axial direction and may also refer to the direction of the set of adjacent circular curves whose radii define the axial curvature of the tread when viewed in cross-section.

[0046] "Cord" means one of the reinforcing strands making up the reinforcing structure of a tire.

[0047] "Cord angle" means the acute angle formed by a cord with respect to the Equatorial Plane (EP), either left or right in a plan view of the tire. "Cord angle" is measured in a cured but uninflated tire.

[0048] "Corduroy" means a surface composed of straight tufts (such as section 21) and channels / throats between the tufts. The surface appears to be made of multiple cords laid parallel to one another.

[0049] "Crown" means that portion of a tire which is inboard of the widthwise ends of its tread.

[0050] "Denier" means the weight in grams per 9000 meters (a unit of linear density).

[0051] "Dtex" means the weight in grams per 10,000 meters.

[0052] "Density" means weight per unit length.

[0053] "Elastomer" means a resilient material that can recover its size and shape after deformation.

[0054] "Equatorial Plane (EP)" means the plane perpendicular to the tire's axis of rotation and passing through the center of its tread; or the plane containing the circumferential centerline of the tread.

[0055] "Evolving tread pattern" means a tread pattern in which the running surface intended to contact the road evolves with wear of the tread due to the running of the tire against the road surface, the evolution being predetermined at the time the tire is designed to obtain adhesion and road handling performance that remains substantially unchanged throughout the use / wear of the tire, regardless of the degree of tread wear.

[0056] "Fabric" means a network of cords, which may be essentially unidirectionally extending and intertwined, the cords being composed of filaments, which may be intertwined, of a high modulus material.

[0057] A "fiber" is a unit of material, either natural or man-made, forming the basic element of a filament, characterized in having a length at least 100 times its diameter or width.

[0058] "Filament count" means the number of filaments that make up a yarn. Example: 1000 denier polyester has about 190 filaments.

[0059] "Flipper" refers to the reinforcing fabric around the bead wire for strength and to secure the bead wire within the tire body.

[0060] "Footprint" means the section or area of ​​contact of the tire tread with a flat surface at zero speed and under normal load and pressure.

[0061] "Gauge" generally refers to a dimension, specifically a thickness dimension.

[0062] "Groove" means an elongated void area in a tread that extends circumferentially or laterally around the tread in a straight, curved, or zigzag manner. Circumferentially and laterally extending grooves may have common portions. "Groove width" may be the portion of the tread surface occupied by a groove or groove portion divided by the length of the groove or groove portion, and thus groove width may be the average width over the length of the groove. Grooves may vary in depth within a tire. Groove depth may vary around the tread, or the depth of one groove may be constant and different from the depth of another groove in the tire. When such narrow or wide grooves have a substantially smaller depth compared to the wide circumferential grooves they interconnect, they may be considered to form "tie bars" that tend to maintain a rib-like character in the tread area concerned. As used herein, grooves are intended to have a width large enough to remain open within the contact patch or footprint of the tire.

[0063] "High Tensile Steel (HT)" means a carbon steel having a tensile strength of at least 3400 MPa at a filament diameter of 0.20 mm.

[0064] "Inner" means toward the inside of the tire and "outer" means toward its exterior.

[0065] "Innerliner" means the layer or layers of elastomer or other material that form the inside surface of a tubeless tire and that contain the inflating fluid within the tire.

[0066] "Inboard side" means the side of the tire nearest the vehicle when the tire is mounted on a wheel and the wheel is mounted on the vehicle.

[0067] "LASE" is the load at a particular elongation.

[0068] "Transverse" means axially.

[0069] "Lay length" means the distance that a twisted filament or strand travels before completing a 360 degree revolution around another filament or strand.

[0070] "Load Range" means the load and inflation limits of a given tire used in a particular type of operation as defined in the Tire and Rim Association tables.

[0071] "Mega Tensile Steel (MT)" means a carbon steel having a tensile strength of at least 4500 MPa with a filament diameter of 0.20 mm.

[0072] "Net Contact Area" means the total area of ​​the ground contacting elements between defined boundary edges measured around the entire circumference of the tread.

[0073] "Net-to-gross ratio" means the total area of ​​the ground contacting elements of the tread between the lateral edges of the tread around the circumference of the tread divided by the total area of ​​the tread around the lateral edges.

[0074] "Non-directional tread" means a tread that does not have a preferred direction of forward travel and does not need to be positioned on the vehicle at a specific wheel position or positions to ensure that the tread pattern is aligned with the preferred direction of travel. Conversely, a directional tread pattern has a preferred direction of travel that requires specific positioning of the wheels.

[0075] "Normal Load" means the specific design inflation pressure and load assigned by the appropriate standards organization for the service condition of the tire.

[0076] "Normal Tensile Steel (NT)" means a carbon steel having a tensile strength of at least 2800 MPa with a filament diameter of 0.20 mm.

[0077] "Outboard side" means the side of the tire farthest from the vehicle when the tire is mounted on a wheel and the wheel is mounted on the vehicle.

[0078] "Ply" means a cord-reinforced layer of rubber-coated, radially or otherwise arranged parallel cords.

[0079] "Radial" and "radially" mean directions radially toward or away from the axis of rotation of the tire.

[0080] "Radial ply construction" means one or more carcass plies, or at least one ply having reinforcing cords oriented at an angle between 65° and 90° relative to the equatorial plane (EP) of the tire.

[0081] "Radial ply tire" means a belted or circumferentially restrained pneumatic tire having at least one ply having cords extending from bead to bead with cord angles arranged at between 65° and 90° relative to the equatorial plane (EP) of the tire.

[0082] "Rib" means a circumferentially extending strip of rubber on the tread defined by at least one circumferential groove and by any secondary such groove or lateral edge, which strip is not divided laterally by a full depth groove.

[0083] "Rivet" means the open space between cords in a layer.

[0084] "Section Height" means the radial distance from the nominal rim diameter to the outside diameter of the tire at its Equatorial Plane (EP).

[0085] "Section width" means the maximum linear distance parallel to the tire axis between the outer surfaces of the sidewalls, excluding any protuberances on the sidewall due to labels, decorative or protective bands, when the tire is inflated at normal pressure for 24 hours or thereafter in an unloaded condition.

[0086] "Self-supporting runflat" means a type of tire with a structure that is strong enough to support a vehicle load solely through the tire structure when the tire is operated unconstrained at a limited speed for a limited period of time. The sidewalls and inner surface of the tire will not collapse or buckle solely through the tire structure (i.e., no internal structure).

[0087] "Sidewall insert" means an elastomeric or cord reinforcement located in the sidewall region of the tire. The insert may be in addition to the carcass reinforcing ply and the outer sidewall rubber that forms the exterior surface of the tire.

[0088] "Sidewall" means that portion of the tire between the tread and the bead.

[0089] "Sipe" or "notch" means small slots molded into the tread elements of a tire that further divide the tread surface to improve traction. Sipes, as distinguished from grooves, may be configured to close when in the contact patch or footprint.

[0090] "Spring rate" means the stiffness of a tire expressed as the slope of its load-deflection curve at a given pressure.

[0091] "Stiffness ratio" means the value obtained by dividing the stiffness of a belt structure being inspected by the stiffness of another belt structure, as determined by a fixed three-point bending test in which both ends of the cord are supported and a load is applied to the center between the fixed ends to bend the cord.

[0092] "Super High Tensile Steel (ST)" means a carbon steel having a tensile strength of at least 3650 MPa at a filament diameter of 0.20 mm.

[0093] "Tenacity" is the stress expressed as force per unit linear density (gm / tex or gm / denier) of an unstrained specimen.

[0094] "Tensile" is the stress expressed as force / cross-sectional area. Strength (psi) = 12,800 x specific gravity x tenacity (g / denier).

[0095] "Toe guard" refers to the circumferentially disposed, elastomeric, rim-contacting portion of the tire axially inboard of each bead.

[0096] "Tread" means the molded rubber member that is attached to the tire casing and includes that portion of the tire that contacts the road when the tire is normally inflated and under normal load.

[0097] "Tread element" or "traction element" means a rib or block element.

[0098] "Tread Width" means the arcuate length of the tread surface in a plane containing the tire's axis of rotation.

[0099] "Turn-up end" means that portion of a carcass ply that is turned upward (i.e., radially outward) from the bead about which the ply is wrapped.

[0100] "Ultra Tensile Steel (UT)" means a carbon steel having a tensile strength of at least 4000 MPa at a filament diameter of 0.20 mm.

[0101] "Vertical deflection" refers to the amount that a tire deflects under load.

[0102] "Yarn" is a general term for a continuous strand of textile fiber or filament. Yarns occur in the following forms: (1) multiple fibers twisted together; (2) multiple filaments laid together without twisting; (3) multiple filaments laid together with some degree of twisting; (4) a single filament (monofilament), which may or may not be twisted; and (5) a narrow strip of material, which may or may not be twisted. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0103] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary ply manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective schematic view of a portion of the exemplary apparatus of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary cross-sectional structure of a ply according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an exemplary die according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0104] The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0105] FIG. 1 shows an example of an apparatus 1 for manufacturing plies according to the present invention. The plies can be used in any structure of a tire, such as carcass, belt, overlay, flipper, chipper, etc. This apparatus 1 is only an example, and the apparatus is not limited to the specific structure of FIGS. 1-2. The cord 2 may be drawn from spools 3 arranged parallel to each other and fed to a first topping device 5. Suitable structures for the cord 2 are not limited, and the structure may be selected according to the ply, such as 1×5, 1×4, 1×3, 2+2, 2+3, monofilament, etc. Although the cord 2 is shown as a monofilament in FIGS. 1-3, a stranded cord containing multiple strands / filaments may be used instead. The cord 2 may be composed of steel, carbon fiber, resin, rayon, aramid, glass fiber, rayon, and / or other suitable materials.

[0106] When the cord 2 passes through the arrangement roll 4, the cord 2 may be substantially parallel to each other. The arrangement roll 4 may include rotatable roll bodies 4A and 4B that sandwich the cord 2 from above and below. In the illustrated example, a guide groove into which a part of the cord 2 can be fitted may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of at least one of the roll bodies. The guide groove may be formed in the circumferential direction of the roll bodies 4A and 4B. This allows the multiple cords 2 to be discharged smoothly from the arrangement roll 4 without resistance. Alternatively, a comb-shaped body having slit-shaped guide holes may be provided instead of the roll 4.

[0107] In the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, the first topping device 5 includes a small rubber extrusion unit 5A and a rubber attachment 5B attached to the tip of the rubber extrusion unit. The rubber extrusion unit 5A may include an inlet port 5A1 to which the material of the first topping rubber is supplied and an extrusion outlet port 5A2 from which the first topping rubber that has been kneaded and softened is discharged toward the cord 2. The rubber extrusion unit 5A may include a screw-type rubber extruder equipped with a screw shaft rotated by a motor M. The rubber attachment 5B may include a pipe-shaped main body 6 connected to the extrusion outlet port 5A2 of the rubber extrusion unit 5A.

[0108] The pipe-shaped body 6 may include a hollow topping chamber 6C therein. The distal end 6A of the pipe-shaped body 6 may be closed, and the rear end 6B of the pipe-shaped body 6 may include an opening that can communicate with the extrusion outlet port 5A2. When the rear end 6B of the pipe-shaped body 6 is fixed to the rubber extrusion section 5A, for example, using a flange, the first topping rubber can be supplied to the topping chamber 6C of the pipe-shaped body 6 under a predetermined pressure. The pipe-shaped body 6 may be divided into two in the longitudinal direction to facilitate maintenance of the topping chamber 6C.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 2, the pipe-shaped body 6 may include a plurality of first guide holes 9 on the wall surface on the upstream side through which the cord 2 passes. The first holes 9 may be formed apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the pipe-shaped body 6. The base body 6 may have a second cover hole 10 on the wall surface on the downstream side corresponding to the first hole 9. The second hole 10 may be concentric with the first hole 9 and may have a diameter larger than that of the first hole 9. The rubber attachment 5B may further include a pressure sensor 8 for detecting the pressure in the topping chamber 6C. A signal from the pressure sensor 8 may be sent to a control device (not shown) of the rubber extrusion unit 5A. Thereby, the amount of rubber supplied to the rubber extrusion unit 5A can automatically control the rubber pressure in the topping chamber 6C and maintain the pressure at a predetermined optimum value.

[0110] The cords 2 may be arranged parallel to each other by the rolls 4, and thereby pass through the topping chamber 6C from the first hole 9 to the second hole 10 of the pipe-shaped body 6. The cords 2 may be drawn straight out so that the cords 2 are aligned with the corresponding centers of the first hole 9 and the second hole 10. In the topping chamber 6C, the first topping rubber r1, which is supplied under a predetermined rubber pressure, may permeate / fill the gaps between the cords 2 and adhere to the outer periphery of the cords. In the second hole 10, the first topping rubber r1 adhered to the cords 2 may be scraped off, except for a thin coating layer 11 adhered concentrically to the outer periphery of the cords.

[0111] Since the cord 2 passes through the first topping rubber r1 at high pressure, even if the passing speed is fast, the first topping rubber r1 can fully and effectively penetrate into the fine gaps between the cord 2. As described above, the pressure in the topping chamber 6C can be controlled within a desired range by the pressure sensor 8. Therefore, it is possible to achieve efficient adhesion of the first topping rubber r1 to the cord 2.

[0112] The pressure in the topping chamber 6C may be 5,000 kPa, 10,000 kPa, or higher. If the pressure in the topping chamber 6C is less than 5,000 kPa, the effect of adhesion or penetration of the first topping rubber r1 to the cord 2 may be unacceptably small. If the pressure is too high, the first topping rubber r1 may undesirably flow out of the first and second holes 9, 10. Also, the resistance generated when the cord 2 passes through the first topping rubber r1 may become large, and productivity may decrease. The speed of the cord 2 may be in the range of 5 to 30 m / min, or in the range of 10 to 30 m / min.

[0113] The diameter of the first hole 9 may be within a range of 101% to 107% of the outer diameter of the cord 2, or within a range of 103% to 105% thereof. If the diameter of the first hole 9 is less than 101% of the outer diameter of the cord 2, the cord may break. If the diameter is more than 107%, centering of the cord 2 may become an issue and an excessive amount of topping rubber may leak out of the gaps between the cords.

[0114] The diameter of the second hole 10 may be within the range of 102% to 110% of the outer diameter of the cord, or may be within the range of 103% to 105% of the outer diameter of the cord. If the diameter of the second hole 10 is less than 102% of the outer diameter of the cord, the coating thickness of the first topping rubber r1 may be excessively small, which may lead to peeling of the first topping rubber. If the diameter exceeds 107%, the coating thickness may be excessively large, which may undesirably increase the thickness of the entire ply. The coating thickness may be between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm.

[0115] Next, the second topping step may be to attach a second topping rubber r2 to the surface of the cord array 12 on which the multiple cords 2 and the covering of the first topping rubber r1 are arranged. Four calender rolls 13 may be used (FIG. 1). Both sides of the cord array 12 having the rubber may be covered with the second topping rubber r2, and a sheet-like cord ply 15 as shown in FIG. 3 may be formed.

[0116] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the present invention may further include an auxiliary die 14 downstream of the calender roll 13. The die 14 may include a die plate for modifying the flat upper and lower surfaces of the sheet ply 15 to achieve the grooved ply 16 of Figure 3. The die 14 may remove rubber r2 from the sheet ply 15 so that the upper and lower surfaces 18 and 19 of the grooved ply 16 have cylindrical portions 21, each of which is partially concentric with the cylindrical outer surface of its adjacent cord 2. The joint between each cylindrical portion 21 and the adjacent cylindrical portion may form a straight connection with each cylindrical portion defined by a midpoint 23 between two cords on one side of the cord 22 and a midpoint 23 between two cords on the opposite side of the cord 22.

[0117] The grooved ply 16 construction can create a medium sized ply (compared to a conventional sheet ply 15) with rubber on the top and bottom of the cords 22 and with notches or grooves between each cord 22. This can result in a more even strain distribution of the rubber in the ply 16 during tire molding, which can result in more even cord spacing in the cured tire. The upper and lower surfaces 18, 19 of the ply 16 can thereby have an appearance similar to corduroy fabric, in one example (FIG. 3). Additionally, any geometry that creates a ply 16 with a varying gauge along the upper and lower surfaces 18, 19 can result in the even strain distribution discussed above.

[0118] Consequently, any example ply 16 having additional topping gauges located immediately above and / or below each cord 22 and smaller gauges located between the cords 22 may be of such a geometry. Example geometries may further include sawtooth, square tooth, rectangular tooth, non-concentric cylindrical, or any suitable repeating geometry that fits this description. Such a ply 16 may be used with any suitable tire, such as those disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002 / 0134482, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0119] The exemplary rubber mixer die 100 of the present invention can produce the exemplary ply 16 (FIG. 4). The exemplary die 100 can operate with an extruder, a calendar, a gear pump, and / or other suitable rubber / polymer mixer. As previously described, the die 100 can produce a ply such as the exemplary ply 16 having a plurality of cords 22 embedded within a polymeric substrate (FIG. 3). The ply 16 can have a radially upper first cylindrical surface 18 and a radially lower second cylindrical surface 19 opposite the first surface. Accordingly, the die 100 can have a cylindrical surface 102 (one shown) that defines a plurality of cylindrical first portions and a plurality of V-shaped second portions spaced apart between each of the cylindrical first portions (FIG. 4). Each of the cylindrical first portions of ply 16 has a thickness greater than each of the V-shaped second portions (at 23), thereby forming a ply having a plurality of opposing V-shaped grooved portions between each cord 22 (FIG. 3) of the plurality of cords 22.

[0120] Variations of the present invention are possible in light of the description provided herein. While representative specific embodiments and details have been shown to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention. It should therefore be understood that changes can be made in the specific embodiments described that are within the full intended scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended below.

Claims

1. a pair of annular bead cores spaced apart in an axial direction; a carcass ply extending around both bead cores; a tread disposed radially outward of the carcass ply and engaging a contact surface thereof; a belt structure disposed radially between the carcass ply and the tread, the carcass ply having a plurality of cords embedded in a polymeric matrix, the carcass ply having a radially upper first surface and a radially lower second surface disposed opposite the first surface, the first surface defining a plurality of first portions and a plurality of second portions spaced apart between each of the first portions, each of the first portions having a thickness greater than each of the second portions, thereby forming a grooved portion between each of the plurality of cords; the second surface has second cylindrical portions, each of the second cylindrical portions being partially concentric with an outer cylindrical surface of an adjacent cord; the carcass ply is formed by concentrically applying a first topping rubber to an outer periphery of each of a plurality of cords to form an array of cords covered with the first topping rubber, concentrically applying a second topping rubber to an outer periphery of each of a plurality of cords, and removing rubber from a first flat surface of the carcass ply and a second flat surface of the carcass ply.

2. 2. The tire of claim 1, wherein each of the first portions joins an adjacent second portion to form a linear connection.

3. 2. The tire of claim 1, wherein each of said second portions is defined by a midpoint between two cords on one side of said cords and a midpoint between two cords on an opposite side of said cords.

4. The tire of claim 1 , wherein the first surface has a corduroy appearance.

5. 2. The tire of claim 1, wherein each of said second cylindrical portions joins an adjacent second cylindrical portion to form a straight connection.

6. 2. The tire of claim 1, wherein each of said second cylindrical portions is defined by a midpoint between two cords on one side of said cords and a midpoint between two cords on an opposite side of said cords.

7. The tire of claim 1 , wherein the second surface has a corduroy appearance.

8. 2. The tire according to claim 1, characterized in that the belt structure has a radially upper first belt surface and a radially lower second belt surface arranged opposite the first belt surface, the first belt surface having first belt cylindrical portions, each of the first belt cylindrical portions being partially concentric with an outer cylindrical surface of an adjacent belt cord.

9. 9. The tire of claim 8, wherein said first belt surface has a corduroy appearance.

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