Sintered Tire Mold Part with Insert Venting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing venting solutions for tire molds, particularly those using laser sintering, face issues of material fragility due to numerous pores and the need for extensive piercing, which compromises the mold's strength and makes handling of thin inserts difficult.
Innovation Solution
A mold part design featuring a sintered surface for tire molding with a non-sintered insert having a cavity extending deep into the mold, allowing for longer inserts while preventing air evacuation through the surface, utilizing a channel that opens between the sintered and non-sintered parts to facilitate air removal, and optionally forming a mesh pattern for improved tire aesthetics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If venting means are provided by piercing the interface element through its entire thickness, then air evacuation from the mold is enabled, but the interface element is weakened and the mold part becomes more fragile
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful function of air trapping from the interface element by providing a separate insert with venting channels. The insert is inserted into a cavity of the molding element, and its channels open at the interface between the molding element and interface element, allowing air to be evacuated without piercing the interface element itself, thus preserving its structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert acts as an intermediary component between the molding element and interface element. It provides the venting function through its channels while the interface element maintains its integrity. The insert mediates the conflict between needing air evacuation and preserving structural strength by providing a separate pathway for air escape.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a large number of pores are provided in the molding element for venting, then air evacuation is improved, but the material density is reduced and the element becomes more fragile
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the venting function from the molding element itself by providing a separate insert with integrated venting channels. This extraction allows the molding element to maintain its full material density and structural strength while the insert provides the necessary air evacuation pathways without compromising the molding element's integrity.
3Volume of moving object
If the insert length is reduced to match the thin molding element thickness, then the insert can be placed in the mold, but the insert becomes difficult to handle
Solution Approach 1:
The insert is nested into a cavity within the molding element, allowing it to be positioned correctly without requiring the entire insert length to be visible or accessible. The cavity provides a receptacle that holds the insert in the correct position, making handling easier while maintaining the thin overall profile of the mold part.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enhances air evacuation efficiency, reduces material fragility, and improves tire surface appearance by preventing rubber penetration and surface defects, while maintaining mold strength and ease of handling.
Implementation Method 1
A sintering process using a laser, hereinafter referred to as laser sintering process, is known from document EP1641580. In this document, a first layer of metal powder is spread on a tray. All or part of the grains of this first layer of powder is then agglomerated by the beam of a laser depending on the shape of the object that one wishes to obtain.
Implementation Method 2
this insert comprises a channel extending from the first surface of the body and opening out at the level of the contact zone between the sintered part and the unsintered part of the body
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a part for a mould for a tyre, comprising a body (3), said body having a first surface (5) for moulding all or part of a tread surface of the tyre, a second surface (7) which opposes the first surface and is to be brought into contact with another part of the mould, and a side face connecting the first surface and the second surface. The body comprises a sintered part (11) produced from a metal powder melted layer by layer, and a non-sintered part (13) added to the sintered part and in contact with said sintered part via a contact region (15), the sintered part forming the first surface of the body and the non-sintered part forming the second surface of the body. The sintered part has a thickness (E) of between 1 and 6 millimetres. The part (1) for the mould also comprises a cavity (17) extending from the first surface into the depth of the part (1) beyond the contact region (15), said cavity not leading out onto the second surface of the body. The part comprises an insert (19) arranged in the cavity, said insert being on the same level as the first surface of the body, and the insert comprises a channel (21) extending from the first surface of the body and leading into the contact region (15) between the sintered part and the non-sintered part of the body, said contact region leading onto the side face of the body.