US 12,409,624 B2
Method and application unit for applying a sound-absorbing material in an inner cavity of a pneumatic tire
Alessio Ciarnella, Rome (IT); and Paolo Straffi, Rome (IT)
Assigned to Bridgestone Europe NV/SA, Zaventem (BE)
Appl. No. 18/011,936
Filed by Bridgestone Europe NV/SA [BE/BE], Zaventem (BE)
PCT Filed Jun. 25, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/067540
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 21, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/002796, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 6, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 102020000015739 (IT), filed on Jun. 30, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0234311 A1, Jul. 27, 2023
Int. Cl. B26D 7/10 (2006.01); B29D 30/06 (2006.01); B60C 19/00 (2006.01)
CPC B29D 30/0681 (2013.01) [B60C 19/002 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of applying a sound-absorbing material to an inner cavity of a pneumatic tire using a strip of sound-absorbing material provided on one side with an adhesive layer covered with a protective lining, the method comprising:
removing an excess end of the strip of sound-absorbing material to confer a required length to the strip of self-absorbing material, wherein the required length is calculated as a function of an inner circumference of the pneumatic tire, implementing a separation opening which starts from an opposite side of the protective lining and ends at the protective lining that remains intact and separates the excess end from a remaining part of the strip of sound-absorbing material;
wherein the separation opening is formed by:
cutting, starting from an opposite side of the protective lining, the strip of sound-absorbing material leaving intact a residual portion of the sound-absorbing material proximate the protective lining;
breaking the residual portion of the sound-absorbing material by bending the excess end in relation to the remaining part of the strip of sound-absorbing material to complete the separation opening; and
progressively pulling the excess end in relation to the remaining part of the strip of sound-absorbing material to separate the protective lining from the strip of sound-absorbing material, step by step, as the strip of sound-absorbing material is applied to the inner cavity of the pneumatic tire.