US 7,530,802 B2
	Molding element for a mould for molding a cutout in a tire tread
Robert Radulescu, Perignat-les-Sarlieve (France); and Eric De Benedittis, Saint-Beauzire (France)
Assigned to Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A., Granges-Paccot (Switzerland)
Filed on Dec. 09, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/297,372.
Application 11/297372 is a division of application No. 10/430277, filed on May 07, 2003, granted, now 7,017,634.
Application 10/430277 is a continuation of application No. PCT/EP01/13118, filed on Nov. 13, 2001.
Claims priority of application No. 00 14676 (FR), filed on Nov. 13, 2000.
Prior Publication US 2006/0088618 A1, Apr. 27, 2006
Int. Cl. B29C 33/42 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 425—28.1  [152/209.21; 152/209.23; 152/DIG. 3; 425/35; 425/46]

4 Claims

1. A molding element intended to be fitted on a mould for molding a cutout in a tire tread, this molding element comprising a first region intended for anchoring the molding element in a tire mould and a second region intended to protrude from the molding surface of the mould for molding a cutout in a rubber tread, the second region being formed of a plurality of thin parts of average thickness less than 2 mm and of a plurality of thick parts of average thickness greater than or equal to 2 mm, the thin parts and the thick parts being arranged in at least two interconnected parallel side-by-side series of alternating thin and thick parts, wherein the thin and thick parts of each series are staggered with respect to the thin and thick parts of an adjacent series, such that at least three thin parts are extended in two distinct directions by a thick part, each thin part having undulations in two directions oriented transversely to one another to produce meshing of opposing walls of a molded cutout.