Method of laser cleaning a tire inner surface, and a tire

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method of cleaning an innermost surface of a pneumatic tire, the surface having a residue deposited thereon, comprising the steps of: activating a laser to generate laser radiation; directing a pulse of laser radiation to impinge on an area of the innermost surface, the pulse of radiation having a pulse width and a fluence sufficient to remove at least part of the residue in the area to form a cleaned area; repeating the step of directing the pulse of radiation sequentially over the innermost surface to form a sequence of cleaned areas, the sequence of cleaned areas defining a stripe, the stripe following a continuous nonlinear path extending at least one circumference about the inner surface, the stripe having a stripe width W2. The invention is further directed to a tire made by the method.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A pneumatic tire having a radially innermost circumferential innerliner surface, the surface comprising first regions covered by a residual material, and a plurality of stripe regions axially bounding the first regions, the stripe regions substantially devoid of the residual material; the stripe regions each having a stripe width; each stripe region circumscribing a nonlinear circumferential path along the innerliner surface; wherein the plurality of continuous nonlinear circumferential stripe regions are disposed in axial sequence across a predetermined axial width. 
     
     
         16 . The pneumatic tire of  claim 15 , wherein the residual matter comprises a tire release agent. 
     
     
         17 . The pneumatic tire of  claim 15 , wherein the nonlinear circumferential path comprises a sinusoidal path having a period and an amplitude. 
     
     
         18 . The pneumatic tire of  claim 15 , wherein the ratio of period distance to amplitude distance ranges from 1.5 to 2.5, and the ratio of the amplitude to the stripe width ranges from 2.5 to 3.5, and the stripe width ranges from 5 mm to 15 mm. 
     
     
         19 . The pneumatic tire of  claim 15 , wherein the nonlinear circumferential path comprises a helical winding. 
     
     
         20 . The pneumatic tire of  claim 15 , wherein the minimum axial separation between axially adjacent stripe regions is 0.5 times the stripe width.