Pneumatic tire with surface fastener and method of manufacturing same

1. A method of manufacturing a pneumatic tire with a surface fastener, the surface fastener comprising a plurality of first engaging elements, the method comprising:

engaging a plurality of second engaging elements of a sheet-shaped protective member with the first engaging elements of the surface fastener to attach the protective member to the surface fastener;

disposing the surface fastener in an unvulcanized tire so that a surface on a side opposite that of a surface on which the first engaging elements are provided is closely fitted to an inner surface of the tire;

causing a plurality of anchoring elements to dig into the inner surface of the tire upon the disposing of the surface fastener in the unvulcanized tire, wherein the surface fastener comprises the anchoring elements on the surface on the side opposite that of the surface on which the first engaging elements are provided; and

vulcanizing the unvulcanized tire comprising the surface fastener using a vulcanizer equipped with a vulcanization bladder; wherein

the first engaging elements of the surface fastener are hooks and the protective member is a fabric comprising fibers as the second engaging elements;

a relationship of a width W 2 of the protective member to a width W 1 of the surface fastener is such that 0.3≤W 2 /W 1 <1.0; and

the surface fastener and the protective member have a post-vulcanization engagement force of 20 g/cm to 400 g/cm, the post-vulcanization engagement force being a force for separating the surface fastener and the protective member.

2. The method of manufacturing the pneumatic tire with the surface fastener according to claim 1 , the method comprising disposing the surface fastener with the protective member on the inner surface of the tire after the surface fastener and the protective member are engaged with each other.

3. The method of manufacturing the pneumatic tire with the surface fastener according to claim 1 , the method comprising engaging the protective member with the surface fastener after the disposing of the surface fastener on the inner surface of the tire.

4. The method of manufacturing the pneumatic tire with the surface fastener according to claim 1 , wherein the protective member is a woven fabric comprising fiber loops as the second engaging elements, a knitted fabric comprising fiber loops as the second engaging elements, or a nonwoven fabric comprising randomly oriented fibers as the second engaging elements.

5. The method of manufacturing the pneumatic tire with the surface fastener according to claim 1 , the method comprising removing the protective member from the surface fastener following the vulcanizing.

6. A pneumatic tire with surface fastener obtained according to the method of manufacturing described in claim 1 , wherein the protective member is in a state of being attached to the surface fastener.

7. The method of manufacturing the pneumatic tire with the surface fastener according to claim 1 , wherein regions in which no engaging elements are formed are provided at both ends of the surface fastener with respect to the widthwise direction of the tire.

8. The method of manufacturing the pneumatic tire with the surface fastener according to claim 1 , wherein the surface fastener comprises anchoring elements on the surface on the side opposite that of the surface on which the first engaging elements are provided, the method further comprising:

applying an adhesive rubber layer onto the surface on the side opposite that of the surface on which the first engaging elements are provided in advance of disposing the surface fastener in the unvulcanized tire so that the anchoring elements are embedded in the adhesive rubber layer.

9. The method of manufacturing the pneumatic tire with the surface fastener according to claim 1 , wherein W 2 /W 1 <0.9.