Automatic Sealing Of Punctures (e.g., Self-healing, Etc.) Patents (Class 152/502)
  • Patent number: 11618228
    Abstract: A sealing device comprising a flexible holding strip having an adhesive layer on a first surface, wherein the strip is configured for attachment to an inner surface of a tubeless tire via the adhesive layer, and a plurality of flexible flags attached to a second surface of the flexible holding strip opposite the first surface, wherein the plurality of flags is attached to the second surface at a fixed widthwise edge of each of the plurality of flags and wherein the plurality of flags are configured to seal a hole in the tubeless tire when the strip is attached to the inner surface of the tubeless tire is provided. Methods of protecting tires by attaching a sealing device are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: King Abdulaziz University
    Inventor: Abdulhameed Fouad A Alkhateeb
  • Patent number: 11040580
    Abstract: In a pneumatic tire including a side reinforcing layer, the maximum width W0 of a bead core and the widths W1, W2 of the bead core at innermost and outermost sides in the radial direction, respectively, satisfy W1>W2 and W2?0.5×W0. W0 is toward the inside of the center of the bead core in the radial direction. A carcass is folded and curved along the bead core, and a folded back portion of the carcass extends toward the sidewalls while contacting a body of the carcass. A rubber occupancy ratio in a region formed by the body and the folded back portion of the carcass is 0.1% to 15%. The cross-sectional area S2 of a filler toward the outside of the carcass in the lateral direction, the hardness H2 of the filler, the cross-sectional area S1 of a side reinforcing layer and the hardness H1 of the side reinforcing layer satisfy 0.15?(S2×H2)/(S1×H1)?0.60.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Inventors: Hiraku Kouda, Jun Matsuda, Atsushi Tanno, Masaaki Nagayasu, Ryohei Takemori, Yuki Sasaya
  • Patent number: 10308134
    Abstract: A support assembly for a vehicle travels along a road surface and rotates relative to the road surface and the vehicle. The first support assembly includes a spherical tread layer for contacting the road surface, a foam layer adjacent the spherical tread layer, the foam layer including adjustable elements for altering an outer physical contour of the spherical tread layer, the outer physical contour contacting the road surface, a spherical wheel/tire for supporting the spherical tread layer and the vehicle, and a drive system magnetically driving rotation of the spherical wheel/tire relative to the vehicle such that no portion of the spherical tread layer physically contacts the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Sebastien Willy Fontaine, Frederic Ngo, Armand René Gabriel Leconte, Stéphane Laurent Claude Bokken, Claude Ernest Felix Boes
  • Patent number: 9802446
    Abstract: Self-sealing tire sealants are provided which contain fragments and/or residues of expanded solids, where the solids are selected from the group containing expandable graphite and microspheres. In some aspects, the microspheres include at least isobutane and/or isopentane as blowing agents. The microspheres may also have a shell containing at least one polymer, and in some cases the polymer is at least one copolymer of acrylonitrile and methyl acrylate. The self-sealing tire sealant may further include graphene structures. In some aspects the interior of a pneumatic vehicle tire has the self-sealing tire sealant disposed on the inner surface, opposite the tire tread, and the layer thickness of the tire sealant may be from 0.5 to 8 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Dahlke, Dieter Jeromin, Joe Guardalabene, Thomas Völker, Fei Liu, Andreas Tyburski, Martin Convey
  • Patent number: 9427918
    Abstract: Disclosed is a color sealant composition with self-sealing performance useful for a tire. More specifically, disclosed are a color sealant composition with self-sealing performance useful for a tire which includes 10 to 60 wt. parts of surface modified silica, 0.05 to 5 wt. parts of pigment, 40 to 100 wt. parts of polybutene having a number average molecular weight of 1,000 to 1,500, 60 to 300 wt. parts of polybutene having a number average molecular weight of 2,000 to 3,000, and 5 to 15 wt. parts of peroxide, to 100 wt. parts of raw rubber, and a tire including the color sealant composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Kumho Tire Co.
    Inventors: Yeon-Song Son, Heung-Goo Lee
  • Patent number: 9416211
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a rubber composition comprising: a functionalized elastomer comprising: a polymeric backbone chain derived from a monomer comprising at least one conjugated diene monomer and optionally at least one vinyl aromatic monomer; and a functional group bonded to the backbone chain, the functional group comprising a multidentate ligand capable of complexing with a metal ion; and a metal ion. The invention is further directed to a pneumatic tire comprising the rubber composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Ralf Mruk, Frank Schmitz, Robert Fokko Roskamp, Georges Marcel Victor Thielen
  • Patent number: 9243135
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a rubber composition comprising: a functionalized elastomer comprising a polymeric backbone chain derived from a monomer comprising at least one conjugated diene monomer and optionally at least one vinyl aromatic monomer; and a functional group bonded to the backbone chain, the functional group comprising a multidentate ligand capable of complexing with a metal ion; and an encapsulated metal salt. The invention is further directed to a pneumatic runflat tire comprising a sidewall insert, the insert comprising the rubber composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Ralf Mruk, Frank Schmitz, Robert Fokko Roskamp, Christian Jean-Marie Kaes
  • Publication number: 20150075691
    Abstract: A tyre has a form of a torus that is open radially on an inside portion. The tyre includes inner and outer walls, a crown, two sidewalls, two beads, a crown reinforcement, and a carcass reinforcement anchored in the beads and extending at least from the beads as far as the crown. The inner wall is covered at least in part with an airtight layer, and the airtight layer is covered at least in part with a layer of a self-sealing product. Each of the beads includes an annular reinforcing structure, with each annular reinforcing structure being formed of a plurality of windings of a single metal thread. The windings are arranged in a plurality of radially superposed layers, with each layer having a group of the windings arranged axially in a side by side manner, such that the superposed layers have a hexagonal cross section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicants: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ESTABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, Michelin Recherche et Techniques S.A.
    Inventors: Jose Merino Lopez, Michel Ahouanto, Serge Lefebvre, Julien Flament
  • Patent number: 8962730
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a self-healing rubber composition comprising a functionalized elastomer comprising: a polymeric backbone chain derived from a monomer comprising at least one conjugated diene monomer and optionally at least one vinyl aromatic monomer; and a functional group bonded to the backbone chain, the functional group comprising a multidentate ligand capable of complexing with a metal ion; and a partitioned metal ion. The invention is further directed to a pneumatic tire comprising the self-healing rubber composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Ralf Mruk, Christian Jean-Marie Kaes, Robert Fokko Roskamp
  • Patent number: 8871852
    Abstract: Self-sealing elastomer composition that can in particular be used as puncture-resistant layer in an inflatable article, comprising at least 30 phr of a saturated thermoplastic styrene elastomer, at most 70 phr of an unsaturated thermoplastic styrene elastomer and more than 200 phr of an oil extender. Inflatable article, such as a tire, provided with a puncture-resistant layer comprising, as self-sealing composition, an elastomer composition according to the invention. Advantageously, the puncture-resistant layer is combined with an airtight layer, for example based on butyl rubber, so as to constitute, in the inflatable article, a puncture-resistant airtight laminate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignees: Michelin Recherche et Techniques S.A., Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin
    Inventors: Pierre Lesage, Vincent Abad
  • Patent number: 8833415
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire with a built-in self-sealing layer is described. The tire includes an outer rubbery tread, a carcass reinforcement, a gastight layer located at an inside position relative to the carcass reinforcement, a protective layer positioned innermost, and a self-sealing layer adjacent to the protective layer and located at an inside position relative to the gastight layer. The protective layer is a chlorinated thermoplastic polymer film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignees: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin, Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Marc Greiveldinger, Jose Merino Lopez, Michel Ahouanto, Frédéric Pialot
  • Patent number: 8757233
    Abstract: A tire with a built-in self-sealing layer includes an external rubber tread, a carcass reinforcer, a gastight layer arranged towards an inside location relative to the carcass reinforcer, an anti-tack layer arranged furthest towards the inside, location and a self-sealing layer adjacent to the anti-tack layer and arranged towards the inside location relative to the gastight layer. The anti-tack layer includes particles with a shape factor (F=L/E) higher than 5. L represents a first dimension, and E represents a second dimension normal to the first dimension, with L being a longer dimension than E.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignees: Compagnie Generale des Establissements Michelin, Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: José Merino Lopez, Bozena Voge, Michel Ahouanto
  • Publication number: 20140138004
    Abstract: An elastomer composition having a self-sealing property includes: a blend of at least two solid elastomers, in which “elastomer A” is a polybutadiene or butadiene copolymer elastomer, in which “elastomer B” is a natural rubber or synthetic polyisoprene elastomer, and in which an elastomer A:elastomer B weight ratio is within a range from 10:90 to 90:10; between 30 and 90 phr of a hydrocarbon resin, with phr meaning parts by weight per 100 parts of solid elastomer; and from 0 to less than 120 phr of filler, which includes from 0 to less than 30 phr of reinforcing filler. The composition may be used to form a puncture-resistant layer in an inflatable article, such as a tyre. The puncture-resistant layer may be used in combination with an airtight layer to form an airtight and puncture-resistant laminate for the inflatable article.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2012
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicants: MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A., COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Bozena Voge, Jose Merino Lopez, Vincent Pelissier
  • Patent number: 8646501
    Abstract: A puncture sealant laminate for prevention of a flat tire may include three layers of sealant material separated by two layers of non-sealant material. The two layers of non-sealant material may prevent the three layers of sealant material from contacting each other and they may have first and second ends that attach to rubber in the tire that is not part of the puncture sealant laminate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Michael Charles Ruegg, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8646500
    Abstract: A puncture-resistant multilayer laminate that is impermeable to inflation gases, comprising: a gastight first elastomer layer comprising a polystyrene/polyisobutylene block copolymer thermoplastic elastomer, and optionally an extender oil with a content within a range of 0 to less than 100 phr; and a self-sealing second elastomer layer comprising a thermoplastic styrene elastomer, identical to or different from the first elastomer, and an extender oil with a content greater than 200 phr.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignees: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A., Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin
    Inventors: Emmanuel Custodero, Pierre Lesage, José Merino Lopez
  • Patent number: 8631846
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire with a built-in self-sealing layer includes an outer rubbery tread, a carcass reinforcement, a gastight layer located at an inside position relative to the carcass reinforcement, a protective layer located at an innermost position, and a self-sealing layer adjacent to the protective layer and located at an inside position relative to the gastight layer. The protective layer is a thermoplastic film that includes a copolymer formed of at least hard blocks and soft blocks corresponding to a formula: -(BR-BS)n-, where: BR represents a hard block composed of a polyamide or of a blend of polyamides; BS represents a soft block composed of a polyether, a blend of polyethers, or a polyether/polyester copolymer; and n represents a number of (BR-BS) units of the block copolymer, such as, for example, a poly(ether-block-amide) copolymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignees: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin, Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Emmanuel Custodero, Sebastien Rigo, Julien Thuilliez
  • Patent number: 8617334
    Abstract: A method for making a compartmentalized sealant strip and barrier assembly 10 has the steps of co-extruding a barrier strip 9 of non-sealant elastomeric material with a plurality of projecting linear extending walls 9c and a sealant strip 11 wherein the sealant strip 11 is formed on one side of the barrier strip 9 filling the space between the plurality of projecting walls 9c to form a plurality of linearly extending rows of sealant 11 across the transverse width of the co-extrusion to form the compartmentalized sealant strip and barrier assembly 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Michael Charles Ruegg, Jr., Ernest Wilford Looman, Jr., Donald Edward Helle, Patrick David Marks, Thomas Roy Fuhrig, Joseph Alan Incavo, James Earl Koerner, Terrence Lee Parsons, Charles Kenneth Schmalix, Warren James Busch, Timothy Patrick Lovell
  • Patent number: 8617333
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a pneumatic tire having a built-in sealant layer, before cure, includes an unvulcanized pneumatic tire assembly having an outer circumferential rubber tread and a supporting carcass. A precursor sealant layer is situated between the supporting carcass and an innermost rubber inner liner. The precursor sealant layer includes a non-flowing polyurethane composition that is neither gel-like nor tacky and is self-supporting. The precursor sealant layer, during curing of the unvulcanized pneumatic tire assembly, thermally degrades so as to provide a gel-like and tacky, self-healing polyurethane composition which defines the built-in sealant layer. The resulting tire, with its innermost polyurethane composition, allows for elimination or reduction in blister formation by reducing or elimination the amount of gases typically given off by organoperoxide-butyl based sealant layers, such as when the tire is at its running temperature. Consequently, the thickness of the inner liner may be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Ramendra Nath Majumdar, Aaron Scott Puhala
  • Patent number: 8614276
    Abstract: A self-sealing elastomer composition that can be used especially as a puncture-resistant layer in an inflatable article, comprising: as predominant elastomer, an unsaturated diene elastomer; a thermoplastic hydrocarbon plasticizer resin with a weight content of between 30 and 90 phr; a liquid plasticizer, the Tg (glass transition temperature) of which is below ?20° C., with a weight content between 0 and 60 phr; and 0 to less than 30 phr of a filler. Also disclosed is an article such as a tire provided with the puncture-resistant layer comprising the self-sealing elastomer composition. The puncture-resistant layer is advantageously combined with an airtight layer, for example based on butyl rubber, so as to form, in the inflatable article, a puncture-resistant airtight laminate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignees: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A., Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin
    Inventors: Bozena Voge, Didier Vasseur, Jose Merino Lopez, Frederic Pialot
  • Patent number: 8609758
    Abstract: An inflatable article such as a pneumatic tire provided with a puncture-resistant layer comprising, by way of a self-sealing composition, an elastomer composition comprising at least, as predominant elastomer, a thermoplastic styrene (TPS) elastomer, more than 200 phr of an extender oil and more than 20 phr of a hydrocarbon resin, the glass transition temperature of which is greater than 0° C. The puncture-resistant layer is advantageously combined with an airtight layer, for example based on butyl rubber, so as to form, in the pneumatic article, an airtight puncture-resistant laminate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignees: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A., Compagnie General des Etablissments Michelin
    Inventors: José Merino-Lopez, Pierre Lesage, Bozena Voge
  • Patent number: 8573271
    Abstract: Tubeless tire in the form of a torus open radially inwards with an outer wall and an inner wall, characterized in that at least part of the inner wall is covered with a self-sealing layer comprising a thermoplastic styrene (TPS) elastomer having a Shore 0 hardness of less than 35.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignees: Compagnie Generale des Etablisements Michelin, Michelin Recherche et Technique, S.A.
    Inventors: José´ Merino Lopez, Michel Ahouanto, Pierre Lesage, Frédéric Pialot
  • Publication number: 20130263989
    Abstract: A pneumatic tyre includes an internal sealing layer, which partially delimits an internal volume (V) of the pneumatic tyre, and a self-sealing layer formed of at least a self-sealing product. The self-sealing layer is positioned radially on an inside region with respect to the internal sealing layer, and has a creep resistance indicator that increases axially from a median plane outwards, i.e., towards outside of the pneumatic tyre.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicants: MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A., COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Bozena Voge, José Merino Lopez, Michel Ahouanto
  • Publication number: 20130263990
    Abstract: A pneumatic tyre includes an internal sealing layer, which partially delimits an internal volume of the pneumatic tyre, and a self-sealing layer formed of a self-sealing product. The self-sealing layer is positioned radially on an inside region with respect to the internal sealing layer, and has a creep resistance indicator that decreases radially outwards, i.e., towards outside of the pneumatic tyre.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicants: MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A., COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Bozena Voge, Jóse Merino Lopez, Michel Ahouanto
  • Patent number: 8469070
    Abstract: A tire configured to be mounted on a mounting rim, comprising two beads, a crown comprising a tread, two sidewalls, a carcass reinforcing armature, and a membrane situated radially on the inside of the carcass reinforcing structure, this membrane comprising: (a) a membrane reinforcing armature anchored in each bead to the annular reinforcing structure, said membrane comprises a layer of reinforcement elements directed substantially radially and (b) an airtight layer of rubber mix; wherein the membrane is arranged in such a way that part of the membrane together with part of the carcass reinforcing armature delimits a chamber extending transversely and circumferentially; wherein, in any radial section, the curved length Lm of the trace of the surface of the chamber delimited by the membrane is greater than the curved length Lc of the trace of the surface chamber delimited by the carcass reinforcing armature (Lm>Lc).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignees: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A., Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin
    Inventor: Olivier Francois
  • Publication number: 20130146195
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a tire containing a layered composite of sealant and air permeation resistant film, particularly a non-elastomeric film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Inventors: Laurent Roger Andre Dubos, Annette Lechtenbochmer, Giorgio Agostini, Joseph Alan Incavo
  • Patent number: 8430143
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire including a sealant layer formed from a sealant fluid having adhesive properties that is provided on a tire inner circumferential surface corresponding with a tread portion; and a sound absorbing layer formed from a porous material that is provided via a barrier layer impermeable to the sealant fluid on an inner circumferential surface of the sealant layer; wherein a width W1 of the sound absorbing layer in a tire width direction is from 50 to 90% of a width W2 of the sealant layer in the tire width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Tanno
  • Patent number: 8316903
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having a built-in sealant layer and its preparation. In one embodiment, the pneumatic tire includes an outer circumferential rubber tread and a supporting carcass. An optional rubber inner liner is disposed inwardly from the supporting carcass. A built-in sealant layer is disposed inwardly from the rubber inner liner. The built-in sealant layer provides self-sealing properties to the pneumatic tire. A gas permeable layer is situated adjacent an innermost rubber inner liner and the built-in sealant layer. The innermost rubber inner liner has a plurality of spaced apart openings extending therethrough, which are covered by the gas permeable layer. The tire, with its innermost inner liner with holes and the gas permeable layer, allows for elimination or reduction in blister formation in the tire by permitting gas from the built-in sealant layer to escape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Ramendra Nath Majumdar, Aaron Scott Puhala
  • Publication number: 20120291935
    Abstract: The tire of the present invention has self-sealing property. The tire has an inner tire surface, which is formed with a plurality of protrusions. The protrusions are circumferentially distributed over the inner tire surface. A sealing gel layer is disposed on the inner tire surface and at least partially covers the protrusions to form a composite structure. Thereby, the protrusions can spread the force applied on the sealing gel layer while the tire is rotated rapidly. As such, the problems that the sealing gel layer is concentrated or delaminated can be prohibited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventor: Chun-Fu KUO
  • Publication number: 20120273109
    Abstract: Tyre with inbuilt self-sealing layer comprising an external rubber tread, a carcass reinforcer, a gastight layer arranged on the inside relative to the carcass reinforcer, an anti-tack layer arranged furthest towards the inside and a self-sealing layer adjacent to the anti-tack layer and arranged on the inside relative to the gastight layer, characterized in that the said anti-tack layer is comprised of particles with a shape factor (F=L/E) higher than 5, L representing the length or longest dimension and E the shortest dimension normal to the length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicants: 2) MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A., COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: José Merino Lopez, Bozena Voge, Michel Ahouanto
  • Patent number: 8293049
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a tire puncture sealant and a pneumatic tire containing such puncture sealant as a built-in puncture sealant. The sealant composition contains silica reinforcement and butyl rubber depolymerized in the presence of a balanced and cooperative combination of organoperoxides comprised of a minor amount of 4,4-di(tertiary butylperoxy) valerate depolymerization initiator and a major amount of dicumyl peroxide depolymerization propagator, the combination of which has been observed to have a synergistic effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Joseph Alan Incavo
  • Publication number: 20120241067
    Abstract: A method of selectively controlling the self-sealing ability of a tyre obtained by application of a sealing assembly on a drum and subsequent formation thereon of a precursor of a green tyre inclusive of liner and carcass, followed by shaping, curing and molding. The sealing assembly includes: a self-supporting thermoplastic film of polyamide or polyester and a layer of sealing material possessing viscoelasticity and stickiness features, which is associated with and supported by the self-supporting thermoplastic film. The sealing assembly is easily puncturable by a sharp-pointed element while it maintains such a deformability and stickiness that it helps in the transfer of the sealing material during ejection of the sharp-pointed element and limits the transferred material amount to such an extent that holes bigger than a predetermined value are not sealed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Inventors: Francesco D'Oria, Gianni Mancini, Cristiano Puppi, Enrico Sabbatani, Giovanni Simonato
  • Publication number: 20120234449
    Abstract: Pneumatic tyre with built-in self-sealing layer comprising an outer rubbery tread, a carcass reinforcement, a gastight layer positioned on the inside relative to the carcass reinforcement, a protective layer positioned innermost and a self-sealing layer adjacent to the protective layer and positioned on the inside relative to the gastight layer, characterized in that said protective layer is a chlorinated thermoplastic polymer film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicants: MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A., SOCIETE DE TECHNOLOGIE MICHELIN
    Inventors: Marc Greiveldinger, Jose Merino Lopez, Michel Ahouanto, Frédéric Pialot
  • Patent number: 8240349
    Abstract: Flexible enclosure comprising a working strip 2 and sidewalls 3, defining an envelope, and a sealing membrane 11 at least partially lining the envelope. The sealing membrane 11 is comprised of an elastic material 14 and a perforation-resistant reinforcement 15, the sealing membrane 11 being free with regard to the working strip 2 and attached to an opposite edge remote to the working strip 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Inventor: Robert Georges Boulain
  • Publication number: 20120199260
    Abstract: A pneumatic tyre with a built-in self-sealing layer includes an outer rubbery tread, a carcass reinforcement, a gastight layer located at an inside position relative to the carcass reinforcement, a separable protective layer positioned innermost, and a self-sealing layer adjacent to the separable protective layer and located at an inside position relative to the gastight layer. The separable protective layer is a thermoplastic film that includes at least one fluoropolymer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2010
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicants: MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A., SOCIETE DE TECHNOLOGIE MICHELIN
    Inventors: José Merino Lopez, Sébastien Rigo, Michel Ahouanto, Frédéric Pialot, Damien Fombelle
  • Publication number: 20120180923
    Abstract: Pneumatic tyre with built-in self-sealing layer comprising an outer rubbery tread, a carcass reinforcement, a gastight layer positioned on the inside relative to the carcass reinforcement, a protective layer positioned innermost and a self-sealing layer adjacent to the protective layer and positioned on the inside relative to the gastight layer, characterized in that said protective layer is a thermoplastic film comprising a copolymer containing hard blocks and soft blocks corresponding to the formula: -(BR-BS)n- where: BR represents a hard block composed of a polyamide or of a blend of polyamides; BS represents a soft block composed of a polyether, a blend of polyethers or a polyether/polyester copolymer; and n represents the number of (BR-BS) units of said block copolymer; such as, for example, a poly(ether-block-amide) copolymer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicants: MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A., SOCIETE DE TECHNOLOGIE MICHELIN
    Inventors: Emmanuel Custodero, Sebastien Rigo, Julien Thuilliez
  • Publication number: 20120118463
    Abstract: An inflatable article provided with an elastomer layer comprising at least, as major elastomer, a thermoplastic polystirene/polyisobutylene block copolymer, such as a stirene/isobutylene/stirene (SIBS) copolymer, and at least 100 phr of an extender oil. Preferably, this copolymer comprises between 5% and 50% stirene by weight, its number-average molecular weight is between 30,000 and 500,000 g/mol and its Tg is below ?20° C. The extender oil is preferably a polybutene oil such as polyisobutylene (PIB) oil. This elastomer layer is able to fulfil not only the role of a self-sealing (puncture-resistant) layer, but also that of an impermeable layer, furthermore with a reduced hysteresis compared to a conventional layer based on butyl rubber. The inflatable article can be, in particular, an inner tube or a pneumatic tire for a motor vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Inventors: Pierre Lesage, José Merino Lopez
  • Patent number: 8156979
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire which contains a built-in zoned puncture sealant layer. The zoned puncture sealant layer is comprised of organoperoxide depolymerized butyl rubber zones comprised of a central primary zone and lateral zones joined together to form a unitary sealant layer. The sealant of the lateral zones of the sealant layer is of a higher storage modulus (G?) than the sealant of the central zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Inventors: Joseph Alan Incavo, Thomas Roy Fuhrig, Warren James Busch, Patrick David Marks
  • Patent number: 8146634
    Abstract: Provided is a pneumatic tire capable of suppressing a flow of a sealant in a sealant layer due to a centrifugal force generated during the running of the tire. A pneumatic tire of the present invention is a pneumatic tire provided with a sealant layer on an inner surface of the tire in a region corresponding to a tread portion of the tire. The pneumatic tire includes a cover sheet disposed on an inner side of the sealant layer in a radial direction of the tire so as to cover the sealant layer. In the pneumatic tire, a mass per unit area of a center portion of the cover sheet is made larger than a mass per unit area of outer portions of the cover sheet. A width of the cover sheet may be made smaller than a width of the sealant layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Takumi Sekiguchi
  • Publication number: 20110277900
    Abstract: The puncture preventing tire of the present invention includes an annular tire body and a reinforced sealant layer. The tire body has an inner surface which defines an air chamber. The reinforced sealant layer is attached to the inner surface of the tire body to at least partially cover the inner surface. The reinforced sealant layer includes high viscosity sealant and multiple stationary posts. The stationary posts are circumferentially spread on the inner surface and are surrounded by the high viscosity sealant. Therefore, the sealant can be adequately supported by the stationary posts, and the sealant layer may not be deformed during the rapid rotation of the tire when the tire has not been punctured yet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2010
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Inventor: CHUN-FU KUO
  • Patent number: 8020588
    Abstract: A tire repair solution can includes a body and a cap closed on the body. The cap is provided with an intake, an outlet, and a guide tube extending from the underside of an intermediate portion into the body. Then an exterior tube is connected with the intake and also with an air compressor. A one-way air valve is fitted in the intake, and the guide tube has a through hole in its wall, and a slide block is fitted on the through hole to close it up. The outlet has a back-pressure valve fitted inside, and is connected with a connect tube for connecting with a joint to be connected with an air valve of a tire. Then the tire repair solution can is possible to be used in a normal position and in an inverted position, convenient to operate and saving time and labor largely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Inventor: Min-Hsieng Wang
  • Publication number: 20110198009
    Abstract: Inflatable article such as a pneumatic tire provided with a puncture-resistant layer comprising, by way of a self-sealing composition, an elastomer composition comprising at least, as predominant elastomer, a thermoplastic stirene (TPS) elastomer, more than 200 phr of an extender oil and more than 20 phr of a hydrocarbon resin, the glass transition temperature of which is greater than 0° C. The puncture-resistant layer is advantageously combined with an airtight layer, for example based on butyl rubber, so as to form, in the pneumatic article, an airtight puncture-resistant laminate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2008
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicants: SOCIETE DE TECHNOLOGIE MICHELIN, Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: José Merino-Lopez, Pierre Lesage, Bozena Voge
  • Publication number: 20110198010
    Abstract: A self-sealing elastomer composition that can be used especially as a puncture-resistant layer in an inflatable article, comprising: as predominant elastomer, an unsaturated diene elastomer; a thermoplastic hydrocarbon plasticizer resin with a weight content of between 30 and 90 phr; a liquid plasticizer, the Tg (glass transition temperature) of which is below ?20° C., with a weight content between 0 and 60 phr; and 0 to less than 30 phr of a filler. Also disclosed is an article such as a tire provided with the puncture-resistant layer comprising the self-sealing elastomer composition. The puncture-resistant layer is advantageously combined with an airtight layer, for example based on butyl rubber, so as to form, in the inflatable article, a puncture-resistant airtight laminate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Inventors: Bozena Voge, Didier Vasseur, Jose Merino Lopez, Frederic Pialot
  • Publication number: 20110174421
    Abstract: Self-sealing elastomer composition that can be used especially as a puncture-resistant layer in an inflatable article, comprising: as predominant elastomer, an unsaturated diene elastomer; between 30 and 90 phr of a hydrocarbon resin; and 0 to less than 30 phr of a filler. Also disclosed is an article such as a tire provided with a puncture-resistant layer comprising the self-sealing elastomer composition. The puncture-resistant layer is advantageously combined with an airtight layer, for example based on butyl rubber, so as to form, in the inflatable article, a puncture-resistant airtight laminate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2009
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Inventors: Bozena Voge, Didier Vasseur, Jose Merino Lopez, Frederic Pialot
  • Patent number: 7981940
    Abstract: Provided is a method of treating a sealing compound, in order to recover from the inside of a pneumatic tire the sealing compound that was used for repairing a puncture, the sealing compound including an aqueous solution having at least rubber latex dispersed therein, the method comprising: solid-liquid separating, by injecting a treating agent into the inside of a pneumatic tire into which the sealing compound was injected, the treating agent comprising at least one of a salt that is a reaction compound of an acid and a base and/or a water-soluble organic solvent, mixing the treating agent with the sealing compound inside the pneumatic tire, and aggregating and solidifying the rubber latex in the sealing compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Iwasaki, Rieko Iwasaki, legal representative, Ryuji Izumoto, Daisuke Sugio
  • Patent number: 7959849
    Abstract: Method of applying a layer of material (25, 26) to the inner wall of a cycle tyre (20) in the form of a torus, with an inner wall (28) and an outer wall (29) and having a crown (22) extended by two sidewalls (21), two beads (23a, 23b) and two bead wires (30a, 30b) placed in said beads, said tyre having a given nominal inflation pressure, which comprises the following steps: the tyre (20) is turned inside-out so as to bring the inner wall (28) to the outside of the torus and the outer wall (29) to the inside of the torus; the outer torus wall (29) of the tyre is extended by applying an internal inflation pressure to said outer wall (29) above the nominal inflation pressure of said tyre; the layer of material (25, 26) is applied to the inner wall (28) of the tyre (20); and the tyre (20) is turned inside-out so as to bring the inner wall (28) and the outer wall (29) back into their initial positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignees: Societe de Technologie Michelin, Michelin Recherche et Technique, S.A.
    Inventors: José Merino Lopez, Luc Bestgen, Frédéric Pialot
  • Patent number: 7674344
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire with a built-in sealant layer comprised of a depolymerized butyl rubber based sealant precursor. The butyl rubber of the built-in sealant precursor composition is depolymerized in situ within the tire with an activated free radical generating organoperoxide. The organoperoxide is activated with a 2,2,6,6-tetra alkyl piperidine hindered amine. Representative of such hindered amines are, for example, a poly[[6-[1,1,3,3,-tetramethylbutyl)amino]-s-triazine-2,4-diyl][2,2,6,6,-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl)imino]hexamethylene[(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl)imino]] compound. The sealant layer, if desired, may be of a color which contrasts with black. For such purpose the sealant layer may contain a colorant of a non-black color to a substantial exclusion of carbon black.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Richard Michael D'Sidocky, Jennifer Elizabeth Wall, John Eugene Varner, Denise Jeannette Keith, Joseph Alan Incavo, Donald Ray Lay
  • Publication number: 20090272476
    Abstract: Pneumatic tire including a sealant material composition providing puncture sealing property within the sealant material composition includes a compound containing a diphenyldisulfide structure therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2008
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Applicant: CONTINENTAL TIRE NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Joshua L. WILSON
  • Patent number: 7607466
    Abstract: A self-sealing tire includes a tire body, a partition wall, and a sealant that is adapted to seal a puncture in the tire body. The tire body includes an outer circumferential wall that contacts the ground, a first side wall and a second side wall that extend from the outer circumferential wall. The partition wall is provided between the first side wall and the second side wall and defines a partitioned space between the outer circumferential wall, the first side wall, the second side wall and the partition wall. The sealant is filled in the partitioned space. The partition wall includes a partition membrane, and dividing projections that are protruded from the partition membrane. Air is exhausted from the partitioned space and the sealant is filled into the partitioned space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Inventors: Daniel Kim, Alex Kim
  • Publication number: 20090205765
    Abstract: A self-sealing pneumatic tire has a sealing band (3) applied adheringly in the circumferential direction on the inner side of the tire and radially within the tread. A sealant (2) is applied to a carrier material (1). The carrier material (1) of the sealing band (3) is a foil on which the sealant (2) has been applied. The sealant, because of its intrinsic stickiness, adheres both to the carrier material (1) and to the inner side of the tire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Inventors: Stefan Sostmann, Martin Welzhofer
  • Patent number: 7484544
    Abstract: A tire for a vehicle wheel includes a carcass structure, a belt structure, a tread, a pair of sidewalls, and at least one layer of sealing composition placed in a radially inner position with respect to the tread. The carcass structure includes at least one carcass ply shaped in a substantially toroidal configuration. Opposite lateral edges of the carcass structure are associated with respective bead wires. The belt structure includes at least one belt strip. The sealing composition includes at least one high molecular weight amorphous polymer, at least one low molecular weight amorphous polymer, and at least one reinforcing filler. The sealing composition is substantially non-crosslinked and has a flowability value, measured at a temperature of 100° C. and at a pressure of 30 bar, not higher than 30 cm3/s. A process for producing the tire for a vehicle wheel is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Pirelli Pneumatici S.p.A.
    Inventors: Antonio Serra, Marco Nahmias Nanni