Abstract: A support for a tire tread band comprising an outer portion for contacting a tread and a base, wherein the base comprises a reinforcement framework having at least two plies of reinforcement elements. Each of the plies has mutually parallel reinforcement elements, and said elements are crossed from one ply to a next ply. The support further comprising a polymer material having a modulus greater than 30 MPa.

Abstract: A runflat tire system comprises a pneumatic tire, a wheel rim on which the pneumatic tire is mounted, and a support ring made of an elastic material and disposed in a cavity surrounded by an inner surface of the rim and an inner surface of the tire mounted thereon, wherein the support ring comprises an annular body extending in a circumferential direction of the tire and being provided with a plurality of recesses each opening at the cavity, and at least two sound reflectors each being attached to the recess and including an outer surface made of a non-porous material so as to reflect sound in the cavity.

Abstract: A run-flat support body for run-flat vehicle wheels. The support body is typically embodied as a shell-shaped, metallic annular body having an undulated supporting annular surface. A simple, effective method for producing one such annular body, according to which a rectangular blank which is cut out of a strip of sheet metal is bent along the longitudinal side to form a ring and the open ends of the ring are interconnected by a material connection. The annular blank thus produced is provided with the desired profile according to the pressure-rolling method, is provided with connecting elements, and cut open between the same.

Abstract: A tire insert attachment apparatus includes a pin attached to a first part of the insert and extending into a second part of the insert to engage an actuator that draws the bolt into the second part. The actuator includes a tool engagement head that transmits rotational motion of a tool to a translator via a converter, the converter transforming the rotational motion of the head into linear motion imparted on the translator. The translator can be a rack and pinion setup or can be a thread arrangement. Preferably, the head rotates a worm, which rotates a pinion that has threads formed on an inner surface and engaging mating threads on the pin, the pin taking the form of a bolt, such as an eyebolt.

Abstract: Provided is an annular supporter for a run-flat tire which comprises a supporting part and a leg part and which can support a load in run-flat running, wherein the leg part comprises a rubber composition comprising a rubber component which contains 60 mass parts or more of a conjugate diene base rubber such as isoprene rubber or natural rubber per 100 mass parts of the rubber component.

Abstract: A safety support designed to be inserted by a translation operation around a rim bearing in which the radially inner surface of the base of the support contains a plurality of protuberances radially arranged internally.

Abstract: A wheel rim assembly is disclosed to include a wheel rim body holding a tire, a plurality of smoothly arched frame bars connected to one another around the periphery of the wheel rim body by plugging a plug at one frame bar into a plughole at another frame bar and hanging a hanger at one frame bar on a locating block at another frame bar, a plurality of retaining members respectively fastened to the frame bars to enhance the connection between each two adjacent frame bars, and an annular cushion holding the frame bars and the retaining members on the inside around the wheel rim body for supporting the wheel in case the wheel is damaged accidentally.

Abstract: A device, such as a safety support, comprising a body and a base, in which the base comprises at least one zone of resistance which is essentially circumferentially inextensible and is mechanically coupled to the body, and at least one centering zone which is mechanically joined to the resistance zone by connections with low tensile rigidity and so to be mechanically uncoupled from the body.

Abstract: A tire is manufactured on standard tire building equipment and cured in standard curing presses. The tire tread has at least one deep circumferentially extending groove. Within the groove is a separately assembled ring. The ring may be fitted into the deep groove after vulcanization of the tire. For very wide tires, two grooves with two external rings may be used or more than two grooves and beads, depending upon the tire width.

Abstract: A safety insert designed to be mounted in an assembly comprising a tire and a rim of a vehicle and device for detecting the bearing of the tire on an insert, so that the insert generates signals oriented parallel to the axis of rotation of the tire and rim assembly and so that the device detects and analyzes the vibrating signals of the chassis of the vehicle.

Abstract: A runflat tire system comprises a pneumatic tire, a wheel rim on which the pneumatic tire is mounted, and a support ring made of elastic material and disposed in a cavity surrounded by an inner surface of the rim and an inner surface of the tire mounted thereon, wherein the support ring comprises an annular body extending in a circumferential direction of the tire and provided with a plurality of hollows opening at the cavity, and at least one noise damper made of sponge material having apparent density of 0.1 g/cm3 or less and disposed in the hollow such that the noise damper does not protrude into the cavity from an inlet surface of the hollow.

Abstract: A tire/wheel assembly comprising a wheel having a rim, a pneumatic tire fitted to the rim and a run-flat support member. The pneumatic tire includes a cavity, and the run-flat support member is disposed in the cavity of the pneumatic tire. The run-flat support member includes an annular shell and elastic rings. The annular shell has a support surface located radially outward and two leg portions formed radially inward. The elastic rings support the leg portions on the rim. The leg portions of the annular shell are detachably attached to the elastic rings.

Abstract: A support ring for a runflat tire system which comprises an annular body made of an elastic material having a radially inner circumferential surface which fits to a mounting portion of a wheel rim when mounted thereon, and a radially outer circumferential surface which comes into contact with the inside of the tread portion of a pneumatic tire mounted on the wheel rim when the tire is deflated and loaded, wherein the outer circumferential surface is wider in the axial width than the inner circumferential surface, and in a cross section including the central axis of the support ring, the outline of the annular body is substantially a trapezoidal shape of which two parallel long and short sides are the outer and inner circumferential surfaces, respectively, and the remaining two sides are inclined at acute angles with respect to the long side.

Abstract: A safety support for mounting on a rim of a vehicle wheel within a tire includes a substantially toroidal hollow annular body and a filling of elastically deformable expanded material. The annular body includes a convex radially outer surface, two axially opposite side surfaces, and devices for associating the annular body to the rim. The annular body is made of a rigid and substantially non-extensible material and is elastically deformable under load for absorbing stresses imparted to the tire in case of pressure loss by the tire. Each side surface is connected to the radially outer surface by respective first axially opposite connecting portions. A safety system for the vehicle wheel includes a tire and the safety support. The vehicle wheel includes the tire, the safety support, and the rim.

Abstract: The invention is a runflat insert comprising an outer contacting portion for contacting the interior surface of the tire during deflated operation; a reinforced annular band disposed radially inward of the outer contacting portion comprising an elastomeric shear layer, a membrane adhered to the radially inward extent of the elastomeric shear layer and a second membrane adhered to the radially outward extent of the elastomeric shear layer; a sidewall portion extending radially inward from the contacting portion for connecting the annular band to a base member fitted around the wheel rim for securing the insert to the rim; and a carcass layer adhered to the annular band and extending radially inward from the annular band and anchored in the base member. The elastomeric shear comprises a dienic composition that includes a metal salt of an unsaturated carboxylic acid and a peroxide curative agent.

Abstract: A runflat tire system which comprises a wheel rim, a pneumatic tire and a support ring is disclosed. The support ring comprises a radially inner annular portion, a radially outer annular portion, and a supporting wall extending from the inner annular portion to the outer annular portion, wherein the supporting wall comprises a main wall extending continuously in the circumferential direction in a trapezoidal waveform, and axial walls extending axially outwardly from the main wall.

Abstract: A run-flat insert 200 for enabling a vehicle to run for limited duration on a deflated tire 20, is mounted in an assembly comprising a pneumatic tire 20 and a wheel rim 10, and said insert is mounted inside the tire and secured to the wheel rim. The insert 200 has improved characteristics in load carrying, vehicle handling, mass, and shock transmission. Such a run-flat insert 200 comprises an outer, reinforced annular band 220 that is coupled with a sidewall portion 230 having little resistance to compressive loads, and the sidewall portion 230 tell mates in a base member 240 fitted around the wheel rim 10 for securing the insert 200 to the rim 10.

Abstract: The present invention is a pneumatic tire and wheel assembly capable of being run in a deflated condition comprising a wheel having a wheel rim, a pneumatic tire mounted on the rim, where the pneumatic tire has an interior cavity, an annular insert mounted on the wheel rim and inside the interior cavity of the tire, and a lubricant comprising a substance selected from the group consisting of stearic acid, sodium oleate, sodium palmitate, polyethylene wax, polypropylene wax, and mixtures thereof, and a substance selected from the group consisting of paraffin oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, rapseed oil, tricresyl phosphate and naphthalenic oil and mixtures thereof. When the assembly is used with the tire in deflated condition, the normally solid lubricant liquefies, and thereby facilitates relative movement of the interior surface of the tire contacting the annular insert and the annular insert. In one embodiment of the invention, the insert comprises rubber or polyurethane.

Abstract: Disclosed is a mounting structure of a tire monitoring device, in which communication failures due to a conductive support core member can be prevented. The tire monitoring device which transmits information of the inside of a tire by using radio waves is mounted on a conductive support core member which is placed within the cavity of a pneumatic tire and is formed in a hollow structure over a peripheral portion of a rim. At this time, the tire monitoring device is disposed on a sidewall of the support core member or in a channel on a load support surface of the support core member, and a transmission antenna of the tire monitoring device is disposed outside of the support core member.

Abstract: The present invention provides a unitary run flat tire (RFT) reinforcement using filament material that is formed into a relatively rigid shape. The reinforcement is insertable into a mold for an RFT support and can maintain the needed structural rigidity for such insertion. Further, the invention provides an RFT support that is molded and includes the RFT reinforcement. The invention also provides a wheel assembly including a tire, a rim, and an RFT support between the rim and the tire, where the support includes the RFT reinforcement. The RFT support can have a colored indicator formed or subsequently applied thereto to indicate one or more attributes of the support.

Abstract: A tire reinforcing arrangement includes a tire and two auxiliary tires mounted inside the tire for supporting the tire in shape for running on the road when the tire is broken, each auxiliary tire being formed of a plurality of hollow auxiliary tire elements, a plurality of smoothly arched connecting plates fastened to the auxiliary tire elements at two sides with screw bolts to connect the auxiliary tire elements into a series of linked auxiliary tire elements, and two U-bars fastened together with a screw bolt and a pin and connected to the series of linked auxiliary tire elements with screw bolts and pins to join the ends of the series of linked auxiliary tire elements.

Abstract: A run flat tire wheel assembly having a flat run support formed by a ring-shaped metal shell and rubbery elastic members in a tire rim cavity, said tire wheel assembly improving bondability between the ring-shaped metal shell and rubbery elastic members by making said rubbery elastic member from a rubber composition including 100 parts by weight of a diene-based rubber, 40 to 90 parts by weight of carbon black, 3 to 8 parts by weight of sulfur, 0.1 to 1 part by weight of an organic acid cobalt salt in terms of content of cobalt element, 0.1 to 3 parts by weight of a phenylene-diamine-based antiaging agent, and 1 to 6 parts by weight of a resol-type alkylphenol resin.

Abstract: A vehicle tire is constructed to include a main tire member, the main tire member having two inward lips, and two annular supplementary tire members respectively fastened to the inward lips of the main tire member and adapted to support the main tire member in shape when damaged accidentally.

Abstract: Disclosed is a tire/wheel assembly in which a run-flat support member is disposed in a cavity of a pneumatic tire fitted to a rim. The run-flat support member includes a circular shell, in which an outer circumferential side thereof is a support surface and an inner circumferential side thereof is opened to have two leg portions, and left and right elastic rings which support the two leg portions on the rim. The elastic rings have different rigidities from each other so that the elastic ring receiving a larger load during run-flat traveling has a higher rigidity.

Abstract: Disclosed are a tire/wheel assembly and a run-flat support member which are designed to be lightened without losing durability during run-flat traveling. The tire/wheel assembly is constituted as follows: a pneumatic tire is fit to a wheel rim; and the run-flat support member constituted of a circular shell and elastic rings is inserted into a cavity of the pneumatic tire. The circular shell has a support surface thereof extended toward the periphery of the pneumatic tire and leg portions along each side of the support surface. The elastic rings support the leg portions of the circular shell on the rim. In the tire/wheel assembly, contact portions and noncontact portions for the circular shell are alternately formed on the elastic rings in a shell circumferential direction.

Abstract: A support ring for vehicle tires is disclosed. The support ring is to be mounted on a tire wheel for support of the underside of the tire when the tire is operated at underinflated conditions. The support ring has a base, a cap, and a series of supporting arches extending between the base and the cap. The highest point of the arch contacts the support ring cap. During load, the arch flexes and transmits the load force along the arch sides and to the base of the support ring.

Abstract: A safety insert comprising a substantially circumferential base intended to come into contact with an adapted wheel rim, a substantially circumferential body intended to support a tread of a tire mounted on the rim during rolling with a pressure capable of causing at least partial flattening of a portion of the tire, and a housing intended to receive a wheel unit, characterized in that the safety insert comprises an aerial which is rigidly connected to the insert and is disposed inside its volume.

Abstract: A tire/wheel assembly in which a run-flat support member 3 is inserted into a cavity of a pneumatic tire 2, where the run-flat support member 3 includes a circular shell 4 in which the outer circumferential side thereof is used as a support surface and the inner circumferential side thereof is opened to have two leg portions, and elastic rings 5 supporting the ends of the two leg portions on a rim. An air path 7 is provided in the elastic ring 5 so as to interconnect the inside and outside of the run-flat support member 3.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tire/wheel assembly and a run-flat support member. The tire/wheel assembly is formed as follows: a pneumatic tire is fitted to a wheel rim; and the run-flat support member constituted of a circular shell and elastic rings is inserted into a cavity of the pneumatic tire, in which the circular shell has a support surface thereof extended toward the periphery of the tire and leg portions along each side of the support surface, and the elastic rings support the leg portions of the circular shell on the wheel rim. In the tire/wheel assembly, a plurality of through-holes or wavy asperities are made in the inner rim of each of the leg portions of the circular shell along a shell circumferential direction. The inner rims in which these through-holes or asperities are formed are embedded in the elastic rings.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tire/wheel assembly and a run-flat support member. A pneumatic tire is fitted to a wheel rim; and the run-flat support member constituted of a circular shell and elastic rings is inserted into a cavity of the pneumatic tire, in which the circular shell has a support surface thereof extended toward the periphery of the tire and leg portions along each side of the support surface, and the elastic rings support the leg portions of the circular shell on the rim. In the tire/wheel assembly, the leg portion of the circular shell is formed to have a sidewall extending in a shell radial direction and a bottom wall that is substantially parallel to a shell axial direction. The elastic ring is attached to the sidewall of the leg portion while being abutted on the bottom wall of the same without an engagement.

Abstract: A tire/wheel assembly in which a run-flat support member 3 is inserted into a cavity of a pneumatic tire 2, the run-flat support member 3 including a circular shell 4 in which the outer circumferential side thereof is used as a support surface and the inner circumferential side thereof is opened to have two leg portions, and an elastic ring 5 supporting the ends of the two leg portions on a rim 1. The circular shell 4 is configured by jointing side edges 7, 7 of at least two shell segments 4a, each having a single convex circumferential surface.

Abstract: Disclosed are a run-flat tire and a tire/wheel assembly in which the workability of the tire-to-rim fit has been improved while including a core-type run-flat support member. The tire/wheel assembly is formed by coupling a pneumatic tire and a rim of a wheel. In the tire/wheel assembly, the run-flat support member constituted of a circular shell and elastic rings is inserted into a cavity of the pneumatic tire, in which the circular shell has a support surface thereof extended toward the periphery of the tire and leg portions along each side of the support surface, and the elastic rings support the leg portions of the circular shell on the rim. At the same time, a seat portion and an engaging portion are provided for at least one of the elastic rings, in which the leg portion of the circular shell can be settled on the seat portion, and the engaging portion is extended in an outer tire axial direction from the seat portion and sandwiched between a tire bead base and a rim seat.

Abstract: A support ring for a runflat tire system which comprises an annular body made of an elastic material having a radially inner circumferential surface which fits to a mounting portion of a wheel rim when mounted thereon, and a radially outer circumferential surface which comes into contact with the inside of the tread portion of a pneumatic tire mounted on the wheel rim when the tire is deflated and loaded, wherein the outer circumferential surface is wider in the axial width than the inner circumferential surface, and in a cross section including the central axis of the support ring, the outline of the annular body is substantially a trapezoidal shape of which two parallel long and short sides are the outer and inner circumferential surfaces, respectively, and the remaining two sides are inclined at acute angles with respect to the long side.

Abstract: A run-flat tire-wheel assembly having, in an inside cavity of the tire/rim, a run-flat support formed by a ring-shaped metal shell and rubber elastic members wherein the contact surfaces of the ring-shaped metal shell and the rubber elastic members are coated with an organic solvent-based adhesive, whereby the bondability between the ring-shaped metal shell and rubber elastic members is improved.

Abstract: A tire apparatus for driving a vehicle allows the vehicle to be driven during periods of both low tire pressure and normal tire pressure. The tire apparatus has a tire that has a tread section. The tire has a pair of side walls that are located adjacent to the tread section. A first bead is located at an end of one of the side walls, and a second bead is located at an end of the other side wall. A wheel is also present that has a rim with a first bead seat and a second bead seat. The wheel is configured for attachment to the vehicle. The wheel has a support member for engaging the tire during periods of low tire pressure. At least one of the first and second bead seats has a plurality of friction members to prevent relative rotational movement between the tire and the rim.

Abstract: A vehicle tire fabrication method in which a raw tire tube is adhered with two annular hook members and two annular rubber packing members one the inside and an airtight sealing layer and a combination outer tire wall layer on the outside, and then the raw tire thus obtained is put in a vulcanizing mold and vulcanized into a finished vehicle tire, and then the annular rubber packing members are removed from the finished vehicle tire.

Abstract: A safety insert designed to be mounted in an assembly comprising a tire and a rim of a vehicle and device for detecting the bearing of the tire on an insert, so that the insert generates signals oriented parallel to the axis of rotation of the tire and rim assembly and so that the device detects and analyzes the vibrating signals of the chassis of the vehicle.

Abstract: The present invention is a runflat insert comprising:

Abstract: A vehicle tire is constructed to include a main tire member, the main tire member having two inward lips, and two annular supplementary tire members respectively fastened to the inward lips of the main tire member and adapted to support the main tire member in shape when damaged accidentally.

Abstract: A lubricant for a run-flat tire system includes a water soluble, or water-miscible carrier, a thickener, and a surfactant. The thickener hereof retains its rheological properties and is not subject to permanent thinning shear. The base fluid is, preferably, a water-soluble polyhydroxyl or other polyhydric compound and the thickener is preferably a clay. When admixed with a surfactant and, optionally, a lubricity agent, the lubricant exhibits long term stability and (is resistant to heat buildup.) prevents the buildup of heat in the tire assembly when the tire is in the run flat condition.

Abstract: A run-flat insert 200 for enabling a vehicle to run for limited duration on a deflated tire 20, is mounted in an assembly comprising a pneumatic tire 20 and a wheel rim 10, and said insert is mounted inside the tire and secured to the wheel rim. The insert 200 has improved characteristics in load carrying, vehicle handling, mass, and shock transmission. Such a run-flat insert 200 comprises an outer, reinforced annular band 220 that is coupled with a sidewall portion 230 having little resistance to compressive loads, and the sidewall portion 230 tell mates in a base member 240 fitted around the wheel rim 10 for securing the insert 200 to the rim 10.

Abstract: A support ring for a tire is disclosed. The support ring is to be mounted on a tire wheel for support of the underside of the tire when the tire is operated at underinflated conditions. The outer surface of the support ring is provided with a set of grooves that permit lubrication to freely travel over the surface of the ring during use.

Abstract: The present invention is a pneumatic tire and wheel system comprising: a wheel including a rim; mechanically secured to which is an annular insert and a pneumatic tire including an interior space; and a lubricant release system for release of lubricant into the interior space of the tire. The lubricant release system comprises: a sensor for sensing tire conditions; a transmitter for sending a first signal to; a computer for assessing the signal and sending a second signal to; an actuator mechanically secured to the wheel. The actuator includes: a receiver for receiving the signal; a reservoir for containing lubricant; an expulsion mechanism for expelling lubricant; and a power source for powering the expulsion mechanism.

Abstract: A support according to the invention comprises a rubber article.

Abstract: A support ring for a tire is disclosed. The support ring is to be mounted on a tire wheel for support of the underside of the tire when the tire is operated at underinflated conditions. The outer surface of the support ring is provided with a set of grooves that permit lubrication to freely travel over the surface of the ring during use.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for manufacturing a cross-linked expanded safety support having a cellular structure comprising closed cells. The process involves kneading by thermomechanical working a rubber composition comprising a diene elastomer having a molar ratio of diene units (defined as units resulting from dienes) of less than 15%, water in an amount of from 3 to 6 phr (phr=parts by weight per 100 parts elastomer), a blowing agent, such as azobisformamide, that provides for formation of the cellular structure and a vulcanization system. The rubber composition so prepared is then formed, e.g. by injection or extrusion, into cross-linkable blank, which is then cured in a mold and then demolded. The demolded blank is then expanded by decomposition of the blowing agent and vulcanized to produce the cross-linked expanded elastomeric support.

Abstract: A process for cross-linking/expanding at least one cross-linkable, expandable blank, which is intended to form all or part of an elastomeric safety support for a tire in which: the cross-linking consists of curing the expandable or expanded blank in a bath of fluid at excess pressure which is contained in an enclosure, such that the blank interacts with the bath independently of the enclosure, the temperature of the bath having a maximum value of between 110° C. and 210° C. and the absolute pressure of said bath having at least a value equal to or greater than 14 bar, and the expansion consists of curing the cross-linkable or cross-linked blank in the bath, the temperature of the bath having a maximum value of between 110° C. and 210° C., and the absolute pressure of the bath having at least a value equal to or greater than 5 bar and a final pressure-relief value substantially equal to 1 bar, for expanding the blank such that its increase in volume is unlimited with respect to the enclosure.

Abstract: An auxiliary member, made of metal or synthetic resin, is disposed between each rim seat of the rim of a wheel and at least a bead base portion of each of the beads of a pneumatic tire fitted to the rim seats.

Abstract: Disclosed are a tire/wheel assembly and a run-flat support member which are designed to be lightened without losing durability during run-flat traveling. The tire/wheel assembly is constituted as follows: a pneumatic tire is fit to a wheel rim; and the run-flat support member constituted of a circular shell and elastic rings is inserted into a cavity of the pneumatic tire. The circular shell has a support surface thereof extended toward the periphery of the pneumatic tire and leg portions along each side of the support surface. The elastic rings support the leg portions of the circular shell on the rim. In the tire/wheel assembly, contact portions and noncontact portions for the circular shell are alternately formed on the elastic rings in a shell circumferential direction.

Abstract: A tire/wheel assembly in which a run-flat support member 3 is inserted into a cavity of a pneumatic tire 2, where the run-flat support member 3 includes a circular shell 4 in which the outer circumferential side thereof is used as a support surface and the inner circumferential side thereof is opened to have two leg portions, and elastic rings 5 supporting the ends of the two leg portions on a rim. An air path 7 is provided in the elastic ring 5 so as to interconnect the inside and outside of the run-flat support member 3.