Means Facilitating Folding Between Sidewall Portions (e.g., Run Flat Sidewalls, Etc.) Patents (Class 152/522)
  • Patent number: 8720511
    Abstract: A run flat tire which comprises a ply layer (4) disposed extending toroidally between a pair of bead cores and comprising ply coating rubber and ply cords, an inner liner layer (5) disposed circumferentially at an inner side of the ply layer, side reinforcing rubber layers (6) having an approximately crescent-shaped cross section and disposed in side portions of the tire between the ply layer and the inner liner layer and rubber sheets (7) disposed extending at interface of the ply layer and the side reinforcing rubber layer, wherein relations of t90>tp10 and t10<ts90 are satisfied when characteristic values of vulcanization obtained in accordance with JIS K6300-2 are represented by tp10 and tp90 for the ply coating rubber, ts10, and ts90 for the side reinforcing rubber and t10 and t90 for the rubber for a sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Fumihiro Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 8528612
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a useful inner structural supporter type run flat tire having enough structural strength for controlling the steering wheel to some extent when the tire goes flat and having easy structure for installing to the rim wheel. A wheel 10 has a flange 11 with a bead part of a tubeless tire fitted thereto and a container 12 having a diameter smaller than that of the flange 11, and comprises a rim valve for adjusting the air pressure of the tubeless tire, and a second rim valve for adjusting air pressure in an inner tire 20. The inner tire 20 is stored in the container 12. While the inner tire 20 is stored in the container 12, the tubeless tire 30 is fitted to the flange of the tire wheel 10, air is fed into the inner tire 20 via the second rim valve until the air pressure reaches a predetermined value, so the inner tire 20 is inflated inside the tubeless tire 30, and an inner tire is provided as the inner tire in the outer tubeless tire space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20100006199
    Abstract: This invention provides a rubber composition highly balancing flexibility at a low temperature and a low rolling resistance, which is formed by compounding a low-molecular weight conjugated diene-based polymer (B) having at least one functional group, an aromatic vinyl compound content of less than 5% by mass and a weight average molecular weight as measured without terminating by modification through a gel permeation chromatography and converted to polystyrene of not less than 2,000 but less than 150,000 and a filler (C) into a high-molecular weight rubber component (A) having a weight average molecular weight as measured without terminating by modification through a gel permeation chromatography and converted to polystyrene of not less than 150,000.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fuminori Ohta, Koji Masaki, Keisuke Kidono
  • Patent number: 7281557
    Abstract: A tire includes at least one carcass-type reinforcement structure anchored on each side in a bead, each bead being extended radially towards the outside by a sidewall having at least one substantially resilient circumferential cord disposed in the substantially median portion of the sidewalls. The carcass-type reinforcement structure includes a ply of carcass cords extending from the bead to the crown within a sidewall. The carcass cords are arranged in such a way that, in a sidewall zone restricted to the median portion of the sidewall, the carcass cords exhibit different respective axial positions, so as to form around the circumference a succession of substantially regular undulations defining an undulating circumferential profile. Outside of the sidewall zone, the carcass cords of the ply do not form undulations. At reduced pressure the undulations tend to straighten out and rigidify the sidewall in such a way as to be able to bear the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche Et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: José Merino Lopez
  • Patent number: 6923233
    Abstract: A runflat radial ply tire (70) having a thread (72), a carcass (86) and a belt structure (74) radially located between the thread and the carcass has two sidewalls (80, 82) each reinforced with a circumferentially disposed wedge insert (50a?, 50b?) having a saw-tooth cross-sectional shape. The saw-tooth cross-sectional shape of each wedge insert (50a?, 50b?) is defined by a plurality of circumferentially disposed segments (52a–52e), each of which is separated from adjacent segments by circumferentially disposed grooves (54a–54d). During heavy loading of the tire, or during runflat operation, the radially loaded sidewall portions deform until the grooves (54a?–54d?) undergo closure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Jean-Marie Girault, Percy Anthony Lemaire, Roland Andre Terver
  • Patent number: 6763866
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial ply tire (50) has a tread (52), a carcass (61) with two sidewalls (77, 78), a single radial ply (70) reinforced with inextensible metal cords, two annular beads (36a′, 36b′), and a belt structure (58) located radially between the tread and the radial ply structure (56). Each sidewall (77, 78) is reinforced with wedge inserts (59a, 59b) containing stiffener layers (72a, 72b, 73a, 73b) that carry the compressive loading to which the tire is subjected during runflat operation. The incorporation of wedge-insert stiffeners (72a, 72b, 73a, 73b) provides a light-weight runflat tire having a simplified construction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Gia Van Nguyen, Laurent Colantonio
  • Patent number: 6758249
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: David Allen Griffin
  • Publication number: 20030150538
    Abstract: A tyre for a vehicle wheel includes a carcass structure, a belt structure, a tread band, and at least one pair of sidewalls. The carcass structure includes at least one circumferential centering ridge jutting out from a crown portion of the carcass structure. Each bead of the tyre includes a rest surface defining, in a direction away from an equatorial plane of the tyre, a profile converging toward the rotation axis of the tyre. A rim for a tyre includes a base body and two seats. Each seat defines an abutment surface facing radially away from a rotation axis of the rim and includes a frustoconical configuration converging away from a median diametrical plane of the rim. The base body further includes at least two opposite radial shoulders disposed to abut against the at least one centering ridge. A vehicle wheel, including the tyre and the rim, is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2003
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Inventor: Renato Ceretta
  • Publication number: 20020157752
    Abstract: The present invention provides a unitary run flat tire (RFT) reinforcement 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2001
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Applicant: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: Rick L. Tabor, Patricio Jimenez,, Wayne R. Wilkomm, Ralph D. Priester,, Martin C. Cornell, Chris P. Christenson, Kimberly F. Bennett, Peder E. Danielsen, Jeffery D. Zawisza
  • Publication number: 20020088551
    Abstract: A tire 10 has a composite ply 40. The composite ply 40 has a primary ply 40A reinforced with parallel inextensible cords 41 and a pair of ply extensions 40B having synthetic cords. The method of manufacturing the tire 10 is described. The tire 10 can be made as a runflat type tire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2001
    Publication date: July 11, 2002
    Applicant: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: John Janes Beck, Gary Edwin Tubb, John Ronald Abbott, Samuel Patrick Landers, Amit Prakash, Frederick Forbes Vannan, Henry David Broyles, Klaus Beer
  • Publication number: 20010025679
    Abstract: A method of detection of a run-flat condition of a vehicle tire, said tire being mounted on a wheel, wherein:
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2001
    Publication date: October 4, 2001
    Applicant: MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A.
    Inventors: Arnaud Dufournier, Andre Dosjoub
  • Patent number: 6058995
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire capable of effectively controlling the occurrence of wandering phenomenon when being used in vehicles such as passenger car, small-size truck, truck, bus and the like is provided, in which a second tread zone contacting with a mountain side of a slant road surface is arranged so as to project toward a side of a first tread zone contacting with a flat road surface and camber thrust of the radial tire is increased by the second tread zone during the running on ruts and the like under loading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 6044884
    Abstract: A pneumatic vehicle tire has a carcass with at least one radial ply and beads having bead cores, whereby the carcass is anchored to the bead cores. A multi-ply belt is positioned radially outwardly on the carcass, and a tread is positioned radially outwardly on the belt. Sidewalls extend between the tread and the beads. The sidewalls have a first portion extending from the beads outwardly at an angle of 0% to 20% relative to the axial direction of the tire. The sidewalls have increased stiffness within the area of 50% to 90% of a tire height measured in a direction from the bead to the tread. The area of 50% to 90% prevents the sidewalls from touching the road surface when the tire is deflated and compressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Assignee: Continental Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Karl Peda
  • Patent number: 5238040
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire having a carcass 1 and at each sidewall 5 thereof are a first and a second elastomeric reinforcement inserts 13, 15 interposed between a first and a second carcass plies 10, 11. Each insert is thinner towards the respective opposite radial ends of its section. The reinforcement inserts 13, 15 are adjacent and in alignment with the maximum width of the tire 2 at a point 14. A third elastomeric insert 16 of lenticular section, internally covers the first carcass ply 10 and has an area of maximum thickness 16a in substantial alignment with the point of adjacency 14 between the reinforcement inserts 13, 15. The first and second reinforcement inserts 13, 15 behave like stiff arms, mutually hinged at their point 14 of adjacency. The movement of the arms toward each other is counteracted by a third elastomeric insert 16 acting as a spring therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1993
    Assignee: Pirelli Coordinamento Pneumatici S.p.A.
    Inventor: Giuliano Ghilardi
  • Patent number: 5186772
    Abstract: A run-flat tire and rim assembly for All Terrain Vehicles comprising: (A) a run-flat tire having beads with a radially inwardly protruding toe and a bead apex; (B) a rim having bead seats with a circumferentially extending groove with which the toe is engaged; (C) the height of the radially outer end of the bead apex being in a range of 15% to 30% of the tire section height; (D) the thickness of the rubber layer on the outside of a carcass in the tire sidewall regions being at least 10 times the diameter of the carcass ply cord; (E) the above-mentioned thickness decreasing gradually from a maximum tire section width point to the tire shoulder so as to form a weak portion in bending in each shoulder; (F) a circumferentially extending buttress provided in each shoulder; and (G) a hump with a diameter larger than the rim diameter formed axially inward of and adjacent to each bead seat of the rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1993
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiji Nakasaki, Yasuo Igarashi
  • Patent number: 5145536
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a radial tire and a radial tire-rim assembly. The radial tire (1) has a pair of beads (2), each bead having a bead core (3) and a bead apex (5), a carcass (4), with both edges thereof folded back around said bead core and fastened to said bead core, a tread (6), a belt layer (7), and an aspect ratio smaller than 60%. The tread is wider (in the axial direction) than the maximum width of said carcass and the edges of said tread are positioned within a range of 50-100% of the height of the cross-section of the carcass. This structure provides the tire side with rigidity and permits the tread to deform so that is supports the weight of the car and runs safely even when the tire pressure is decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1992
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Noma, Saneto Saitou
  • Patent number: 5044413
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a radial tire and a radial tire-rim assembly. The radial tire (1) has a pair of beads (2), each bead having a bead core (3) and a bead apex (5), a carcass (4), with both edges thereof folded back around said bead core and fastened to said bead core, a tread (6), a belt layer (7), and an aspect ratio smaller than 60%. The tread is wider (in the axial direction) than the maximum width of said carcass and the edges of said tread are positioned within a range of 50-100% of the height of the cross-section of the carcass. This structure provides the tire side with rigidity and permits the tread to deform so that it supports the weight of the car and runs safely even when the tire pressure is decreased. The radial tire-rim assembly is characterized in that the bead of the radial tire has a toe (9) extending inward (in the radial direction of the tire) and is further provided with a hump groove (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Noma, Saneto Saitou