Carcass Ply Extends From At Least One Bead Region Without Being Folded About Bead Rings Patents (Class 152/550)
  • Patent number: 6536495
    Abstract: A two-ply radial runflat tire having a belt structure, a ply structure, two inextensible beads and two wedge-insert reinforced sidewalls. The outer ply is reinforced by high-modulus, light-weight aramid. The aramid reinforcement material of the outer ply is clamped around the beads. The outer ply is prestressed in tension during manufacture of the tire. The resultant tire is light in weight and resists upward buckling of the tread during runflat operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Roland Close, Agnes Nathalie Iwana Verbeke-Ensch
  • Patent number: 6536493
    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: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: John Janes Beck, Jr., Gary Edwin Tubb, John Ronald Abbott, Samuel Patrick Landers, Amit Prakash, Frederick Forbes Vannan, Jr., Henry David Broyles, Klaus Beer
  • Patent number: 6536494
    Abstract: Pneumatic vehicle tires comprising a carcass which extends between two bead rings, a belt arrangement provided between the carcass and a tread strip, and also rubber reinforcing plies arranged in the sidewall regions, which adopt a supporting function when the tire is deflated, are characterized in that a single rubber reinforcing ply is arranged radially within a first carcass ply and its maximum thickness is disposed in the upper half of the sidewall height; with the rubber reinforcing ply extending from the bead apex region up to and beneath the edge region of the belt ply, and with the bead apex, which extends approximately up to the half sidewall height, being surrounded by the first carcass ply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Dunlop GmbH
    Inventors: Karlheinz Baumann, Robert Nau, Günter Dietrich
  • Patent number: 6505663
    Abstract: A tire having two beads and a radial carcass reinforcement, each bead having no anchoring bead wire and being reinforced by an armature including at least two plies turned up over themselves to form four reinforcement layers axially close to one another, the two axially innermost layers being composed of elements parallel to one another from one layer to the next, and the two layers axially at the center being composed of elements crossed from one layer to the next, and the reinforcement layers have their radially outer edges positioned within the bead at different heights such that any annular strip of the reinforcement armature of the bead, having at least two layers of reinforcement elements and located between two parallels to the rotation axis of the tire, is formed of at least two layers of reinforcement elements crossed from one layer to the next.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Michel Ahouanto, Luc Bestgen, Forrest Patterson
  • Publication number: 20020195187
    Abstract: An aircraft tire, inflated to a high pressure, comprising a tread connected to two beads 2 by way of two sidewalls 6, each bead having at least one annular reinforcing element 3, a crown reinforcement and a radial carcass reinforcement 1 comprising a number of axially inner plies 1A to 1D greater than or equal to two, which radial carcass reinforcement plies have textile reinforcing elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2002
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Applicant: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Cyrille Roget, Fernando Suarez
  • Patent number: 6494242
    Abstract: The tire of the invention has an optimized path of the outermost carcass designed to maximize the extent of tensile stress in the sidewall and bead portions of the tire. The invention further provides separate reinforcement structures in the bead portion for anchoring the carcass or carcasses in the bead and for retaining the bead on the mounting rim during deflated operation, and said anchoring reinforcement also facilitates the maintenance of the desirable carcass profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique
    Inventor: Roger Cary Cottrell
  • Patent number: 6491077
    Abstract: A tire with a form ratio H/S between 0.3 and 0.8 has a carcass reinforcement (1) which is covered radially by a quasi-cylindrical crown reinforcement (3) and which is tangential at T to a holding circle C. The common tangent at T to the circle C and to the meridian profile of the carcass (1) makes an angle &agr; of between +20° and −80° with respect to a line parallel to the rotation axis and passing through the tangency point T. In its portion located between the tangency point T and the point E of greatest axial width, the carcass reinforcement (1) is provided with a reinforcement armature (6) of circumferentially non-extensible elements. Viewed in meridian cross-section and when the tire is fitted and inflated to the recommended pressure, the carcass (1) has a meridian profile consisting of four circular arcs configured to improve the endurance of the tire while improving its rolling resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2002
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale Des Establissements Michelin-Michelin & Cie
    Inventors: José Merino Lopez, Pascal Auxerre
  • Patent number: 6463975
    Abstract: A tire, at least one radial carcass reinforcement of which is anchored within each bead B to two bead wires and to form an upturn, characterized in that, viewed in meridian section, an additional reinforcement armature, formed of at least one ply of circumferential reinforcement elements, is placed, at least axially to the inside, along the carcass reinforcement in the region of the bead B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin-Michelin & Cie
    Inventor: Pascal Auxerre
  • Patent number: 6460585
    Abstract: A tire comprising a tread at least one radialIy outermost reinforcing layer of belt reinforcing textile cords arranged substantially at a zero angle with respect to the mid circumferential center plane perpendicular to the axis of the tire, a carcass a tread compound which is in direct contact with the radially outward side of the cords.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Techniques, S.A.
    Inventors: Daniel G. Osborne, James Anderson, Tim Vance, Bernad Thevand, Pedro Costa Pereira
  • Patent number: 6457504
    Abstract: Formation of a carcass ply takes place by laying down onto a toroidal support (11), a first and a second series of strip-like sections (13, 14) cut to size from a continuous strip-like element (2a) and each comprising longitudinal thread-like elements (15) incorporated into a layer of elastomer material (18). The sections (13) of the first series are sequentially disposed at some circumferential distance from each other, to form side portions (19) to the end flaps (19a) of which primary portions (4a) of respective bead-reinforcing structures (4) are applied. The sections (14) of the second series are each interposed in the space defined between two sections of the first series (13), with the respective end flaps (20a) overlapping the primary portions (4a) of the annular structures (4). Additional portions (24) of the annular structures are applied to the end flaps (20a) of the sections (14) belonging to the second series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Pirelli Pneumatici S.p.A.
    Inventor: Renato Caretta
  • Publication number: 20020129885
    Abstract: A tire, comprising a radial carcass reinforcement surmounted by a crown reinforcement formed of at least one working reinforcement formed of two piles of inextensible metallic reinforcement elements, which elements are parallel to each other within each ply and are crossed from one ply to the next, forming with the circumferential direction angles &agr;1 and &agr;2 of between 10° and 45°, the working plies having axial widths L1 and L2, respectively, and at least one ply, referred to as a protective ply, of axial width L3, such that L3<L2<L1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2002
    Publication date: September 19, 2002
    Inventor: Lucien Bondu
  • Patent number: 6425429
    Abstract: The anchoring of the carcass reinforcing elements 1 is assured by circumferential cables 2, with the interposition of a connecting rubber composition 3. The circumferential cable 2 is arranged in several turns forming one or more helices. These circumferential cables have an operational elongation rate Af=Ae+Ap of more than 4%. This operational elongation rate does not include the specific elongation As of the “cable” effect. The maximum stress Rm of the cable 2 is preferably more than 2000 MPa. The cables have undergone a heat treatment which has, in combination, the features of being a recovery annealing treatment and which is carried out directly on cable comprising wires previously separately covered by an adherent coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: Sedepro
    Inventors: Jean-Claude Arnaud, Pedro Costa Pereira
  • Patent number: 6422279
    Abstract: A run flat tire has a plurality of reinforcing wedges located in the tire sidewall with the hardness of each wedge generally diminishing in the radially inward direction of the sidewall. Since the bead filler is harder than the radial innermost wedge, the hardness at generally the top of the bead filler increases in the radial inward direction. The reinforcing wedges partially overlap each other and can generally have any configuration. The changing of hardness of the radial wedges results in a wedge sequence and thus a more even strain distribution throughout the tire sidewall. This strain distribution extends the run flat life of the tire and also provides a good balance with other tire performance parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: Hankook Tire Mfg. Co., LTD
    Inventors: Thomas A. Williams, Jong Bok Park, Gary Day
  • Patent number: 6357502
    Abstract: A tire wheel for vehicles comprises a mounting rim which can be associated with a hub of a vehicle and is provided with two bead seats forming a cone, for engagement with corresponding beads of a tire, with its apex on said axis of rotation in a position axially outside said rim, a tire comprising a toroidal carcass provided with a crown portion connected to a pair of axially facing sidewalls terminating in beads for engagement with the corresponding bead seats formed on the rim, said tire having its maximum width in the region of said beads, and an inner tube inserted into the toroidal cavity defined between tire and rim, elastically expandable by means of the introduction of fluid under pressure into its internal volume, and provided with an inflating and deflating device inserted in the wall of said inner tube, without any element for connection to the environment outside the wheel, in particular passing through the wall of the rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Pirelli Pneumatici S.p.A.
    Inventor: Renato Caretta
  • Publication number: 20020023700
    Abstract: In a tire for vehicles, the formation of each bead reinforcing structure envisages that, after laying of a first series of elongated sections defining axially inner terminal zones of a carcass ply, an annular anchoring insert consisting of a wire wound in axially adjacent turns is formed on an end portion directed axially towards the outside of the respective zone. A stiffening element tapering radially away from the axis of the tire is then formed on each inner terminal zone. A second series of elongated sections is then laid, completing the manufacture of the carcass ply with the formation of axially outer terminal zones which are superimposed on the stiffening elements. An additional annular insert is formed on an end portion of each outer terminal zone arranged radially superimposed on the anchoring insert.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2000
    Publication date: February 28, 2002
    Inventor: Renato Caretta
  • Patent number: 6328084
    Abstract: The carcass structure of a tire comprises one or more carcass plies each formed of strip lengths comprising longitudinal thread elements incorporated in a layer of elastomer material. The strip elements have respective crown portions disposed circumferentially in mutual side-by-side relationship, and side portions extending radially at the tire sidewalls. The side portions of each carcass ply are each at least partly covered with at least one of the side portions belonging to an adjacent deposition length. Associated with the carcass plies are annular structures comprising a pair of inextensible inserts in the form of an annulus which are anchored to the first and second carcass plies respectively and axially separated by an elastomeric filling body. A belt structure, a tread band, and sidewalls are combined with the carcass structure to define the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignee: Pirelli Pneumatici S.p.A.
    Inventors: Renato Caretta, Maurizio Marchini
  • Patent number: 6318429
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire having in axial cross-section a highly curved tread is reinforced by a breaker assembly with improved resistance to breaker edge looseness. The breaker assembly includes one breaker ply which extends between two bead regions and has its edges disposed between a carcass main portion and a carcass turn-up portion. An improved single-stage method may be employed for building the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
    Inventors: Michael Raymond Corner, David Robert Watkins
  • Patent number: 6273164
    Abstract: A motorcycle tire comprises a carcass composed of a low-modulus layer disposed along the inside of the tire and a high-modulus layer disposed outside thereof, the high-modulus layer comprising a high-modulus ply, and the low-modulus layer comprising a low-modulus ply. Preferably, the cords of each ply are inclined at a bias angle of from 20 to 50 degrees with respect to the tire equator so that the carcass has a bias structure. The low-modulus layer is composed of two low-modulus plies of low-modulus cords extending between bead portions through a tread portion and sidewall portions and turned up around a bead core disposed in each bead portion. The high-modulus layer is composed of a single high-modulus ply of high-modulus cords extending between the sidewall portions through the tread portion and terminated at a position radially outward of the bead cores but radially inward of the maximum width position of the carcass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takao Kuwahara
  • Patent number: 6182728
    Abstract: A run flat tire has a plurality of reinforcing wedges located in the tire sidewall with the hardness of each wedge generally diminishing in the radially inward direction of the sidewall. Since the bead filler is harder than the radial innermost wedge, the hardness at generally the top of the bead filler increases in the radial inward direction. The reinforcing wedges partially overlap each other and can generally have any configuration. The changing of hardness of the radial wedges results in a wedge sequence and thus a more even strain distribution throughout the tire sidewall. This strain distribution extends the run flat life of the tire and also provides a good balance with other tire performance parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Hankook Tire
    Inventors: Thomas A. Williams, Jong Bok Park, Gary Day
  • Patent number: 6179028
    Abstract: A tire with a radial carcass reinforcement, when viewed in meridian section, includes a first bead, the seat of which is inclined towards the outside, the heel of the bead being axially on the inside and being reinforced by at least a reinforcement ring, the toe of the bead being axially on the outside and having a rubber wedge section made of rubber mix, the wedge being defined by two sides, the said rubber mix having a Shore A hardness greater than the Shore A hardness(es) of the rubber mixes located axially and radially above the bead ring and above the rubber wedge section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin - Michelin & Cie
    Inventors: Jean-Jacques Drieux, Olivier Muhlhoff
  • Patent number: 6179029
    Abstract: A tire wherein the reinforcing cords of the carcass, in the part situated between the anchoring zone of the carcass and the sidewall, are in contact with at least one layer of cushion compound having a high modulus of elasticity on the axially outer side and a low modulus of elasticity on the axially inner side and in the sidewall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Compagnie G{acute over (e)}n{acute over (e)}rale des Etablissements Michelin - Michelin & Cie
    Inventors: Pedro Costa Pereira, Jacques Barraud, Jean-Yves Denoueix, Bernard Guerinon, Yves Herbelleau
  • Patent number: 6142205
    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: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: John Janes Beck, Jr., Gary Edwin Tubb, John Ronald Abbott, Samuel Patrick Landers, Amit Prakash, Frederick Forbes Vannan, Jr., Henry David Broyles, Klaus Beer
  • Patent number: 6138732
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a carcass of at least one rubberized ply of a radial arrangement, a belt comprised of two or more cross cord layers, a pair of thick reinforcing strip rubbers located at an inner face side of the carcass and a bead filler rubber, in which the reinforcing strip rubber and bead filler rubber have specified JIS hardness and rebound resilience, hardness ratio and maximum gauge ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuomi Kobayashi, Tomohisa Nishikawa, Kenji Matsuo
  • Patent number: 6135184
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a ground contacting tread including a tread strip extending axially between tread edges and sidewalls extending radially inwardly from each tread edge to respective bead regions, the tread being reinforced by at least a first circumferentially extending breaker ply, characterized in that each sidewall is reinforced by a carcass half ply extending from a radially inward first edge in the bead region to a radially outward second edge in the tread axially between the center and adjacent edge of the breaker ply; the carcass half ply including one or more reinforcing elements wound continuously between the radially inner and outer edges of the carcass half ply and around the circumferential periphery of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Eric Thomas Watson Fyfe
  • Patent number: 6109321
    Abstract: A tire having a crown, two sidewalls and two beads, a carcass casing anchd in the two beads and having cords worked back and forth next to each other aligned circumferentially with, in each bead, loops each connecting back and forth cord portions, and in each bead, carcass casing anchoring cords oriented circumferentially and axially bordering the circumferential rows of the back and forth arrangement of carcass casing cords, wherein the carcass casing consists of cords forming two or three circumferential rows separated, at least in the beads and the sidewalls, by a filler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Establissements Michelin-Michelin & Cie
    Inventors: Pedro Costa Pereira, Yves Herbelleau
  • Patent number: 6085817
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a carcass made from at least one cord array comprised of many arch portions of a cord extending between a pair of bead portions in a meridional direction and arranged over a full circumference of the tire at an equal interval P in a circumferential direction of the tire and many circumferential portions of the cord alternately arranged in the bead portions, each connecting ends of adjacent arch portions to each other in the bead portion and extending substantially in the circumferential direction. In this case, the cord array is arranged at n layers (n is an integer of 2 or more) while offsetting these layers by a distance L obtained by dividing the interval P by n in the circumferential direction. Further, the bead wire reinforcing layer is arranged outward from the overlap region of the circumferential portions in the radial direction so as to sandwich the cord array from both sides thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Yuichiro Ogawa
  • Patent number: 6011093
    Abstract: This invention is based upon the unexpected discovery that uintahite can be incorporated into tire component rubber to improve the physical properties thereof. For example, by incorporating uintahite into tire tread rubber compositions, tires with improved tear and puncture resistance can be manufactured. Since uintahite is a relatively low cost material, its incorporation into tires also reduces cost. For instance, uintahite can be incorporated into a wide variety of tire rubber compounds used in the tread (including the base and the cap), sidewall, apex, chafer, bead coat, toeguard, innerliner, ply coat, gum strips, coverstrip, overlay and wedge stocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Neil Arthur Maly, Jay Gordon Bryson
  • Patent number: 5988247
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire, more particularly a run flat tire, comprises at least three radial carcass plies each extending between bead portions through a tread portion and sidewall portions, the tread portion is provided between the radially outermost carcass ply and radially inner next carcass ply with a crown reinforcing rubber layer so that at least two carcass plies are disposed radially inside the crown reinforcing rubber layer, and each of the sidewall portions is provided between the axially innermost carcass ply and axially outer next carcass ply with a side reinforcing rubber layer so that at least two carcass plies are disposed axially outside the side reinforcing rubber layer. The reinforcing rubber layers are preferably made of a low heat generation rubber having a complex elastic modulus of 8 to 15 Mpa, and a loss tangent of 0.03 to 0.08. The complex elastic modulus of the side reinforcing rubber layer is preferably less than that of the crown reinforcing rubber layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masatoshi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 5971047
    Abstract: A tire has a carcass reinforcement (1) which, when viewed in meridian secn, is wound in each bead B about a bead wire (2) coated with a rubber mix, passing from the heel to the toe of the bead B, the upturn (10) being located in a profile (3) of rubber mix in the form of a wedge defined by two sides (31 and 32) coming from an apex A located beneath the section of the coated bead wire (2). Advantageously the upturn (10) surrounds in its entirety the contour of the profile (3), forming either a first radially inner side (32), a lateral side (30), and a final radially outer side (31) or a first radially outer side (31), a lateral side (30), and a final radially inner side (32). The tire may form with different rims J high-performance assemblies in the event of travel at low or zero pressure, permitting simple mounting of the tires and optionally of bearing supports S for the tire tread on the rims J.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin-Michelin & Cie
    Inventors: Jean-Jacques Drieux, Olivier Muhlhoff
  • Patent number: 5971049
    Abstract: A tubeless pneumatic tire is provided including a carcass having a carcass cord web and topping rubber layers covering the opposite sides of the carcass cord web, the carcass extending from a tread portion through a sidewall portion to a bead portion and turned up around a bead core outwardly from the inside of the tire in the axial direction of the tire, wherein only the inner one of the topping rubber layers which faces the inside of the tire is made of a butyl-based rubber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuaki Minami, Kazuya Suzuki, Yukio Endo
  • Patent number: 5968294
    Abstract: The run-flat tire has a tread for contacting a ground surface and a belt package with belt plies interior to the tread for support of the tread. A plurality of radially reinforced carcass layers are positioned interior to the belt plies and include at least one carcass layer that extends between spaced apart annular beads. The tire has a pair of sidewalls each extending radially inward from shoulders at lateral edges of the belt package to the annular beads. The sidewalls have a plurality of sidewall stiffening members to support the tire during a loss of inflation pressure. The carcass layers are disposed with the sidewall stiffening members to help support the run-flat tire with a loss of inflation pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Walter Lee Willard, Jr., James Milo Endicott, Jeffrey Scott Craddock
  • Patent number: 5938870
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire comprises a carcass comprising an outer carcass ply made of cords having a first heat-shrinkage-percentage K1 and an inner carcass ply is made of cords having a second heat-shrinkage-percentage K2 different from the first heat-shrinkage-percentage K1, and the cord tension of the inner carcass ply is smaller than the cord tension of the outer carcass ply. A method of making the tire comprises steps of making the outer carcass ply of cords having a first heat-shrinkage-percentage K1, making the inner carcass ply of cords having a second heat-shrinkage-percentage K2, wherein the first heat-shrinkage-percentage K1 at 150 degrees C. is 120 to 160% of the second heat-shrinkage-percentage K2 at 150 degrees C., and heating and vulcanizing a raw tire to heat-shrink the outer carcass ply cords in a larger degree than the inner carcass ply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Sakamoto, Toshihiko Omokawa, Masahiro Hanya
  • Patent number: 5885387
    Abstract: A a carcass has at least one endless carcass cord ply, which is formed by at least one carcass cord extending zigzag in the tire's circumferential direction while being folded at both outer ends of the endless carcass cord ply alternately to right and left. The bead core has an upper bead core portion which is formed by a bead cord being substantially continuous to the carcass cord and spirally wound on the endless carcass cord ply in one or more stages in the tire's circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, LTD.
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Ueyoko
  • Patent number: 5871600
    Abstract: A runflat radial ply pneumatic tire 10 has a carcass 30 which has a pair of sidewalls 20, each sidewall being reinforced with at least two sidewall fillers or runflat inserts 42, 46 and at least two cord reinforced plies 38, 40 and a bead core 26. The tire has one or more reinforcing belts 36. Each sidewall has at least one ply 38 or 40 reinforced with cords, the cords have a modulus E of X, X being at least 10 GPa. At least one ply has a turnup end 32 wrapped around the bead core 26. A second ply 38 or 40 is reinforced with substantially inextensible cords having a modulus E greater than X of the cords of the other ply. The second ply 38 or 40 is spaced from the first ply 38 or 40 by the second filler or runflat insert in the sidewall 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1999
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Thomas Reed Oare, Amit Prakash, Robert Edward Hall, Gary Edwin Tubb
  • Patent number: 5868190
    Abstract: The run-flat tire has a tread for contacting a ground surface and a belt package with belt plies interior to the tread for support of the tread. A plurality of radially reinforced carcass layers are positioned interior to the belt plies and include at least one carcass layer that extends between spaced apart annular beads. The tire has a pair of sidewalls each extending radially inward from shoulders at lateral edges of the belt package to the annular beads. The sidewalls have a plurality of sidewall stiffening members to support the tire during a loss of inflation pressure. The carcass layers are disposed with the sidewall stiffening members to help support the run-flat tire with a loss of inflation pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique, S.A.
    Inventors: Walter Lee Willard, Jr., James Milo Endicott, Jeffrey Scott Craddock
  • Patent number: 5849117
    Abstract: A tire has a radial carcass reinforcement which is anchored in each bead to a bead ring, going from the outside to the inside, forming a turn-up which is substantially parallel to the generatrix of the rim seat J on which the bead is mounted. Each turn-up is reinforced by at least one additional reinforcing ply of cords oriented at an angle between 0.degree. and 20.degree. with respect to the circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1998
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin-Michelin & Cie
    Inventor: Jean Billieres
  • Patent number: 5820710
    Abstract: A belted tire, especially for motor vehicles, has an inner carcass ply, the end portions of which extend from the inner surface of the tire, about an annular bead core, toward the outer surface of the tire. To form a connection point, the end of the outer section of the carcass ply is placed against the inwardly disposed section. The carcass ply approaches the bead core essentially tangentially, and is disposed thereabout. Between the bead core and the connection point, the two carcass ply sections extend linearly and have essentially the same length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Continental Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Klaus Behnsen, Werner Knauf, Eckhard Kuhlmann
  • Patent number: 5795416
    Abstract: The run-flat tire of this invention includes a pair of bead regions, a crown region with a tread and a tread reinforcing package including a cap ply and self supporting sidewalls between each bead region and the crown region. An innerliner ply maintains air within the inflated tire. The self supporting sidewalls each include a first crescent-shaped reinforcing member, an inner carcass layer, an inner sidewall supporting complex and an outer sidewall and bead protecting complex. The supporting sidewalls effectively have a plurality of crescent-shaped reinforcing members and a plurality of carcass layers. The sidewall supporting complexes are realized by providing first and second partial carcass layers along with a filler rubber portion and a second crescent-shaped reinforcing member, which can be formed by a separate tire building operation. The sidewall protecting complexes can be formed in a similar operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique
    Inventors: Walter Lee Willard, Jr., Virginia White Snipes, Allen Eugene Wilson
  • Patent number: 5795418
    Abstract: A pneumatic motorcycle tire provided with a spiral belt and a pair of axially spaced reinforcing layers radially inside of the belt to improve the cornering stability and straight running stability of a motorcycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigehiko Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5759314
    Abstract: A bias tire includes a reinforcement member disposed between a first carcass and an additional carcass in the crown region of the tire for restricting the circumferential growth of the tire. The reinforcement member includes a plurality of cords oriented at zero degrees. The total circumferential strength of the reinforcement member is about 20 to 250% of the circumferential strength of the carcass plies. The reinforcement member, first carcass, and additional carcass are formed on a tire building drum as a green tire component in a method of making the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Alex Southarewsky
  • Patent number: 5759315
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire comprises a carcass comprising an inner and outer plies, a belt comprising at least one ply of cords laid at an angle of from 0 to 35 degrees with respect to the tire circumferential direction, and a rubber bead apex disposed in each bead portion. The outer carcass ply comprises a main portion extending continuously between the bead portions, and a pair of turnup portions each turned up around a bead core from the axially inside to outside of the tire. The inner carcass ply is disposed inside and adjacent to the main portion and extending at least from the tread portion to the bead portions. The inner carcass ply is not wrapped around the bead core, and the radially inner end thereof is located radially inward of the radial outer end of the bead apex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Suzuki, Nobuaki Minami
  • Patent number: 5702548
    Abstract: The anchoring of the carcass reinforcing elements 1 is assured by circumferential cables 2, with the interposition of a connecting rubber composition 3. The circumferential cable 2 is arranged in several turns forming one or more helices. These circumferential cables have an operational elongation rate A.sub.f =A.sub.e +A.sub.p of more than 4%. This operational elongation rate does not include the specific elongation A.sub.s of the "cable" effect. The maximum stress R.sub.m of the cable 2 is preferably more than 2000 MPa. The cables have undergone a heat treatment which has, in combination, the features of being a recovery annealing treatment and which is carried out directly on cable comprising wires previously separately covered by an adherent coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Sedepro
    Inventors: Jean-Claude Arnaud, Pedro Costa Pereira
  • Patent number: 5688343
    Abstract: A tubeless pneumatic tire is provided including a carcass having a carcass cord web and topping rubber layers covering the opposite sides of the carcass cord web, the carcass extending from a tread portion through a sidewall portion to a bead portion and turned up around a bead core outwardly from the inside of the tire in the axial direction of the tire, wherein only the inner one of the topping rubber layers which faces the inside of the tire is made of a butyl-based rubber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1997
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuaki Minami, Kazuya Suzuki, Yukio Endo
  • Patent number: 5660656
    Abstract: The carcass cords extend into the bead where they are anchored with at least one pile of circumferentially oriented cords by a rubber mix having a Shore A hardness of more than 70 interposed between the carcass cords and the circumferentially oriented cords. The carcass may be formed from a single cord which passes forward and back from one bead to the other or by cut cords. In some embodiments, the carcass cords are divided in the bead into two circumferential alignments spaced axially apart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1997
    Assignee: Sedepro
    Inventors: Yves Herbelleauu, Jean-Jacques Pradelle
  • Patent number: 5656108
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire comprises a carcass comprising an outer carcass ply made of cords having a first heat-shrinkage-percentage K1 and an inner carcass ply is made of cords having a second heat-shrinkage-percentage K2 different from the first heat-shrinkage-percentage K1, and the cord tension of the inner carcass ply is smaller than the cord tension of the outer carcass ply. A method of making the tire comprises steps of making the outer carcass ply of cords having a first heat-shrinkage-percentage K1, making the inner carcass ply of cords having a second heat-shrinkage-percentage K2, wherein the first heat-shrinkage-percentage K1 at 150 degrees C. is 120 to 160% of the second heat-shrinkage-percentage K2 at 150 degrees C., and heating and vulcanizing a raw tire to heat-shrink the outer carcass ply cords in a larger degree than the inner carcass ply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Sakamoto, Toshihiko Omokawa, Masahiro Hanya
  • Patent number: 5639321
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire comprising a tread portion, a pair of sidewall portions, a pair of bead portions each with a bead core therein, a carcass extending between the bead portions, a belt disposed radially outside the carcass and having a pair of edges, a rubber bead apex disposed in each bead portion and extending radially outwardly from the bead core, portions of the carcass one between each edge of the belt and the maximum tire width position are each provided therein with a rubber spacer disposed between axially adjacent carcass cords so that the cord spacing between the axially adjacent cords is in the range of from 0.55 to 5.5 times the diameter of the cords, whereby steering performance is improved without increasing the tire weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Sakamoto, Yutaka Kuroda, Katsuhito Miura
  • Patent number: 5526863
    Abstract: The radial pneumatic tire of this invention has a reduced bead mass and improved rolling resistance. This is accomplished with less than a 5 percent reduction in the ability of the tire to sustain nominal loads and maintain tire endurance. The bead area has a profiled single bead filler that extends radially outward from the apex portion with an essentially constant thickness portion and a tapered portion. An outer filler strip extends from a point radially inward of the design rim flange near the bead core radially outward to a position near the mid height of the tire when the tire is mounted on the rim. The end result is a tire with smaller standard architectural components but very efficient load supporting and endurance capabilities. In one embodiment the outer filler strip extends radially outward beyond the radial extent of the single bead filler. In an equally effective embodiment the single bead filler extends radially outward beyond the radial extent of the outer filler strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1996
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Emory E. Hodges
  • Patent number: 5511599
    Abstract: The run-flat tire includes thickened load bearing sidewall portions, a belt package plus a cap ply, three pairs of sidewall rubber crescent-shaped reinforcing members, a specially designed bead seat area with a rim seat ply and three carcass layers. The three carcass layers are positioned between the crescent-shaped members in each load bearing sidewall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1996
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Walter L. Willard, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5509455
    Abstract: An aircraft tire 10 has at least two circumferentially extending reinforcement inserts. At least one pair of reinforcement inserts 90 is located on each side of the tire. Each insert 90 preferably has two cord reinforced members 91, 92 having bias angled cords. The cords are equal but opposite in orientation relative to the cords of the adjacent member. The pairs of reinforced members 91, 92 extend from the bead portions 18, 20 and terminate in a radially upper portion of the sidewalls 14A, 16A. In the preferred embodiment, each bead portion 18, 20 includes three substantially inextensible bead cores 50, 52 and 54. Each pair of members 91, 92 is interposed between a pair of carcass plies 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 on the ply side of the tire 10. This structure can increase tire durability while at the same time achieve a significant weight reduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1996
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: John T. Warchol, Raymond W. Millmier, Gordon B. Bryant
  • Patent number: 5482102
    Abstract: A pneumatic motorcycle tire provided with a spiral belt and a pair of axially spaced reinforcing layers radially inside of the belt to improve the cornering stability and straight running stability of a motorcycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1996
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigehiko Suzuki