Tires

• US 20010042580A1
• Filed: 05/14/2001
• Published: 11/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Inventors: Teratani, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,736,176 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 152/450
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 1/00 Tyres characterised by the chemical composition or the physical arrangement or mixture of the composition
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 17/0009 comprising sidewall rubber inserts, e.g. crescent shaped inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 17/01 utilising additional inflatable supports which become load-supporting in emergency
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 17/02 inflated or expanded in emergency only
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 17/065 made-up of foam inserts tyres filled with foam B60C5/002
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 5/002 filled at least partially with foam material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/86 Optimisation of rolling resistance, e.g. weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10054 Enclosed cushion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10378 Casing enclosed core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10495 Pneumatic tire or inner tube

Abstract

There is a tire capable of stably running even if the tire is subjected to external injury without sacrificing rolling resistance and ride comfort in the usual running before being subjected to external injury, wherein a composite body consisting of a continuous phase of a resin and closed cells is arranged in an inside of a hollow doughnut-shaped tire and the composite body has a cell content of 80.00 vol % to 98.75 vol % and an internal pressure at 25° C. in the closed cell included therein is not less than 150 kPa as an absolute pressure.

Claims

1. In a tire arranging a composite body consisting of a continuous phase made of a resin and many closed cells in an inside of a hollow doughnut-shaped tire, an improvement wherein the composite body has a cell content of 80.00 vol % to 98.75 vol % and an internal pressure at 25°

C. in the closed cell included therein is not less than 150 kPa as an absolute pressure.

2. A tire according to

claim 1

, wherein the internal pressure at 25°

C. in the closed cell included therein is not less than 200 kPa as an absolute pressure.

3. A tire according to

claim 1

, wherein the continuous phase of the composite body is made of at least one of resins having a polar functional group in their molecule and polyolefin resins.

4. A tire according to

claim 3

, wherein the resin having a polar functional group in molecule is at least one of a polyvinyl alcohol resin, an acrylonitrile copolymer, an acrylic copolymer, a vinylidene chloride copolymer, an acrylonitrile/styrene resin, a polyester resin and a nylon resin.

5. A tire according to

claim 3

, wherein the polyolefin resin is at least one of a polyethylene resin, a polypropylene resin and a polystyrene/polyethylene copolymer.

6. A tire according to

claim 1

, wherein the continuous phase of the composite body is made of a polyvinyl alcohol resin.

7. A tire according to

claim 1

, wherein the continuous phase of the composite body is made of an acrylonitrile polymer, and the acrylonitrile polymer is at least one selected from acrylonitrile polymer, acrylonitrile/methacrylonitrile copolymer, acrylonitrile/methyl methacrylate copolymer and acrylonitrile/methacrylonitrile/methyl methacrylate terpolymer and has a glass transition point of not lower than 80°

C.

8. A tire according to

claim 1

, wherein the continuous phase of the composite body is made of an acrylic polymer, and the acrylic polymer is at least one selected from methyl methacrylate resin, methyl methacrylate/acrylonitrile copolymer, methyl methacrylate/methacrylonitrile copolymer and methyl methacrylate/acrylonitrile/methacrylonitrile terpolymer.

9. A tire according to

claim 1

, wherein the continuous phase of the composite body is made of a vinylidene chloride polymer, and the vinylidene chloride polymer is at least one selected from vinylidene chloride/acrylonitrile copolymer, vinylidene chloride/methyl methacrylate copolymer, vinylidene chloride/methacrylonitrile copolymer, vinylidene chloride/acrylonitrile/methacrylonitrile copolymer, vinylidene chloride/acrylonitrile/methyl methacrylate copolymer, vinylidene chloride/methacrylonitrile/methyl methacrylate copolymer, vinylidene chloride/acrylonitrile/methacrylonitrile/methyl methacrylate copolymer and has a glass transition point of not lower than 80°

C.

10. A tire according to

claim 1

, wherein the continuous phase of the composite body is made of a nylon resin, and the nylon resin is at least one selected from nylon-6, nylon-11, nylon-12, nylon-6/66 copolymer and nylon-6/12 copolymer.

11. A tire according to

claim 1

, wherein the continuous phase of the composite body is made of at least one of a nylon resin, butyl rubber and a diene rubber.

12. A tire according to

claim 1

, wherein at least one gas selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, air, carbon dioxide, a linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon having a carbon number of 3 to 6, an alicyclic hydrocarbon having a carbon number of 3 to 6, and an aliphatic fluorocarbon or fluorohydrocarbon having a carbon number of 2 to 6 and containing no chlorine is included in the closed cells of the composite body.

13. A tire according to

claim 12

, wherein a gas containing not more than 50% by weight of at least one selected from propane, normal butane, isobutane, pentane, isopentane and neopentane included in the aliphatic fluorocarbon or fluorohydrocarbon having a carbon number of 2 to 6 and containing no chlorine is included in the closed cells of the composite body.

14. A tire according to

claim 1

, wherein the continuous phase of the composite body has a gas permeability constant at 30°

C. of not more than 300×

10<sup>−

12</sup> (cc·

cm/cm²·

s·

cmHg).

15. A tire according to

claim 1

, wherein the continuous phase of the composite body has a gas permeability constant at 30°

C. of not more than 20×

10<sup>−

12</sup> (cc·

cm/cm²·

s·

cmHg).

16. A tire according to

claim 1

, wherein the continuous phase of the composite body has a gas permeability constant at 30°

C. of not more than 2×

10<sup>−

12</sup> (cc·

cm/cm²·

s·

cmHg).

17. A tire according to

claim 1

, wherein an innerliner layer is provided on an inner peripheral face of the tire and made of a thermoplastic elastomer composition containing nylon resin having a melting point of 170-230°

C. and a halide of isobutylene-paramethylstyrene copolymer in which an elastomer ingredient is dynamically cured to a gelation ratio of 50-95%.

18. A tire according to

claim 17

, wherein the innerliner layer has a gas permeability constant at 30°

C. of not more than 20×

10<sup>−

12</sup> (cc·

cm/cm²·

s·

cmHg).

19. A composite body comprising a continuous phase and many closed cells, in which the continuous phase is made of at least one of a polyvinyl alcohol resin, an acrylonitrile resin, an acrylic copolymer, a vinylidene chloride copolymer, an acrylonitrile/styrene resin, a polyethylene resin, a polypropylene resin, a polyester resin, a polystyrene/polyethylene copolymer and a nylon resin, and an internal pressure at 25°

C. in the closed cell is not less than 150 kPa as an absolute pressure.

20. A composite body according to

claim 19

, wherein the internal pressure at 25°

C. in the closed cell is not less than 200 kPa as an absolute pressure.

21. A composite body according to

claim 19

or

20

, wherein at least one gas selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, air, carbon dioxide, a linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon having a carbon number of 3 to 6, an alicyclic hydrocarbon having a carbon number of 3 to 6, and an aliphatic fluorocarbon or fluorohydrocarbon having a carbon number of 2 to 6 and containing no chlorine is included in the closed cell.

22. A tire arranging a composite body consisting of a continuous phase made of a resin and many closed cells in an inside of a hollow doughnut-shaped tire, wherein the composite body is formed by expanding a foaming composition containing 1-50% by weight of a foaming agent as an average content.

23. A tire according to

claim 22

, wherein the foaming composition is resin particles sealing the foaming agent therein.

24. A tire according to

claim 22

, wherein the foaming agent sealed in the foaming composition is at least one of a thermal-decomposable foaming agent, a liquefied fluoride of ethane, a liquefied linear aliphatic hydrocarbon having a carbon number of 3 to 6 and a fluoride thereof, a liquefied branched aliphatic hydrocarbon having a carbon number of 3 to 6 and a fluoride thereof and a liquefied alicyclic hydrocarbon having a carbon number of 3 to 6 and a fluoride thereof.

25. A tire according to

claim 24

, wherein the thermal-decomposable foaming agent is at least one selected from dinitrosopentamethylene tetramine, azodicarbon amide, paratoluene sulfonyl hydrazine and a derivative thereof and oxybisbenzenesulfonyl hydrazine.

26. A tire according to

claim 22

, wherein the composite body consists of a resin matrix and many closed cells.

27. A tire according to

claim 22

, wherein at least one gas selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, air, carbon dioxide, fluorocarbon of ethane, a linear aliphatic hydrocarbon having a carbon number of 3 to 6 or its fluorocarbon, a branched hydrocarbon having a carbon number of 3 to 6 or its fluorocarbon and an alicyclic hydrocarbon having a carbon number of 3 to 6 or its fluorocarbon is included in the closed cells of the composite body.

28. A tire according to

claim 22

, wherein at least one gas selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, air, carbon dioxide and an organic gas having a carbon number of 3.