Cured applique or label with protective film on arcuate sidewall or tread of pneumatic tire
First Claim
1. A green pneumatic rubber tire comprising a generally toroidal shaped carcass with a circumferential tread overlying plural belts, spaced-apart beads and connecting sidewall portions extending between the tread and beads which together provide the carcass with an interior surface, the improvement comprising, a pale essentially fully cured laminar rubber applique less than 1 mm thick, having a virgin upper surface vertically spaced apart from that of contiguous rubber of the tire, adhesively secured with a vulcanizable adhesive on the tire'"'"'s exterior surface at a location radially spaced-apart from the tire'"'"'s bead, the adhesive being essentially free of an antiozonant and an aromatic oil, and the location being chosen from “
- in the sidewall” and
from “
in the tread'"'"'s footprint”
;
a flexible protective film secured to the exterior surface of the applique, the protective film requiring a force of at least 10 Newtons to remove it from the label, but less force than will tear the film;
the protective film being chosen from a non-self-supporting polyurethane film less than 0.0254 mm (0.001″
or 1 mil) thick, and a self-supporting polyamide film less than 50 μ
m (2 mils, 0.002″
) thick dimensionally and thermally stable at a temperature in the range from about 121°
C. (250°
F.) to 200°
C. (392°
F.).
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Accused Products
Abstract
An applique having a vulcanizable adhesive layer is co-cured on a rubber article by precuring the applique of predominantly pale natural rubber optionally imprinted with a bar code; coating the upper surface of the applique with a protective self-supporting film of polyamide less than 0.050 mm (2 mils) thick, or a non-self-supporting film of polyurethane less than 25.4 μm, 0.0254 mm (1 mil) thick; adhering the applique to the article at a chosen location; curing the article in a curing mold; and, removing a cured article from the mold with the protective film adhering to the surface of the applique, the surface of which is essentially free from visually observable cracks. The hot flow of rubber in the curing mold does not substantially change the location of the applique which is embedded in the article. If the film does not remain adhered to a cured tire and drops into the mold, it is difficult to retrieve and, when a subsequent article is cured in the same mold, results in a scrap tire.
44 Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A green pneumatic rubber tire comprising a generally toroidal shaped carcass with a circumferential tread overlying plural belts, spaced-apart beads and connecting sidewall portions extending between the tread and beads which together provide the carcass with an interior surface, the improvement comprising,
a pale essentially fully cured laminar rubber applique less than 1 mm thick, having a virgin upper surface vertically spaced apart from that of contiguous rubber of the tire, adhesively secured with a vulcanizable adhesive on the tire'"'"'s exterior surface at a location radially spaced-apart from the tire'"'"'s bead, the adhesive being essentially free of an antiozonant and an aromatic oil, and the location being chosen from “ - in the sidewall” and
from “
in the tread'"'"'s footprint”
;
a flexible protective film secured to the exterior surface of the applique, the protective film requiring a force of at least 10 Newtons to remove it from the label, but less force than will tear the film;
the protective film being chosen from a non-self-supporting polyurethane film less than 0.0254 mm (0.001″
or 1 mil) thick, and a self-supporting polyamide film less than 50 μ
m (2 mils, 0.002″
) thick dimensionally and thermally stable at a temperature in the range from about 121°
C. (250°
F.) to 200°
C. (392°
F.). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- in the sidewall” and
-
9. A method of locating a substantially laminar applique having upper and lower surfaces in a chosen location on a tread to be formed in a green tire, the method comprising,
back-locating a circumferential centerline of a groove between lugs to be formed in a substantially laminar strip of green tread stock opposed ends of which strip are smoothly spliced together on a tire-building drum, marking the centerline with a light beam, coating the lower surface of the applique with a vulcanizable adhesive, adhesively securing the applique substantially symmetrically about the centerline, and, removing the green tire after its construction is completed.
-
13. In a vulcanized pneumatic rubber tire comprising a generally toroidal shaped carcass with a circumferential tread overlying plural belts, spaced-apart beads and connecting sidewall portions extending between the tread and beads which together provide the carcass with an interior surface, the improvement comprising,
a pale essentially fully cured laminar rubber applique having a virgin surface non-removably co-cured and embedded into the surface of the tire at a location radially spaced-apart from the tire bead, said location chosen from “ - in the sidewall” and
from “
in the tread'"'"'s footprint”
, the applique having an exterior visible surface and an interior surface in adhesively co-cured contact with black rubber of the tire;
a flexible protective film remaining self-adhesively secured to the exterior surface of the applique, both prior to the tire being cured and after the tire is removed from a mold in which the tire is cured, the protective film requiring a force of at least 10 Newtons to remove it from the label;
the protective film being chosen from a non-self-supporting polyurethane film less than 0.0254 mm (0.001″
or 1 mil) thick, and a self-supporting polyamide film less than 50 μ
m (2 mils, 0.002″
) thick which is thermally and dynamically stable at a temperature in the range from about 121°
C. (250°
F.) to 200°
C. (392°
F.) in a curing mold without being torn so as to maintain the virgin surface. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
- in the sidewall” and
-
19. A method for co-curing an applique in a chosen location on a green rubber tire'"'"'s exterior surface, comprising,
applying a vulcanizable adhesive to the lower surface of a cured laminar applique of predominantly natural rubber, less than 20 mils thick, containing from 15% to 50% of titanium dioxide pigment, and crosslinked to a level of at least 80% as determined by a Mooney cure meter, coating the upper surface of the applique with a protective film selected from a self-supporting polyamide film less than 50 μ - m (2 mils) thick, and a non-self-supporting film of polyurethane less than 25.4 μ
m, 0.0254 mm (1 mil) thick;
adhesively securing the cured applique in the chosen location of the exterior surface;
expanding the tire at least 5% and curing it in a curing mold; and
,removing a cured tire from the mold with the protective film adhering to the surface of the applique which is embedded therein, essentially free from distortion and surface cracks, embedded without substantially changing its location. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
- m (2 mils) thick, and a non-self-supporting film of polyurethane less than 25.4 μ
Specification
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- Resources
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Current AssigneeLewis Timothy Lukich, Marvin Wayne Tipton, Ramendra Nath Majumdar
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Original AssigneeGoodyear Tire & Rubber Company
-
InventorsMajumdar, Ramendra Nath, Lukich, Lewis Timothy, Tipton, Marvin Wayne
-
Granted Patent
-
Time in Patent OfficeDays
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Field of Search
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US Class Current156/110.1
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CPC Class CodesB29C 2037/80 Identifying, e.g. coding, d...B29D 2030/726 Decorating or marking the s...B29L 2031/744 Labels, badges, e.g. marker...B60C 13/001 Decorating, marking or the ...G09F 3/0297 including a machine-readabl...G09F 3/04 to be fastened or secured b...
