TIRE INCLUDING A CONTINUOUS PRESSURE MEMBRANE

• US 20120111470A1
• Filed: 11/08/2010
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Original Assignee: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Inventors: Scarpitti, Anthony John, Burg, Gary Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,004,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 152/548
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/722 Reinforcing the sidewalls, e.g. by using filaments, fibers or additional reinforcing layers
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/72 Side-walls
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 1/0041 Compositions of the carcass layers
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 15/0018 not folded around the bead core, e.g. floating or down ply
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 15/06 Flipper strips, fillers, or chafing strips and reinforcing layers for the construction of the bead
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 15/0603 characterised by features of the bead filler or apex
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2005/145 made of laminated layers
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2009/145 at the inner side of the carcass structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2009/1828 characterised by special physical properties of the belt ply
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2015/0614 characterised by features of the chafer or clinch portion, i.e. the part of the bead contacting the rim
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 5/007 made from other material than rubber
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 5/01 without substantial cord reinforcement, e.g. cordless tyres, cast tyres
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 9/02 Carcasses
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 9/14 built-up with sheets, webs, or films of homogeneous material, e.g. synthetics, sheet metal, rubber
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 9/18 Structure or arrangement of belts or breakers, crown-reinforcing or cushioning layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/1018 Embedded
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10765 Characterized by belt or breaker structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/1081 Breaker or belt characterized by the chemical composition or physical properties of elastomer or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10828 Chafer or sealing strips
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10837 Bead characterized by the radial extent of apex, flipper or chafer into tire sidewall
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10846 : Bead characterized by the chemical composition and or physical properties of elastomers or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10855 : Characterized by the carcass, carcass material, or physical arrangement of the carcass materials

Abstract

Tire including a continuous pressure membrane. The tire includes a carcass, a rubber layer surrounding the carcass, and a belt. The carcass includes at least one continuous pressure membrane defining a generally U-shaped cross section. The pressure membrane includes a crown portion, a first sidewall portion, and a second sidewall portion connected with the first sidewall portion by the crown portion. The belt may be composed of at least one additional continuous pressure membrane adjacent the crown portion.

Claims

1. A pneumatic tire having an axis of rotation, the pneumatic tire comprising:

a carcass including at least one continuous pressure membrane with a generally U-shaped cross section when viewed in a circumferential perspective relative to the axis of rotation of the pneumatic tire, the pressure membrane including a crown portion, a first sidewall portion, and a second sidewall portion connected with the first sidewall portion by the crown portion;

a rubber layer surrounding the carcass, the rubber layer including a tire crown with a tread; and

a belt disposed between the crown portion of the pressure membrane and the tread of the tire crown.

2. The pneumatic tire of claim 1, wherein the at least one continuous pressure membrane is composed of a polyester material.

3. The pneumatic tire of claim 2, wherein the at least one continuous pressure membrane includes a high-modulus plasticized-type thin film polyester.

4. The pneumatic tire of claim 1, wherein the at least one continuous pressure membrane defines a generally planar layer bent into the generally U-shaped cross section, the generally planar layer having a first predetermined puncture resistance.

5. The pneumatic tire of claim 1, wherein the first sidewall portion of the pressure membrane defines a first membrane end, the second sidewall portion of the pressure membrane defines a second membrane end, and the carcass further comprises:

a first pair of bead members disposed about the first membrane end; and

a second pair of bead members disposed about the second membrane end.

6. The pneumatic tire of claim 5, wherein the rubber layer further includes a first tire sidewall encasing the first sidewall portion of the pressure membrane and the first pair of bead members, and a second tire sidewall encasing the second sidewall portion of the pressure membrane and the second pair of bead members.

7. The pneumatic tire of claim 1, wherein the carcass does not include any plies.

8. The pneumatic tire of claim 1, wherein the belt is composed of at least one additional continuous pressure membrane between the crown portion of the pressure membrane and the tread of the tire crown.

9. The pneumatic tire of claim 1, wherein the belt and the crown portion of the pressure membrane collectively define a second predetermined puncture resistance along the tire crown.

10. A pneumatic tire having an axis of rotation, the pneumatic tire comprising:

a carcass and belt assembly including at least two continuous pressure membranes with a generally U-shaped cross section when viewed in a circumferential perspective relative to the axis of rotation of the pneumatic tire, each of the pressure membranes including a crown portion, a first sidewall portion, and a second sidewall portion connected with the first sidewall portion by the crown portion; and

a rubber layer surrounding the carcass and belt assembly, the rubber layer including a tire crown with a tread.

11. The pneumatic tire of claim 10, wherein the at least two continuous pressure membranes are composed of a polyester material.

12. The pneumatic tire of claim 11, wherein the at least two continuous pressure membranes include a high-modulus plasticized-type thin film polyester.

13. The pneumatic tire of claim 10, wherein each of the at least two continuous pressure membranes defines a generally planar layer bent into the generally U-shaped cross section, the generally planar layer having a first predetermined puncture resistance.

14. The pneumatic tire of claim 10, wherein the first sidewall portions of the pressure membranes define a first membrane end, the second sidewall portions of the pressure membranes define a second membrane end, and the carcass and belt assembly further comprises:

a first pair of bead members coupled to the first membrane end; and

a second pair of bead members coupled to the second membrane end.

15. The pneumatic tire of claim 14, wherein the rubber layer further includes a first tire sidewall encasing the first sidewall portion of the pressure membrane and the first pair of bead members, and a second tire sidewall encasing the second sidewall portion of the pressure membrane and the second pair of bead members.

16. The pneumatic tire of claim 10, wherein the carcass and belt assembly does not include any plies.

17. A method of manufacturing a pneumatic tire having an axis of rotation, the method comprising:

extruding a thin film of polyester material to form a continuous pressure membrane;

bending the continuous pressure membrane into a generally U-shaped cross section when viewed in a circumferential perspective relative to the axis of rotation of the pneumatic tire, the continuous pressure membrane including a crown portion, a first sidewall portion, and a second sidewall portion coupled to the first sidewall portion by the crown portion;

wrapping the pressure membrane around the axis of rotation; and

encasing the pressure membrane with a rubber layer including a tire crown with a tread.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

positioning a belt between the crown portion of the pressure membrane and the tire crown.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein positioning the belt further comprises:

extruding a thin film of polyester material to form an additional continuous pressure membrane defining the belt; and

laying the additional pressure membrane over at least the crown portion of the pressure membrane.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the first sidewall portion of the pressure membrane defines a first membrane end, the second sidewall portion of the pressure membrane defines a second membrane end, and the method further comprises coupling pairs of bead members to each of the first membrane end and the second membrane end.