PNEUMATIC TIRE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20120291933A1
• Filed: 03/19/2012
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Tanno, Atsushi, Jyouza, Ayako
• Granted Patent: US 9,108,373 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 152/209.18
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/0072 Attaching fasteners to tyres, e.g. patches, in order to connect devices to tyres
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/0061 Accessories, details or auxiliary operations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 19/001 Tyres requiring an asymmetric or a special mounting
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 19/002 Noise damping elements provided in the tyre structure or attached thereto, e.g. in the tyre interior
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 19/003 Balancing means attached to the tyre
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 19/122 disposed inside of the inner liner
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2019/004 Tyre sensors other than for detecting tyre pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2019/006 Warning devices, e.g. devices generating noise due to flat or worn tyres
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2019/007 triggered by sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0493 for attachment on the tyre
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 5/14 with impervious liner or coating on the inner wall of the tyre
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10495 Pneumatic tire or inner tube

Abstract

A pneumatic tire including a resin layer on at least a portion of the tire inside surface, the resin layer being formed from a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer composition in which an elastomer is dispersed in a thermoplastic resin. The pneumatic tire is provided with a fastener including a base material formed from a thermoplastic resin and engaging elements formed on the base material. Additionally, the base material of the fastener is fixed to the resin layer via fusion bonding.

Claims

1. A pneumatic tire having a resin layer on at least a portion of a tire inside surface, the resin layer being formed from a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer composition comprising an elastomer dispersed in a thermoplastic resin, comprising:

a fastener including a base material formed from a thermoplastic resin and an engaging element formed on the base material, wherein

the base material of the fastener is fixed to the resin layer via fusion bonding.

2. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a difference between a melting point of the base material of the fastener and a melting point of the resin layer is not greater than 40°

C.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a constituent material of the base material of the fastener is the same type of thermoplastic resin as the resin included in the resin layer.

4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the resin layer where the fastener is fixed is not less than 15% thicker than other portions.

5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a fusion bonding support film formed from the same type of thermoplastic resin as the resin included in the resin layer is laminated in at least a region where the fusion bonding is performed, on a back side of the base material of the fastener.

6. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the fastener is disposed in a region of the tire inside surface corresponding to a tread portion.

7. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the pneumatic tire comprises main grooves extending straight in a tire circumferential direction in a tread portion, and a plurality of rows of land portions partitioned by the main grooves;

wherein

the fastener is disposed in a region of the tire inside surface corresponding to the tread portion, and

the fusion bonding of the base material of the fastener is performed continuously or intermittently along the tire circumferential direction at positions in the tire width direction corresponding to the land portions.

8. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein an affixture comprising a second fastener that pairs with the fastener is attached to the tire inside surface by this pair of fasteners being mutually engaged.

9. The pneumatic tire according to claim 8, wherein the affixture is a noise absorbing member.

10. A method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire comprising:

vulcanizing a pneumatic tire having a resin layer on at least a portion of a tire inside surface, the resin layer being formed from a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer composition comprising an elastomer dispersed in a thermoplastic resin;

thereafter,

disposing a fastener including a base material formed from a thermoplastic resin and an engaging element formed on the base material along the resin layer; and

fixing the base material of the fastener to the resin layer by fusion bonding.

11. The method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire according to claim 10, wherein the base material of the fastener is fixed to the resin layer via ultrasonic fusion bonding.

12. The method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire according to claim 10, wherein a difference between a melting point of the base material of the fastener and a melting point of the resin layer is not greater than 40°

C.

13. The method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire according to claim 10, wherein a constituent material of the base material of the fastener is the same type of thermoplastic resin as the resin included in the resin layer.

14. The method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire according to claim 10, wherein a portion of the resin layer where the fastener is fixed is not less than 15% thicker than other portions.

15. The method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire according to claim 10, wherein a fusion bonding support film formed from the same type of thermoplastic resin as the resin included in the resin layer is laminated in at least a region where the fusion bonding is performed, on a back side of the base material of the fastener.

16. The method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire according to claim 10, wherein the fastener is disposed in a region of the tire inside surface corresponding to a tread portion.

17. The method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire according to claim 10, wherein the pneumatic tire comprises main grooves extending straight in a tire circumferential direction in a tread portion, and a plurality of rows of land portions partitioned by the main grooves;

the method comprising;

disposing the fastener in a region of the tire inside surface corresponding to the tread portion, and performing the fusion bonding of the base material of the fastener continuously or intermittently along the tire circumferential direction at positions in the tire width direction corresponding to the land portions.

18. The method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire according to claim 10, comprising attaching an affixture comprising a second fastener that pairs with the fastener to the tire inside surface by mutually engaging this pair of fasteners.

19. The method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire according to claim 18, wherein the affixture is a noise absorbing member.

20. The method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire according to claim 10, wherein:

the fixing the base material of the fastener to the resin layer by fusion bonding comprises fixing the base material by intermittent fusion bonding along the tire circumferential direction such that spacing between fusion bonded portions adjacent in the tire circumferential direction is not greater than 30 mm;

a difference between a melting point of the base material of the fastener and a melting point of the resin layer is not greater than 30°

C.; and

the thermoplastic resin comprises a Young'"'"'s modulus of from 500 to 3,000 MPa, and a compounded amount thereof is from 20 to 85 wt. %, of a total weight of a polymer component including the elastomer and the resin.