AIRLESS TIRE

• US 20160257170A1
• Filed: 03/07/2016
• Published: 09/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: SUGIYA, Makoto, Iwamura, Wako
• Granted Patent: US 10,226,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 1/0016 Compositions of the tread
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/0008 characterised by the tread rubber
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/0041 comprising different tread rubber layers
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2001/0066 Compositions of the belt layers
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2001/0075 Compositions of belt cushioning layers
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2009/1871 with flat cushions or shear layers between belt layers
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/0025 Modulus or tan delta
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/0033 Thickness of the tread
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 7/101 Tyre casings enclosing a distinct core, e.g. foam enclosed chambers defined by a distinct core B60C7/121
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 7/102 Tyres built-up with separate rubber parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 7/14 using springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 7/146 extending substantially radially, e.g. like spokes
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 9/2009 comprising plies of different materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/0025 Crosslinking or vulcanising agents; including accelerators
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/09 Carboxylic acids; Metal salts thereof; Anhydrides thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/14 Peroxides
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 7/00 Compositions of natural rubber
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 9/00 Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of conjugated diene hydrocarbons

Abstract

An airless tire includes a tread ring having a cylindrical form and a ground contact surface, a hub positioned on radial direction inner side of the tread ring and formed to be fixed to an axle, and a spoke structure connecting the tread ring and hub. The tread ring includes a tread rubber layer forming the ground contact surface, and a reinforcing rubber layer formed on tire radial direction inner side of the tread layer, and the reinforcing layer is formed of a rubber material obtained by co-crosslinking a rubber composition including a rubber component, an α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid metal salt and a peroxide such that the metal salt has amount in range of 10 to 80 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by mass of the rubber component and the rubber component has content rate of butadiene rubber in range of 10 to 100% by mass.

Claims

1. An airless tire, comprising:

a tread ring having a cylindrical form and a ground contact surface;

a hub positioned on a radial direction inner side of the tread ring and configured to be fixed to an axle; and

a spoke structure formed such that the spoke structure is connecting the tread ring and the hub,

wherein the tread ring comprises a tread rubber layer forming the ground contact surface, and a reinforcing rubber layer formed on a tire radial direction inner side of the tread rubber layer, and the reinforcing rubber layer is formed of a rubber material obtained by co-crosslinking a rubber composition comprising a rubber component, an α

, β

-unsaturated carboxylic acid metal salt and a peroxide such that the α

, β

-unsaturated carboxylic acid metal salt has an amount in a range of 10 parts by weight to 80 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by mass of the rubber component and that the rubber component has a content rate of butadiene rubber in a range of 10% by mass to 100% by mass.

2. The airless tire according to claim 1, wherein the tread ring comprises an outer side reinforcing cord layer formed closest to the tread rubber layer, and an inner side reinforcing cord layer formed on a tire radial direction inner side of the outer side reinforcing cord layer such that the reinforcing rubber layer is positioned between the outer side reinforcing cord layer and the inner side reinforcing cord layer.

3. The airless tire according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing rubber layer has a ratio E*₃₀/tan δ

₃₀ of 700 or greater, where E*₃₀ is a complex elastic modulus, and tan δ

₃₀ is a loss tangent at 30°

C.

4. The airless tire according to claim 1, wherein the outer side reinforcing cord layer comprises a first cord ply comprising a plurality of first reinforcing cords and a second cord ply comprising a plurality of second reinforcing cords such that the first reinforcing cords are arrayed inclined at an angle with respect to a tire circumferential direction, that the second cord ply is formed on a tire radial direction outer side of the first cord ply and that the second reinforcing cords are arrayed inclined at an angle same as the angle of the first reinforcing cords with respect to the tire circumferential direction in an orientation opposite to an orientation of the first reinforcing cords, and the inner side reinforcing cord layer comprises a third cord ply comprising a plurality of third reinforcing cords arrayed parallel to the tire circumferential direction.

5. The airless tire according to claim 1, wherein the outer side reinforcing cord layer comprises a first cord ply comprising a plurality of first reinforcing cords and a second cord ply comprising a plurality of second reinforcing cords such that the first reinforcing cords are arrayed inclined at an angle with respect to a tire circumferential direction, that the second cord ply is formed on a tire radial direction outer side of the first cord ply and that the second reinforcing cords are arrayed inclined at an angle same as the angle of the first reinforcing cords with respect to the tire circumferential direction in an orientation opposite to an orientation of the first reinforcing cords, and the inner side reinforcing cord layer comprises a third cord ply comprising a plurality of third reinforcing cords arrayed parallel to a tire axial direction.

6. The airless tire according to claim 2, wherein the reinforcing rubber layer has a ratio E*₃₀/tan δ

₃₀ of 700 or greater, where E*₃₀ is a complex elastic modulus, and tan δ

₃₀ is a loss tangent at 30°

C.

7. The airless tire according to claim 2, wherein the outer side reinforcing cord layer comprises a first cord ply comprising a plurality of first reinforcing cords and a second cord ply comprising a plurality of second reinforcing cords such that the first reinforcing cords are arrayed inclined at an angle with respect to a tire circumferential direction, that the second cord ply is formed on a tire radial direction outer side of the first cord ply and that the second reinforcing cords are arrayed inclined at an angle same as the angle of the first reinforcing cords with respect to the tire circumferential direction in an orientation opposite to an orientation of the first reinforcing cords, and the inner side reinforcing cord layer comprises a third cord ply comprising a plurality of third reinforcing cords arrayed parallel to the tire circumferential direction.

8. The airless tire according to claim 2, wherein the outer side reinforcing cord layer comprises a first cord ply comprising a plurality of first reinforcing cords and a second cord ply comprising a plurality of second reinforcing cords such that the first reinforcing cords are arrayed inclined at an angle with respect to a tire circumferential direction, that the second cord ply is formed on a tire radial direction outer side of the first cord ply and that the second reinforcing cords are arrayed inclined at an angle same as the angle of the first reinforcing cords with respect to the tire circumferential direction in an orientation opposite to an orientation of the first reinforcing cords, and the inner side reinforcing cord layer comprises a third cord ply comprising a plurality of third reinforcing cords arrayed parallel to a tire axial direction.

9. The airless tire according to claim 1, wherein the peroxide comprises dicumyl peroxide, and the α

, β

-unsaturated carboxylic acid metal salt comprises zinc methacrylate.

10. The airless tire according to claim 1, wherein the rubber component comprises natural rubber and the butadiene rubber, the peroxide comprises dicumyl peroxide, and the α

, β

-unsaturated carboxylic acid metal salt comprises zinc methacrylate.

11. The airless tire according to claim 1, wherein the peroxide has a content in a range of 0.1 parts by weight to 6.0 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the rubber component.

12. The airless tire according to claim 1, wherein the rubber composition of the rubber material does not contain a vulcanizing agent.

13. The airless tire according to claim 3, wherein the complex elastic modulus E*₃₀ of the reinforcing rubber layer is 75 MPa or greater.

14. The airless tire, according to claim 1, wherein the tread ring comprises an adjacent rubber layer formed adjacent to the reinforcing rubber layer, and an interface layer formed in an interface between the reinforcing rubber layer and the adjacent rubber layer and having elasticity which is reducing from the reinforcing rubber layer toward the adjacent rubber layer such that the interface rubber layer buffers an elasticity difference between the reinforcing rubber layer and the adjacent rubber.

15. The airless tire according to claim 14, wherein the tread ring comprises an outer side reinforcing cord layer formed closest to the tread rubber layer, and an inner side reinforcing cord layer formed on a tire radial direction inner side of the outer side reinforcing cord layer such that the reinforcing rubber layer is positioned between the outer side reinforcing cord layer and the inner side reinforcing cord layer, the outer side reinforcing cord layer comprises a topping rubber layer forming an adjacent rubber layer formed adjacent to the reinforcing rubber layer, the inner side reinforcing cord layer comprises a topping rubber layer forming an adjacent rubber layer formed adjacent to the reinforcing rubber layer, and the tread ring comprises a plurality of interface layers formed in interfaces between the reinforcing rubber layer and the adjacent rubber layers, respectively and having elasticity which is reducing from the reinforcing rubber layer toward the adjacent rubber layers such that the interface rubber layers buffer elasticity differences between the reinforcing rubber layer and the adjacent rubbers, respectively.

16. The airless tire according to claim 15, wherein each of the topping rubber layers is made of a sulfur-vulcanized rubber, and each of the interface layers comprises sulfur migrated from the sulfur-vulcanized rubber in a respective one of the topping rubber layers during vulcanization.

17. The airless tire according to claim 16, wherein each of the topping rubber layers has a sulfur content in a range of from 0.5 phr to 10 phr.

18. The airless tire according to claim 14, wherein the reinforcing rubber layer has a thickness of 3 mm or greater and 70% or less of a thickness of the tread ring.

19. The airless tire according to claim 14, wherein the adjacent rubber layer is made of a sulfur-vulcanized rubber, and the interface layer comprises sulfur migrated from the sulfur-vulcanized rubber in the adjacent rubber layer during vulcanization.

20. The airless tire according to claim 19, wherein the adjacent rubber layer has a sulfur content in a range of from 0.5 phr to 10 phr.