TIRE WITH HIGH STRENGTH CORRUGATED SIDEWALLS

• US 20160297257A1
• Filed: 04/08/2016
• Published: 10/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey P. Douglas
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey P. Douglas
• Inventors: Douglas, Jeffrey P.
• Granted Patent: US 10,442,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/08 Building tyres
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/11 in which the raised area of the pattern consists only of isolated elements, e.g. blocks B60C11/12, B60C11/13 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 13/02 Arrangement of grooves or ribs
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 17/00 Tyres characterised by means enabling restricted operation in damaged or deflated condition; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 17/0036 comprising additional reinforcements
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2200/10 for motorcycles, scooters or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2200/14 for off-road use

Abstract

A tire having a pair of high strength sidewalls lying opposite one another, wherein each sidewall has a plurality of plies that are shaped during manufacture to have a series of pleats or corrugations formed therein and stretching from the tire beads radially outward along the sidewalls. Each of the series of sidewall corrugations includes a pattern of alternating inwardly extending depressions and outwardly extending projections that extend continuously around the tire. The corrugations provide the sidewalls with an integral structural reinforcement, whereby the tire is advantageously capable of providing run flat support and avoiding damage to the rim on which the tire is mounted. According to a preferred embodiment, the tire herein disclosed is ideally suited for use on a motorcycle rim.

Claims

1. A tire comprising a crown running circumferentially therearound and a pair of sidewalls lying opposite one another and joined at first ends thereof to the crown, said tire also comprising a series of corrugations formed in at least one of said pair of sidewalls.

2. The tire recited in claim 1, wherein each of the pair of sidewalls has a series of corrugations formed therein.

3. The tire recited in claim 2, wherein the series of corrugations that is formed in each of said pair of sidewalls includes alternating inwardly extending depressions and outwardly extending projections that are aligned side-by-side one another and extend around each of said sidewalls.

4. The tire recited in claim 3, wherein each of said alternating inwardly extending depressions and outwardly extending projections of each of the series of corrugations runs radially along each of said pair of sidewalls.

5. The tire recited in claim 3, wherein each of the pair of sidewalls has a reinforced bead running therearound, and each of said alternating inwardly extending depressions and outwardly extending projections of each of said series of corrugations being formed in each of said pair of sidewalls so as to encompass respective ones of the beads of said pair of sidewalls and stretch from said beads radially outward along respective ones of said pair of sidewalls.

6. The tire recited in claim 3, wherein said alternating inwardly extending depressions and outwardly extending projections that are aligned side-by-side one another slope in opposite directions relative to one another.

7. A combination, comprising;

a rim; and

a tire mounted on said rim, said tire having a crown extending circumferentially therearound, a pair of sidewalls located below the crown and lying opposite one another to surround said rim, and a series of corrugations formed in each of said pair of sidewalls, wherein each corrugation of the series of corrugations formed in each of said pair of sidewalls has alternating inwardly extending depressions and outwardly extending projections that run radially along said pair of sidewalls, and each of said series of corrugations extends around a respective one of said pair of sidewalls.

8. The combination recited in claim 7, wherein said alternating inwardly extending depressions and outwardly extending projections from each of the series of corrugations formed in respective ones of said pair of sidewalls lie side-by-side and slope in opposite directions relative to one another.

9. The combination recited in claim 7, wherein said rim has a pair of lips and each of the pair of sidewalls of said tire has a reinforced bead extending therearound which is covered by and lies adjacent one of said pair of lips, and each corrugation of each of said series of corrugations formed in said pair of sidewalls encompassing one of the beads of said pair of sidewalls and stretching from said one bead radially outward along a respective one of said pair of sidewalls.

10. A method for making a tire comprising the steps of:

molding a pair of sidewalls that lie opposite one another by bonding a plurality of fibrous plies together one on top of the other;

molding a crown extending circumferentially around said tire and located radially outward from said pair of sidewalls;

forming a reinforced bead in each of said pair of sidewalls such that said beads extend around said sidewalls opposite said crown; and

shaping the plurality of fibrous plies of each of said, pair of sidewalls so that each sidewall has a series of corrugations ex tending continuously therearound, and each series of corrugations has alternating inwardly extending depressions and outwardly extending projections that extend side-by-side one another between the crown of said tire and the bead of a respective one of said pair of sidewalls.

11. The method recited in claim 10, comprising the additional step of forming each corrugation from each of said series of corrugations so as to encompass respective ones of the beads of said pair of sidewalls and stretch from said beads radially outward along respective ones of said pair of sidewalls.