Pneumatic tire having a pneumatic safety insert with beads
First Claim
1. In combination, a pneumatic tire and a wheel rim upon which the tire is supported, said wheel rim having an axis and an annular support surface extending laterally in the direction of the axis and a pair of axially spaced apart annular flanges joined to and extending radially outward from said support surface, said tire having a pair of axially spaced apart annular beads each in engagement with one of said flanges and the support surface with a pair of sidewalls each joined to and extending generally radially outward from the beads, and a tread joined to the radially outward ends of the sidewalls, said tread and sidewalls having continuous inner surfaces such that said tire and said wheel rim support surface form a closed toroidal tire cavity, a generally toroidal shaped hollow pneumatic insert member disposed within said tire cavity on the support surface of said wheel rim to define an insert inflation chamber inflatable to a first predetermined rated inflation pressure and a tire inflation chamber in said tire cavity between said tire and said insert member, said insert comprising, a generally toroidal shaped hollow member having a pair of annular insert beads, each said insert bead being axially spaced apart a predetermined amount on said support surface, said insert having an unconnected open portion between said insert beads, said insert beads having a diameter greater than the diameter of the support surface, a pair of insert sidewalls, each joined to and extending generally radially outwardly from said insert beads and an insert crown portion joined to the radially outward ends of the insert sidewalls, the sidewalls of said insert having inner and outer wall surfaces and an annular flap portion joined to each said outer sidewall surface of the insert between the insert bead and the insert crown and extending beyond each insert bead a predetermined amount for tucking between the respective insert beads and the wheel rim support surface to overlay the support surface, the flap thickness and insert bead diameter being predetermined to ensure formation of a leak-tight seal between the insert beads and the support surface when respective said flaps are tucked between respective said beads and the support surface, said insert inflation chamber being noncommunicable with said tire inflation chamber to permit said tire inflation chamber to be pressurized to a second predetermined rated inflation pressure different from the first predetermined rated inflation pressure of the tire, said insert member having a radially outward crown portion spaced from the inner surface of the tire tread where the tread contacts a road surface, said tire having a no-load section height measured from the road contacting tread portion to the wheel rim flange when the tire is at said second predetermined rated inflation pressure and not supporting a load, said tire having a rated load section height measured from the road contacting tread portion to the wheel rim flange when the tire is at said second predetermined rated inflation pressure and is supporting its rated load, and a run-flat section height measured from the road contacting tread portion to the wheel rim flange when the tire air chamber is deflated and said insert air chamber is at said first predetermined rated inflation pressure, said insert having a predetermined size range relative to the tire wherein the difference between the no-load section height and the run-flat section height is approximately 43% to 64% of the no-load section height.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pneumatic insert for a pneumatic tire comprises a generally toroidal shaped hollow member having a pair of annular insert beads with sidewalls extending therefrom joined to an insert crown portion. An annular flap portion is joined to the outer surface of each insert sidewall at the bead area and extends beyond each bead a predetermined amount.
The pneumatic insert is disposed in a standard tire and mounted on standard rim. The insert flaps are tucked between the respective insert beads and the bead support surface of the rim to provide a leak-tight seal. When the insert is inflated the insert beads push the respective tire beads against the rim flange. In one embodiment the tire is inflated through an air passage member disposed between the tire and insert beads. In another embodiment the tire is inflated directly through the tire sidewall with a hypodermic needle. The insert inflation chamber and the tire inflation chamber do not communicate and can be inflated to different pressure levels.
Other embodiments of the pneumatic insert include fabric reinforcements and/or protective caps.
53 Citations
41 Claims
- 1. In combination, a pneumatic tire and a wheel rim upon which the tire is supported, said wheel rim having an axis and an annular support surface extending laterally in the direction of the axis and a pair of axially spaced apart annular flanges joined to and extending radially outward from said support surface, said tire having a pair of axially spaced apart annular beads each in engagement with one of said flanges and the support surface with a pair of sidewalls each joined to and extending generally radially outward from the beads, and a tread joined to the radially outward ends of the sidewalls, said tread and sidewalls having continuous inner surfaces such that said tire and said wheel rim support surface form a closed toroidal tire cavity, a generally toroidal shaped hollow pneumatic insert member disposed within said tire cavity on the support surface of said wheel rim to define an insert inflation chamber inflatable to a first predetermined rated inflation pressure and a tire inflation chamber in said tire cavity between said tire and said insert member, said insert comprising, a generally toroidal shaped hollow member having a pair of annular insert beads, each said insert bead being axially spaced apart a predetermined amount on said support surface, said insert having an unconnected open portion between said insert beads, said insert beads having a diameter greater than the diameter of the support surface, a pair of insert sidewalls, each joined to and extending generally radially outwardly from said insert beads and an insert crown portion joined to the radially outward ends of the insert sidewalls, the sidewalls of said insert having inner and outer wall surfaces and an annular flap portion joined to each said outer sidewall surface of the insert between the insert bead and the insert crown and extending beyond each insert bead a predetermined amount for tucking between the respective insert beads and the wheel rim support surface to overlay the support surface, the flap thickness and insert bead diameter being predetermined to ensure formation of a leak-tight seal between the insert beads and the support surface when respective said flaps are tucked between respective said beads and the support surface, said insert inflation chamber being noncommunicable with said tire inflation chamber to permit said tire inflation chamber to be pressurized to a second predetermined rated inflation pressure different from the first predetermined rated inflation pressure of the tire, said insert member having a radially outward crown portion spaced from the inner surface of the tire tread where the tread contacts a road surface, said tire having a no-load section height measured from the road contacting tread portion to the wheel rim flange when the tire is at said second predetermined rated inflation pressure and not supporting a load, said tire having a rated load section height measured from the road contacting tread portion to the wheel rim flange when the tire is at said second predetermined rated inflation pressure and is supporting its rated load, and a run-flat section height measured from the road contacting tread portion to the wheel rim flange when the tire air chamber is deflated and said insert air chamber is at said first predetermined rated inflation pressure, said insert having a predetermined size range relative to the tire wherein the difference between the no-load section height and the run-flat section height is approximately 43% to 64% of the no-load section height.
- 8. A pneumatic insert for a pneumatic tire wherein the tire and insert are arranged to be supported on a wheel rim having an axis and an annular support surface, said insert comprising, a generally toroidal shaped hollow member having a pair of annular insert beads, each said insert bead being axially spaced apart a predetermined amount on said support surface, said insert having an unconnected open portion between said insert beads, said insert beads having a diameter greater than the diameter of the support surface, a pair of insert sidewalls, each joined to and extending generally radially outwardly from said insert beads and an insert crown portion joined to the radially outward ends of the insert sidewalls, the sidewalls of said insert having inner and outer wall surfaces and an annular flap portion joined to each said outer sidewall surface of the insert between the insert bead and the insert crown and extending beyond each insert bead a predetermined amount for tucking between the respective insert beads and the wheel rim support surface to overlay the support surface, the flap thickness and insert bead diameter being predetermined to ensure formation of a leak-tight seal between the insert beads and the support surface when respective said flaps are tucked between respective said beads and the support surface.
- 31. In combination with a pneumatic tire and a wheel rim upon which the tire is supported said wheel rim having an axis and an annular support surface extending laterally in the direction of the axis of the wheel rim and a pair of axially spaced apart annular flanges joined to and extending radially outward from said support surface, said tire having a pair of axially spaced apart annular beads each in engagement with one of said flanges and the support surface with a pair of sidewalls each joined to and extending generally radially outward from the beads, and a tread joined to the radially outward ends of the sidewalls, said tread and sidewalls having continuous inner surfaces such that said tire and said wheel rim support surface form a closed toroidal tire cavity, a generally toroidal shaped hollow insert member disposed within said tire cavity, and having a pair of axially spaced apart annular insert beads respectively arranged to bear against respective said tire tire beads, said insert beads having an innermost diameter greater than the diameter of the support surface next to the tire bead, said insert having an unconnected open portion between said insert beads, a pair of insert sidewalls spaced from said tire sidewalls, each said insert sidewall having inner and outer wall surfaces and being joined to and extending generally radially outwardly from the insert beads, an insert crown portion spaced from the radially inward surface of the tread, said insert crown portion being joined to the radially outward ends of the insert sidewalls, and an annular flap portion joined to each outer sidewall surface of the insert between the insert bead and the insert crown and extending beyond each insert bead a predetermined amount for tucking between the respective insert beads and the wheel rim support surface and overlaying the support surface, the flap thickness and the insert bead diameter being predetermined to ensure formation of a leak-tight seal between the innermost diameter portion of the insert beads and the wheel rim support surface when respective said flaps are tucked between respective said insert beads and the wheel rim support surface to define an insert inflation chamber inflatable to a first predetermined rated inflation pressure and a tire inflation chamber in said tire cavity between said tire and said insert member, noncommunicable with said insert inflation chamber and inflatable to a second predetermined rated inflation pressure different from the first predetermined rated inflation pressure.
Specification