Vehicle tire that can be elastically fitted with studs

• US 5,800,644 A
• Filed: 12/02/1996
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokian Renkaat Oyj
• Original Assignee: Nokian Renkaat Oyj
• Inventors: Eromaki, Pentti Juhani
• Primary Examiner(s): Lorin, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US08/758,910
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 152/210, 152/209 R
• US Class Current: 152/210
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/662 Treads with antiskid properties, i.e. with spikes
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/66 Moulding treads on to tyre casings, e.g. non-skid treads with spikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/16 of plug form, e.g. made from metal, textile
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/1606 retractable plug

Abstract

A vehicle tire comprising a tire carcass (3) and on top of this a cap (29) consisting of at least one rubber quality and forming the tread (7), the cap having anti-skid stud holes (5) extending from the tread to its inside. At the bottom (8) of the anti-skid stud holes (5) and thus under the bottom flange (21) of the anti-skid studs (20) elastic cushions (6) are provided, made of a material of an elasticity higher than that of the rubber quality forming the said cap (29).

Claims

1. A vehicle tire comprising:

a tire carcass (3);

a cap (29) on top of the carcass (3), the cap (29) comprising a first layer (1) of rubber next to the carcass (3) and a second layer (2) of rubber on top of the layer (1), the rubber of the first layer (1) being harder than the rubber of the second layer (2), the second layer (2) forming a tread (7) for the tire;

at least one anti-skid stud hole (5) disposed in the cap (29), the anti-skid stud hole (5) extending from the exterior of the tread interiorly of the cap (29) into the first layer (1); and

a cushion (6) disposed at the interior end of the anti-skid stud hole (5), the cushion (6) being at least partly embedded in the rubber of the first layer (1), the cushion (6) comprising material having an elasticity greater than that of the rubber of the first layer (1),

the anti-skid stud hole (5) being adapted to receive an anti-skid stud (20) of the type having a bottom flange (21) and wherein the flange (21) bears against the cushion (6).

2. The vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein the rubber of the first layer (1) has a hardness between 67 sh°

and 75 sh°

A and the material comprising the cushion (6) comprises a rubber having a hardness less than 67 sh°

A.

3. The vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein the rubber of the first layer (1) has a hardness greater than 65 sh°

A and the material comprising the cushion (6) comprises a rubber having a hardness less than 65 sh°

A.

4. The vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein the rubber of the first layer (1) has a hardness greater than 63 sh°

A and the material comprising the cushion (6) comprises a rubber having a hardness between 50 sh° and

63 sh°

A.

5. The vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein the cushion (6) is disposed entirely within the rubber of the first layer (1).

6. The vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein the cushion (6) has a thickness (S1) in a direction perpendicular to the tread (7), the cushion (6) being disposed within the rubber of the first layer (1) to a depth of at least one-half of the thickness (S1).

7. The vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein the first and second layers (1,2) provide an interface (28) and the outermost points of the first layer (i) on the interface (28) define a surface (R), the cushion (6) being disposed within the rubber of the first layer (1) interiorly of the surface (R).

8. The vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein the cushion (6) comprises the same material as the rubber of the second layer (2).

9. The vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein the cushion (6) has a thickness (S1) in a direction perpendicular to the tread (7), the tire further comprising an anti-skid stud (20) disposed in the anti-skid stud hole (5), the stud (20) comprising a concave bottom flange (21), the flange (21) comprising a round generally flat flange surface (26) having a cylindrical edge (27), the edge (27) protruding interiorly of the tire cap (29), the edge (27) having a height (H4), and wherein the height (H4) of the edge (27) is less than the thickness (S1) of the cushion (6) when the cushion (6) is not compressed.

10. The vehicle tire of claim 9, wherein the height (H4) of the cylindrical edge (27) is between 10% and 60% of the thickness (S1) of the cushion (6) when the cushion (6) is not compressed.

11. The vehicle tire of claim 1, further comprising an anti-skid stud (20) disposed in the anti-skid stud hole (5), the stud (20) comprising an inwardly disposed generally concave bottom flange (21) and an elastic cushion (6) attached to the inwardly disposed surface of the flange (21).

12. The vehicle tire of claim 1, further comprising an anti-skid stud (20) disposed in the anti-skid stud hole (5), the stud (20) comprising an inwardly disposed, round generally concave bottom flange (21) disposed at a depth (S2) measured from the surface of the tread (7), the cushion (6) being disposed at the depth (S2).

13. The vehicle tire of claim 12, wherein the flange (21) has a diameter (A3) and the cushion (6) has a diameter (A4) in the direction of the tread (7), and the diameter (A4) of the cushion (6) is between 500 and 200% of the diameter (A3) of the flange (21).

14. The vehicle tire of claim 13, wherein the diameter (A4) of the cushion (6) is between 70% and 150% of the diameter (A3) of the flange (21).

15. The vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein the cushion (6) has a thickness (S1) and the cap (29) has an overall thickness (T4) in the direction perpendicular to the tread (7), and the thickness (S1) of the cushion (6) is not less than between 3% and 10% of the overall thickness (T4) of the cap (29).

16. The vehicle tire of claim 15, wherein the thickness (S1) of the cushion (6) is between 15% and 35% of the overall thickness (T4) of the cap (29).