Rim and assembly of tire and ring-shaped tread support on same

• US 6,092,575 A
• Filed: 01/22/1997
• Issued: 07/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin
• Original Assignee: Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin
• Inventors: Muhlhoff, Olivier, Pompier, Jean-Pierre, Drieux, Jean-Jacques, Lacour, Jean-Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnstone, Adrienne C.
• Application Number:
  US08/787,126
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 152/375, 152/378 R, 152/379.3, 152/379.4, 152/379.5, 152/381.3, 152/381.4, 152/381.5, 152/381.6, 152/DIG. 9, 152/376, 152/382, 152/393 , 152/DI6, 152/158, 152/520, 152/544, 152/539, 152/157, 152/516, 152/518, 152/519, 152/522, 152/339.1, 152/340.1, 152/548
• US Class Current: 152/158
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 21/023 the transverse section being non-symmetrical
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 21/026 the shape of rim well
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 21/028 the shape of hump
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 21/104 the shape of flanges
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 21/12 Appurtenances, e.g. lining bands
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 15/02 Seating or securing beads on rims sealing means between beads and rims of tubeless tyres B60C5/16; means for securing solid tyres on rims B60C7/24
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 15/0236 Asymmetric bead seats, e.g. different bead diameter or inclination angle asymmetric transverse section B60C3/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 15/024 Bead contour, e.g. lips, grooves, or ribs
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 15/0247 with reverse bead seat inclination, i.e. the axially inner diameter of the bead seat is bigger than the axially outer diameter thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 17/06 resilient
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2017/068 comprising springs, e.g. helical springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 3/04 characterised by the relative dimensions of the section, e.g. low profile B60C3/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 3/06 asymmetric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 152/06 Peg leg
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10819 Characterized by the structure of the bead portion of the tire
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10855 Characterized by the carcass, carcass material, or physical arrangement of the carcass materials

Abstract

A tire (1), a mounting rim (2) therefor and a circumferentially unstretchable ring (3) for supporting the tread (10) of the tire when running at low or zero pressure. The tire (1) has a radial ply casing (13) on which the points that are furthest apart axially are radially apart close to seats (12B) of outwardly sloping beads (12). The seats (12B) engage sloping seats (23'"'"', 23") on the rim (2), which may have at least one mounting well (22), at least one cylindrical portion (21) for receiving the supporting ring (3) and a rim flange (24).

Claims

1. A rim, intended for the mounting of a tire having two reinforced beads, delimited axially by two rim edges, spaced axially apart by the rim width, comprising, seen in meridian section and axially toward the outside, a first rim seat and a second rim seat having equal diameters, said first rim seat and said second rim seat each having a generatrix the axially outer end of which is on a circle of diameter less than the diameter of the circle on which the axially inner end is located, said first rim seat and said second rim seat each being extended axially to the outside by a hump, a bearing surface for receiving a tread supporting ring to be engaged therearound, said bearing surface being disposed between the axially inner ends of the two seats, axially adjacent the inside of the first rim seat, and having a generatrix with a minimum diameter, which is the diameter of one of its ends, at least equal to the diameter of any part of the rim contained axially between said end and the rim edge corresponding to the rim seat axially closer to said end, and a rim flange which extends the second rim seat axially to the inside, the maximum diameter of said flange being greater than the diameter of any part of the rim contained between said flange and the edge of the rim axially closest to said flange.

2. A rim according to claim 1, in which a mounting well is located between said flange and said bearing surface.

3. A rim according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that the bearing surface has a cylindrical generatrix of diameter equal to the nominal diameter of the rim.

4. A rim according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that the bearing surface comprises on its axially inner edge a positioning hump, said hump serving, on the inside, as a stop for the tread supporting ring and delimiting, with the rim flange, the mounting well.

5. A rim according to claim 4, characterized by the fact that the axial width between the positioning hump and the axially outer rim edge corresponding to the first rim seat connected to the bearing surface is at most equal to one half of the maximum width of the rim.

6. A rim, intended for the mounting of a tire having two reinforced beads, delimited axially by two rim edges, spaced axially apart by the rim width, comprising, seen in meridian section and axially toward the outside, a first rim seat and a second rim seat having equal diameters, said first rim seat and said second rim seat each having a generatrix the axially outer end of which is on a circle of diameter less than the diameter of the circle on which the axially inner end is located, said first rim seat and said second rim seat each being extended axially to the outside by a hump, a bearing surface for receiving a tread supporting ring to be engaged therearound, said bearing surface being disposed between the axially inner ends of the two seats, axially adjacent the inside of the first rim seat, and having a generatrix with a minimum diameter, which is the diameter of one of its ends, at least equal to the diameter of any part of the rim contained axially between said end and the rim edge corresponding to the rim seat axially closer to said end, and a mounting well located axially between the second rim seat and the bearing surface designed to receive the supporting ring.

7. A rim, intended for the mounting of a tire having two reinforced beads with truncated bead tips, said rim being delimited axially by two rim edges, spaced axially apart by the rim width, comprising, seen in meridian section and axially toward the outside, a first rim seat and a second rim seat having equal diameters, said first rim seat and said second rim seat each having a generatrix the axially outer end of which is on a circle of diameter less than the diameter of the circle on which the axially inner end is located, said first rim seat and said second rim seat each being extended axially to the outside by a hump, and a bearing surface for receiving a tread supporting ring to be engaged therearound, said bearing surface being disposed between the axially inner ends of the two seats, axially adjacent the inside of the first rim seat, and having a generatrix with a minimum diameter, which is the diameter of one of its ends, at least equal to the diameter of any part of the rim contained axially between said end and the rim edge corresponding to the rim seat axially closer to said end, and in which the humps have frustoconical axially inner walls which form with the axis of rotation an angle of between 40°

and 50° and

equal to the angle which the truncated bead tips of the tire form with the axis of rotation.

8. An assembly of a rim and a tread supporting ring, said rim being intended for the mounting of a tire having two reinforced beads, delimited axially by two rim edges, spaced axially apart by the rim width, comprising, seen in meridian section and axially towards the outside, a first rim seat and a second rim seat having equal diameters, at least the first rim seat having a generatrix the axially outer end of which is on a circle of diameter less than the diameter of the circle on which the axially inner end is located, said first rim seat being extended axially to the outside by a hump, a bearing surface designed to receive a tread supporting ring to be engaged therearound, said bearing surface being disposed between the axially inner ends of the two seats, axially adjacent the inside of said first rim seat, and having a generatrix with a minimum diameter, which is the diameter of one of its ends, at least equal to the diameter of any part of the rim contained axially between said end and the rim edge corresponding to the rim seat axially closer to said end, and a tread support ring mounted on said bearing surface and having a side wall adjacent said first rim seat so that it serves as a lateral stop for the bead of the tire which is intended to be mounted on the first rim seat.

9. An assembly according to claim 8, characterized by the fact that the second rim seat has a generatrix the axially outer end of which lies on a circle of a diameter less than the diameter of the circle on which the axially inner end is located, the second rim seat being extended axially to the outside by a hump.

10. An assembly according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that the rim is provided with a mounting well which is located axially between the second rim seat and the bearing surface.

11. An assembly according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that the rim seats have frustoconical generatrices which form with the axis of rotation an angle of between 4°

and 30°

, less than the angle which frustoconical generatrices of the bead seats of the tire form with the axis of rotation.

12. An assembly according to claim 9, for a tire which has truncated bead tips, in which the humps have frustoconical axially inner walls which form with the axis of rotation an angle of between 40°

and 50° and

equal to the angle which the truncated bead tips of the tire form with the axis of rotation.

13. An assembly according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that it comprises a rim flange which extends the second rim seat axially to the inside, the maximum diameter of said flange being greater than the diameter of any part of the rim contained between said flange and the edge of the rim axially closest to said flange.

14. An assembly according to claim 13, characterized by the fact that the rim comprises a mounting well which extends the rim flange axially toward the inside.

15. An assembly according to claim 14 characterized by the fact that the bearing surface has a cylindrical generatrix of diameter equal to the nominal diameter of the rim.

16. An assembly according to claim 15, characterized by the fact that the bearing surface comprises on its axially inner edge a positioning hump, said hump serving, on the inside, as a stop for the tread supporting ring and delimiting, with the rim flange, the mounting well.

17. An assembly according to claim 16, characterized by the fact that the axial width between the positioning hump and the axially outer rim edge corresponding to the first rim seat connected to the bearing surface is at most equal to one half of the maximum width of the rim.

18. A rolling assembly comprising a tire with radial carcass reinforcement anchored in each bead to a reinforcement ring, a rim, delimited axially by a first rim edge and a second rim edge and provided with a first rim seat and a second rim seat, and an ovalizable and circumferentially unstretchable tread supporting ring, characterized by the fact that, seen in meridian section,

a) at least the first rim seat has a generatrix the axially outer end of which lies on a circle of a diameter less than the diameter of the circle on which the axially inner end is located, the two rim seats having equal seat diameters, and a hump being disposed between the axially outer end of the first rim seat and the corresponding rim edge;

and

b) the rim has a bearing surface for receiving the tread supporting ring, which bearing surface is arranged between the axially inner ends of the two seats and having a generatrix with a minimum diameter, which is the diameter of one of its ends, at least equal to the diameter of any part of the rim contained axially between said end and the rim edge corresponding to the rim seat closest axially to said end; and

c) the tire, mounted on the rim and inflated to its service pressure, is provided with said radial carcass reinforcement having a meridian profile of constant direction of curvature, at least in the sidewall and the bead which are located on the same side of the assembly as the first rim seat, the bead seats having equal diameters;

d) the tread supporting ring is on the bearing surface.

19. A rolling assembly according to claim 18, characterized by the fact that the bearing surface is axially adjacent towards the inside of the first rim seat, while a rim flange axially extends the second rim seat towards the inside, said flange being itself extended axially to the inside by a mounting well, located between said flange and said bearing surface, a side wall of the supporting ring serving as a lateral stop for the bead of the tire which is mounted on the first seat of the rim.

20. An assembly according to claim 18, characterized by the fact that the tire, mounted on the rim and inflated to its service pressure, is provided with said carcass reinforcement having a meridian profile which, at least in the bead mounted on the first rim seat, is such that a tangent AT to the point of tangency A of said profile with the reinforcement ring of said bead forms, with the axis of rotation, an angle, open towards the outside, of at least 70°

.

21. An assembly according to claim 18, characterized by the fact that the height of the ring is at least 40% of the height H of the carcass reinforcement of the tire, the tire having a form ratio H/B less than 0.4, B being the maximum width of the carcass reinforcement.

22. An assembly according to claim 21, characterized by the fact that the ring is a rubber vulcanizate reinforced by reinforcements of at least two layers of cables oriented circumferentially within a range of plus or minus 2°

.

23. An assembly according to claim 21, characterized by the fact that the minimum inside diameter of the tread supporting ring is at least equal to the diameter of the bearing surface and is at most 2 mm greater than said diameter, the inner generatrix of said ring being parallel to the generatrix of the bearing surface.

24. An assembly according to claim 18, characterized by the fact that the second rim seat has a generatrix the axially outer end of which lies on a circle of diameter less than the diameter of the circle on which the axially inner end is located, said second rim seat being extended axially to the outside by a hump, and by the fact that the tire, mounted on the rim and inflated to its service pressure, is provided with said radial carcass reinforcement having the meridian profile of constant direction of curvature over its entire length.