Pneumatic tire

• US 8,281,827 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2008
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Kameda, Norifumi, Kirino, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Del Sole, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malekzadeh, Seyed Masoud
• Application Number:
  US12/266,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20100108212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,433 Days
• Field of Search: 152/154.2, 152/450, 152/151, 152/209.5, 152/524, 152/525, 152/537, 152/538, 152/547, 152/548, 152/564, 152/510, 152/511, 152/512, 152/539, 156/64, 156/67
• US Class Current: 152/154.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 17/0009 comprising sidewall rubber inserts, e.g. crescent shaped inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 17/0027 comprising portions of different rubbers in a single insert
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2001/0033 Compositions of the sidewall inserts, e.g. for runflat
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10027 with wear indicating feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10819 Characterized by the structure of the bead portion of the tire
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10846 Bead characterized by the chemical composition and or physical properties of elastomers or the like

Abstract

Provided is a pneumatic tire enabling an easy estimation of the presence or absence of an internal failure of the tire only by the observation of the external appearance of the tire, by interposing a detection layer mainly composed of at least one of a thermoplastic elastomer and a thermoplastic resin, which has a softening point of 50° C. to 150° C., in an interlayer between materials constituting the tire.

Claims

1. A pneumatic tire comprising a detection layer interposed in an interlayer between materials constituting the tire, the detection layer mainly composed of at least one of a thermoplastic elastomer and a thermoplastic resin, which has a softening point of 50°

C. to 150°

C., wherein the thickness of the detection layer is 5 μ

m to 500 μ

m, and further wherein when the temperature of the detection layer reaches the softening point, the detection layer softens, and a bulge is formed on the inside of the pneumatic tire.

2. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the detection layer is constituted of a thermoplastic composition containing 0 or not more than 0.1 parts by weight of a crosslinking agent per 100 parts by weight of the thermoplastic elastomer.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the detection layer is interposed in the interlayer located closer to the center of the tire than a carcass layer.

4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 3, further comprising a tie rubber interposed between the carcass layer and an inner liner, wherein the detection layer is interposed between the inner liner and the tie rubber.

5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the detection layer is interposed in the interlayer located farther from the center of the tire than a carcass layer.

6. The pneumatic tire according to claim 5, wherein the detection layer is interposed between the carcass layer and a sidewall.

8. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the pneumatic tire is a run-flat tire into which a reinforcing rubber layer formed of hard rubber having a crescent-shaped section is inserted closer to the center of the tire than a carcass layer.

7. A pneumatic tire comprising a detection layer interposed in an interlayer between materials constituting the tire, the detection layer mainly composed of at least one of a thermoplastic elastomer and a thermoplastic resin, which has a softening point of 50°

C. to 150°

C., wherein the thickness of the detection layer is 5 μ

m to 500 μ

m, and wherein the detection layer is disposed in a region extending at least by 0.6×

H to 0.7×

H from a bead portion in a tire radial direction, where H represents a section height of the tire.

9. The pneumatic tire according to claim 7, wherein the detection layer is constituted of a thermoplastic composition containing 0 or not more than 0.1 parts by weight of a crosslinking agent per 100 parts by weight of the thermoplastic elastomer.

10. The pneumatic tire according to claim 7, wherein the detection layer is interposed in the interlayer located closer to the center of the tire than a carcass layer.

11. The pneumatic tire according to claim 10, further comprising a tie rubber interposed between the carcass layer and an inner liner, wherein the detection layer is interposed between the inner liner and the tie rubber.

12. The pneumatic tire according to claim 7, wherein the detection layer is interposed in the interlayer located farther from the center of the tire than a carcass layer.

13. The pneumatic tire according to claim 12, wherein the detection layer is interposed between the carcass layer and a sidewall.

14. The pneumatic tire according to claim 7, wherein the pneumatic tire is a run-flat tire into which a reinforcing rubber layer formed of hard rubber having a crescent-shaped section is inserted closer to the center of the tire than a carcass layer.