Tire including a continuous pressure membrane

• US 9,004,121 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2010
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Original Assignee: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Inventors: Scarpitti, Anthony John, Burg, Gary Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnstone, Adrienne C
• Application Number:
  US12/941,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20120111470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• Field of Search: 152196-198, 152/200, 152/548, 152/564, 152/452, 152/541, 152/543, 152/546, 152/547, 152/550, 152/526, 152/537
• US Class Current: 152/197
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/722 Reinforcing the sidewalls, e.g. by using filaments, fibers or additional reinforcing layers
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/72 Side-walls
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 1/0041 Compositions of the carcass layers
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 15/0018 not folded around the bead core, e.g. floating or down ply
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 15/06 Flipper strips, fillers, or chafing strips and reinforcing layers for the construction of the bead
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 15/0603 characterised by features of the bead filler or apex
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2005/145 made of laminated layers
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2009/145 at the inner side of the carcass structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2009/1828 characterised by special physical properties of the belt ply
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2015/0614 characterised by features of the chafer or clinch portion, i.e. the part of the bead contacting the rim
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 5/007 made from other material than rubber
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 5/01 without substantial cord reinforcement, e.g. cordless tyres, cast tyres
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 9/02 Carcasses
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 9/14 built-up with sheets, webs, or films of homogeneous material, e.g. synthetics, sheet metal, rubber
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 9/18 Structure or arrangement of belts or breakers, crown-reinforcing or cushioning layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/1018 Embedded
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10765 Characterized by belt or breaker structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/1081 Breaker or belt characterized by the chemical composition or physical properties of elastomer or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10828 Chafer or sealing strips
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10837 Bead characterized by the radial extent of apex, flipper or chafer into tire sidewall
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10846 : Bead characterized by the chemical composition and or physical properties of elastomers or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10855 : Characterized by the carcass, carcass material, or physical arrangement of the carcass materials

Abstract

Tire including a continuous pressure membrane. The tire includes a carcass, a rubber layer surrounding the carcass, and a belt. The carcass includes at least one continuous pressure membrane defining a generally U-shaped cross section. The pressure membrane includes a crown portion, a first sidewall portion, and a second sidewall portion connected with the first sidewall portion by the crown portion. The belt may be composed of at least one additional continuous pressure membrane adjacent the crown portion.

Claims

1. A pneumatic tire having an axis of rotation, the pneumatic tire consisting of:

a carcass and belt assembly consisting of a first pair of bead members, a second pair of bead members, and at least two continuous pressure membranes having a U-shaped cross section when viewed in a circumferential perspective relative to the axis of rotation of the pneumatic tire, each of the pressure membranes including a crown portion, a first sidewall portion defining a first membrane end, and a second sidewall portion defining a second membrane end and connected with the first sidewall portion by the crown portion, the crown portion and the first and second sidewall portions collectively defining the U-shaped cross section, wherein the first pair of bead members is coupled to the first membrane ends and the second pair of bead members is coupled to the second membrane ends; and

a rubber layer composed of one or more rubber portions and surrounding the carcass and belt assembly, the rubber layer consisting of a tire crown with a tread, first and second apex portions of hardened rubber material enveloping the corresponding first and second membrane ends and first and second pairs of bead members, first and second end portions adjacent the first and second apex portions so as to define a combination toe guard and chafer, first and second tire sidewalls extending between the tire crown and the first and second end portions, and an inner liner portion extending between the first and second end portions,

wherein each of the at least two continuous pressure membranes includes a planar layer of material that is bent into the U-shaped cross section, and any adjacent two of the continuous pressure membranes are in contact with each other along a constant thickness portion defined by the crown portions, an outermost part of the first sidewall portions, and an outermost part of the second sidewall portions, wherein the outermost parts of the first and second sidewall portions extend between the crown portion and parts adjacent the first and second pairs of bead members, such that the carcass and belt assembly has a constant thickness along the constant thickness portion and thereby defines a first predetermined puncture resistance that is constant over an entire area defined by the constant thickness portion, and

wherein the pneumatic tire does not include any plies, and

wherein the first and second apex portions include a radially outer end with a greater radial height than a corresponding radial outer end of the respective first and second end portions.

2. The pneumatic tire of claim 1, wherein the at least two continuous pressure membranes are composed of a polyester material.

3. The pneumatic tire of claim 2, wherein the at least two continuous pressure membranes are composed of polyethylene terephthalate.

4. The pneumatic tire of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first membrane ends is clamped between the first pair of bead members, and at least one of the second membrane ends is clamped between the second pair of bead members.

5. The pneumatic tire of claim 1, wherein the at least two continuous pressure membranes are composed of liquid crystal polymer fiber.

6. The pneumatic tire of claim 1, wherein the at least two continuous pressure membranes are composed of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene fiber polyester.