EP0853009A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Run flat banded pneumatic tyre
Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC
•
Filing: 1997-11-24
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Granted: —
•
Expires: 2017-11-24
Abstract
Abstract A run flat pneumatic tire is reinforced by a thin annular composite band imbedded in the crown portion of the tire in combination with a plurality of radial cords or plies in its sidewalls which have freedom in shear with respect to one another. The band is formed by a plurality of layers of material strips wherein each strip is wound in a helical pattern, with adjacent strips being wound at reverse angles to each other. Each layer is formed under sufficient pressure and at an elevated temperature whereby the band is prestressed in tension which decreases the maximum stress at the footprint area of the tire. The invention furthermore incorporates the method of imparting the prestress on the annular band during its manufacture.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles D Spragg
- 👤 Edward G Markow
- 👤 Thomas W. Bell
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 14:46
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29D; B29D30/00; B29D30/06; B29D30/70; B29D30/08; B29D30/20; B29D30/30; B29D30/3028; B60; B60C; B60C17/00; B60C9/00; B60C9/18; B60C9/26; B60C9/263; B29C; B29C61/00; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T152/00; Y10T152/10; Y10T152/10495; Y10T152/10765; Y10T152/10774; Y10T152/10783
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
181 words
In a run flat pneumatic tire including an elastomeric casing with a tread
formed in a crown portion thereof and sidewalls extending from the crown portion
to generally-circular beads adapted to normally seat themselves in airtight secured
relationship with a wheel, a combined structure for resisting compressive forces on
the tire when deflated, the structure comprising; a continuous thin annular composite band fixed in said tire radially
inwardly of said tread, said band having a plurality of helically wound adjacently
positioned flat strips of material forming a plurality of wound layers of material strips
with at least a portion of said strips located in outermost layers of said composite
band being prestressed in tension to decrease the maximum stress at a footprint
area of the tire; and means to radially stabilize said annular band comprising a multiplicity
of closely spaced substantially radial reinforcing elements having freedom in shear
with respect to one another in said sidewalls operatively connected to said beads
and extending therefrom to at least the crown portion of the tire and being
operatively connected to said annular band.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
18 words
The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the strips are formed of a
graphite fiber reinforced thermoplastic material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the strip is formed of a
material selected from a group consisting of steel, aluminum, fiberglass, nylon and
aramid.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the strip has a width of
between 0.75 inches and 1.25 inches and a thickness of between 0.005 inches and
0.010 inches.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The structure defined in claim 4 wherein the strip has a width of one
inch and a thickness of 0.007 inches.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the band includes between
15 and 20 layers of said strips.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
The structure defined in claim 6 wherein the band includes 18 layers
of said strips.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The structure defined in claim 1 wherein certain of the strips are in
over lying criss-cross relationship with respect to adjacent strips.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the strips in intermediate
layers are arranged in a substantially alternating ± 15° relationship with respect to
a radial line extending perpendicular to a center axis of said band.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
The structure defined in claim 1 wherein an innermost strip is wound
at an approximate 1° angle radially with respect to a central axis of the band.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the strips are formed of a
resin impregnated reinforcing material, with said resin having a coefficient of thermal
expansion greater than that of said reinforcing material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the band has a width
substantially equal to the width of the tread.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the band has a width of
between 6 and 12 inches.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
The structure defined in claim 13 wherein the band has a width of
approximately 6.7 inches.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the band has a thickness
substantially in the range of 0.1 and 0.2 inches.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
The structure defined in claim 15 wherein the band has a thickness
of approximately 0.120 inches.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the band has a stiffness of
approximately 2000 lbs-in 2 .
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
32 words
The structure defined in claim 1 wherein individual convolutions of the
strips in certain intermediate layers are arranged in a spaced relationship, a
distance substantially equal to the width of said strips.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
The structure defined in claim 18 wherein the said intermediate strips
are arranged in an alternating criss-cross pattern.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
187 words
In a method for building a run flat pneumatic tire having a casing with
a tread in a crown portion thereof and sidewalls containing a plurality of spaced
radial stabilizing elements extending from the crown portion to a bead area; the
method including the steps of: forming a thin annular composite band by wrapping a plurality of strips
in overlapping alternating helical configurations around a mandrel to form the band
with a plurality of strip layers, maintaining the strips at an elevated temperature
sufficient to provide a tacky consistency to said strips as said strips are being
wrapped around the mandrel, applying sufficient pressure to the strips as they are
being wrapped around the mandrel to substantially eliminate voids between the
overlapping strip layers, and cooling the strip layers after being applied under
pressure around the mandrel whereby thermal shrinkage of said strips prestresses
the formed band in tension; embedding the prestressed band inside the crown
portion of the tire; curing the resulting tire wherein the prestressed band in
cooperation with the radial stabilizing elements in the sidewalls resist compressive
forces encountered upon deflation of the tire.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method defined in claim 20 including wrapping inner and outer
strips layers at an angle of approximately ±1° with respect to a radial line
perpendicular to a central axis of the mandrel, and wrapping a plurality of
intermediate layers in alternating ±15° relationship.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method defined in claim 20 including wrapping a plurality of
intermediate layers of the strips in a criss-cross pattern.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method defined in claim 22 including wrapping the individual
convolutions of the strips of certain of said intermediate layers in a spaced
relationship, a distance substantially equal to the width of said strips.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method defined in claim 20 including impregnating strips of
reinforcing material with a resin having a greater coefficient of thermal expansion
than that of said reinforcing material to form the band strips before wrapping said
band strips around the material.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method defined in claim 20 including wrapping the convolutions
of individual strip layers in a side-by-side abutting relationship.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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