Patent EP0853009A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
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EP0853009A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Run flat banded pneumatic tyre

Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC
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Filing: 1997-11-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2017-11-24
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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 22:07
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.

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