Pneumatic tire and wheel assembly

Claim 2

A pneumatic tire for mounting on a wheel rim having a circumferentially extending lip projecting radially outwardly from at least one of its bead seats comprising a tread, two sidewalls each terminating in a tire bead and a circumferentially extending groove located on a bead seat contacting surface of at least one of the tire beads, which when the tire is mounted on the wheel rim, receives said radially projecting lip to prevent axial movement of the tire across the wheel rim, the surface defining the circumferentially extending groove and the portion of the bead seat contacting surface disposed axially outwardly of the groove having an outer layer of hard rubber.

Claim 3

A pneumatic tire as claimed in claim 1 in which the tire bead has a bead wire located axially outwardly of the circumferentially extending groove.

Claim 4

A pneumatic tire as claimed in claim 1 in which the tire bead has a bead wire and a reinforcing ply wrapped at least partly around the bead wire and terminating in an annular surface extending at least partly across the outer layer of hard rubber.

Claim 5

A pneumatic tire and wheel assembly comprising a pneumatic tire having a tread and two sidewalls each terminating in a tire bead, a wheel rim having a pair of annular flanges each disposed adjacent a bead seat for receiving a bead of the pneumatic tire, a circumferentially extending groove in at least one of the tire beads and a circumferentially extending lip projecting radially outwardly from at least one of the bead seats into the circumferentially extending groove to prevent axial movement of the tire across the wheel rim the surface defining the circumferentially extending groove and the portion of tire bead in contact with the bead seat axially outwardly of the groove having an outer layer of hard rubber.

Claim 6

A pneumatic tire and wheel assembly comprising a pneumatic tire having a tread and two sidewalls each terminating in a tire bead, a wheel rim having a pair of annular flanges each disposed adjacent a bead seat for receiving a bead of the pneumatic tire, a circumferentially extending groove in at least one of the tire beads and a circumferentially extending lip projecting radially outwardly from at least one of the bead seats into the circumferentially extending groove to prevent axial movement of the tire across the wheel rim the surface defining the circumferentially extending groove and the portion of tire bead in contact with the bead seat axially outwardly of the groove having an outer layer of hard rubber.

Claim 7

A pneumatic tire and wheel assembly as claimed in claim 4 in which the circumferentially extending lip has a triangular cross-section, the axially outer surface having a steeper slope than the axially inner surface.

Claim 8

A pneumatic tire and wheel assembly as claimed in claim 5 in which the axially inner surface is inclined to the surface of the bead seat at an angle of between 10* and 30*.

Claim 9

A pneumatic tire and wheel assembly as claimed in claim 5 in which the axially outer surface is inclined at an angle of between 30* and 90* to the surface of the bead seat.

Claim 10

A pneumatic tire and wheel assembly as claimed in claim 4 in which the circumferentially extending lip projects radially outwardly for a distance between 1.5 and 5 mm.

Claim 11

A pneumatic tire and wheel assembly as claimed in claim 4 in which the wheel rim is a well-base rim.

Claim 12

A pneumatic tire and wheel assembly as claimed in claim 4 in which the tire bead comprises a bead wire located axially outwardly of the circumferentially extending lip.

Claim 13

A pneumatic tire and wheel assembly as claimed in claim 4 in which the tire bead has a bead wire and a reinforcing ply wrapped at least partly around the bead wire and terminating in an annular surface extending at least partly across the outer layer of hard rubber.