Abstract:
This invention relates to a tire having an electrically non-conductive tread which contains an electrically conductive rubber strip which extends through at least a portion of the tread to its running surface in a wave configured shape, and therefore not a continuous straight line within said tread, in which at least a portion of the rubber strip is in a shape of, for example, a substantially sinusoidal, cycloidal and/or zigzag form, to thereby provide a mechanical self-locking configuration between tread segments through which the rubber strip extends and divides. In particular, said tread is composed of a cap/base configuration. The outer cap layer is of a relatively electrically non-conductive rubber composition having a running surface intended to be ground-contacting. The tread base layer, underlying the tread cap layer, is of a relatively electrically conductive rubber composition and is not normally intended to be ground-contacting. A thin rubber strip, unitary with and as an extension of said tread base layer, which is thereby relatively electrically conductive, extends radially outward from said tread base layer of which at least a portion of the rubber strip is in a form of a wave-shaped configuration through, and therefore within, said tread cap layer to an outer running surface of said tread cap layer. In practice therefore, said rubber strip extends from, and as a part of, said tread base layer through said tread cap layer. In practice, said thin layer extending in said tread cap exhibits substantially at least one half an undulation, and preferably substantially at least two undulations of its wave configured shape of, for example, a substantially sinusoidal, cycloidal and/or zigzag form. The form of the individual undulations of the wave shaped configuration of the strip within the tread may be the same or different.
Abstract:
This invention relates to pneumatic tires having a sidewall which contains at least one internal annular rubber insert. In particular, this invention relates to pneumatic tires which rely upon internal pneumatic air pressure and to pneumatic tires which conventionally rely upon internal pneumatic air pressure but which have a capability of running for extended distances without any significant internal air pressure, namely ambient atmospheric air pressure, depending somewhat upon the positioning and configuration of the sidewall insert. At least one of said rubber sidewall inserts is composed of two segments, namely a radially inner rubber segment and a radially outer rubber segment. The inner rubber segment and outer rubber segment have significantly different modulus and hardness physical properties. A portion of the segments overlap each other. In one aspect, each of the segments of the dual segment sidewall insert may be comprised of various types of rubber compositions containing, for example, a dispersion of an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene and/or a dispersion of a starch/plasticizer composite and/or mixtures of carbon black and silica and/or any reinforcing and non-reinforcing materials that could be used to tune the gradient of stiffness.
Abstract:
A tire with a changing tread pattern is formed by first forming a tire having a tread, the tread having at least one circumferential or lateral groove. A wearable filler, having a configuration corresponding to at least a portion of the circumferential or lateral groove formed in the tire, is located in the radially outer portion of the circumferential or lateral groove or a portion of the circumferential or lateral groove, and secured within the grooves so as to create a groove void radially inward of the wearable filler, the void being exposed upon wear of the tire tread.
Abstract:
A method of forming a tire includes a) forming a carcass, the carcass comprising at least one carcass reinforcing ply, a pair of opposing sidewalls, and a pair of bead portions, b) placing a belt structure on the carcass, c) forming a tread stock, d) placing the tread stock on the belt structure, and e) curing the tire in a mold wherein the mold has at least one rib to form a groove on the radially outer surface of the tire. A tube is placed adjacent to or within the tread stock prior to the curing the tire, wherein the tube creates a buried groove in the cured tire. After wear of the tire tread to a preset level, the tube is exposed and opened during further wear to create increased grooving in the tread after the tire has experienced some tire wear.
Abstract:
A pneumatic tire tread has tread elements formed by circumferential and/or lateral grooves. At least one tread element has a sipe that devolves from a constant width sipe having a three dimensional aspect in at least a portion of the radially outer portion of the sipe to a wider width groove at the base of the tread feature.
Abstract:
A pneumatic radial ply passenger tire (10) having a tread (20), a casing with two sidewalls (14, 16), one or more radial plies (18) extending from and wrapped about two annular beads (13) and a belt reinforcement structure (15) located radially between the tread and the plies. The tread has a first contour-defining curve extending outwards from the equatorial plane of the tire towards the sidewalls, an adjacent second contour-defining curve disposed between the first contour defining curve and the sidewalls and an adjacent third contour defining curve extending outwards from the second contour defining curve and the sidewalls. The first, second and third contour-defining curves have first (R1) and second (R2) and third (R3) radii chosen such that R2>R1>R3.
Abstract translation:一种具有胎面(20)的气动径向帘布层乘客轮胎(10),具有两个侧壁(14,16)的壳体,从两个环形胎圈(13)延伸并缠绕在两个环形胎圈(13)上的一个或多个径向帘布层(18) 结构(15)径向位于胎面和帘布层之间。 胎面具有从轮胎的赤道平面向侧壁向外延伸的第一轮廓限定曲线,设置在第一轮廓限定曲线和侧壁之间的相邻的第二轮廓限定曲线和从该轮胎向外延伸的相邻的第三轮廓限定曲线 第二轮廓定义曲线和侧壁。 第一,第二和第三轮廓定义曲线具有第一(R 1)和第二(R 2)和第三(R 3)半径,使得R 2> R 1> R 3。