Abstract:
A tire with a form ratio H/S between 0.3 and 0.8 has a carcass reinforcement (1) which is covered radially by a quasi-cylindrical crown reinforcement (3) and which is tangential at T to a holding circle C. The common tangent at T to the circle C and to the meridian profile of the carcass (1) makes an angle &agr; of between +20° and −80° with respect to a line parallel to the rotation axis and passing through the tangency point T. In its portion located between the tangency point T and the point E of greatest axial width, the carcass reinforcement (1) is provided with a reinforcement armature (6) of circumferentially non-extensible elements. Viewed in meridian cross-section and when the tire is fitted and inflated to the recommended pressure, the carcass (1) has a meridian profile consisting of four circular arcs configured to improve the endurance of the tire while improving its rolling resistance.
Abstract:
A molding element has an anchoring portion and a molding portion, the anchoring portion being intended to be anchored in a part of a tire tread mold with the molding portion projecting from a molding face of the tire tread mold part. The molding portion of the molding element has at least two extensions, one of these extensions having at least one arm pivotally mounted on the extension. The molding element is characterized in that, in the molding position, at least one arm pivotally mounted on an extension bears on another extension of the same molding element to define at least one orifice passing through the molding element to mold a connecting bridge between opposite walls of a cutout molded by the molding element.
Abstract:
A tread is provided with at least one rubber stud of orientation XX′ perpendicular or inclined with respect to the tread surface. The rubber stud has a side wall bounded by at least one incision and an outer end wall. The stud is joined to the tread at its base (the rubber stud part located farthest inward on the tread) and by at least one rubber connecting element joining the side wall of said stud to the rest of the tread. The projected length, on the tread surface in new condition and in the direction XX′, of the principal geometrical lines of the surfaces of intersection of all the connecting elements of each rubber stud, represents at least 80 percent of the contour perimeter, measured on the same surface, of each rubber stud. Preferably, the principal geometrical lines bounding the surfaces of intersection of the connecting elements are in the form of helixes around XX′, and the projected length of said lines is equal or close to 100 percent of the perimeter.
Abstract:
A molding element designed to mold a cut in a rubber article, such as a tire, and in which the cut has a geometry of rotation on an axis XX′. The molding element has a head extended by a molding part intended to project into the molded surface in order to mold at least one cut in the rubber article. The head is mounted for rotation in a mold member, and the head contains at least one circular cylinder of axis XX′ defining the main axis of the molding element, and cooperates with mold member in order to permit a rotation on XX′ relative to the mold, when the molding part of the molding element is subjected either to a force acting in direction XX′ or to a torque about the same direction XX′.
Abstract:
A puncture-resistant multilayer laminate that is impermeable to inflation gases, comprising: a gastight first elastomer layer comprising a polystyrene/polyisobutylene block copolymer thermoplastic elastomer, and optionally an extender oil with a content within a range of 0 to less than 100 phr; and a self-sealing second elastomer layer comprising a thermoplastic styrene elastomer, identical to or different from the first elastomer, and an extender oil with a content greater than 200 phr.
Abstract:
A self-sealing elastomer composition, in an inflatable article such as a pneumatic tire (1), such composition comprising, as predominant elastomer, a thermoplastic styrene (TPS) elastomer and an extender oil with a content of between 200 and 700 phe (parts per hundred parts of elastomer by weight). An airtight puncture-resistant laminate (10) that can be used in particular in said inflatable article (1), comprises a puncture-resistant first layer (10a) comprising said self-sealing composition and an airtight second layer (10b), for example based on butyl rubber. An inflatable article comprises such a self-sealing composition or such an airtight puncture-resistant laminate.
Abstract:
Tire comprising at least two sidewalls, a crown provided radially externally with a tread, a carcass-type reinforcing structure and a crown reinforcement, the inner surface of the sidewalls and of the crown forming an inner wall of the tire, at least one portion of said wall being covered with a self-sealing layer comprising a thermoplastic stirene (TPS) elastomer and the tire being able to be inflated to a given service inflation pressure Pi. For any temperature within a given temperature range, between +30° C. and +100° C., the self-sealing layer has a loss factor tan δ of less than 0.2 and a dynamic modulus G* of less than Pi, tan δ and G* being measured at a frequency of 10 Hz.
Abstract:
A self-sealing elastomer composition that includes a diene elastomer, a hydrocarbon resin with a given softening temperature, and a liquid plasticizing agent, is manufactured according to a process that includes successive stages. In one stage, the hydrocarbon resin is incorporated in the diene elastomer by kneading the resin and the elastomer in a mixer at or up to a temperature referred to as “hot compounding” temperature, which is greater than the softening temperature of the resin, in order to obtain a masterbatch. In another stage, the liquid plasticizing agent is incorporated in the masterbatch by kneading the agent and the masterbatch in the same mixer or in another mixer, in order to obtain the self-sealing composition. The self-sealing composition then is formed dimensionally.
Abstract:
An inflatable article provided with an elastomer layer comprising at least, as major elastomer, a thermoplastic polystirene/polyisobutylene block copolymer, such as a stirene/isobutylene/stirene (SIBS) copolymer, and at least 100 phr of an extender oil. Preferably, this copolymer comprises between 5% and 50% stirene by weight, its number-average molecular weight is between 30,000 and 500,000 g/mol and its Tg is below −20° C. The extender oil is preferably a polybutene oil such as polyisobutylene (PIB) oil. This elastomer layer is able to fulfil not only the role of a self-sealing (puncture-resistant) layer, but also that of an impermeable layer, furthermore with a reduced hysteresis compared to a conventional layer based on butyl rubber. The inflatable article can be, in particular, an inner tube or a pneumatic tire for a motor vehicle.
Abstract:
The tread of a tire designed particularly to run on snowy, icy or wet surfaces. The tread comprises elements in relief (e.g., blocks or ribs), each having a running face and lateral faces. At least one element in relief is provided with an incision defined along a mean plane. The tread comprises at least two holes passing through the element in relief substantially parallel to the mean plane of the incision. Each hole opens onto two lateral faces of the element in relief, and the holes are situated on one and the same side of the mean plane of the incision in spaced relationship to the incision.