Abstract:
A bicycle wheel rim design with high safety margin and optimized strength-to-weight is described. The rim provides a tire bead supporting platform which defines a circumferential bead seat with minimum bead seat diameter equal to the standard tire bead diameter defined for a particular size of tire. Each tire bead seat defined along the rim circumference is comprised by a pair of circumferential ridges. The circumferential ridges comprise the external sidewalls of the rim and do not include tire bead hook features, and are of optimized sidewall thickness to add load strength and lateral stiffness, and resist crushing from impact. The interior ridges are increased diameter towards the medial plane of the rim to a value greater than the specified tire bead diameter. Given this geometry, the left lateral and right lateral of each tire bead is safely constrained within the defined bead seats under a wide variety of uses.
Abstract:
Adapter coupled between a tire bead and a rim, and having an axially inner end mounted on the rim seat. The adapter comprises an inner reinforcer, an axially outer end that comprises an outer reinforcer, and a body that connects the outer and inner ends to form a single piece and comprises one main reinforcement that connects the outer and inner reinforcers. Substantially cylindrical adapter seat receives one of the tire beads, the seat being situated at the axially outer end of the body. An adapter bearing face is substantially contained in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the tire/rim rolling assembly, the bearing face being situated on the axially inner face of the axially outer end. The reinforcing element of the axially outer end is axially situated entirely on the outside of the bearing face. The body comprises, facing the adapter seat, an annular seat reinforcement.
Abstract:
A pneumatic tire has a carcass structure extending through a pair of opposing bead portions and an inner liner located inward of the carcass structure, each bead portion comprising a bead core about which is wrapped the carcass structure and a toeguard. Each bead portion has a bead toe, a bead base, and a bead heel, the bead base extending between the bead toe and the bead heel. The bead heel has a profile corresponding to a sector of an ellipse or approximates a sector of an ellipse by having a dual radius structure. The bead base may have a dual taper configuration. The bead core may be substantially centered in the bead portion, as determined by the material thickness at three locations about the bead core.
Abstract:
Tire (10) comprising two beads (20) and a carcass reinforcement (60) anchored in the bead, the bead comprising a plurality of annular reinforcing structures (70) arranged in such a way as to form at least one anchoring alignment (71, 72), parallel to a portion of the carcass reinforcement, the bead further comprising, in any radial cross section, an additional stiffening reinforcement (120) extending between a first end (121) situated a distance H1 from the tangent (130) to the seat-forming bead portion (22), the distance H1 being greater than or equal to 20% and less than or equal to 70% of the minimum distance H0 between the annular reinforcing structure of said at least one anchoring alignment that is closest to said tangent and the tangent, the distances H1 and H0 being measured perpendicular to said tangent, the first end lying an axial distance L1 from the interior surface of the tire, the axial distance L1 being greater than or equal to 50% and less than or equal to 85% of the maximum axial width L0 of the bead; and a second end (122), the second end being radially at the same level as or on the outside of the first end and axially at the same level as or on the outside of the first end, the second end being chosen such that the distance LA separating the first end and the second end is greater than or equal to 30% of the mean length of said at least one anchoring alignment of annular reinforcing structures, and wherein the additional stiffening reinforcement (120) is formed by one single alignment of at least two annular reinforcing structures (124).
Abstract:
A pneumatic tire has a carcass structure extending through a pair of opposing bead portions and an inner liner located inward of the carcass structure, each bead portion comprising a bead core about which is wrapped the carcass structure and a toeguard. Each bead portion has a bead toe, a bead base, and a bead heel, the bead base extending between the bead toe and the bead heel. The bead heel has a profile corresponding to a sector of an ellipse or approximates a sector of an ellipse by having a dual radius structure. The bead base may have a dual taper configuration. The bead core may be substantially centered in the bead portion, as determined by the material thickness at three locations about the bead core.
Abstract:
A tire has a radial carcass reinforcement having a bead, the seat of which is inclined towards the outside, the bead heel axially to the inside and reinforced by at least one reinforcement element, the bead toe axially to the outside and having a profiled element of rubber mix in the form of a wedge defined by two sides, the mix having a Shore A hardness greater than the Shore A hardness of the rubber mixes radially above, wherein the reinforcement winds around the annular element to form an upturn, the end of which is located axially to the outside of a straight line P2 perpendicular to the axis of rotation and passing through the center of gravity of the meridian section of the element, and axially to the inside and radially to the outside of the straight line P1 supporting the radially outer side of the profiled element.
Abstract:
A low-section tire includes an air tube including an internal wall and two air tube sidewalls. The internal wall comprises a greater rigidity than the tube sidewalls so that, when a carcass and the tube are mounted on a rim, and during inflation, the tube sidewalls contact the carcass sidewalls no later than the internal wall contacts a crown portion of the carcass. A process for manufacturing the air tube includes moulding two tube sidewalls separated from each other, moulding a central core, arranging the tube sidewalls and central core in a single vulcanization mould, closing the vulcanization mould to form the tube, feeding pressurized fluid into at least two distinct circumferential portions of the tube, and vulcanizing the tube to join the central core and tube sidewalls. A mould for manufacturing the an air tube includes two axially-external cheeks, two axially-intermediate male dies, and two axially-inner spacers.
Abstract:
An inflation and deflation device for an inner tube and an inner tube provided with this device are described. The inner tube is elastically expandable for the introduction of fluid into its internal volume and can be housed in the space between tire and rim, which can be isolated from the external environment at atmospheric pressure. The device does not have elements for connecting the internal volume of the inner tube and the environment outside the wheel.
Abstract:
A device for inflating and deflating a flexible container which is elastically expandable for introduction of pressurized fluid into an internal volume of the container is described. The device is housed inside a cavity isolable from a surrounding environment, the device being inserted in a wall of the container. Pressurized fluid can flow from the surrounding environment into the cavity and from the cavity out to the surrounding environment. The device does not have elements for connecting the internal volume of the container and the surrounding environment.
Abstract:
An integral rim (J') having frustoconical seats (2') inclined 15.degree..+-.1.degree., the axial widths (P') of which are greatly decreased as compared with the axial widths (P) of the known frustoconical seats (2), and having a mounting groove (3') of reduced height (H') so as to permit an increase in the space available for the braking means. The assembly of a rim (J') as described above and of a tire (T) having beads the tips of which have been truncated permits better resistance of said beads to fatigue while permitting easy mounting. The invention is employed for tires and rims intended for heavy vehicles.