Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Layer or component removable to expose adhesive – Capsule or particulate matter containing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-02
2001-04-24
Ahmad, Nasser (Department: 1772)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Layer or component removable to expose adhesive
Capsule or particulate matter containing
C152S450000, C152S524000, C152S525000, C428S040100, C428S041600, C428S041700, C428S042100, C428S913000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06221453
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to fluorescent labels and a process for using said label to mark variations on pneumatic tires. The labels retain fluorescence activity longer than other labels used in this particular application due to the isolation of the fluorescent material from migrating components from other tires. The labels identify otherwise invisible or hard to detect variations in the tire that can be compensated for by match mounting the tire and its rim to minimize slight but detectable variations in the tire and rim
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The presence of chemicals within tires, which are capable of migrating, is well known. New tire sidewalls are often coated by the manufacturer with water removable protective paints or coatings, particularly when the tire sidewalls include a non-black component (e.g. a white sidewall) which can be detrimentally stained if the non-black component (whitewall) contacts the typical black colored remainder of another tire for an extended time during shipping or storage of new tires.
Pneumatic tires are generally assembled from a multitude of plies, layers, cords, etc. The components are carefully assembled and adhered to each other on a tire assembly machine. The green tire after removal from the tire assembly machine is vulcanized in a tire curing press. The cured tire from the tire curing press is evaluated for dimensional variations, weight variations, variations from inflating the tire, and variations detectable as the tire is rotated. Tire manufacturers measure and mark these detectable variations as part of their quality control programs. The tire manufacturers use the data from these evaluations to perform in process adjustments to their equipment and process to minimize total variations in subsequent production.
Automobile manufacturers recognized that the tire manufacturer's marking of the location and extent of minor variations between tires could be used to compensatingly match the variations in the tire with variations in other automobile components such as the tire rim. They requested the markings be left on the tires to be shipped to them. Automobile manufacturers requested the markings be made fluorescent because such markings could be mechanically read by machines capable of detecting fluorescent labels or markings and this would facilitate match mounting by machines, such as those machines installing tires on rims.
Most fluorescent labels for this application comprise a release backing, a pressure sensitive adhesive to hold the label on a substrate, an inexpensive face sheet, the top of which is coated with a fluorescent ink. Many of the fluorescent inks are solvent based systems that either require expensive solvent recovery or incineration systems or release solvent into the environment. Automobile manufacturers have experienced problems of poor adhesion of labels to tires and labels which lose their fluorescence during storage on the tires. Generally but not always, the fluorescent labels or markings are removed after match mounting and prior to delivery of the finished automobile to the user.
The term harmonics relates to a variety of sinusoidal components that make up a musical tone. If the first frequency of a tone is 440 Hz then the second will generally be at 880 Hz and the third at 1320 Hz. A measurement of a pneumatic tire as it rotates one revolution can often be a sinusoid. If the measurement produces one minimum value and one maximum value per rotation it will have sinusoidal characteristics with a frequency of 1. Thus, a marking of the first harmonic of a rotating tire usually indicates a minimum or maximum measured value on a sector of a tire for a particular test. A preferred first harmonic test marking is the diameter of the tire.
It would be desirable to have a fluorescent label that retained its initial fluorescent value for many months even while in contact with a black tire sidewall. It would be desirable to manufacture these labels while minimizing the release of harmful organic solvents into the environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A process for marking at least one sector of a pneumatic tire with a fluorescent label is described. The process involves detecting a radial variation in at least one sector of the tire, applying a fluorescent label to identify the location of the variation or to identify some other position a known distance from that variation. The invention will be described with regard to a radial variation (i.e. offset tread portion) although it is to be understood it can also be applied to other variations such as weight variations and the like. When mounting the tire on a rim the fluorescent label can be detected, a marked tire rim can be selected, and then the tire is rotated with respect to a tire rim to minimize total deviation of the tire and rim when the tire is mounted on the rim.
The fluorescent label desirably comprises a release liner, a pressure sensitive adhesive to bind said label to said tire, a nontransparent face sheet that reflects incident light back towards its source, and a transparent top layer containing one or more fluorescent dyes that are disproportionately located in the portion of the transparent top layer nearest a surface of the layer. Desirably, the surface with the dye in the one nearest the adhesive. The transparent top layer itself inherently provides a barrier to components in adjacent black tire sidewalls that seem to deactivate the fluorescence in conventional fluorescent labels when the exterior of the labels are stored against black tire sidewalls. Desirably the transparent top layer provides a barrier to components in the marked tire, which might deactivate the fluorescent dyes in the transparent top layer from the interior or adhesive side of the label. A dyeing procedure to prepare such transparent top layer with the dye disproportionately near one surface is disclosed in EP 0 587 282 A1 and WO 95/19266 hereby incorporated by reference. The barrier effect of transparent top layer prepared by these dyeing techniques maintains the fluorescent activity of the fluorescent dye for days, weeks, and desirably for months.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with this invention, a process for applying a specific fluorescent label is described wherein the label includes a fluorescent dye or dyes disproportionately located in the upper or lower surface of the transparent top layer and desirably such that the dyes are closest to the adhesive side. The transparent top layer itself provides a barrier to components in adjacent black tire sidewalls that seem to deactivate the fluorescence in conventional fluorescent labels when the exterior of the labels are stored against black tire sidewalls. The presence of chemicals within tires, which are capable of migrating, is well known. New tire sidewalls are often coated by the manufacturer with water removable protective paints or coatings, when the tire sidewalls include a non-black component (e.g., a white sidewall) which can be detrimentally stained if the non-black component (whitewall) contacts the typical black colored remainder of another tire for an extended time during storage. The barrier effect of the transparent top layer maintains the fluorescent activity of the fluorescent dye for days, weeks, and desirably for months.
The fluorescent label desirably comprises a release liner, a pressure sensitive adhesive to bind said label to said tire, a nontransparent face sheet that reflects incident light back towards its source, and a transparent top layer containing one or more fluorescent dyes that are disproportionately located in the portion of the relatively transparent top layer nearest the adhesive side or nearest the outer surface.
The release liner is generally a disposable film or layer that allows the labels to be rolled onto themselves or stacked without sticking to themselves. It can be any conventional release backing such as wax paper, fluoropolymers, paper coated with fluoropolymers or a silicone release material, polypropylene, polyethylene etc. The re
Ahmad Nasser
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Young Jr Henry C
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