Resilient tires and wheels – Tires – resilient – Pneumatic tire or inner tube
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-05
2003-07-29
Johnstone, Adrienne C. (Department: 1733)
Resilient tires and wheels
Tires, resilient
Pneumatic tire or inner tube
C152S157000, C152S375000, C152S381600, C156S110100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06598636
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for fixing a ring of a sound-absorbing material on the circumferential area of a rim facing the interior of a tire mounted on the rim. The invention relates further to a motor vehicle wheel with a tire mounted on a rim in whose interior, encircling the rim, is positioned a ring made of a sound-absorbing material.
2. Discussion of Background Information
The tire vibrations produced during the rolling of the tire are known to be the main cause of the noise emitted by motor vehicles that is experienced as disturbing. In particular, the acoustic power produced in the tire torus is very high, with the acoustic oscillations created here being partially transferred via vehicle parts into the vehicle cabin and partially being radiated outward via the tire sidewalls. It is known that the incorporation of sound-absorbing materials into the tire interior reduces the acoustic power that is radiated.
Known, for instance, from German Patent No. DE 29 46 273 C2 is a device for reducing the tire noise of motor vehicles in which sound-absorbing and open-pore components are provided at the rim which extend into the interior of the tire without any contact with the interior tire surface.
The solution known from DE 44 00 912 A is concerned with realizing an effective reduction of the sound waves developing in the torus area, while taking into consideration an easy way of mounting and demounting. It is suggested here to introduce the sound-insulating material into a flexible hose which, due to its flexibility, can be mounted together with the tire onto the rim. The embodiment in the form of a hose includes the advantage of easy mounting. At higher speeds, in which the centrifugal forces that occur are already large, the comparatively loose fit of this assembly at the rim and its weight are disadvantageous.
From the German Patent DE 30 42 350 C2 a pneumatic vehicle tire is also known whose interior surfaces are partially or entirely covered with a sound-reducing coating of an open-pored foam. In order to achieve effective damping of the structure-borne noise in the frequency ranges that are particularly important physiologically, it is suggested here to use a special cross-linked polyurethane foam in a certain layer thickness that damps structure-borne noise.
Open-pore foam is particularly well suited by nature to lower the airborne sound level in the tire interior. One skilled in the art knows a number of foam materials that are well suited to individual requirements. In choosing the appropriate foam material, attention must be paid to a high level of sound absorption even at low frequencies. Furthermore, it is known that other materials also can be used for a sound absorption inside of a tire, for instance, sound-damping installations consisting of cotton, wool, felt, or other similar materials.
At higher speeds, in particular, the resistance to centrifugal forces of sound-insulating installations in the tire interiors is particularly important. The known solutions are not satisfying in that respect since the influence of centrifugal forces, in particular at higher speeds, causes undesired changes to occur in the sound-absorption characteristics due to deformations occurring in the material as well as due to changes in the cross-section of the installations. The sound absorbing material should therefore be as light in weight as possible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An aspect of the invention is to provide a solution for the fixing or mounting of a sound-absorbing installation at the rim, comprising in particular of foam material, which ensures the desired resistance to centrifugal forces with practically no increase, or only an insignificant increase, in weight of the sound-reducing installation.
This aspect is obtained in the process according to the invention in that the ring of sound absorbing material is covered by threads which are stretched alongside the ring towards or onto the rim.
In relation to the motor vehicle wheel according to the invention, this aspect is obtained in that the ring of sound-absorbing material is fixed to the rim via threads covering it that are stretched on both sides of the ring towards or onto the rim.
The treads covering the sound-insulating installation in the tire effectively prevent undesired and/or negative deformations of the sound-absorbing material and are simultaneously capable of holding the sound absorbing installation in its position at the rim, even at high speeds. The invention also makes it possible to fix sound absorbing installations of different cross-sectional shapes to the rim.
It is advantageous for ensuring good resistance to centrifugal forces if the threads are directed in at least essentially radial and axial direction or, in relation to the circumferential direction of the rim, up to a diagonal direction.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention these threads are the woof threads of a web or a web-like structure which is provided at each of its borders with at least one warp thread. Such a simple construction is quite sufficient to fix the sound-absorbing ring to the rim in a manner that is resistant to centrifugal forces.
In this embodiment, in particular, the fixing can take a particularly simple form in that the warp threads are mounting threads that can be pulled tight, in particular made of plastic or steel.
There are a multitude of possibilities for connecting the corresponding ends of the mounting threads to one another, in particular, tying, gluing, pressing, fusing, or sewing.
In order to prevent the sound absorbing ring from shifting it is usually sufficient when the mounting threads are prevented from slipping out of their position at the rim.
A simple possibility for preventing shifting is the provision of strips, moldings, or the like made of rubber or plastic at the rim where the mounting threads are stretched. Alternately, grooves can be provided at the rim which are meant to hold the mounting threads.
In another embodiment of the invention the mounting threads themselves can be made slip resistant, in particular rubberized.
In another variant of an embodiment of the invention the sound absorbing threads spanning the ring are clamped to the rim on both sides of the ring. This is also a version of the embodiment that can be handled relatively simply.
In order to facilitate the clamping of the threads they can be held by edge strips or the like, made, in particular, of rubber. In this case it is advantageous to clamp the edge strip on both sides of the sound-absorbing ring to the rim.
Again it is advantageous in this embodiment to provide additional measures against an unintentional slipping. To this end, the threads or the edge strips can be clamped to rubber moldings connected to the rim. As an additional measure to prevent slipping, these rubber moldings can be provided with circular grooves in which the clamping of the edge strips or the threads occurs.
The clamping itself can be accomplished in a simple manner by clamps such as stretchable tapes or the like.
In all variant embodiments the web or formation can be provided with additional threads spanning in the circumferential direction in order to facilitate handling thereof.
In an additional measure to facilitate handling, provision is made to glue the threads and/or the formation containing them to the sound absorbing ring before it is mounted onto the rim.
In another embodiment of the invention the threads spanning the ring are parts of a compact but acoustically transparent web.
In this case separate clamps can be omitted in that the web is stretched towards the rim or onto the rim by means of shrinkable threads, especially threads that shrink as a result of wetting. This simplifies handling, since separate attachment of the web to the rim is no longer necessary.
In a preferred embodiment the shrinkable threads can be woven in, at least in the edge strips of the web, where they are interwoven in the circumferential direction.
In an alternative form of the embodim
Dieckmann Andreas
Dodt Thomas
Fidan Mehmet Sadettin
Gauterin Frank
Schürmann Oliver
Continental Aktiengesellschaft
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Johnstone Adrienne C.
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