Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-11
2004-07-06
Maki, Steven D. (Department: 1733)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C152S209140, C152S456000, C703S001000, C703S002000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06758928
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an improved pneumatic tire, especially as it pertains to traction, handling, wear and durability of a pneumatic tire.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A pneumatic tire provides cushioning between a vehicle and a driving surface, and a pneumatic tire and its construction have an influence on the handling properties of the vehicle. Since a pneumatic tire can be designed to optimize traction, the tire can have a strong influence on the acceleration of the vehicle. Other performance properties of the vehicle are also integrally related to the properties of the pneumatic tires which are mounted on the vehicle.
Tires are sometimes designed to have specific properties which are tuned to the kind of use that is to be made of a vehicle. For example, if a vehicle is used mainly for straight ahead driving, the pneumatic tire can be constructed to maximize the tread contact of the tire when the tire is going straight ahead. Similarly, when frequent cornering is expected, such as is encountered by race cars going counter-clockwise around oval tracks, the tires are sometimes constructed to stiffen the right sidewall to maximize the tread contact between the tire and the riding surface when the vehicle is cornering. Often, these specialized constructions sacrifice one property in exchange for maximizing another property.
When a tire is constructed to provide maximum tread contact with the riding surface for the kind of use most often encountered by the vehicle, the durability of the tire usually increases. When, for example, vehicle tires are especially constructed for race cars running on an oval track so that tread contact is maximized during cornering, it is expected that the number of tire changes during a race may be reduced.
When a vehicle is expected to encounter right-hand turns as well as left-hand turns, logic would indicate that the proper construction for such a tire would be the same or similar construction to that used on a vehicle that encounters a lot of straight ahead driving.
DEFINITIONS
“Aspect ratio” of the tire means the ratio of its section height (SH) to its section width (SW) multiplied by 100% for expression as a percentage.
“Axial” and “axially” mean lines or directions that are parallel to the axis of rotation of the tire.
“Bead” means that part of the tire comprising an annular tensile member wrapped by ply cords and shaped, with or without other reinforcement elements such as flippers, chippers, apexes, toe guards and chafers, to fit the design rim.
“Belt reinforcing structure” means at least two layers of plies of parallel cords, woven or unwoven, underlying the tread, unanchored to the bead, and having both left and right cord angles in the range from 17 degrees to 27 degrees with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire.
“Circumferential” means lines or directions extending along the perimeter of the surface of the annular tread perpendicular to the axial direction.
“Equatorial plane (EP)” means the plane perpendicular to the tire's axis of rotation and passing through the center of its tread.
“Footprint” means the contact patch or area of contact of the tire tread with a flat surface at zero speed and under normal load and pressure.
“Inboard side” means the side of the tire nearest the vehicle when the tire is mounted on a wheel and the wheel is mounted on the vehicle.
“Outboard side” means the side of the tire farthest away from the vehicle when the tire is mounted on a wheel and the wheel is mounted on the vehicle.
“Ply” means a continuous layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.
“Pneumatic tire” means a laminated mechanical device of generally toroidal shape (usually an open torus) having beads and a tread and made of rubber, chemicals, fabric and steel or other materials. When mounted on the wheel of a motor vehicle, the tire, through its tread, provides traction and contains the fluid or gaseous matter, usually air, that sustains the vehicle load.
“Radial” and “radially” means directions radially toward or away from the axis of rotation of the tire.
“Section height” (SH) means the radial distance from the nominal rim diameter to the outer diameter of the tire at its equatorial plane.
“Shoulder” means the upper portion of a sidewall just below the tread edge.
“Sidewall” means that portion of a tire between the tread and the bead.
“Tread” means a molded rubber component which, when bonded to a tire casing, includes that portion of the tire which comes into contact with the road when the tire is normally inflated and under normal load.
“Unit tread pressure” means the radial load borne per unit area (square centimeter or square inch) of the tread surface when that area is in the footprint of the normally inflated and normally loaded tire.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A pneumatic tire has at least a pair of parallel annular beads or bead-like structures in association with a carcass ply, belt or breaker reinforcement disposed over a crown area of the carcass ply, a tread disposed over the belts or breakers, and sidewalls disposed between the tread and the beads or bead-like structures. The tire of the invention has an asymmetric profile wherein the highest point in the tread is located between the centerline of the tread and the shoulder of the tread at 15% to 85% of the distance from the centerline to the shoulder of the tread.
In an illustrated tire, the highest point in the tread is 3 inches (7.62 cm) from the centerline (CL).
For various tire constructions embraced by the invention, the tread at its highest point may be 0.127 cm to 5 cm higher than the tread at a corresponding point on an opposed side of said centerline (CL).
In an illustrated tire, the highest point in the tread is 0.127 to 1.27 (cm) higher than a corresponding point in a tread half on the opposite side of the centerline (CL).
The pneumatic tire may be defined by an asymmetric profile wherein a peak (P) in the tread has a height and location defined by the formulae P=(sin C·W)−(N/K) and L=½W−(0.3P/sin C), where
L is the distance of Peak shift from the centerline
P is the maximum differential in mold geometry from side to side
K is tire vertical spring rate
S is sidewall length
W is tread width
C is the average dynamic camber, and
N is the normal load
It is an object of the invention to provide a tire construction that provides good contact between the tread and the riding surface when a vehicle on which it is mounted is cornering, without sacrificing tread contact and handling properties when the vehicle is driven straight ahead.
Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims.
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Hubbell, Jr. David Ray
Kachner Michael David
Smith Christopher Michael
Krawczyk Nancy T.
Maki Steven D.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Wheeler David E.
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