Resilient tires and wheels – Tires – resilient – Pneumatic tire or inner tube
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-01
2003-02-04
Knable, Geoffrey L. (Department: 1733)
Resilient tires and wheels
Tires, resilient
Pneumatic tire or inner tube
C152S513000, C152S524000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06513560
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention generally relates to the construction of pneumatic tires and more particularly to an improved tire construction having a ring flange protector mounted in the sidewall area.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,663 ('663), for many years, pneumatic tires have incorporated white color or adornment to the characteristic black coloration of the tires. More recently whitewalls have appeared in variations such as a plurality of stripes, stripes in colors other than white, stripes in varying widths, and combinations of these variables. Also whitewall decoration now includes raised white or colored letters which identify the manufacturer, a particular tire configuration, or other indicia.
The previously mentioned color decoration for pneumatic tires has generally been effected in one of two ways. The most common technique is to incorporate whitewall materials by extruding the desired colored compound simultaneously with the sidewall stock of the tire during the initial fabrication of components or building stage. In the other technique, the whitewall element is added subsequent to the final shaping and curing of the tire.
The first technique generally embeds the desired colored compound into the characteristic black sidewall stock of the tire during the extruding or the fabrication of the sidewall and prior to the first stages of tire fabrication or building. The colored compound is normally covered with a thin layer or laminate of black sidewall stock commonly referred to as a cover strip. The tire is subsequently completed in conventional fashion as in the manufacture of a standard black wall tire through the shaping and vulcanization steps. Subsequent to vulcanization, grinding or butting equipment is employed to remove portions of the cover strip and expose the extent of colored compound necessary to achieve the predetermined desired decorative effect. Their commercial acceptance has been limited because of the additional cost associated with the additional processing steps and the increased number of imperfect tires caused by the additional processing.
The other technique, where the whitewall element is applied subsequent to the final shaping and curing of the tire, is generally accomplished by the attachment of a colored element to the sidewall of the tire by either bonding techniques or mechanical attachment to flaps or overhanging shoulders formed in the sidewall of a tire.
As discussed in the '663 patent whitewalls produced by this technique can also constitute a combined sidewall decorating and reinforcing structural element. An inlay ring formed as an elastomeric body containing reinforcing cords is integrally united by a curing process subsequent to the tire building operation. The cord elements provides the reinforcement and the elastomeric can be of any desired color. Never the less, the elastomeric portion of the inlay ring is subject to wear when abraded against a curb and the like. Also, the cords are deficient because besides being expensive (cords plus manufacturing), they can induce separations during tire deflection when the inlay ring will be forced to adapt to a smaller diameter than in its natural, undetected state. Therefore the cords will have to go into compression which they are not designed to handle. Also from an esthetic point of view, this spirally wound ring is not uniform about the tire circumference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, a pneumatic tire has a rubber, toroidal shaped carcass with sidewalls and a rubber tread. The rubber carcass is terminated at opposite bead regions for mounting on a tire rim. The tire has at least one of the sidewall with a circumferentially extending continuous groove and a non-rubber inlay ring secured within the continuous groove of the sidewalls to form a rim flange protector.
According to the invention, the non-rubber inlay ring is constructed of a material from the group including plastic, metal, alloys and thermoplastic.
According to the invention, the circumferentially extending continuous groove is generally trapezoidal shaped in cross-section and the non-rubber inlay ring is configured for substantially mating engagement.
Further according to the invention, the circumferentially extending, continuous groove can have different cross-sectional shapes and the non-rubber inlay ring is configured for substantially mating engagement.
In one embodiment, the circumferentially extending continuous groove is of greater radial width at the bottom of the slot than at opening thereof.
Further according an embodiment of the invention, the non-rubber inlay ring is secured within the sidewalls to form a rim flange protector during vulcanization of the tire.
Also according to another embodiment of the invention, the non-rubber inlay ring is secured within the continuous groove of the sidewalls to form a rim flange protector subsequent to vulcanization of the tire. The non-rubber inlay ring can be secured within the continuous groove of the sidewalls with an adhesive.
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Colantonio Laurent
Corvasce Filomeno Gennaro
Philpott Frank
Roesgen Alain Emile Francois
Cohn Howard M.
Knable Geoffrey L.
The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
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