Resilient tires and wheels – Tires – resilient – Cushion and pneumatic combined
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-19
2001-04-10
Ball, Michael W. (Department: 1733)
Resilient tires and wheels
Tires, resilient
Cushion and pneumatic combined
C152S520000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213179
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a run-flat tire system for motorcycles, more particularly to a buffer inserted between a tire and a tube, capable of improving the resistance to puncture and the run-flat performance.
In motorcycles in particular sports bikes such as off-road bikes or motocross bikes, tires are used under a relatively low pressure in comparison with road going bikes. As a result, the engaging force between the beads of the tire and the bead seats of the wheel rim is decreased, and air leakage is liable to occur. Therefore, the tires are usually used together with a tube.
When such tire undergoes an excessive tire load, tire deformation becomes excessively large due to the low pressure, and the tread rubber sometimes collides with the rim through the tube. Therefore, if edged or pointed objects such as stones, rocks, stubs and the like exist, the tread rubber is liable to be cut therewith, and sometimes the tube is punctured.
Therefore, as countermeasures, 1) increasing the tread rubber thickness, 2) increasing the tube thickness, and 3) filling the inside of the tire with poly-urethane form instead of a tube are hitherto taken.
However, the measures 1) and 2) greatly deteriorate the steering stability and ride comfort, and it is difficult to completely prevent punctures. In the measure 3), as the poly-urethane is pressed into the tire, it is very difficult to mount the tire on the rim, and further, during running the urethane generates heat and is liable to melt down. The above-mentioned conventional tube is hereinafter called “standard tube” to distinguish from a tube used in this invention.
For the purpose of solving those problems, in the laid-open Japanese patent applications JP-A-3-231008, JP-A-3-292206 and JP-A-8-164719, we have proposed to dispose sponge rubber as a buffer to wrap the tube therein.
On the basis of those propositions, the present invention was made in order to further improve the run-flat performance and the durability of a buffer.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a run-flat tire system for motorcycles, in which the durability of a buffer and the run-flat performance are improved.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a run-flat tire system for a motorcycle comprises
a tire comprising a tread portion, a pair of sidewall portions and a pair of bead portions and defining a tire cavity when mounted on a wheel rim, the tire cavity having a maximum section width (Wi) when the tire is inflated to a standard pressure, the tire cavity having a maximum diameter (dd) and a sectional area (Sd) in a free state when the tire is not inflated,
a buffer being an annular body made of an elastic closed-cell material disposed in the tire cavity, the buffer being provided in a radially inner surface with a circumferentially extending groove,
a tube disposed in the circumferentially extending groove,
the outside diameter (D) of the buffer under its free state being in the range of from 0.90 to 1.0 times the maximum diameter (dd),
the maximum section width (W) of the buffer under the free state being in the range of from 1.05 to 1.2 times the maximum section width (Wi), and
a gross sectional area (S) of the buffer under the free state inclusive of the sectional area of the groove being in the range of from 1.0 to 1.15 times the sectional area (Sd).
REFERENCES:
patent: 1638370 (1927-08-01), Small
patent: 1714710 (1929-05-01), Dalbey
patent: 5685925 (1997-11-01), Riquier et al.
patent: 2104457 (1983-03-01), None
patent: 3-231008 (1991-10-01), None
patent: 3-292206 (1991-12-01), None
patent: 8-164719 (1996-06-01), None
patent: 08164719 (1996-10-01), None
patent: 08332805 (1997-04-01), None
patent: 40689 (1961-12-01), None
Ball Michael W.
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Musser Barbara J.
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd.
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