Resilient tires and wheels – Tires – resilient
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-21
2001-10-09
Johnstone, Adrienne C. (Department: 1733)
Resilient tires and wheels
Tires, resilient
C152S209100, C152S209500, C152S450000, C152S524000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298889
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to the field of powered vehicles and tires for such. In particular, the invention relates to an article of manufacture and the process for manufacturing such tires having a distinct, non black, color. Such color may be based on a dye or pigment and should be dispersed solidly and evenly through the rubber composition of the tire so that the non black color will remain inherent through all portions of the tire.
BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART
While there are tires that are not completely black, such tires are found with colored sidewalls and/or appliqués, there are no known tires that are manufactured with a single solidly dispersed color in them that is not black. Nowadays black tires in use on essentially all vehicles are of one single color, namely black. Appliqués and sidewalls are in contrast to the black material of the tire and as such really only amount to a colored coating on the outer wall surface of the tire. The invention described herein includes dyes or pigments used directly in the tire composition and dispersed throughout the tire.
It is thought that the use of tires that are colored with a color other than black will lead to advantages not yet seen in the field of vehicle tires. For instance, such tires would be better able to show signs of wear because such signs of wear will become more easily evident in a tire that is of a color lighter than black. Damage marks that develop over the life of a tire will frequently show signs of the type of damage that was done to the tire during the wearing out of the tire. Such scuffs and other damage will show up much more clearly when the background color of the tire is other than black.
In such cases, dirt and oils from the road will be picked up by the damage in the tire and will contrast starkly with the color of the non black tire. By tracking such damage, a mechanic may be better able to determine what maintenance steps are needed for that tire. In addition, the need for and the proper direction of tire rotations can be better determined by the mechanic or other maintenance person who can see signs of tire wear by inspecting the wear patterns on the colored tire.
Moreover, tire wear that shows up clearly can be used to spot punctures that have occurred and may be used to spot potential trouble areas such as a tire bulge or cracking that might soon prove to be dangerous or, for example, a weak spot that is developing in the tire. The use of a non black color, for example red, that is dispersed entirely throughout the tire composition will thus produce fresh red scuffs or streaks or similar signs of damages and wear. This is in contrast to the oily black color that may develop over the worn flat portions of the tread that are constantly in contact with the oily surface of the roads. Such fresh marks of a non black color would underscore newly developed cracks or other disturbance of the tires and would be more easily seen as they are of a lighter-than-black color.
Aside from tire maintenance, other types of vehicle maintenance may also be indicated by studying the wear patterns on non black tires. For instance, a tire having too much wear on the inside of the tire may mean that the tires and wheels need to be balanced or that the wheels are out of alignment.
It is also believed that using tires that are of a solid non black color will provide a greater degree of safety for both pedestrians and passengers/drivers of vehicles. Such tires will highlight the appearance of a vehicle at night as well as provide a better visual picture of the vehicle during the day. Such colored tires may include coloring agents and other compositions that provide reflectance and will produce a greater reflectance than the standard black tires that are currently in use on vehicles. Such compositions may include reflective material in the dye or pigment and/or the use of reflective materials in the tire in addition to the dye or pigment.
Such colored tires could be operating in connection with the small amount of light that is present from street lights and the other sources of light during the night so that a lighter than black color of the tire surface will provide a visual warning at night that can seen by motorists, pedestrians and/or animals. Such visual appearance may be enhanced by the use of reflective materials in the pigments and/or other coloring agents used in the tire composition.
In addition, the aesthetic beauty of a tire may enhance the visual appearance of the vehicle upon which it is used. It is thought possible that such colored tires will provide such a striking appearance for the vehicle that such tires may be used at trade shows or other automotive displays where the color of the tires will draw attention first to the tires and then to the vehicle itself.
It is believed that there are benefits to making tires of a composition that is of color other than black and such benefits and advantages that would accrue will be recognized by those skilled in the art, once the invention is shown and described.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is a vehicle tire that is of a single non black color that is more distinct and visually striking than the state of the art black color that is in use nowadays. Such tire compositions that are in use may be enhanced by coloring agents such as dyes and pigments that will be dispersed throughout the rubber composition and will serve to color the tire a distinctive, non black, color that remains throughout the tire. Such pigments and/or coloring agents may include reflective materials to enhance the visual appearance of such tire at night. Colors such as reds, blues, greens, yellows, browns as well as lighter shades and more earthy tones may be produced by the different types and combinations of the dyes and pigments.
The visual effect of such compositions may be enhanced by the use of components that provide luminescent, reflective and/or photochromic properties to the tire material in question. Such pigments, and dyes may be chosen from state of the art materials. The invention also includes a method for manufacturing such tires as well as the colored tires.
It is among the objectives to provide a tire of a composition having a non black color that is solidly and evenly dispersed throughout the density of the tire composition so that the tire will remain with a non black appearance even as the tire is worn or damaged.
It is among the objectives to provide a tire that is of a color other than black and having a striking visual appearance that will alert motorists and pedestrians that a moving vehicle is in the area.
It is among the objectives to provide a tire having a dye or pigment in the rubber composition that produces non black signs of wear on the tire that will provide a greater visual indication of signs of wear and damage to the tire.
It is among the objectives to provide a tire that is of a color other than black and will have a visual appearance that is readily apparent at night so as to provide a greater visual warning to motorists and pedestrians that a vehicle is approaching.
Another objective is to provide a non black color and appearance that will enhance the aesthetic appeal of a vehicle by drawing attention to the tires of a vehicle that would otherwise be of an ordinary state of the art black color.
Other objectives will be apparent once the invention is shown and described.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3768537 (1973-10-01), Hess et al.
patent: 62-68101 (1987-03-01), None
patent: 2-189207 (1990-07-01), None
patent: 4-202339 (1992-07-01), None
Bike Nashbar catalog 107 pp. 48 and 49, 1995.
Halvonik John P.
Johnstone Adrienne C.
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