# US 10,865,292 B1 · Pneumatic tire with improved bead filler

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- Number: US 10,865,292 B1
- Document ID: US10865292B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 15/689,793
- Filed: 2017-08-29
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2016-08-29
- Assignees: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC; Firestone Polymers, LLC
- Applicants: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
- Inventors: Paul N. Hamilton; Amy M. Randall; Terrence E. Hogan; Benjamin C. Galizio; Steven R. Reynolds
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865292B1

## CPC

- C08L 9/06: Copolymers with styrene
- B60C 15/0603: {characterised by features of the bead filler or apex}
- C08J 3/24: Crosslinking, e.g. vulcanising, of macromolecules (mechanical aspects B29C35/00; crosslinking agents C08K)
- C08K 3/04: Carbon
- C08L 7/00: Compositions of natural rubber
- C08L 21/00: Compositions of unspecified rubbers
- B60C 2001/005: {Compositions of the bead portions, e.g. clinch or chafer rubber or cushion rubber}
- B60C 2001/0058: {Compositions of the bead apexes}
- C08F 297/04: polymerising vinyl aromatic monomers and conjugated dienes
- C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06)
- B60C: VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
- C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29)
- C08K: Use of inorganic or non-macromolecular organic substances as compounding ingredients (paints, inks, varnishes, dyes, polishes, adhesives C09)
- C08F: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS

## Abstract

A vulcanizable composition for preparing bead filler, the composition comprising a vulcanized rubber; and a vinyl aromatic-containing block copolymer compound, where the vinyl aromatic-containing copolymer is defined by the formula II d-Vo-D-V′-ω II where each V is independently a polyvinyl aromatic block, D is a polydiene block, w is a hydrogen atom, a functional group, or a polymeric segment or block, and where d is a polydiene block, and where the overall vinyl content of the block copolymer is greater than 65%.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A tire comprising:
a bead filler including the vulcanized residue of a vulcanizable composition including a rubber and a vinyl aromatic-containing block copolymer compound, where the vinyl aromatic-containing copolymer is defined by the formula II
d-Vo-D-V′-ω II
where each V is independently a polyvinyl aromatic block, D is a polydiene block, ω is a hydrogen atom, a functional group, or a polymeric segment or block, and where d is a polydiene block, and where the overall vinyl content of the block copolymer is greater than 80%.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The tire of claim 1, where the bead filler further comprises at least 5 parts by weight of the residue of a reinforcing resin per 100 parts by weight rubber.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The tire of claim 1, where the bead filler further comprises at least 10 parts by weight of the residue of a reinforcing resin per 100 parts by weight rubber.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The tire of claim 2, where the bead filler further comprises at least 55 parts by weight carbon black per 100 parts by weight rubber.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The tire of claim 3, where the bead filler further comprises at least 65 parts by weight carbon black per 100 parts by weight rubber.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The tire of claim 1, where the bead filler is characterized by an E′ of greater than 120 MPa at 25° C. and 1% strain.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The tire of claim 1, where the bead filler is characterized by an E′ of greater than 140 MPa at 25° C. and 1% strain.

### Claim 8

A method for preparing a tire, the method comprising:
vulcanizing a green tire, where said green tire includes a green bead filler that is fabricated from a vulcanizable composition of matter comprising a rubber, a vinyl aromatic-containing block copolymer compound, and a curative, where the vinyl aromatic-containing copolymer is defined by the formula II
d-Vo-D-V′-ω II
where each V is independently a polyvinyl aromatic block, D is a polydiene block, ω is a hydrogen atom, a functional group, or a polymeric segment or block, and where d is a polydiene block, and where the overall vinyl content of the block copolymer is greater than 80%.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The tire of claim 1, where the bead filler comprises from about 5 to about 25 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight rubber, of the reaction product of a donor compound and an acceptor compound.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The tire of claim 1, where the bead filler comprises from about 7 to about 20 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight rubber, of the reaction product of a donor compound and an acceptor compound.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The tire of claim 1, where the vulcanizable composition includes at least 10 parts by weight and at most 90 parts by weight of the vinyl aromatic-containing block copolymer, at least 7 parts by weight of a reinforcing resin, at least 65 parts by weight of a carbon black, per 100 parts by weight rubber.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, where the vulcanizable composition includes at least 10 parts by weight and at most 90 parts by weight of the vinyl aromatic-containing block copolymer, at least 7 parts by weight of a reinforcing resin, at least 65 parts by weight of a carbon black, per 100 parts by weight rubber.