# US 11,993,101 B2 · Vehicle pneumatic tyre and rubber mixture for a tread

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- Number: US 11,993,101 B2
- Document ID: US11993101B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/262,298
- Filed: 2019-07-08
- Published: 2021-08-19
- Granted: 2024-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2018-08-10
- Assignees: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH
- Applicants: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH
- Inventors: Christian Weber; Norbert Müller; Pedro-Nuno Rodrigues
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993101B2

## CPC

- B60C 11/0306: {Patterns comprising block rows or discontinuous ribs}
- B60C 1/0016: {Compositions of the tread}
- B60C 11/0008: {characterised by the tread rubber}
- C08K 3/06: Sulfur
- C08K 3/36: Silica
- C08K 5/548: containing sulfur {(C08K5/5477 takes precedence)}
- C08L 9/06: Copolymers with styrene
- C08L 15/00: Compositions of rubber derivatives (C08L11/00, C08L13/00 take precedence)
- B29D 30/52: Unvulcanised treads, e.g. on used tyres; Retreading (apparatus for forming {treads by extrusion B29C48/00; apparatus for} vulcanising treads B29C35/02; apparatus characterised by the means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00)
- B60C 2011/0016: {Physical properties or dimensions}
- B60C 2011/0025: {Modulus or tan delta}
- B60C 2011/0033: {Thickness of the tread}
- B60C 2011/0355: {characterised by depth}
- B60C 2011/129: {Sipe density, i.e. the distance between the sipes within the pattern}
- C08L 2205/02: containing two or more polymers of the same C08L -group
- C08L 2207/324: Liquid component is low molecular weight polymer
- B60C: VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
- C08K: Use of inorganic or non-macromolecular organic substances as compounding ingredients (paints, inks, varnishes, dyes, polishes, adhesives C09)
- C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06)
- B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00)

## Abstract

A pneumatic vehicle tire in radial design that is a summer tire or all-season tire, with a profiled tread comprising rows of profile blocks and/or profile ribs running around the tire in circumferential direction, wherein the total number of sipes within each row of profile blocks and/or profile ribs is not more than 150, wherein the tread is in the form of a single layer or multiple layers with a radially outermost tread layer that extends at least over the width of the ground contact area, and wherein the profile depth of the tread is up to 6.5 mm. The tread or its radially outermost tread layer consists of a rubber material with a Shore A hardness at room temperature in accordance with DIN ISO 7619-1 of 40 ShA to 55 ShA.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of preparing a rubber mixture comprising:
a first mixing stage for mixing first constituents comprised of:
a rubber having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of lower than −35° C. or a mixture of at least two rubbers having an average glass transition temperature (Tg) of lower than −35° C.;
30 phr to 250 phr of silica(s);
5.0 phr to 70 phr of liquid polymer(s);
5.0 phr to 75 phr of resin(s);
3.0 phr to 25.0 phr of activator(s);
a second mixing stage wherein 0.5 phr to 6.0 phr of accelerator(s) and 0.5 phr to 5.0 phr of sulfur or a sulfur donor are mixed with the first constituents after the first mixing stage;
wherein in the first mixing stage the first constituents are mixed at a mixing temperature of from 145° C. to 185° C. for a period of from 200 to 600 seconds; and,
wherein the second mixing stage has a mixing temperature of from 90° C. to 120° C. for a period of from 180 to 300 seconds;
wherein the rubber mixture is incorporated in a single-layer tread or in a radially outermost layer of a multilayer tread of a pneumatic vehicle tire in radial design that is a summer tire or all-season tire, with a profiled tread comprising rows of profile blocks and/or profile ribs running around the tire in circumferential direction, wherein the total number of sipes within each row of profile blocks and/or profile ribs is not more than 150;
wherein the tread is in the form of a single layer or multiple layers with a radially outermost tread layer that extends at least over the width of a ground contact area;
wherein a profile depth of the tread is up to 6.5 mm; and,
wherein the tread or its radially outermost tread layer consists of the rubber mixture with a Shore A hardness at room temperature in accordance with DIN ISO 7619-1 of 40 ShA to 55 ShA.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the Shore A hardness at room temperature in accordance with DIN ISO 7619-1 of the rubber mixture of the tread or of the radially outermost tread layer is not more than 50 ShA.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rubber mixture of the tread or of the radially outermost tread layer has a dynamic storage modulus at 8% elongation and 55° C. ((E′8%) in accordance with DIN 53 513, ascertained by dynamic-mechanical measurement with a strain sweep, of 2.5 MPa to 4.0 MPa.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the profile depth of the tread is not more than 6.0 mm.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the profile depth of the tread is at least 4.5 mm.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first constituents comprise from 10 phr to 50 phr of the resin(s).

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rubber has a glass transition temperature (Tg) of lower than −55° C. or a mixture of at least two rubbers has an average glass transition temperature (Tg) of lower than −55° C.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first constituents comprise at least one blocked and/or unblocked mercaptosilane as the activator(s).

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first constituents comprise a total of 7.0 phr to 13.0 phr of the blocked and/or unblocked mercaptosilane.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first constituents comprise 50 phr to 100 phr of modified solution styrene-butadiene rubber.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first constituents comprise 60 phr to 150 phr of the silica.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in a claim 1, wherein the liquid polymer(s) of the first constituents comprise 10 phr to 50 phr of at least liquid polybutadiene.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in a claim 1, wherein the rubber mixture is devoid of plasticizer oil.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in a claim 1, wherein the liquid polymer(s) include polybutadiene which is the only plasticizer in the rubber mixture.