# US 11,999,201 B2 · Pneumatic tire

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- Number: US 11,999,201 B2
- Document ID: US11999201B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/309,979
- Filed: 2019-12-12
- Published: 2022-03-10
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2019-01-09
- Assignees: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
- Inventors: Atsushi Tanno; Daichi Watabe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11999201B2

## CPC

- B60C 19/002: {Noise damping elements provided in the tyre structure or attached thereto, e.g. in the tyre interior}
- B60C: VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES

## Abstract

On a pneumatic tire, a sound absorbing member is installed on an inner surface of a tread portion via a surface fastener including a pair including a hook member and a loop member, the hook member including hook-shaped elements on one surface and being fixed to the tire inner surface, and the loop member being provided with loop-shaped elements engageable with the hook-shaped elements and being fixed to the sound absorbing member. In a meridian cross-section, the loop member has at least one section partially fixed in a tire width direction to the sound absorbing member. Given a fixed region in which the loop member is fixed to the sound absorbing member, and a non-fixed region in which the loop member is not fixed to the sound absorbing member, an engaging region in which the loop member and the hook member engage each other is on the non-fixed region.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A pneumatic tire, comprising:
a tread portion extending in a tire circumferential direction and having an annular shape;
a pair of sidewall portions respectively disposed on both sides of the tread portion; and
a pair of bead portions each disposed on an inner side of the pair of sidewall portions in a tire radial direction;
the pneumatic tire being provided with a sound absorbing member on an inner surface of the tread portion by using a surface fastener;
the surface fastener comprising a pair made up of a hook member and a loop member, the hook member being provided with a plurality of hook-shaped engaging elements on one surface of the hook member and being fixed to the inner surface, and the loop member provided with loop-shaped engaging elements that can engage with the hook-shaped engaging elements and being fixed to the sound absorbing member;
in a meridian cross-section, the loop member having at least one section partially fixed in a tire width direction to the sound absorbing member; and
a fixed region being a region in which the loop member is fixed to the sound absorbing member, a non-fixed region being a region in which the loop member is not fixed to the sound absorbing member, and an engaging region in which the loop member and the hook member engage with each other being disposed only on the non-fixed region.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein at least a pair of the fixed regions are present on both sides of the non-fixed region comprising the engaging region in the tire width direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The pneumatic tire according to claim 2, wherein a surface length L0 of a portion of the sound absorbing member that is covered by the loop member between the pair of the fixed regions adjacent to the non-fixed region comprising the engaging region is from 1.2 times to 6.0 times a width W1 of the engaging region.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The pneumatic tire according to claim 2, wherein a ratio L1/L0 of a length L1 of the non-fixed region of the loop member to a surface length L0 of a portion of the sound absorbing member which is covered by the loop member between the pair of the fixed regions adjacent to the non-fixed region comprising the engaging region is in a range of from 1.01 to 1.5.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the sound absorbing member is a band-like member extending in the tire circumferential direction, and has a missing portion in which the sound absorbing member is not present in at least one section in the tire circumferential direction, and the loop member projects from the sound absorbing member in the tire circumferential direction at least on one end portion of the sound absorbing member facing the missing portion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The pneumatic tire according to claim 3, wherein a ratio L1/L0 of a length L1 of the non-fixed region of the loop member to a surface length L0 of a portion of the sound absorbing member which is covered by the loop member between the pair of the fixed regions adjacent to the non-fixed region comprising the engaging region is in a range of from 1.01 to 1.5.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The pneumatic tire according to claim 6, wherein the sound absorbing member is a band-like member extending in the tire circumferential direction, and has a missing portion in which the sound absorbing member is not present in at least one section in the tire circumferential direction, and the loop member projects from the sound absorbing member in the tire circumferential direction at least on one end portion of the sound absorbing member facing the missing portion.