Asymmetric mold tread contour
AssigneeThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
InventorsDavid Ray Hubbell JR., Christopher Michael Smith, Michael David Kachner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
By shifting the peak height of the tread on one side of the tire from the centerline (CL), for a tire intended for cambered use on a vehicle and/or exposure to lateral loading, improvements in the footprint shape, pressure distribution, area and footprint shape factor (FSF) are obtained. In an illustrated embodiment, 0.127 cm to 5 cm (deep) of mold material are removed from one side of the centerline (CL) of the crown in a conventional mold, at 15% to 85% of the distance from the centerline to the shoulder area of the mold (one-half inch to five and one-half inches in the illustrated tires), to obtain a mold shape having the designated change in tread peak height.
Claims5
A pneumatic tire having at least a pair of parallel annular beads or bead-like structures in association with a carcass ply, belt or breaker reinforcement disposed over a crown area of said carcass ply, tread disposed over said belts or breakers, and sidewalls disposed between said tread and beads or bead-like structures, wherein said tire has an asymmetric profile wherein the highest point in the tread is located between the centerline of the tread and the shoulder of the tread at 15% to 85% of the distance from the centerline to the shoulder of the tread.
A pneumatic tire having a pair or annular beads or bead-like structures in association with a carcass ply, belt or breaker reinforcement disposed over a crown area of said carcass ply, tread disposed over said belts or breakers, and sidewalls disposed between said tread and said beads or bead-like structures, wherein the tire has an asymmetric profile wherein a peak (P) in the tread has a height and location defined by the formulae P=(sin C·W)−(N/K) and L=1/2W−(0.3P/sin C)
- L is the distance of Peak shift from the centerline
- P is the maximum differential in mold geometry from side to side
- K is tire vertical spring rate
- S is sidewall length
- W is tread width
- C is the average dynamic camber, and
- N is the normal load.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.