Sidewall protector ribs
AssigneeBridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
InventorRonald W. Tatlock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pneumatic tire for use with telescopic material handlers includes a first concentrically continuous sidewall protector rib projecting radially outward from the sidewall and located above a midpoint of the sidewall. A second non-continuous sidewall protector rib is located concentrically outward of the first sidewall protector rib. The tire is a relatively low aspect ratio tire having a relatively flat sidewall profile. This provides a tire having the advantage of added sidewall protection without increasing the overall width of the inflated tire.
Claims23
A pneumatic tire, comprising:
- first and second sidewalls;
- a tread area extending between the first and second sidewalls, the tread area including an inner tread surface and at least a first circumferential row of lugs extending radially outward from the inner tread surface adjacent the first sidewall;
- and
- a circumferentially continuous sidewall protector rib including a radially outer surface defined as an integral extension of the inner tread surface without any surface break line between the radially outer surface and the inner tread surface, and including an axially outer surface projecting axially at least as far as any other part of the first sidewall to protect the first sidewall from damaging engagement with foreign objects.
A pneumatic tire, comprising:
- first and second sidewalls;
- a tread portion extending between the first and second sidewalls, the tread portion including a radially inner tread base, and a plurality of lugs extending radially outward from the base, the first sidewall having a sidewall height extending radially from a radially innermost part of the first sidewall to a radially outer ground engaging surface of the tread portion;
- a circumferentially continuous sidewall protector rib located entirely above 60% of the sidewall height, the circumferentially continuous sidewall protector rib projecting axially outward at least as far as any other part of the first sidewall when the tire is in an inflated loaded condition;
- and
- a circumferentially non-continuous sidewall protector rib located radially outward from and radially adjacent to the circumferentially continuous sidewall protector rib, the circumferentially non-continuous sidewall protector rib projecting axially outward beyond the first sidewall a distance less than does the circumferentially continuous sidewall protector rib.
A pneumatic tire, comprising:
- first and second sidewall portions;
- a tread portion extending between the first and second sidewall portions, the tread portion including a base and at least a first circumferentially spaced row of lugs, each lug of the first row of lugs including an axially outer surface facing in generally the same axial direction as does the first sidewall, each axially outer surface including an axially outwardly projecting step adjoining the floor;
- and
- a circumferentially continuous sidewall protector rib projecting axially outward from the first sidewall portion and located radially inward of and radially adjacent to the axially outwardly projecting steps of the axially outer surfaces of the lugs of the first row of lugs, the circumferentially continuous sidewall protector rib projecting axially outward further than the axially outwardly projecting steps.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.