# US 2012/0073723 A1 · Tire with Improved Beads

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- Number: US 2012/0073723 A1
- Document ID: US20120073723A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/141,689
- Filed: 2009-12-21
- Published: 2012-03-29
- Earliest claimed: 2008-12-22
- Assignees: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.; Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin
- Inventors: Bertrand Daval
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20120073723A1

## CPC

- B60C 15/06: Flipper strips, fillers, or chafing strips {and reinforcing layers for the construction of the bead}
- B60C 15/0607: {comprising several parts, e.g. made of different rubbers}
- B60C 2015/009: {Height of the carcass terminal portion defined in terms of a numerical value or ratio in proportion to section height}
- B60C 2015/0621: {adjacent to the carcass turnup portion}
- Y10T 152/10837: Bead characterized by the radial extent of apex, flipper or chafer into tire sidewall
- B60C: VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

Tire comprising two beads (20), two sidewalls (30) joining in a crown, and at least one carcass reinforcement (60) extending from the beads through the sidewalls to the crown, the carcass reinforcement being anchored in the two beads by a turn-up around an annular reinforcing structure in such a way as to form in each bead an incoming portion (61) and a wrapped-around portion (62), wherein each bead comprises a bead filler (110) and an outer band (120), the latter being placed axially outside of both the carcass reinforcement and the bead filler, wherein the assembly formed by the bead filler (110) and the outer band (120) has a thickness E(r), r being the distance to the radially innermost point (71) of the annular reinforcing structure, the thickness E(r) at different positions being such that, in the range of distances r greater than or equal to 15% and smaller than or equal to 50% of the radial height H of the tire, the variation of the thickness is less than or equal to −0.25 mm/mm over at least 5 mm.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A tire comprising:
two beads designed to be in contact with a wheel rim, each bead comprising at least one annular reinforcing structure;
two sidewalls extending the beads radially to the outside, the two sidewalls joining in a crown comprising a crown reinforcement surmounted by a tread;
at least one carcass reinforcement extending from the beads through the sidewalls to the crown, the carcass reinforcement comprising a plurality of carcass reinforcing elements and being anchored in the two beads by a turn-up around the annular reinforcing structure in such a way as to form in each bead an incoming portion and a wrapped-around portion, each wrapped-around portion extending radially toward the outside, to an end located at a radial distance DRR from the radially innermost point of the annular reinforcing structure of the bead, and the radial distance DRR being greater than or equal to 15% of the radial height H of the tire;
wherein each bead has a bead filler, the bead filler being located radially outside of the annular reinforcing structure and at least partly between the incoming portion and the wrapped-around portion of the carcass reinforcement, the bead filler extending radially outside of the radially innermost point of the annular reinforcing structure of the bead as far as a radial distance DRB from said point, the radial distance DRB being greater than or equal to 20% of the radial height H of the tire,
wherein each bead also comprises an outer band placed axially outside of both the carcass reinforcement and the bead filler, each outer band extending radially toward the outside, from a radially inner end located at a distance DRI from the radially innermost point of the annular reinforcing structure of the bead, DRI being less than or equal to 20% of the radial height H of the tire, as far as a radially outer end, and the radial distance DRL from the radially outer end of the outer band to the radially inner end of the outer band being greater than or equal to 25% of the radial height H of the tire, and
wherein the assembly formed by the bead filler and the outer band has a thickness E(r), this thickness corresponding to the length of the intersection of the direction perpendicular to the incoming portion of the carcass reinforcement with said assembly, r being the distance from the intersection of said direction perpendicular to the incoming portion of the carcass reinforcement with the carcass reinforcement to the radially innermost point of the annular reinforcing structure, the thickness E(r) changes as a function of the distance r such that, in the range of distances r greater than or equal to 15% and smaller than or equal to 50% of the radial height H of the tire, the variation of the thickness is less than or equal to −0.25 mm/mm over at least 5 mm.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The tire according to claim 1, wherein the aspect ratio Emax/DRL, where Emax is the maximum width of the assembly formed by the bead filler and the outer band, Emax being measured at right angles to the incoming portion of the carcass reinforcement and where DRL is the radial height of the outer band, is greater than or equal to 10%.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The tire according to claim 1, wherein the bead filler comprises:
a first part of tapered radial section, this first part becoming progressively thinner radially toward the outside before turning into
a second part with a radial section that has an approximately constant width, the second part being located radially outside of the first part and turning into
a third part with a radial section that tapers off, the third part being situated radially outside of the second part.