Back to results
US 2023/0158761 A1Published application
Self-sealing pneumatic tire
AssigneeThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
InventorsGeorge Jim Papakonstantopoulos, Michael Lawrence Gersman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
InventorsGeorge Jim Papakonstantopoulos, Michael Lawrence Gersman
Estimating the term…
The method of this invention provides a simple and inexpensive method for manufacturing self-sealing pneumatic rubber tires of the tubeless type having a higher degree of uniformity than can be made utilizing conventional manufacturing procedures that are currently being practiced. In the practice of this invention a low viscosity sealant formulation, which would ordinarily be difficult to handle and build into an uncured tire, is encapsulated in a stiff rubber formulation. This makes it relatively easy to build the sealant layer into the tire since the low viscosity sealant formulation is contained with the more rigid solid material. The low viscosity sealant material requires little and preferably no depolymerization to act effectively as a sealant. Accordingly, it does not need to be depolymerized with a peroxide which causes off-gassing and the resultant tire uniformity and balance issues normally associated with polymer break down.
An uncured pneumatic tire which is comprised of a generally toroidal-shaped supporting carcass with an outer circumferential tread, two spaced beads, at least one ply extending from bead to bead, sidewalls extending radially from and connecting said tread to said beads, a sealant layer which is disposed inwardly from the supporting carcass, and an innerliner which is disposed inwardly from the sealant layer, wherein said circumferential tread is adapted to be ground-contacting, wherein the sealant layer is encapsulated by a stiff composition, wherein the stiff composition breaks down at temperatures used for vulcanization and forms a sealant material, wherein the stiff material does not interfere with the function of the surrounding tire components, and wherein the sealant layer is comprised of a low viscosity material that requires little or no depolymerization to act as a sealant material.
A method of manufacturing a pneumatic rubber tire having a puncture sealing feature which comprises:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.