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US 5,511,599 AGranted
Run-flat tire with three crescent-shaped reinforcing members
AssigneeMichelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
InventorWalter L. Willard, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The run-flat tire includes thickened load bearing sidewall portions, a belt package plus a cap ply, three pairs of sidewall rubber crescent-shaped reinforcing members, a specially designed bead seat area with a rim seat ply and three carcass layers. The three carcass layers are positioned between the crescent-shaped members in each load bearing sidewall.
Claims23
A tire for mounting on a rim of a vehicle which tire is capable of sustaining vehicle loads at a contact patch in an effective manner with the loss of inflation pressure comprising:
- a crown portion having a tread;
- a belt package located radially inward of said tread;
- an innerliner portion on the interior surface of the tire;
- a pair of bead portions axially spaced apart and each having a bead core and a bead filler;
- a pair of axially spaced apart load bearing sidewall portions wherein each sidewall portion is disposed radially between a respective lateral edge of said crown portion of the tire and a respective bead portion, each sidewall portion having first and second crescent-shaped reinforcing members disposed outside said innerliner portion and a third crescent-shaped reinforcing member extending radially outward from and contiguous with said bead filler, and a sidewall rubber portion;
- an outer carcass layer disposed radially inward of the belt package and axially inward of each sidewall rubber portion, said outer carcass layer extending radially inward to at least a point axially outward and adjacent to each said bead core;
- a middle carcass layer disposed to the inside of said outer carcass layer and extending under the crown portion and radially inward between the second member and the third member of the crescent-shaped reinforcing members in each sidewall to each bead portion and continues around said bead core with turned-up portions from inside to outside in such a manner to at least partially encompass said bead core and a respective bead filler;
- and
- an inner carcass layer disposed to the inside of said middle carcass layer and extending under the crown portion and radially inward between the first member and the second member of the crescent-shaped reinforcing members in each sidewall to at least a point axially inward and adjacent to each said bead core, said carcass layers each having a plurality of substantially parallel reinforcing members and a curvilinear configuration.
6 more elements
A tire and rim system capable of sustaining vehicle loads in an effective manner with the loss of tire inflation pressure comprising:
- a crown portion of the tire having a tread;
- a pair of tire bead portions each having a bead core, a bead filler, a rim seat ply in contact with the rim, a first rubber seat portion and a second rubber toe portion located axially and radially inward of the bead core;
- a tire outer carcass layer disposed radially inside of the crown portion and extending radially inward at both ends to at least the radial extent of a respective bead core;
- a pair of axially spaced apart tire load bearing sidewall portions wherein each sidewall portion is disposed radially between a respective lateral edge of said crown portion of the tire and a respective bead portion, each sidewall portion having first, second and third crescent-shaped reinforcing members disposed between a sidewall rubber portion and an innerliner portion;
- a tire middle carcass layer disposed inside said outer carcass layer and positioned between the second member and the third member of the crescent-shaped reinforcing members in each sidewall and having a carcass turned-up portion at each end extending from inside to outside around each bead core in such a manner to at least partially encompass said bead core and a respective bead filler;
- a tire inner carcass layer disposed inside said middle carcass layer and positioned between the first member and the second member of the crescent-shaped reinforcing members in each sidewall and extending radially inward to at least a point axially interior and adjacent to each bead core, said carcass layers each having a plurality of substantially parallel reinforcing members and a curvilinear configuration and each carcass layer being continuous from bead to bead, wherein the position of said middle and inner carcass layers produces a stepwise radial stress distribution between said first, second and third crescent-shaped reinforcing members axially across the middle and inner carcass layers on a median plane, said median plane being adjacent a central radial plane of a contact patch;
- and
- a rim having a hump disposed at the axial innermost end of each rim seat ply of the mounted tire, wherein each said hump may engage the rim seat ply and whereas the tire remains seated on said rim of the vehicle during vehicle maneuvers as well as during straight ahead running.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.