Tire containing reinforcement ply with parallel extensible reinforcing members and method of manufacture
AssigneeSumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
InventorKevin John Niderost
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A reinforcement ply for an elastomeric article comprises a plurality of parallel extensible reinforcing members laid at a substantially constant end count perpendicular to their longitudinal direction, the ply having different extensibilities in the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing members in different parts of the ply. The reinforcing members are preferably made such that they each have at least one filament which is displaced perpendicularly from the longitudinal centerline of the reinforcing member in one part of the reinforcing member compared to another part. A tire may include the reinforcement ply as a hoop or band in the ground contacting tread region.
Claims14
A tire containing a reinforcement ply in a ground-contacting tread region of the tire in the form of a hoop or band, the reinforcement ply comprising a plurality of continuous helical windings across the axial width of the ply of at least one reinforcing member, each reinforcing member comprising at least one filament, the helical windings being substantially parallel to the circumferential direction of the tire and laid at a substantially constant end count perpendicular to their longitudinal direction, wherein the extensibility of the at least one reinforcing member in the longitudinal direction thereof increases continuously across the axial width of the ply from the axially outer edges to the axial center of the ply by displacement of the at least one filament in each reinforcing member perpendicularly or laterally from the longitudinal centerline (CCL) of the reinforcing member.
In a method of making a tire the improvement comprising providing a reinforcement ply in a ground-contacting tread region of the tire in the form of a hoop or brand the reinforcement ply containing a plurality of continuous helical windings across the axial width of the ply of at least one reinforcing member, each reinforcing member comprising at least one filament, the helical windings being substantially parallel to the circumferential direction of the tire and laid at a substantially constant end count perpendicular to their longitudinal direction, wherein the extensibility of the at least one reinforcing member in the longitudinal direction thereof increases continuously across the axial width of the ply from the axially outer edges to the axial center of the ply by displacing the at least one filament in each reinforcing member perpendicularly or laterally from the longitudinal centerline (CCL) of the reinforcing member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.