US 6,814,119 B2Granted

Self-supporting tire for a vehicle wheel and method for manufacturing the tire

AssigneePirelli Pneumatici S.p.A.

InventorsRenato Caretta, Pierangelo Misani, Luca Frisiani

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A self-supporting tire for vehicle wheels includes a carcass structure having at least one carcass ply, a belt structure, a tread band, at least one pair of sidewalls, and at least one pair of resilient stiffening inserts incorporated into the carcass structure. The at least one carcass ply includes axially-inner strip lengths and axially-outer strip lengths, and may also include axially-intermediate strip lengths. Each of the strip lengths extend in a U-shaped configuration around a cross-section outline of the carcass structure to define two side portions spaced apart from each other in an axial direction and a crown portion extending at a radially-outer position between the side portions. The resilient stiffening inserts are axially interposed between the side portions of the axially-inner strip lengths and the side portions of the axially-outer strip lengths.

Claims42

Dependent claims

A tire for a vehicle wheel, comprising:

a carcass structure having at least one carcass ply provided with end flaps in engagement with respective annular anchoring structures disposed coaxially with a geometric rotation axis of the tire at axially-spaced-apart positions with respect to each other;
a belt structure applied to the carcass structure at a radially-outer position of the carcass structure;
a tread band applied to the belt structure at a radially-outer position of the belt structure;
at least one pair of sidewalls applied to the carcass structure at opposite side positions of the carcass structure;
and
at least one pair of resilient stiffening inserts incorporated into the carcass structure, each resilient stiffening insert at one of the sidewalls;
wherein the at least on carcass ply comprises:
axially-inner strip lengths, wherein the axially-inner strip lengths are circumferentially distributed around the geometric rotation axis and each extend in a U-shaped configuration around a cross-section outline of the carcass structure to define two side portions spaced apart from each other in an axial direction and a crown portion extending at a radially-outer position between the side portions of the axially-inner strip lengths,
axially-outer strip lengths, wherein the axially-outer strip lengths are circumferentially distributed around the geometric rotation axis and each extend in a U-shaped configuration around the cross-section outline of the carcass structure to define two side portions spaced apart from each other in an axial direction and a crown portion extending at a radially-outer position between the side portions of the axially-outer strip lengths,
wherein the resilient stiffening inserts are each axially interposed between the side portions of the axially-inner strip lengths and the side portions of the axially-outer strip length, and
wherein the carcass structure and resilient stiffening inserts support the vehicle load when the normal inflation pressure of the tire fails.

8 more elements

A method of manufacturing a tire for a vehicle wheel, comprising:

preparing a carcass structure having at least one carcass ply provided with end flaps in engagement with respective annular anchoring structures disposed concentrically with a geometric rotation axis of the tire at axially-spaced-apart positions with respect to each other;
applying a belt structure to the carcass structure at a radially-outer position of the carcass structure;
applying a tread band to the belt structure at a radially-outer position of the belt structure;
applying a pair of sidewalls applied to the carcass structure at opposite side positions of the carcass structure;
and
incorporating at least one pair of resilient stiffening inserts into the carcass structure concurrently with preparation of the at least one carcass ply;
wherein preparing the carcass structure comprises:
preparing strip lengths each comprising longitudinal and parallel thread elements;
laying down axially-inner strip lengths circumferentially distributed on a toroidal support, each of the axially-inner strip lengths extending in a U-shaped configuration around a cross-section outline of the toroidal support to define two side portions spaced apart from each other in an axial direction and a crown portion extending at a radially-outer position between the side portions of the axially-inner strip lengths;
applying the resilient stiffening inserts at an axially-outer position relative to the side portions of the axially-inner strip lengths;
and
laying down axially-inner strip lengths circumferentially distributed on the toroidal support, each of the axially-outer strip lengths extending in a U-shaped configuration around the cross-section outline of the toroidal support to define two side portions spaced apart from each other in an axial direction, each extending at a axially-outer position relative to one of the resilient stiffening inserts, and a crown portion extending at a radially-outer position between the side portions of the axially-outer strip lengths;
wherein the carcass structure and resilient stiffening inserts can support the vehicle load when the normal inflation pressure of the tire fails.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/979,985Filed 29 Nov 2001 · us provisional application
Priority: EP 0083024231 Mar 2000
Published: US 2002/0157753 A131 Oct 2002
Granted: 9 Nov 2004
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification15 codes

B60C 15/0018
Features of the carcass terminal portion: not folded around the bead core, e.g. floating or down ply
B29D 30/10
Building tyres: on round cores, i.e. the shape of the core is approximately identical with the shape of the completed tyre
B29D 30/1621
Applying the layers; Guiding or stretching the layers during application: by feeding a continuous band and winding it spirally, i.e. the band is…
B29D 30/165
Applying the layers; Guiding or stretching the layers during application: by feeding cut-to-length pieces in a direction parallel to the core axis…