Self-supporting pneumatic tire
AssigneeThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
InventorsJohan Peter Dahlberg, Laurent Luigi Domenico Colantonio, Walter Dale Allen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-supporting pneumatic tire is molded in such a manner that ride comfort is improved, durability is increased, and a greater run-flat capability can be achieved. The self-supporting run-flat tire is molded such that the molded bead base width is equal or less than the rim width of the intended rim upon which the tire is to be mounted. By molding the tire with a bead width less than or equal to the rim width, the sidewall inserts are not subjected to additional stress during and after inflation of the tire and the strain energy is more evenly distributed through the sidewall pillar construction.
Claims6
A tire and rim combination wherein the tire is mounted on the rim,
- the tire having a carcass, a tread, and a belt reinforcing structure located radially outward of the carcass and radially inward of the tread, the carcass comprising a reinforcing ply structure extending between a pair of bead portions, each bead portion having a bead heel with the molded axial distance between the opposing bead heels being a distance BW, a pair of sidewalls, each sidewall located radially outward of one of the pair of bead portions, and a self-supporting run-flat insert located in each sidewall and
- the rim having a pair of opposing bead seats and opposing rim flanges, each bead seat and rim flange meeting at a junction, the axial distance between the junctions being a distance RW, the rim distance RW being greater or equal to the tire distance BW,
- wherein the tire is mounted on the rim such that the bead heel is in contact with the rim junction, and after inflation of the tire on the rim, the inserts are not subjected to additional stress upon inflation.
A method of mounting a self-supporting run-flat pneumatic tire, the method comprising the following steps:
- a) forming a cured pneumatic tire, the tire having a carcass, a tread, and a belt reinforcing structure located radially outward of the carcass and radially inward of the tread, the carcass comprising a reinforcing ply structure extending between a pair of bead portions, a pair of sidewalls, each sidewall located radially outward of one of the pair of bead portions, and a self-supporting run-flat insert located in each sidewall, wherein each bead portion has a bead heel at the axially outermost point of the bead portion, the axial distance between opposing bead heels being a distance BW,
- b) providing a rim upon which the tire will be mounted, the rim having a pair of opposing bead seats and opposing rim flanges, each bead seat and rim flange meeting at a junction, the axial distance between the junctions being a distance RW, the rim distance RW being greater or equal to the tire distance BW, and
- c) mounting the tire on the rim wherein the bead heel is in contact with the rim junction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.