Tire and tire manufacturing method
AssigneeBridgestone Corporation
InventorsYoshihide Kouno, Seiji Kon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tire configured from joining together plural tire frame members formed from a thermoplastic material in which sufficient strength of the joint portion is secured. Two tire halves 17A formed from a first thermoplastic material are supported by a tire supporting section 40 so as to be aligned with each other and abutting, while rotating this configuration melted welding thermoplastic material 43 is extruded from a nozzle 46 towards the joining location, and the welding thermoplastic material 43 is pressed by a flattening roller 48. The one tire half 17A and the other tire half 17A are thereby welded together with the welding thermoplastic material 43.
Claims7
A tire configured with a plurality of tire frame members formed from a thermoplastic material, wherein mutually adjacent ones of the tire frame members are joined by a thermoplastic material body separate from the tire frame members, wherein
- a crown reinforcement layer is at least partly embedded in an outer periphery face of the tire frame members that are joined by the thermoplastic material body, the crown reinforcement layer being formed with a spirally wound cord,
- the tire frame members are joined at edge portions by the thermoplastic material that is separate to the thermoplastic material that forms the tire frame members, and
- further comprising a rubber tread layer, which is separate from the tire frame members, and disposed outwardly of the tire frame members, the rubber tread layer having superior abrasion resistance compared to that of the thermoplastic material forming the tire frame members,
- wherein the rubber tread layer is disposed on an outer periphery face of the crown reinforcement layer,
- wherein tension acts on the spirally wound cord and the spirally wound cord applies load to the tire frame members in an inner direction of a tire radial direction,
- wherein rigidity of the spirally wound cord is higher than that of the thermoplastic material configuring the tire frame members, and
- wherein the plurality of tire frame members comprise a pair of first tire frame members configuring two side sections, and a second tire frame member disposed between the pair of first tire frame members and forming a road-surface-facing outer peripheral section.
A tire manufacturing method for manufacturing a tire comprising:
- a plurality of tire frame members formed from a thermoplastic material, wherein mutually adjacent ones of the tire frame members are joined by a thermoplastic material body separate from the tire frame members;
- and
- a rubber tread layer, which is separate from the tire frame members, and disposed outwardly of the tire frame members, the rubber tread layer having superior abrasion resistance compared to that of the thermoplastic material forming the tire frame members, the method comprising:
- at least partly embedding a crown reinforcement layer in an outer periphery face of the tire frame members that are joined by the thermoplastic material body, the crown reinforcement layer being formed with a spirally wound cord,
- joining the tire frame members at edge portions by the thermoplastic material that is separate to the thermoplastic material that forms the tire frame members, and
- providing the rubber tread layer on an outer periphery face of the crown reinforcement layer,
- wherein tension acts on the spirally wound cord and the spirally wound cord applies load to the tire frame members in an inner direction of a tire radial direction,
- wherein rigidity of the spirally wound cord is higher than that of the thermoplastic material configuring the tire frame members, and
- wherein the plurality of tire frame members comprise a pair of first tire frame members configuring two side sections, and a second tire frame member disposed between the pair of first tire frame members and forming a road-surface-facing outer peripheral section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.