Tire repair patch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10035313-B2
Application number	US-74406310-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2007
Priority date	Nov 29, 2007
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for applying a repair patch to a damaged portion of a tire, the steps of the method including removably positioning the patch in a repair position overlapping the damaged portion, pulling a tab to remove a protective sheet to uncover at least a portion of the bonding surface while the patch is in contact with the tire, and pressing the uncovered bonding surface into contact with the tire.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for applying a repair patch to a damaged portion of a tire, the method comprising:
removably positioning the repair patch in a repair position overlapping the damaged portion, the damaged portion including a depressed area and the repair patch including a body and a protective layer having a plurality of protective sheets covering a bonding surface,
the plurality of protective sheets each having a fold arranging each of the plurality of protective sheets into an internal sheet layer engaging the bonding surface and an external sheet layer extending along a direction of patch length from the fold to an edge of the repair patch opposite the fold,
each external sheet layer forming a tab that by pulling uncovers an associated portion of the bonding surface covered by each connected internal sheet layer within the repair position,
the plurality of protective sheets comprising one or more depression sheets having one or more depression sheet widths associated with each of the one or more depression sheets, where a sum of the one or more depression sheet widths is approximately equal to a depressed area width of the depressed area within the damaged tire portion;
pulling a first tab and translating a first fold, thereby uncovering the associated portion of the bonding surface, the first tab is the tab associated with one of the plurality of protective sheets; and
pressing the associated portion of the bonding surface into contact with the damaged portion during translating of the first fold, removing air between the repair patch and the damaged portion and preventing bridging of the repair patch.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein pressing the associated portion of the bonding surface occurs near the first fold during the step of pulling the first tab associated with the one of the plurality of the protective sheets, and the associated portion of the bonding surface continues to be pressed near the first fold as the first fold translates during removal of the one of the plurality of protective sheets.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
repeating the pulling and pressing on more than one of the plurality of protective sheets until the protective layer is substantially removed from the repair patch.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising extending each tab outwardly beyond a periphery of the repair patch during pulling of each tab.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the damaged portion is precoated with a bonding agent prior to placing the repair patch in the repair position.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the bonding surface forms a portion of a bonding layer of the repair patch and is formed of uncured rubber or polymeric material.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depressed area width is bounded by a pair of beveled side surfaces, such that the sum of the one or more depression sheet widths fits within the width of the depressed area without extending over either of the pair of beveled side surfaces.

8. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the one or more depression sheets are removed and depression portions of the bonding surface previously covered by the one or more depression sheets are pressed into contact with the tire before any other of the plurality of protective sheets are removed in accordance with the steps of pulling and pressing, and
wherein the other of the plurality of protective sheets are subsequently removed and a subsequent portion of the bonding surface is then pressed into contact with the tire adjacent the depressed area.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more depression sheets are a first of the plurality of protective sheets removed and an associated portion of the uncovered bonding surface is pressed into contact with the depressed area, and where at least another protective sheet of the plurality of protective sheets is subsequently removed and another associated portion of the uncovered bonding surface is then pressed into contact with the tire adjacent the depressed area such that one or more portions of the tire patch overlap the pair of beveled side surfaces.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of protective sheets include an intermediate pair of opposing protective sheets arranged between a first adjacent pair of opposing protective sheets and a second adjacent pair of opposing protective sheets, each pair of protective sheets being arranged side-by-side in a direction of the repair patch length, such that the fold of each protective sheet extends in a direction of the repair patch width and such that the folds for each pair of protective sheets are arranged in an abutting arrangement.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more depression sheets includes the intermediate pair of protective sheets.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the intermediate pair of protective sheets forms the one or more depression sheets.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
pulling a first intermediate tab associated with a first intermediate protective sheet of the intermediate pair of protective sheets during the step of pulling a first tab;
pressing a first intermediate portion of the bonding surface associated with the first intermediate protective sheet during the step of pressing the associated portion;
pulling a second intermediate tab associated with for a second intermediate protective sheet of the intermediate pair of protective sheets, thereby removing the intermediate pair of protective sheets from the repair patch;
pressing a second intermediate portion of the bonding surface associated with the second intermediate protective sheet, thereby applying the associated second intermediate portion of the repair patch onto the damaged portion of the tire;
pulling each of a first adjacent sheet tab associated with a first adjacent sheet and a second adjacent sheet tab associated with a second adjacent sheet of the first adjacent pair, thereby removing the first adjacent pair of protective sheets from the repair patch;
pressing a first adjacent portion of the bonding surface associated with the first adjacent sheet and the second adjacent sheet, thereby applying an associated first adjacent portion of the repair patch onto the damaged portion of the tire;
pulling each of a third and a fourth adjacent sheet of the second adjacent pair, thereby removing the second adjacent pair of protective sheets from the repair patch; and;
pressing a second adjacent portion of the bonding surface associated with the third adjacent sheet and the fourth adjacent sheet, thereby applying an associated second adjacent portion of the repair patch onto the damaged portion of the tire,
where the steps of pulling and pressing for all protective sheets remove air between the repair patch and the damaged portion and prevent bridging of the repair patch.

Assignees

• Colby E Bruce
• Zarak Cesar Enrique
• Michelin & Cie

Inventors

• Colby E Bruce
• Zarak Cesar Enrique

Classifications

• B29L2030/00

  Pneumatic or solid tyres or parts thereof {(conveyor belts B29L2031/7092; drive belts B29L2031/7094; fourdrinier belts B29L2031/733)} · CPC title

• Y10T152/10882

  Patches · CPC title

• B29C73/10 Primary

  using patches sealing on the surface of the article (B29C73/14 takes precedence) · CPC title