Tire with shaped tread

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11904561-B2
Application number	US-202117478167-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2021
Priority date	Dec 29, 2015
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

A green tire includes a plurality of sheets of green rubber having a substantially circular shape, with each sheet having a tread region disposed along a circumference. A plurality of objects are sandwiched between adjacent sheets of green rubber in the tread region. Each object is constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of steel, polyester, nylon, carbon fiber, aramid, fiber glass, cotton, hemp, polyurethane and other plastic, other synthetic or natural fibers and other metal materials.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A green tire comprising:
a plurality of sheets of green rubber having a substantially circular shape, each sheet having a thickness in the axial direction between 0.02 mm and 2 mm and a tread region disposed along a circumference; and
a plurality of objects sandwiched between adjacent sheets of green rubber in the tread region, wherein each object is constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of steel, polyester, nylon, carbon fiber, aramid, fiber glass, cotton, hemp, polyurethane and other plastic, other synthetic or natural fibers, and other metal materials.

2. The green tire of claim 1 , wherein each sheet of green rubber includes an upper ring, a lower ring, and a plurality of spoke portions extending from the upper ring to the lower ring.

3. The green tire of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the sheets of green rubber defines a sidewall of the green tire.

4. The green tire of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of objects includes an object that protrudes beyond the tread region of the green tire.

5. The green tire of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of objects includes at least one of pins and wires.

6. The green tire of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of voids disposed below a surface of the tread region.

7. The green tire of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the voids has a closed geometric shape.

8. The green tire of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the voids defines an undercut in the tread region.

9. The green tire of claim 1 , wherein the tread region includes a predetermined tread shape including at least one of lugs, blocks, grooves, ribs, and sipes.

10. A green tire comprising:
a plurality of sheets of green rubber having a substantially circular shape, each sheet having a tread region disposed along a circumference, each sheet of green rubber having a plurality of voids disposed below a surface of the tread region, such that the voids are not visible from any external view of the tire, the sheets of green rubber having a thickness in the axial direction between 0.02 mm and 2 mm; and
a plurality of objects sandwiched between adjacent sheets of green rubber in the tread region.

11. The green tire of claim 10 , wherein each object is constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of steel, polyester, nylon, carbon fiber, aramid, fiber glass, cotton, hemp, polyurethane and other plastic, other synthetic or natural fibers, and other metal materials.

12. The green tire of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of objects includes at least one of pins and wires.

13. The green tire of claim 10 , wherein the tread region includes a predetermined tread shape including at least one of lugs, blocks, grooves, ribs, and sipes.

14. A green tire comprising:
a plurality of sheets of green rubber having a substantially circular shape, each sheet having a tread region disposed along a circumference, an upper ring, a lower ring, and a plurality of spoke portions extending from the upper ring to the lower ring, the sheets of green rubber having a thickness in the axial direction between 0.02 mm and 2 mm;
a plurality of objects sandwiched between adjacent sheets of green rubber in the tread region, at least one of the plurality of objects protruding beyond the tread region of the green tire;
wherein the at least one of the plurality of objects that protrudes beyond the tread region of the green tire includes at least one of pins and wires.

15. The green tire of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the sheets of green rubber defines a sidewall of the green tire.

16. The green tire of claim 14 , further comprising a plurality of voids disposed below a surface of the tread region.

Assignees

• Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations Llc

Inventors

• Haidet Andrew V
• Costlow Douglas B
• Asper Robert W

Classifications

• B29D30/02 Primary

  Solid tyres {; Moulds therefor} · CPC title

• B29D30/58

  Applying bands of rubber treads, i.e. applying camel backs · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B60C7/08

  built-up from a plurality of arcuate parts · CPC title

• B60C7/10

  characterised by means for increasing resiliency · CPC title