Pneumatic tire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11964517-B2
Application number	US-201916503856-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2019
Priority date	Jul 12, 2018
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

A tire 12 includes: a tread surface 34 ; seat contact surfaces 58 each to be in contact with a seat S of a rim R; and side surfaces 60 extending on and between the tread surface 34 and the seat contact surfaces 58 . Each side surface 60 includes a flange contact surface 62 to be in contact with a flange F of the rim R, and a flange opposed surface 64 which is located radially outward of the flange contact surface 62 and is to be opposed to the flange F. The flange opposed surface 64 is formed to be a surface having a diameter increasing outward in an axial direction. A shape of the flange opposed surface 64 is represented by a circular arc, and a radius of the circular arc is not less than 11.0 mm and not greater than 20.0 mm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pneumatic tire comprising:
a pair of beads each including a core extending in a circumferential direction;
a carcass extending on and between one of the bead cores and the other of the bead cores;
a pair of run flat side reinforcing layers each located axially inward of the carcass;
a tread having a tread surface configured to be in contact with a road surface;
a pair of sidewalls extending radially inward from ends of the tread along the carcass, on an axially outer side of the carcass; and
a pair of clinches one located radially inward of each of the sidewalls, wherein when the tire is in its normal state,
the tire has seat contact surfaces each of which is configured to be in contact with a seat of a rim on which the tire is to be mounted, and side surfaces extending on and between the tread surface and the seat contact surfaces,
each side surface includes a flange contact surface which is in contact with a flange of the normal rim, and a flange opposed surface which abuts the flange contact surface, is located radially outward of the flange contact surface, and is the entire surface opposed to the flange,
the flange opposed surface has a diameter increasing outward in an axial direction along the entire axial extent of the flange opposed surface,
the shape of the flange opposed surface is a circular arc in every cross-section of the tire as taken along a plane including a rotation axis of the tire,
a radius of the circular arc is not less than 12.0 mm and not greater than 18.0 mm,
a radial distance from the bead base line to a radially inner end of the flange opposed surface is not less than 12.0 mm and not greater than 18.0 mm,
each clinch forms the flange contact surface and the flange opposed surface,
a complex elastic modulus of each clinch is not less than 30 MPa and not greater than 60 MPa.

2. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein
each bead includes an apex located radially outward of the core,
in the cross-section of the tire, a width of a contact surface of the apex with the core is not less than 7.0 mm and not greater than 9.0 mm,
a width of the apex at a position distant from the bead base line by 17.5 mm in a radially outward direction is not less than 4.5 mm and not greater than 6.0 mm,
a complex elastic modulus of the apex is not less than 50 MPa and not greater than 100 MPa, and
a complex elastic modulus of each run flat side reinforcing layer is not less than 9 MPa and not greater than 14 MPa.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein
when the tire is in its normal state, an interval between the flange opposed surface and the flange is not less than 2.6 mm and not greater than 6.0 mm, the interval being measured along a line that is normal to the flange opposed surface and passes through a position, on the flange, equal to 90% of a distance in a radial direction from the bead base line to a radially outer end of the flange of the rim.

4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 3 , wherein
the interval between the flange opposed surface and the flange is not less than 3.2 mm and not greater than 5.1 mm.

5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , the tire being in its normal state and further comprising a pair of rim guards which are located radially outward of the rim and project outward in the axial direction, one forming part of each respective side surface, wherein
each rim guard has a shape expanding from a top portion thereof so as to be tapered in the cross-section of the tire,
the surface, on the bead side, of each rim guard forms the respective flange opposed surface, and
the shape of the surface, on the tread side, of each rim guard is a circular arc having its center on an outer side of the respective side surface.

6. The pneumatic tire according to claim 5 , wherein
when the tire is in its normal state, an interval between the flange opposed surface and the flange is not less than 2.6 mm and not greater than 6.0 mm, the interval being measured along a line that is normal to the flange opposed surface and passes through a position, on the flange, equal to 90% of a distance in a radial direction from the bead base line to a radially outer end of the flange of the rim.

7. The pneumatic tire according to claim 5 , wherein
each rim guard is formed by a part of a respective one of the sidewalls and a part of a respective one of the clinches.

8. The pneumatic tire according to claim 5 , wherein
the carcass includes a first carcass ply and a second carcass ply,
each of the first carcass ply and the second carcass ply is turned up around each core from an inner side toward an outer side in the axial direction,
ends of the second carcass ply are located radially inward of ends of the first carcass ply, and
when the tire is in its normal state, a distance in a radial direction from the bead base line to each end of the first carcass ply is not less than 40% of a tire cross-sectional height and not greater than 80% of the tire cross-sectional height.

9. A pneumatic tire comprising:
a pair of beads each including a core extending in a circumferential direction;
a carcass extending on and between one of the bead cores and the other of the bead cores; and
a pair of run flat side reinforcing layers each located axially inward of the carcass, wherein when the tire is in its normal state,
the tire has a tread surface configured to be in contact with a road surface, seat contact surfaces each of which is configured to be in contact with a seat of a rim on which the tire is to be mounted, and side surfaces extending on and between the tread surface and the seat contact surfaces,
each side surface includes a flange contact surface which is in contact with a flange of the normal rim, and a flange opposed surface which abuts the flange contact surface, is located radially outward of the flange contact surface, and is the entire surface opposed to the flange,
the flange opposed surface has a diameter increasing outward in an axial direction along the entire axial extent of the flange opposed surface,
the shape of the flange opposed surface is a circular arc in every cross-section of the tire as taken along a plane including a rotation axis of the tire,
a radius of the circular arc is not less than 11.0 mm and not greater than 18.0 mm, and
an interval between the flange opposed surface and the flange is not less than 2.6 mm and not greater than 6.0 mm, the interval being measured along a line that is normal to the flange opposed surface and passes through a position, on the flange, equal to 90% of a distance in a radial direction from the bead base line to a radially outer end of the flange of the rim.

10. The pneumatic tire according to claim 9 , wherein when the tire is in its normal state,
the radius of the circular arc is not less than 12.0 mm and not greater than 18.0 mm, and
a radial distance in a radial direction from the bead base line to a radially inner end of the flange opposed surface is not less than 12.0 mm and not greater than 18.0 mm.

11. The pneumatic tire according to claim 9 , the tire being in its normal state and further comprising a pair of rim guards which are located radially outward of the rim and project outward in the axial direction, one forming part of each respective side surface, wherein
each rim guard has a shape expanding from a top portion thereof so as to be tapered in the cross-section of the tire,
the surface, on the bead side, of each rim guard forms the respective flange opposed surface, and
the shape of the surface, on the tread side, of each rim guard is a circular arc having its center on an outside of the respective side surface.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Rubber Ind

Inventors

• Higuchi Keiji
• Kodama Kenji
• Ujigawa Kazuma
• Ueyama Kiyotaka

Classifications

• B60C15/0072 Primary

  with ply reverse folding, i.e. carcass layer folded around the bead core from the outside to the inside · CPC title

• B60C15/024

  Bead contour, e.g. lips, grooves, or ribs · CPC title

• B60C15/0242 Primary

  with bead extensions located radially outside the rim flange position, e.g. rim flange protectors · CPC title

• B60C15/06

  Flipper strips, fillers, or chafing strips {and reinforcing layers for the construction of the bead} · CPC title

• B60C15/0603

  characterised by features of the bead filler or apex · CPC title