Method and apparatus for making a compartmentalized tire sealant strip

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9844982-B2
Application number	US-201314073224-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2013
Priority date	Sep 12, 2011
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

A method for making a compartmentalized sealant strip and barrier assembly 10 has the steps of co-extruding a barrier strip 9 of non-sealant elastomeric material with a plurality of projecting linear extending walls 9 c and a sealant strip 11 wherein the sealant strip 11 is formed on one side of the barrier strip 9 filling the space between the plurality of projecting walls 9 c to form a plurality of linearly extending rows of sealant 11 across the transverse width of the co-extrusion to form the compartmentalized sealant strip and barrier assembly 10 . The step of co-extruding may further include the step of: forming the projecting walls 9 c on an inclined angle relative to a plane perpendicular to the width of the assembly 10 . The step of co-extruding further has the step of forming the barrier strip 9 with lateral edges 9 a and 9 c that extend beyond the lateral outermost sealant strips 11 on each side of the assembly 10 , the lateral edges 9 a, 9 b being bonding surfaces to seal the sealant strip and barrier assembly 10 into an uncured rubber layer when assembled into an unvulcanized tire 2.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A co-extruded compartmentalized sealant strip and barrier strip assembly comprising:
a co-extrusion of a top or radially outer layer barrier strip of non-sealant elastomeric material and an underlying sealant strip formed in a dual extrusion of material flows, one flow forming the barrier strip and one flow forming the sealant strip, wherein the barrier strip has a plurality of inclined projecting linearly extending barrier walls formed on one side of the barrier strip, the barrier strip has a layer thickness of 1 mm to 4 mm and the plurality of inclined projecting linearly extending barrier walls having a thickness equal to or less than the barrier strip layer thickness and wherein the sealant strip is formed on one side of the barrier strip filling a space between the plurality of inclined projecting linearly extending barrier walls, the sealant strips having a thickness of 0.5 cm to 2.0 cm and the plurality of inclined projecting linearly extending barrier walls extend from one side of the barrier strip to a depth of 50 to 100 percent the thickness of the sealant to form a co-extrusion of a plurality of linearly extending rows of sealant across the transverse width of the co-extruded assembly to a thickness at least filling spaces between the plurality of inclined projecting linearly extending barrier walls of the barrier strip, to form the compartmentalized sealant strip, and the top or radially outer barrier strip has a pair of lateral extending edges, each lateral extending edge extends laterally beyond the lateral outermost sealant strip on each side of the assembly, the lateral extending edges having a width which provides a bonding surface to seal the sealant and the top or radially outer barrier strip assembly to an uncured rubber layer when assembled into an unvulcanized tire;
wherein the co-extruded assembly has a center plane perpendicular to the width of the assembly and the plurality of inclined projecting linearly extending barrier walls are inclined from the barrier strip extending laterally outwardly away relative to the center plane to form a sealant barrier to prevent sealant migration toward the center plane of the assembly wherein the plurality of inclined projecting linearly extending barrier walls are configured to allow sealant to completely surround a nail or other sharp object from two compartments when the nail penetrates into one of the plurality of inclined projecting linearly extending barrier walls while entrapping the sealant in the other compartment, the combination forming the compartmentalized sealant strip and barrier assembly; and
wherein the sealant is comprised of, based upon parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of said partially depolymerized butyl rubber exclusive of carbon black: (A) a partially organoperoxide-depolymerized butyl rubber as a copolymer of isobutylene and isoprene, wherein said butyl rubber, prior to such depolymerization, is comprised of about 0.5 to about 5 percent units derived from isoprene, and correspondingly from about 95 to about 99.5 weight percent units derived from isobutylene; (B) particulate reinforcing filler comprised of: (1) about 20 to about 50 phr of synthetic amorphous silica, or (2) about 15 to about 30 phr synthetic amorphous silica, preferably precipitated silica, and about 5 to about 20 phr of clay, or (3) about 15 to about 30 phr synthetic amorphous silica and about 5 to about 20 phr of calcium carbonate, or (4) about 15 to about 30 phr synthetic amorphous silica, about 5 to about 15 phr of clay and about 5 to about 15 phr of calcium carbonate; (C) from zero to 6 phr of short organic fibers; (D) a colorant of other than a black color wherein said colorant is selected from at least one of organic pigments, inorganic pigments and dyes; and (F) from zero to about 20 phr of rubber processing oil.

2. A co-extruded compartmentalized sealant strip and barrier strip assembly of claim 1 wherein the projecting barrier walls are inclined relative to a plane perpendicular to a width of the strip and barrier assembly.

3. A co-extruded compartmentalized sealant strip and barrier strip assembly of claim 1 wherein the barrier strip of the assembly is a top or a radially outer layer or a radially outer layer of the compartmentalized sealant strip and barrier assembly when built into a tire.

4. A co-extruded compartmentalized sealant strip and barrier strip assembly of claim 1 wherein the barrier strip has a layer thickness of 1 mm to 4 mm and the projecting barrier walls have a thickness equal to or less than the thickness of the layer thickness.

5. A co-extruded compartmentalized sealant strip and barrier strip assembly of claim 1 wherein the barrier walls extend to the full thickness of the sealant strips and have exposed ends.

6. A sealant tire comprises:
a pair of annular beads;
a pair of elastomeric apexes, one apex above each bead;
at least one carcass ply extending between and wrapped about each bead;
a belt reinforcing structure overlaying the carcass;
a tread overlaying the belt reinforcing structure;
an air impervious inner liner extending between the beads underlying the carcass for forming an air chamber; and
a compartmentalized sealant strip and barrier assembly positioned between the carcass and inner liner under the belt reinforcing structure, the compartmentalized sealant strip and barrier assembly characterized by: being a co-extrusion of a co-extrusion of a top or radially outer layer barrier strip of non-sealant elastomeric material and an underlying sealant strip formed in a dual extrusion of material flows, one flow forming the barrier strip and one flow forming the sealant strip wherein the barrier strip has a plurality of inclined projecting linearly extending barrier walls formed on one side of the barrier strip, the barrier strip has a layer thickness of 1 mm to 4 mm and the plurality of inclined projecting linearly extending barrier walls having a thickness equal to or less than the barrier strip layer thickness and wherein the sealant strip is formed on one side of the barrier strip filling a space between the plurality of inclined projecting linearly extending barrier walls, the sealant strips having a thickness of 0.5 cm to 2.0 cm and the plurality of inclined projecting linearly extending barrier walls extend from one side of the barrier strip to a depth of 50 to 100 percent the thickness of the sealant to form a co-extrusion of a plurality of linearly extending rows of sealant across the transverse width of the co-extruded assembly to a thickness at least filling spaces between the plurality of inclined projecting linearly extending barrier walls of the barrier strip to form the compartmentalized sealant strip, and the top or radially outer barrier strip has a pair of lateral extending edges, each lateral extending edge extends laterally beyond the lateral outermost sealant strip on each side of the assembly, the lateral extending edges having a width which provides a bonding surface to seal the sealant and the top or radially outer barrier strip assembly to an uncured rubber layer when assembled into an unvulcanized tire;
wherein the co-extruded assembly has a center plane perpendicular to the width of the assembly and the plurality of inclined projecting linearly extending barrier walls are inclined from the barrier strip extending laterally outwardly away relative to the center plane to form a sealant barrier to prevent sealant migration toward the center plane of the assembly wherein the plurality of inclined projecting linearly extending barrier walls are configured to allow sealant to completely surround a nail or other sharp object from two compartments when the nail penetrates into one of the plurality of inclined projecting linearly extending barrier walls while entrapping the s

Assignees

• Ruegg Jr Michael Charles
• Looman Jr Ernest Wilford
• Helle Donald Edward
• Marks Patrick David
• Fuhrig Thomas Roy
• Incavo Joseph Alan
• Koerner James Earl
• Parsons Terrence Lee
• Schmalix Charles Kenneth
• Busch Warren James
• Lovell Timothy Patrick
• Goodyear Tire & Rubber

Inventors

• Ruegg Jr Michael Charles
• Looman Jr Ernest Wilford
• Helle Donald Edward
• Marks Patrick David
• Fuhrig Thomas Roy
• Incavo Joseph Alan
• Koerner James Earl
• Parsons Terrence Lee
• Schmalix Charles Kenneth
• Busch Warren James
• Lovell Timothy Patrick

Classifications

• Y10T152/10666

  Automatic sealing of punctures [e.g., self-healing, etc.] · CPC title

• B29C48/19

  the layers being joined at their edges · CPC title

• B29C73/163

  Sealing compositions or agents, e.g. combined with propellant agents · CPC title

• B29C73/22

  the article containing elements including a sealing composition, e.g. powder being liberated when the article is damaged · CPC title

• Y10T428/24479

  including variation in thickness · CPC title