JP2006044503A - Pneumatic tire - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pneumatic tire facilitating fitting of an attachment such as a sound-absorbing material. <P>SOLUTION: A surface fastener 2A is equipped on a tire inner surface 1. The sound-absorbing material 3 (the attachment) is fitted on the tire inner surface 1 through the surface fastener 2A. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire having a hollow portion, and more particularly to a pneumatic tire that facilitates attachment of an accessory such as a sound absorbing material.

  In a pneumatic tire, in order to reduce resonance generated in the cavity, a sound absorbing material is installed in the cavity. As a method for installing the sound absorbing material in the hollow portion, it has been proposed to fix the sound absorbing material to the outer peripheral surface of the rim of the wheel. In this case, the rim assembly workability deteriorates (for example, see Patent Document 1). On the other hand, when a sound absorbing material is attached to the inner surface of the tire, the sound absorbing material may not be able to follow the deformation of the tire even if it is fixed using an adhesive or the like, or the sound absorbing material may be removed and replaced as necessary. Is difficult.

Further, it has been proposed to attach an object having a sound absorbing action to a ring-shaped skeleton member and insert the object together with the skeleton member into a hollow portion of a pneumatic tire (see, for example, Patent Document 2). Therefore, it is conceivable that a sound absorbing material made of polyurethane foam or the like is inserted into the cavity using a ring-shaped skeleton member following this method. In this case, the ring-shaped skeleton member can freely rotate in the cavity. Therefore, there is an inconvenience that the sound absorbing material is worn out by friction with the tire.
JP-A-6-106903 JP 2002-28432 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic tire that facilitates attachment of accessories such as a sound absorbing material.

  The pneumatic tire of the present invention for solving the above object is characterized in that a hook-and-loop fastener is provided on the inner surface of the tire.

  In the present invention, since the surface fastener is provided on the inner surface of the tire, any accessory such as a sound absorbing material can be easily attached to the inner surface of the tire via the surface fastener, and the accessory can be attached as necessary. Easy to remove.

  The form of fixing the hook-and-loop fastener to the tire inner surface is not particularly limited. For example, the hook-and-loop fastener can be fixed to the tire inner surface using a sewing member, a locking member, or an adhesive. That is, the hook-and-loop fastener can be sewn to the inner surface of the tire with a sewing machine, the hook-and-loop fastener can be locked to the inner surface of the tire with staples, or the hook-and-loop fastener can be bonded to the inner surface of the tire with an adhesive. The most preferable fixing form is to vulcanize and bond the hook-and-loop fastener to the tire inner surface by heat during vulcanization.

  The surface fastener is preferably composed of a base material, a plurality of engaging elements formed on one surface of the base material, and a plurality of anchor elements formed on the other surface of the base material. In this case, the anchor element is buried in the rubber layer on the inner surface of the tire, so that a strong bond is formed between the inner surface of the tire and the surface fastener. In order to cut into the rubber layer on the inner surface of the tire and ensure a mechanical coupling force, the height of the anchor element is preferably 0.3 mm to 2.0 mm. The configuration of the engagement element is not particularly limited, and may be of either male or female type.

  The hook-and-loop fastener can be arranged at any part of the inner surface of the tire, but is particularly preferably arranged in a region corresponding to the tread portion. This is because the change in rigidity at the mounting position of the hook-and-loop fastener is made as small as possible by arranging the hook-and-loop fastener in the region corresponding to the tread portion having relatively high rigidity. More specifically, the hook-and-loop fastener is continuously installed over the entire circumference of the tire, and the total width of the hook-and-loop fastener in the tire axial direction is preferably 10% to 100% of the maximum belt width. In addition, a plurality of hook-and-loop fasteners are intermittently installed in the tire circumferential direction, and at least one hook-and-loop fastener is disposed in a range of 120 ° around the tire rotation axis from an arbitrary position in the tire circumferential direction. The total axial width is preferably 10% to 100% of the maximum belt width. In this case, another hook-and-loop fastener may be arranged at a position facing 180 ° centering on the tire rotation axis of any hook-and-loop fastener.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1 to 3 show a pneumatic tire according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 to 3, R is a wheel rim, and T is a pneumatic tire. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a hook-and-loop fastener 2 </ b> A is provided in a region corresponding to the tread portion of the tire inner surface 1. This hook-and-loop fastener 2A is continuously arranged over the entire circumference of the tire and is vulcanized and bonded to the tire inner surface 1. On the other hand, a ring-shaped sound absorbing material 3 made of polyurethane foam or the like is used as an accessory attached to the tire inner surface 1 via a hook-and-loop fastener 2A. The sound absorbing material 3 includes a hook-and-loop fastener 2B that engages with the hook-and-loop fastener 2A. These hook-and-loop fasteners 2A and 2B may be either male or female as long as they can be engaged with each other.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the total width w in the tire axial direction of the hook-and-loop fastener 2A is set to 10% to 100%, more preferably 10% to 80% of the maximum belt width W in the tread portion. However, when a plurality of hook-and-loop fasteners are arranged in the tire axial direction, the total width w is the sum of the widths of the hook-and-loop fasteners. When the total width w of the surface fastener 2A is less than 10% of the belt maximum width W, the engagement strength of the surface fastener 2A is lowered. Conversely, when the total width w exceeds 100%, the influence of the rigidity change by the surface fastener 2A becomes large.

  In the pneumatic tire configured as described above, since the surface fastener 2A is provided on the tire inner surface 1, the sound absorbing material 3 can be easily attached to the tire inner surface 1 via the surface fastener 2A. The sound absorbing material 3 can be easily removed as necessary.

  In the above-described embodiment, one hook-and-loop fastener 2A continuous over the entire circumference of the tire is provided on the tire inner surface 1, but in the present invention, as shown in FIG. The surface fastener 2A may be provided on the tire inner surface 1, or a plurality of surface fasteners 2A may be provided intermittently in the tire circumferential direction as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 6 shows a specific structure when the hook-and-loop fastener is discontinuous in the tire circumferential direction. In FIG. 6, the plurality of hook-and-loop fasteners 2 </ b> A are intermittently arranged in the tire circumferential direction. However, at least one hook-and-loop fastener 2 </ b> A is located within a range of 120 ° around the tire rotation axis from an arbitrary position in the tire circumferential direction. Is arranged. That is, the arrangement angle θ around the tire rotation axis of the surface fasteners 2A, 2A adjacent to each other in the tire circumferential direction has a relationship of θ ≦ 120 °. When the arrangement angle θ exceeds 120 °, the ring-shaped sound absorbing material 3 is easily peeled off. The arc length L in the tire circumferential direction of the hook-and-loop fastener 2A is preferably 15 mm or more. When the arc length L is less than 15 mm, the engagement strength of the surface fastener 2A is lowered. Further, another hook-and-loop fastener 2A is disposed at a position facing the 180 ° centering on the tire rotation axis of any hook-and-loop fastener 2A. This improves the weight balance.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where a sound absorbing material is used as an accessory has been described. However, in the present invention, in addition to the sound absorbing material, a weight, a sensor, and the like can be given as an accessory. By attaching weights at arbitrary positions in the tire circumferential direction, it is possible to adjust the dynamic balance of the pneumatic tire. Examples of the sensor include a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor.

Next, the hook-and-loop fastener used in the present invention will be described. As the surface fastener, a surface fastener made of a woven fabric surface fastener or a resin molded body can be used. In the surface fastener, the density of the engaging elements is preferably 7.75 to 124 pieces / cm ² , and the height from the substrate surface to the top of the engaging elements is preferably 0.5 mm to 5.0 mm. In the case of a knitted surface fastener, the adhesion to the tire inner surface can be improved by subjecting the tire side surface of the base material (base fabric) to a dipping process (similar to a car carcass cord or the like). As a material for the hook-and-loop fastener, synthetic resins such as nylon 6 and nylon 66 can be used, but it is preferable to use polyester having excellent heat resistance. The shape and type of the hook-and-loop fastener are not particularly limited, and known ones can be adopted.

  7 to 10 illustrate various surface fasteners. In FIG. 7, the hook-and-loop fastener 4A includes a base material 41A and a loop-like engaging element 42A, and the hook-and-loop fastener 4B paired therewith includes a base material 41B and a hook-like engaging element 42B. Elements 42A and 42B are adapted to engage with each other. In FIG. 8, the hook-and-loop fastener 5A includes a base material 51A and a loop-shaped engaging element 52A, and the hook-and-loop fastener 5B that forms a pair with the base material 51A includes a base material 51B and an engaging element 52B having a bifurcated tip. These engaging elements 52A and 52B are adapted to engage with each other.

  In FIG. 9, the hook-and-loop fastener 6A includes a base member 61A and an engaging element 62A whose base end is rod-shaped and the tip is swelled in a spherical shape. The engaging element 62B is formed in a spherical shape, and the engaging elements 62A and 62B are engaged with each other. In FIG. 10, the hook-and-loop fastener 7A includes a base material 71A and a loop-shaped engaging element 72A, and the hook-and-loop fastener 7B paired with the base fastener 71B engages with the base material 71B and a base end in a rod shape and a tip end in an umbrella shape. An element 72B is provided, and the engaging elements 72A and 72B are engaged with each other.

  FIG. 11 shows the most preferred surface fastener. In FIG. 11, the surface fastener 8 includes a base material 81, a plurality of engagement elements 82 formed on one surface of the base material 81, and a plurality of anchor elements formed on the other surface of the base material 81. 83. The anchor element 83 has a distal end portion thicker than a proximal end portion.

  The hook-and-loop fastener 8 configured in this way is used particularly when the rubber adhesion of the tire inner surface 1 is poor, and mechanical anchoring force is obtained by burying the anchor element 83 in the rubber layer of the tire inner surface 1. Cause it to occur. The anchor element 83 is driven into the rubber layer on the tire inner surface 1 by the pressure received by the surface fastener 8 during vulcanization. The height from the substrate surface to the top of the anchor element 83 is preferably 0.3 mm to 2.0 mm. The maximum width of the expanded tip of the anchor element 83 is preferably 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm.

  In a pneumatic tire having a tire size of 215 / 60R16, 40 mm square hook-and-loop fasteners are installed at four equally spaced locations in the tire circumferential direction in a region corresponding to the tread portion on the inner surface of the tire, Four weights (80 g each) were attached to the surface (Examples 1 and 2). In Example 1, a hook-and-loop fastener provided with an engagement element on one surface of a base material was used, and the base material was dipped, and this was vulcanized and bonded to the tire inner surface. In Example 2, a hook-and-loop fastener provided with an engagement element on one side of the base material and an anchor element on the other side of the base material was used to bite the anchor element into the tire inner surface during vulcanization. . For comparison, a pneumatic tire (conventional example) in which four weights were directly attached to the tire inner surface using a rubber adhesive was prepared.

For these three types of pneumatic tires, a running test using a drum testing machine was performed. In this running test, continuous running was performed under the conditions of an air pressure of 200 kPa and a speed of 80 km / h, and the running distance until one of the weights dropped off from the inner surface of the tire was measured. The results are shown in Table 1. The evaluation results are shown as an index with the conventional example being 100. The larger the index value, the better the durability.

  As shown in Table 1, in the tires of Examples 1 and 2, it was difficult for the weight to come off from the tire inner surface. Of course, in Examples 1-2, there is also an advantage that the weight can be easily attached to and detached from the inner surface of the tire via the hook and loop fastener.

It is meridian sectional drawing which shows the pneumatic tire which consists of embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective sectional view showing the pneumatic tire of FIG. FIG. 2 is an equatorial cross-sectional view showing the pneumatic tire of FIG. 1. It is a perspective sectional view showing the pneumatic tire which consists of other embodiments of the present invention. It is a perspective sectional view showing the pneumatic tire which consists of other embodiments of the present invention. It is an equatorial sectional view showing a pneumatic tire according to still another embodiment of the present invention. It is a side view of an example of the hook_and_loop | surface fastener used by this invention. It is a side view of an example of the hook_and_loop | surface fastener used by this invention. It is a side view of an example of the hook_and_loop | surface fastener used by this invention. It is a side view of an example of the hook_and_loop | surface fastener used by this invention. It is a side view which shows an example of the most preferable hook_and_loop | surface fastener used by this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Tire inner surface 2A, 2B Hook and loop fastener 3 Sound absorbing material (accessory)
R wheel rim T pneumatic tire

Claims (11)

A pneumatic tire with a hook-and-loop fastener on the inner surface of the tire. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein an arbitrary accessory is attached to the inner surface of the tire via the hook-and-loop fastener. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a sound absorbing material is attached to the tire inner surface via the hook-and-loop fastener. The pneumatic tire according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hook-and-loop fastener is fixed to the inner surface of the tire using a sewing member, a locking member, or an adhesive. The pneumatic tire according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the surface fastener is vulcanized and bonded to an inner surface of the tire. The said hook-and-loop fastener was comprised from the base material, the some engagement element formed in the one surface of this base material, and the some anchor element formed in the other surface of this base material. The pneumatic tire according to any one of 5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 6, wherein the anchor element has a height of 0.3 mm to 2.0 mm. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the hook-and-loop fastener is disposed in a region corresponding to the tread portion. The pneumatic tire according to claim 8, wherein the surface fastener is continuously installed over the entire circumference of the tire, and the total width of the surface fastener in the tire axial direction is 10% to 100% of the maximum belt width. A plurality of hook-and-loop fasteners are intermittently installed in the tire circumferential direction, and at least one hook-and-loop fastener is disposed in a range of 120 ° around the tire rotation axis from an arbitrary position in the tire circumferential direction. The pneumatic tire according to claim 8, wherein the total width of the tire is 10% to 100% of the maximum belt width. The pneumatic tire according to claim 10, wherein another hook-and-loop fastener is disposed at a position opposed to 180 ° around the tire rotation axis of an arbitrary hook-and-loop fastener.

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