MXPA99011524A - Run-flat tire with an improved bead to rim interface - Google Patents

Abstract

The run-flat tire (10) has a tread (12) and a belt package with belt plies (81) interior to the tread (12). A plurality of radially reinforced carcass layers (40) are positioned interior to the belt plies (81) and include at least one carcass layer that extends between spaced apart annular beads (30). The tire (10) has a pair of sidewalls (41) each extending radially inward from shoulders (83) at lateral edges of the belt package to the annular beads (30). The sidewalls (41) have a plurality of sidewall stiffening members (50) to support the tire (10) during a loss of inflation pressure. The spaced apart beads (30) include bead cores (32) placed at a predetermined diameter with respect to a rim diameter, dual bead fillers (34, 37) above the bead cores (32), a heel corner (31c) spaced at a radial gap distance from a rim flange (84) and rim interface components having a seat interface distance below the bead core (32) for mounting the run-flat tire (10) on a conventional rim (80).

Description

WHEEL THAT CAN BE ROLLED DEFLATED BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the invention This invention relates to radial pneumatic tires used for vehicles, and more particularly to the design of the lower side wall and an area of spheres of a tire that can roll flat to reduce the effort in assembling the rim in a standard ring and to improve the rim retention in the standard rim during a loss of pressure that keeps it inflated. 2. Description of the technique The need to carry a spare or spare tire to replace a flat tire, or more basically the need for an operator of a vehicle to stop and replace a flat or flat tire in an inconvenient location, has always imported a REF from the operator. : 32327 vehicle. Many of these interests can be addressed with the use of a tire that can roll flat to allow the operator to reach a safe place or service station before replacing a tire that has lost its pressure that keeps it inflated.

One of the problems associated with providing a flat tire that can roll flat is to keep the operation of the tire that can run flat after deflation acceptable. The essential thing to solve this problem is to provide a flat tire that can run flat in the ring and keep the vehicle supported so that the vehicle can be driven to a more convenient location to repair or replace the tire. The rim is usually retained by the rim by means of the pressure that keeps it inflated during a normal travel of the vehicle. The absence of this inflation pressure tends to cause the tire to try to get out or disconnect from the rim. This is especially true during lateral maneuvers of the vehicle. The solutions to this hoop malaise problem include providing a special hoop that has a hump or depression to fit the deflated rolling tire that has a corresponding special spherical design. Typical efforts to modify rim / rim seat interface profiles are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,779,658; 5,263,526; and 5,427,166. However, the use of standard rings with these wheels that can roll special deflations do not optimize the problem of splints indisposition. In addition, the effort required to lay these tires that can roll deflated rings with special designs rim / rim interface is excessive.

Part of the problems of vehicle handling and hoop malaise have been solved by the use of sidewall reinforcing members in a tire that can roll flat to provide laterally rigid side walls. Tires that can roll typical deflations with reinforced sidewalls are described in the three North American Patents described above as well as in US Pat. No. 5,158,627; 5,368,082; and 5,511,599. The reinforcing members of the crescent-shaped side walls are essential for holding the outsole or displaced rolling part of the rim to make the rim respond to the maneuvers of the vehicle with the loss of pressure in the rim that can roll flat. Rims with reinforcing members of the side walls are used with the improved ball seat design of this invention.

The radial rim for rough use of US Patent No. 5,085,260 discloses a smaller apex filler along with a number of shell layers bent up around the center of the spheres. The length of the bent-up portions of the housing and the position of the center of the spheres in relation to the height of the rim of the rim is used to obtain the force of the spheres. The accuracy in the placement of the end points of each shell layer is important in the teachings of this 1992 patent.

By changing the shape, dimensions and properties of the material of the components in the lower side wall and in the spheres of a rim, its ability to withstand great forces and moments can be obtained. The tire that can roll flat can be designed to take advantage of the change of shape, dimensions and material properties. A component that is easily modified is the filling of spheres. A spherical filling that has been radially extended within the area of the side wall in US Pat. Nos. 4,640,329; 4,766,940; and 5,048,584. This extension provides an improved radial and transverse load that supports capabilities for the rim. However, the properties of the stuffing material need to be - different near the center of the spheres than the radial output of the side wall to withstand the different loads in these different locations of the tire that can roll flat and to facilitate a process of efficient manufacturing of the rim. The disclosures of U.S. Patent Nos. 4,046,183; 4,120,338; and 4,508,153 and Japanese Patent No. 5-178037 illustrate the use of sphere fillers having two parts; which are a part adjacent to a center of the spheres and another part that extends within the area of the side wall. These two-part sphere fillers use different sizes, shapes and material properties for each of the two parts. The spherical fillings of these references also require additional reinforcement layers placed adjacent to the spherical fillings to improve the durability and strength of the spherical region of the rim. The need to simplify the use of two-part sphere fillers while maintaining the advantages remains.

Another design parameter that can be incorporated for the transfer of vehicle loads to the ground in the manner of a tire that can roll flat is the use of the rim of the rim. If a rim can be made to make contact with the rim of the rim, the loads of the vehicle can be transferred to the rim at its rim. The contact of the rim of the rim is also useful in the lateral transfer of the loads between the rim and the rim that can otherwise act to remove the rim from its placement or seat with respect to the rim. The rim of the rim where the rim sits is well known in the art as described in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,983,918; 4,203,481; and 5,033,524. Both U.S. Patent Nos. 3,983,918 and 5,033,524 describe the use of an additional product in the rim to interface with the rim of the rim. An opening between the rim and the rim reinforcement in U.S. Patent No. 3,983,918 is closed when the reinforcement contacts the rim of the rim. It is known that the contact of the rim with the rim of the rim is an aid with respect to the handling of the vehicle in some maneuvers of the vehicle and to decrease the handling of the vehicle with other maneuvers. It is important to know what operating conditions the rim rim can be used as an advantage. There remains the need to identify when contacting a tire that can roll deflated with the rim ring for a tire that can run deflated partially inflated may be useful.

There is an additional problem with the pressure of the tire that can run flat in the seat portion of the rim ring relative to the rim interface. A rim is mounted on a rim with a combination of inflating and pushing the rim to its proper place on the rim. The rubber that has contact with the ring must be durable and effective in sealing the interface against the loss of pressure that keeps it inflated which causes air to escape from inside the rim. It is well known in the art to use an additional rubber layer to have direct contact with the seat portion of the ring. In the U.S. 5,511,599 a rim seat fold is used to make contact with a rim. The economy in the manufacture of the tire that can roll flat can be obtained by means of a rubber of unique interface of spheres. The use of a single rubber component for spherical interface rubber is described in US Patent No. 4,235,273; 4,790,364; and 5,033,524. The profile of the innermost area of the spherical interface rubber is also important in order to provide the desired pressures in the rim for the interface with the rim. A profile is described in US Patent Nos. 4,554,960 and 5,464,051 to provide appropriate spheres for the rim interface with the seating area. The extension of a single spherical interface rubber that can also provide a rim flange seat and bead spheres that is durable remains unresolved by these references. The material properties of this spherical interface rubber also remain undefined.

Still with the improvements of the references, there remains the need to have a lower side wall and a spherical structure which has an improved spheres retention capacity without compromising the ability to maintain the same vehicle loads without the need to add layers. of reinforcement or other non-standard components of the rim. A coexisting need is to be able to use tires that can roll flat out in standard rings that generally exist that usually exist in the market of replacements in the present time. Both of these needs must be met while maintaining a manufacturing process with limited changes and preferably low costs for the tire that can run flat.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a deflated rolling tire having annular spheres designed so that the deflated rolling tire can be easily mounted on a standard vehicle rim without excessive pressures.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a deflated rolling tire having annular spheres designed to maintain a good seal between the rim and the rim to maintain an inflation pressure inside the rim.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a deflated rolling tire having annular spheres designed so that the flat tire can resist in a stronger manner to be moved from the standard rim during a loss of pressure than the rim. keeps inflated.

A further object of the present invention is to simplify the design of the area of spheres to reduce the number of different rubber components used in the area of spheres when manufacturing the tire that can run flat.

A further object of the present invention is to use materials in the area of the spheres that are resistant to damage when mounting the tire that can roll deflated in the standard ring and that is resistant to the loss of air between the rim and the tire. rim during normal operation of the tire that can roll flat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The deflated rolling tire of this invention is easily mounted on the rim of a vehicle for the normal operation of the vehicle. The tire is useful for many vehicles that include passenger vehicles, light trucks, trucks and the like. The rim has a rolling portion for contact with the ground surface and a bundle of bands with internal folds to the rolling portion for supporting the rolling portion. A plurality of shell layers positioned within the web folds extend between the separate annular spheres. The rim has a pair of sidewall portions and each extends radially inward from the shoulders at the lateral edge of the bundle of bands to the annular spheres. The side walls have a plurality of rigid members of the side walls to support the rim during a loss of pressure that keeps it inflated. The shell layers are arranged with the rigid members of the side walls to help support the tire that can roll flat with a loss in pressure that keeps it inflated. The separate spheres have a unique design that includes a center of the sphere placed at a predetermined diameter with respect to the diameter of the ring, the dual sphere fillings have above the center of the sphere, a separated heel corner at a radial opening distance to Starting from a rim of the rim and rim interface components that have a seat interface distance below the center of the sphere for mounting the rim that can roll deflated in a conventional rim and to keep the rim that can roll deflated in the conventional ring.

In one embodiment of the present invention a rim radial pneumatic is provided for mounting on a vehicle rim to hold the vehicle load by contacting a floor surface in a rim contact patch when inflated and with a loss of pressure that keeps it inflated. The rim comprises a plurality of carcass plies disposed around the rigid members of the side wall to support the loads of the vehicle with the loss of the pressure that keeps it inflated. A pair of separate annular spheres are connected to each other with said shell layers. Each of the spheres has a sphere center, a ball filling and components for mounting and to hold the rim in a conventional ring. The center of the sphere has an annular roll of wire filaments forming a polygonal cross section having a predetermined tension force and a flat innermost surface defined by an imaginary plane contacting the filaments. The center of the sphere has an internal diameter, measured to the innermost surface of the center of the sphere when the rim is healed and the annular spheres are separated by an axial distance equal to a width of the conventional rim on which the rim is mounted. , the inner diameter of the center of the sphere which is about 5 millimeters larger than a standard hoop diameter of the conventional hoop. The spherical collar interface components include elastomeric portions that are a bead portion, a rim seat portion, and a heel flange portion. The elastomeric portions have predetermined hardness values and modules for the interface with the conventional ring. The heel bead portion of the rim interface components has a heel corner radially spaced from a rim of the rim of said conventional rim, over substantially all of a circumferential extension of said heel rim portion, a radial opening distance when the rim is ride on the hoop. The radial opening distance has a value in the range of about 3 millimeters to about 8 millimeters when the rim has 100 percent of a conventional inflation pressure and a conventional maximum load of the rim of the vehicle's load. The radial opening distance has a zero value adjacent to the rim contact patch during 100 percent of the conventional load of the vehicle loads with a reduced inflation pressure that is less than about 15 percent of the inflation pressure conventional The rim interface components have a seat interface distance, measured radially between the innermost planar surface of the respective center of the sphere and the innermost surface of said rim seat portion on a lateral center line of the respective center of the ring. sphere of the tire after the tire is cured, in a range of values from around 4 millimeters to around 6 millimeters. Where the rim is easily mounted on a conventional ring and stays on the rim with the loss of pressure that keeps it inflated. The rim has an inflated section height when the rim is mounted on the rim and inflated to its conventional inflation pressure, and a zero-pressure section height at a circumferential center of the contact patch, when the rim is mounted on the rim. ring and in a zero inflation pack loaded with the maximum conventional tire load of the vehicle load, the height ratio of the inflated section height to the zero pressure section height which is within the range from about 20 percent to around 35 percent.

In one embodiment of the deflated rolling tire of this invention has a first shell layer positioned within the bundle of bands extending from sphere to sphere and forms a fold or bent-up shell that partially encloses a respective sphere center and extends radially outwards towards a radially outward end point of a rim of the rim, the radial distance bent upward from the innermost surface of the center of the sphere to the extreme point which is in the range from about 15 millimeters up to around 35 millimeters when the tire that can roll deflated is mounted on the rim. A second shell layer extends from sphere to sphere and terminates at each end near a respective sphere center to overlap with the portion bent upward. Also preferred is a third shell layer extending from sphere to sphere to end at each end near a respective center of sphere. An interline fold is placed on the rim inside the inner casing fold and forms the inner surface of the rim to help retain the pressure that keeps it inflated inside the rim. Alternatively, two of the shell layers can be discontinued in the central portion of the crown area of the tire that can be deflated beneath the bundle of bands.

In another embodiment, a first filling of spheres of each annular sphere extends radially outward from the center of the sphere. A second sphere refill is placed radially inward of the first sphere filler. The first spherical filling has a tapered cross section with a decrease in the thickness of the output of the second spherical filling. The first spherical filling extends radially outwardly within the side walls of the rim to provide a stiffening member of the side wall to help support the tire that can roll flat with a loss of pressure that keeps it inflated. The second spherical filling extends a relatively short distance radially outward from the center of the spheres and is made of a softer material than that of the first spherical filling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS - Other features of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the present invention refers from the following reading and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 1 is a cross-sectional view of an area of spheres of a tire that can be deflated in accordance with the prior art showing the rim mounted on a special rim; Figures 2, and 2A are cross-sectional views of an area of spheres of a flat tire that can be rolled in accordance with the invention and of a standard ring showing a ratio of the molded rim to a standard rim before being mounted to the hoop; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the deflated rolling rim of this invention mounted to a standard inflated rim, the rim being symmetrical about a semi-circumferential plane of the rim; and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the deflated rolling rim of this invention mounted on a standard rim in contact with a floor surface and supporting the load of a vehicle with the loss of pressure that maintains it. inflated, the rim is symmetrical with respect to a semicircunferential plane.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITY The interface between each of the annular spheres of a tire that can roll flat and the rim of a vehicle that uses tires that can roll flat is critical to the safety and efficient operation of the vehicle. The previous discussion illustrates the importance of keeping the tire that can roll flat deflated mounted on the rim with a loss of pressure that keeps it inflated. A deflated rolling tire typical of the art is illustrated in FIG. 1. This deflated rolling tire has a side wall 61 with the reinforcing members of the side wall 60 which is combined with the reinforced shell layers 62., 64 and 68 to support the loads of a vehicle with a loss in pressure that keeps the tire inflated that can roll flat. The other deflated tire designs described in the previous section of this invention are known in the art to be similar to the typical flat tire that can be used here. The deflated rolling tire of Figure 1 has the essential components of a tire that can roll flat to demonstrate improvements in the present invention.

A rubber from the side wall 21 of the side wall 61 typically covers the outer surface of the rim and prevents damage to the carcass layers and reinforcement members, as illustrated in Figure 1. The area of spheres 20 has a number of components which provide support for the loads that are transferred to a ring 70 and for the interface with the ring. A spherical filling 24 is provided which extends radially outwardly from the center of spheres 22 and becomes one of the reinforcing members of the side wall. The inner and outer shell layers 68 and 64 extend radially inward towards the end points 68a and 64a respectively near the center of spheres. The medial casing layer 62 is partially wrapped around the ball center and forms an upwardly bent carcass ply 66 adjacent to the padding to provide a long bending length with an outer casing layer 64. Three different rubber components are used for the casing. outer shell layers in the area of the spheres. A seat portion 26 of the rim is located between a heel flange portion 29 and a heel portion 28. A reinforced seat rim 27 interfaces with a special rim 70. A spherical seat portion adjacent to the seat ridge assists in the crease of the rim. seat to have contact with a curved area in the outermost flat area 76 of the rim to obtain an interface pressure to hold the rim that can roll deflated in the rim. The heel rubber 28 assists the crease of the seat to have contact with a special hump 72 in the hoop 70 at a hump point 75 so that the deflated rolling tire remains in contact or sitting on the hoop with the loss of the pressure that keeps it inflated. The heel bead rubber 29 assists in the transfer of loads within the sidewall of the tire that can roll flat with the loss of pressure that keeps it inflated. The additional components added to the lower side wall and the area of spheres of the tire that can be deflated can be known in the art to improve the accommodation of the spheres of a load that supports the capabilities of the tire that can roll flat. These additional components' include but are not limited to reinforced folds and the like. The extension and number of the different components in the lower side wall and the area of spheres make the manufacturing of the tire that can roll flat is more complex and there are economic losses in production.

The deflated rolling tire of this invention is suitable for use in conventional rings and has been simplified using only a limited number of components in the lower side wall and the area of spheres of the tire that can roll flat. The size and shape of this tire that can roll flat also controls the ability of the tire that can roll flat to be mounted on the conventional rim and to stay in the rim with a loss in pressure that keeps it inflated. The use of materials for various components of the area of spheres of the flat tire that can roll out of this invention also increases its performance. The lower side wall and the area of spheres of a deflated rolling tire 10 of this invention is illustrated in the cross-sectional view of an area of single spheres in Figure 2. The deflated rolling tire has been molded to have the shape and size for mounting on a conventional ring 80.

Some areas of spheres 30 for the deflated rolling tire of this invention have been designed to work with a deflated rolling tire having stiffening members 50 of the side wall, a pair of ball centers 32 and a plurality of carcass plies 40. The illustrated deflated rolling rim has three side wall stiffening members that includes a first filling of spheres 34. The stiffening members that extend from the area of spheres radially outwardly within the side wall, bear loads on the hoop from a surface with the floor when the tire that can roll flat is mounted on the hoop. There are three illustrated shell layers that include an inner shell layer 48, an intermediate shell layer 42 and an outer shell layer 44. The shell layers are placed with the stiffening members of the side wall in the formation of the tire that can roll flat. 10. The shell layers include a conventional rubber matrix radially reinforced with conventional parallel reinforcing members or synthetic cords which extend essentially radially, which are at an angle of less than about 15 degrees from a plane radial containing the axis of rotation A of the tire that can roll deflated, as shown by the cross section of figure 2. The support members of the side wall are made of a rubber material that has a high modulus and convention of hardness in the technique. Other side wall configurations are within the scope of this invention which includes wheels that can be deflated with one or more stiffening members of the side wall and two carcass layers.

According to another aspect of the invention, each of the sphere fillers of this invention is made in two parts to improve the manufacturing process in obtaining a good bond with the center of spheres 32. The first filling of spheres 34 extends radially outwardly within the side walls and provides one of the stiffening members of the side wall 50 on each of the lateral sides of the tire that can roll flat. A second spill refill 37 has a transverse rubber drop shape and is positioned radially inward of the center of spheres to provide a softer material having a lower Module. The second soft sphere filler improves the manufacturing process in the formation of the rim in a toroid shape. This material of the lower module of the second sphere filling also allows the center of the sphere to better shape the shape of the ring when the tire is mounted that can roll flat and when the tire is rolling with the loss of pressure that keeps it inflated . The first filling of spheres is made to have a hardness of Strut A with a value in the range of around 70 to around 90 and an Elasticity Module to ten percent of effort unit with a value within the range from around 7 MegaPascals (MPa) to around 15 MPa. The second filling of spheres 37 is made so that it has a Hardness A-point with a value in the range from 20 to around 40 and a minor Module of the first sphere filling module. The second filling of spheres has an Elasticity Module in tension at ten percent of stress unit with a value in the range from 3 MPa to around 10 MPa.

The casing layers of the deflated rolling rim of this invention are truncated as they approach the center 32 of the spheres. A shell layer extends around the center of the sphere and bends upward to extend radially outwardly from the side wall 41. The inner shell layer 48 illustrated in Figure 2 has an upwardly bent portion 46 that overlaps with the outer shell layer 44. The intermediate shell layer 42 is terminated as it overlaps the outer shell layer radially outwardly from the center of the sphere. Such shell layers end and bend up around the center of the spheres are not critical. However, the illustrated and described configuration is the preferred configuration for the improved operation and for economic purposes in the manufacture of the tire that can run flat. The outer shell layer 44 has been terminated at a distance Cl above a reference line R of spheres. The reference of the spheres is defined by an imaginary plane having contact with the filaments 32a on the flat inner surface 33 of the center of the sphere 32. The reference of spheres R is parallel to the axis of rotation A of the rim that can roll deflated . An end point 44a of the outer shell layer is terminated at the distance Cl which has a value in the range of about 10 millimeters to about 30 millimeters. The intermediate shell layer 42 is terminated at an end point 42a having a distance C2 radially outward from the reference of spheres R. The distance C2 has a value within the range from 15 millimeters to about 25 millimeters. The overlapping distances Ll and L2 are necessary with the shell layer 48 before the shell layers 42 and 44 can be finished. The shell layers 44 and 42 have overlapping distances Ll and L2 respectively with a value in the range from about 10 millimeters to about 25 millimeters.

In a further embodiment the center of spheres 32 of the area of spheres 30 is preferably made with a plurality of layers formed by a roll of wire or filaments of annular synthetic cord 32a accommodated together, as illustrated in Figure 2. Each layer is processed at an equal distance from the axis of rotation in this preferred embodiment. The position of the center of spheres of a cured rim with respect to the ring 80 in which it will be mounted is critical for the assembly of the tire that can roll flat and keeps the rim sitting on the rim with a loss in pressure that keeps it inflated inside the tire that can roll flat. The flat inner surface 33 defined by the reference line R is used to properly position the center of the sphere of the cured rim. An internal sphere center diameter TD is measured with reference to the reference line defining the flat inner surface. The internal sphere center diameter is measured when the rim is cured and when the spheres 30 of the deflated rolling rim are axially spaced at a distance equal to the width of a conventional rim on which said rim will be mounted.

Defining a relationship between the internal diameter TD of the spheres at a conventional rim diameter RD establishes a unique parameter of the present invention. The conventional rings that are defined herein are with reference to the standard Rim Contours in the 1997 Book of the Year of the Wheel and Rim Association, Inc. of Copley, Ohio on pages 8-04 through 8-09. The information in this reference is a part of this description by reference to the same. The internal diameter TD of the center of the sphere of the center of the spheres 32 of the deflated rolling rim of this invention is made about five millimeters greater than the diameter RD of the ring 80 in which the flat tire that can be rolled will be mounted .

Another aspect of the present invention is the ability to easily assemble the tire that can roll flat in a ring. In combination with the diameter of the sphere to the hoop diameter ratio, the ability to easily assemble the tire that can roll flat in the hoop is very important and keep the sphere area '20 sitting on the hoop 80 with a loss of the pressure that keeps it inflated inside the tire that can roll flat. This capacity is partially controlled by the amount and type of components to be placed between the center of the sphere and the ring. These components are defined herein to include the elastomeric portions 31 as well as any rubber crease (including the shell layers) which are the innermost radially inwardly planar surface 33 of the center of spheres. A seat interface distance T is defined to be a distance measured radially between the innermost planar surface and the innermost surface point 35 of the seat portion 38 along with a vertical center line V through a respective center of sphere 32. The seat interface distance T has a value within the range from about four millimeters to about six millimeters. Preferably the seat interface distance is constructed so that the rim seat rubber portion comprises more than about 70 percent of the interface distance T. Consistent with the seat interface distance the rubber rim seat portion must have a Hardness Strip A and a Module which provides an interface pressure between the rim and tire that can roll flat to keep the tire inflated and to keep the tire that can roll flat sitting or sitting on the rim when the tire is deflated tire. The rim seat portion is made of an elastomeric material that has a Strut A and a hardness value in the range of around 50 up to around 80 and an Elasticity Module in tension at 10 percent of effort unit with a value in the range of around 5 MegaPascals (MPa) up to around 9 MPa.

Another design parameter is defined so that the center of the sphere 32 can generally be considered as a non-extensible annular ring when assembling the tire that can roll deflated in the ring. However, some elongation of the center of the sphere occurs when the flat tire can be mounted on the ring and a circumferential change in length results in a small but significant change in the internal diameter TD of the center of the sphere. To control these small but important changes the center of the sphere is elaborated so that it has a force of tension to a percentage of unit of effort of the center of the sphere with a value within the range from around 1100 to 3000 Ne tons per square millimeter A torsional rigidity of the center of the sphere is also important in terms of keeping the tire that can roll flat, sitting or accommodated in the ring. Torsion stiffness is defined and discussed in a later section.

In another aspect the components The rim interface of each of the spheres 30 includes elastomeric portions as well as any of the shell layers or other reinforcing layers which wrap around the center of spheres. The rim interface components include any component that extends between the center of spheres 32 and a seat of the rim 86 as well as the components which contact a rim of the rim 84. The interface components of the rim include elastomer portions 31. which are a heel portion 38, a seat portion of the rim 36 and a heel flange portion 39. The elastomer portions may be portions applied separately in the working out of the flat tire that can roll flat, but preferably combine to form a single-unit construction in the development of the tire. A bead portion extends radially in the axial interior of the tire that can roll deflated and overlaps with an interlineal rubber 49 to help retain air within the tire that can roll flat.

The deflated rolling tire of Figure 2 has been made to be mounted to the conventional ring 80 as illustrated in Figure 2A. A relationship has been discussed between the diameter RB of the hoop and the diameter TD of the center of the sphere, measured on the innermost surface defined by the reference of the reference line of the sphere R. In general, the diameter of the hoop is about five millimeters smaller than the diameter of the center of the sphere for all sizes of tires that can roll flat. Because the deflated rolling tire is placed on the rim, the rim is over inflated as it is forced axially outward on a drop center 82 and over the rim. The rim seat portion 36 of the elastomer portions 31 of the interface components with the deflated rolling rim ring having contact with a rim seat ring 86 and the deflated rolling rim sits or accommodates. The seat portion of the rim is compressed against the rim seat 86 of the rim 80 to provide a seal for retaining the air in the rim. A rim 84 of the rim has no contact with the rim that can roll flat during this assembly process, but is used as a fulcrum for the use of tools to assist in mounting the rim on the rim.

In figure 3 the rim assembled and inflated in a conventional ring is illustrated. The deflated rolling tire 10 of this invention is mounted on seat 86 of ring 80 and inflated to an inflation pressure for use in a vehicle. The cross-sectional view of Figure 3 shows only half of the tire that can be rolled flat with the deflated rolling tire that is symmetrical with respect to a semi-circumferential plane P of the tire that can roll flat. An interlineal rubber 49 is provided on the inner surface to keep the air inside the tire that can run flat, the crown portion of the rim includes a bearing 12 having a bearing surface 14 to have contact with a floor surface for Support a vehicle by transferring the load from the hoop through the tire to the floor surface. The bearing is supported by a plurality of band folds 80 in a band around the inside of the rim towards the bearing. The band folds extend laterally over the crown of the rim from one shoulder to the other shoulder.

The deflated rolling tire of Figure 3 further illustrates at least one shell layer 48 extending from an annular sphere 30 to the other annular sphere. Other housing layers 42 and 44 are preferably terminated at the ends 42b and 44b as they overlap with the band folds in each of the shoulders 83. All the shell layers may extend from sphere to sphere within the scope of the invention. The shell layers are arranged with the stiffening members of the side wall 50 extending from the shoulder to the annular spheres in each side wall 40 of the tire that can be deflated, preferably, the two shell layers 42 and 44 are finished in the points 42a and 44a above the center of the spheres 32 of each annular sphere. The stiffening members of the side walls include "crescent" members such as the growing member 54. The first spherical filling 34 further provides one of the stiffening members of the side wall in this embodiment of Figure 3. other known arrangements of shell layers and stiffening members of the side wall can be used within the scope of the invention Once again, the second filling of spheres 37 having a material with more flexibility than the first filling of spheres helps with both procedures, in the riding of the tire that can roll deflated in the ring and in the manufacturing process.

The second filling of spheres 37 as shown in figure 3, is smaller and softer than the first filling of spheres 34 to provide advantages in the formation of a tire that can roll flat untreated during the manufacturing process and during the assembly of the flat tire that can run flat in a ring. In addition, the operation of the tire that can roll flat can improve during the travel of the vehicle by adding the second filling of spheres. The second filling preferably has a rubber shape that falls in the embodiment shown. The transverse length and width of the second spherical filling can vary to increase the working or finishing of the tire that can roll flat and its use in a vehicle. The second filling of spheres is linked by the first filling of spheres and the center of spheres in the rim that can roll deflated cured.

An advantage of the addition of the second spherical filling radially outward from each center of the spheres 32 is carried out during a conventional tire manufacturing process. The second filler assists in the formation of an untreated rim in a toroid form from a cylindrical shape during the rim construction process. The first fillers of harder spheres are initially placed in a rim-building drum in a cylindrical shape axially internal to the respective sphere centers. The second softer sphere fills are placed radially outward from the respective sphere centers. The untreated rim is separated from the cylindrical rim construction drum and formed into a toroid shape. During the formation of the toroidal shape the first filling is rotated around the center of the spheres stationary to start radially outward from the second filling and the center of spheres in each of the areas of spheres 30. The second filling is made to remain stationary around the center of spheres as the first filling rotates. This process of construction of the rim has the advantage of allowing the first filling to be easily rotated from an initial position to a rotated position. The problems associated with a center of surplus or elongated spheres are compensated by the second filling of spheres. In addition, sphere centers of surplus form of the art often have problems with voids adjacent to the center of spheres of a cured tire. The voids adjacent the center of the spheres are essentially eliminated by the addition of the second spherical filling of this invention.

Other advantages of the addition of a second spherical filler in accordance with this invention are carried out by mounting a cylindrical tire that can be deflated cured to a rim. The flexibility of the second softer spherical padding allows the center of spheres to be more compliant with the stiff walls of the tire that can roll flat. The center of spheres becomes deformed or deflected from its annular ring shape as the rim that can roll deflated is mounted. The center of spheres is less subject or repressed by the rubber that is more flexible and softer than the second filling of spheres during assembly, so that the forces and overpressures used to mount the tire that can roll flat as a result of the second are reduced * filling of spheres.

Further advantages of the addition of the second spherical filling illustrated in Figures 2, 3, and 4 are associated with the operation of a vehicle having the deflated rolling tires of this invention. The presence of the second filling of spheres has an influence with the comfort when entering and driving the vehicle. The shape and extension of the second filling of spheres in the tire that can roll inflated deflated is optimized to improve comfort when entering and driving the vehicle. With the loss of the pressure that keeps it inflated, the tire that can roll deflated undergoes deformation or deflection to support the vehicle through the side walls of the tire that can roll flat, as illustrated in figure 4. The area of spheres together with the spherical fillings are bent so that the tire that can roll deflated conforms better to the shape of the ring without the displacement of the center of spheres or accentuated in reducing the pressures that keep it sitting or accommodated in the tire that can roll flat to have the interface with the rim. The ability of the ball fillings to assist the flat tire that can roll to conform to the ring is increased by the addition of the second ball fill. The bending of the area of spheres is more critical during the lateral maneuvers of the vehicle and the maneuvers in the corners by the vehicle are improved by the addition of a second filling of spheres.

Generally speaking, the complete design of the first and second fillings together with the center of spheres results in an improved process for the development of the tire that can roll flat, an improved assembly of the tire that can roll flat in a ring and Improved features in the handling of the vehicle when the tire is inflated that can roll flat and with a loss of pressure that keeps it inflated.

A further aspect of the present invention is illustrated by the opening distance G provided between the rim of the rim 84 and a heel corner 31c of the elastomer portions 31, as illustrated in Figure 3. It is known that an opening distance is necessary for the tire that can roll flat, inflated respond to the maneuvers of the vehicle and maintain a good handling of the vehicle and operation in the corners or curves. An initial opening distance is provided so that the flat tire can be mounted on a conventional ring and inflated to a normal inflation pressure. An opening gap G has an initial value within the range from about 3 millimeters to about 8 millimeters depending on the size of the tire that can be deflated and the width of the ring application. This initial opening distance begins to decrease as the tire that can roll flat begins to lose the pressure that keeps it inflated.

The deflated rolling tire of this invention is made to have a pressure that keeps it inflated predetermined so that it feels or accommodates with respect to the rim when the rim is mounted. The initial inflation pressure for the tire that can roll flat 10 has an average value in the range from 30 pounds per square inch (psi) to about 40 psi. The interface surfaces of the rim and rim seat 86 interface components 31 are usually used lubricated to reduce the effort in mounting the rim that can roll flat to the rim. The heel point 85 of the spheres begins to be placed on the rim so that uninterrupted contact is made between the tire that can roll flat and the rim when the tire that can roll flat is completely mounted on the rim.

To inflate the deflated rolling tire of this invention to a conventional inflation pressure known in the art makes the tire ready for use in a vehicle. The standard inflation pressure is given in the 1997 Book of the Year of the Association of Wheels and Wheels, as it was taken as reference before, for different sizes of tires. The deflated rolling tire of this invention inflated and assembled results in an average interface pressure between the flat tire that can roll and the ring that has a value in the range from about 220 psi to about 365 psi. The preferred average interface pressure for the flat tire that can roll 10 in a passenger car has a value of about 290 psi when the flat tire can be inflated to around 30 psi. The distribution of this pressure is controlled by the deflated rolling tire of this invention so that there is an uninterrupted contact at the interface between the deflated tire and the rim. This pressure of 290 psi refers here to the travel interface pressure. The ride interface pressure of the deflated rolling tire of this invention represents an increase from about 30 to about 40 percent above conventional rims and rings of the same size and load capacity. The stroke interface pressure is very important to ensure a tight seal for air retention inside the rim and to help ensure an adequate zero inflation pressure seat retention of the tire that can run flat in the rim..

The deflated rolling tire of this invention can travel or run charged with zero inflation pressure and in contact with the ground surface is illustrated in Figure 4. This figure further illustrates a cross-sectional view of only half a rim which can roll deflated 10 which is symmetrical around the semi-circumferential plane P. The flat tire that can be rolled is mounted on the ring 80 which is loaded by the load L as a result of the weight support of a vehicle. The interface components of the ring 31 of the sphere area 30 remain in contact with the seat of the ring 86 and the heel point 85 remains in the seat of the ring. The center of the spheres 32 is capable of holding the rim in the ring and the spherical fillings 34 and 37, together with the other stiffening members of the side wall 50 and the shell layers 40, have been deformed as a support unit for the vehicle. A floor or ground surface 90 has contact with the bearing surface 14 of the bearing portion 12. The band folds 80 that support the bearing portion for each of the shoulders 83 of the tire that can be deflated. The stiffening members of the side wall and the shell layers act as a deformed beam for the transfer of the loads towards the ring with a loss of the pressure that keeps it inflated.

One aspect of the deflated rolling tire of this invention is the contact of the rim with the rim of the rim 84, as illustrated in Figure 4. This contact between the heel rim portion of the rim interface components 31 and the rim of the rim allows the loads on the rim to be transferred directly to the rim of the rim. The heel corner 31c is essential in the loading of the rim of the rim without using the rim of the rim as a fulcrum to force the center of spheres 32 away from the center of spheres 86. In other words, the load is transferred from the rim that it can roll deflated directly to the rim of the rim without the need for a lever action as the rim that can roll flat deflates with a loss of pressure that keeps it inflated. A corner angle CA at the heel corner is measured by the angle formed by the tangents in the side wall and the surface of the heel flange portion as it curves around the heel corner 31c. The corner angle has a value of at least 30 degrees when the tire that can run flat is cured (figure 2). The radial opening distance G (figure 3) has closed to zero. However, this occurs before the inflation pressure has decreased to zero within the tire that can roll flat. The heel flange portion 38 of the interface components of the rim contacts the rim of the rim 84 when the inflation pressure decreases or has less than about 15 percent of the conventional inflation pressure of the inflated rim. This unique feature of the flat tire can allow the rim to be fully seated or accommodated in the rim before total loss of pressure keeps it inflated; to ensure proper support of the tire that can roll flat by the rim.

An additional aspect of the deflated rolling tire of this invention is the size, strength and flexibility of the center of spheres 32. As illustrated in Figures 2-4, the center of spheres is a fundamental structural component in the various stages for provide a tire that can roll flat, mount and support the rim on a rim during its conditions of inflation and deflation of the tire that can roll flat. The tension force of the center of spheres is discussed beforehand in relation to the assembly and retention of the tire that can roll deflated in a conventional ring. The ability of the center of spheres to resist which is twisted and quantified by its torsional stiffness. The torsional rigidity of the center of spheres 32 is very important, particularly when the tire that can be rolled flat in a ring is maintained with a loss of pressure that keeps it inflated. The torsional rigidity of the center of spheres 32 made of an annular roll of wire filaments is performed by measuring the moment or torque required to rotate in a 100 millimeter long test sample of the center of spheres through an angle of 2.5 degrees. The torsional stiffness of the center of spheres 32 for the deflated rolling rim of this invention should be less than 100 Newtons per meter per radian and is preferably about 200 meters per radian. In addition, the moment of inertia torque of the cross-sectional area of the center of spheres is made to have a value in the range from about 150 millimeters for the fourth power to about 350 millimeters for the fourth power, and preferably around 200 millimeters for the fourth power.

EXAMPLES Sufficient tire retention capacity of the invention can be deflated when used in standard vehicles. Both spheres remain seated or accommodated in the rim with zero inflation pressure on the rim during moderate time and many of the various maneuvers; They include the brake at 45 miles per hour and turns of maneuvers used in the industry as standards for the development of the tire that can roll flat. Many of the industry standard maneuvers involve lateral acceleration values in excess of 0.5 times the acceleration of gravity (0.5 Gs). The deflated rolling tire of this invention exceeds all the requirements of these tests.

In several of the many maneuvers, with standard vehicles went well beyond the standard test maneuvers, the tire that can roll flat with zero inflation pressure remained in the ring with only the internal spheres sitting or accommodated in the seat of the hoop. The retention of the tire that can roll flat sitting or accommodated on at least one side of the ring enabled to recover from many of the various maneuvers and continue to provide the vehicle with its continuous movement. From the above description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, those skilled in the art will notice improvements, changes, and modifications. Such improvements, changes, and modifications within the knowledge of the techniques are attempted to be covered by the appended claims.

It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant, to implement said invention is that which is clear from the manufacture of the objects to which it refers. Having described the invention as above, property is claimed as contained in the following:

Claims (9)

1. A tire that can roll deflated, radial, characterized in that it comprises: a pair of side wall portions; a plurality of side wall members increasingly in each side wall portion for supporting said rim with a loss of pressure that keeps it inflated; a pair of separate ring spheres; a pair of radially reinforced shell layers extending from sphere to sphere and placed around said side wall members in increasing shape; an intermediate shell layer extending from sphere to sphere between the members in increasing shape and having both ends partially surrounding a respective center of sphere and an upward bend around said center of sphere to overlap with the outermost of said sphere pair; casing layers; and first and second sphere fills each positioned radially outwardly of each sphere center and axially between the shell layers, said first sphere fills radially outwardly from said sphere center to form a side wall member of said plurality of side wall members in increasing shape and said second ball filling linked by said first ball filling and said ball center to provide a filling material adjacent to the ball center with a lower hardness than that of the first ball filling. sphere.

2. The deflated rolling tire of claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises: a center of sphere within each of said spheres having an annular roll of wire or synthetic filaments which generally form a polygonal cross-section with a predetermined tension force, said center of sphere has a more internal, flat, imaginary surface, defined by an imaginary plane having contact with said filaments, said innermost surface forming an internal diameter of said center of sphere.

3. The deflated rolling rim of claim 2, characterized in that said tension force of said sphere center is defined by a tension force at a percentage of stress unit with a value within the range of about 1100 Newtons per millimeter square up to around 3000 Newtons per square millimeter.

4. The deflated rolling rim of claim 3, characterized in that a torsional stiffness of the center of the sphere is at least 100 Newtons meters per radian.

5. The deflated rolling rim of claim 4, characterized in that the torsional stiffness of the center of the sphere is about 200 Newtons per radian.

6. The deflated rolling tire of claim 3, characterized in that a moment of inertial torsion of the cross-sectional area of said ball center is within the range from about 150 millimeters to the fourth power up to about 350 millimeters up to] _a fourth power

7. The deflated rolling rim of claim 6, characterized in that the moment of inertial torsion of the center of the sphere is about 200 millimeters up to the fourth power.

8. The deflated rolling rim of claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises: a plurality of elastomeric interface component portions in each sphere including a bead portion, a rim seat portion and a heel rim portion forming a component unique and having predetermined hardness and elasticity properties for the interface with a conventional rim with the rim when mounted to it, wherein said portion of heel rim has a heel corner with a radial opening distance from a rim edge. ring when said tire that can rotate deflated is mounted on said ring and inflated to its conventional inflation pressure.

9. The deflated rolling rim of claim 8, characterized in that said predetermined hardness of said elastomeric interface component portions have a Strut A hardness with a value in the range from about 50 to about 80. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The deflated rolling tire (10) has a rolling surface (12) and a bundle of belts with bands folds (81) internal to the riding surface (12). A plurality of radially reinforced carcass plies (40) are placed within the web folds (81) and include at least one carcass ply extending between the separate annular spheres (30). The rim (10) has a pair of side walls (41) each of which extend radially inward from the shoulders (83) at the side edges of the bundle of bands towards the annular spheres (30). The side walls (41) have a plurality of stiffening members -from the side wall (50) to support the rim (10) during the loss of the pressure that keeps it inflated. The separate spheres (30) include the sphere centers (32) placed at a predetermined diameter with respect to a flange diameter, the dual sphere fillings (34,37) above the sphere centers (32), a corner heel (31c) separated from a radial opening distance from a rim flange (84) and the rim interface components having a seat interface below the center of sphere (32) for mounting the rim that can roll deflated (10) to a conventional ring (80).