WO1999024271A1

WO1999024271A1 - Tyres

Info

Publication number: WO1999024271A1
Application number: PCT/GB1998/003322
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alex Raymond Sweetman; Kevin Fahey
Original assignee: Alex Raymond Sweetman; Kevin Fahey
Priority date: 1997-11-06
Filing date: 1998-11-06
Publication date: 1999-05-20
Also published as: GB2331052A; GB9723528D0

Abstract

The tyre disclosed herein is at least in part of fluorescent material which may be mixed with the conventional rubberised material of a tyre prior to moulding or may be moulded into recesses formed inside walls of the tyre. The moulded tyre may be provided with an outer coating of a fluorescent material onto the tyre. Preferably the fluorescent material is a phosphorescent material or alternatively of a material which emits light permanently.

Description

TYRES

This invention relates to tyres and a method of making tyres.

The safety of children when riding bicycles, for example, has long been the subject of much concern, particularly as light is fading and night-time falls. Such concerns have been met to some extent by providing lighting/reflectors on the bicycles with fixed or flashing red rear lights and bright front lights. However, the lights/reflectors remain small and generally inadequate.

This problem has been met to some extent by providing white coloured tyres but in the dark these do not have effect unless bright light is directed upon them.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a tyre and a method of making a tyre in which the above mentioned disadvantages are substantially overcome.

According to the present invention there is provided a tyre including a non-fluorescent portion and at least one fluorescent portion moulded to the non- fluorescent portion.

In one embodiment of the present invention the fluorescent portion is conveniently of a material being of a mixture of conventional tyre material such as rubber, mixed prior to moulding with fluorescent material rendering the tyre fluorescent and very visible in the dark. The amount of visibility is dependent upon the particular form in which the fluorescent material is presented. The fluorescent material can have a permanent fluorescence such as by a radium-based material which emits a permanent glow and which can be readily seen in the dark. Alternatively, the fluorescent material is of a phosphorescent-based material which once light is shone upon it receives the light energy and re-transmits this energy by glowing until the energy has dissipated.

The fluorescent material may be located in recesses in each side wall of the tyre to define circumferentially extending strips which are preferably arcuate.

In an alternative embodiment the bicycle tyre is completely covered by a layer of the fluorescent material moulded to the tyre.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a tyre of the prior art;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of another tyre in accordance with the present invention, and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a further tyre in accordance with the present invention. In the following description with reference to the drawings like parts have the same reference numerals.

One form of tyre is disclosed in Fig. 1 which shows a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the tyre having annular side wall portions 1, 2 and a road contacting tyre tread portion 3 extending intermediate between radially outermost extremities 4 of the side walls.

The material from which the tyre is formed is of a conventional rubberised composition mixed from which a tyre would normally be produced with a fluorescent material and then the mixture is moulded by a conventional moulding technique into the tyre as shown in Fig. 1. The conventional moulding technique referred to is well known and therefore not described herein. The dimensions of the tyre are also of a conventional form and the fluorescent particles of the mixture extend throughout the thickness of the tyre so that as the tyre wears, particularly on the road contacting tyre tread portion 3, the fluorescence continues to be present ensuring the safety aspects throughout the life of the tyre.

Fig. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the invention in which a non-fluorescent portion of the tyre is initially moulded of conventional material and form, but is provided with one or more recesses located in the outer surfaces of the side walls 1, 2 thereof. The tyre is then inserted into a further mould where a fluorescent material is injected into the recesses to fill the same. The tyre when removed from the mould then has arcuate strips 6 of the fluorescent material extending around each side wall of the tyre. The strips may comprise any shape or form and may include advertising information. For example, the strips can be elongate rectangular strips which are short relative to the circumferential length of the tyre, placed at stepped locations around the side walls 1,2 of the tyre.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the invention in which a non- fluorescent portion of a tyre which is initially formed in a conventional manner, and the non-fluorescent portion is placed in another mould so that a layer 7 of fluorescent material can be moulded over the whole of the tyre to define the outer surface of the tyre. The outermost fluorescent moulding on the tyre can be of any colour.

Accordingly, there has been described a tyre to which a fluorescent material has been applied during its moulding process so that the mixture from which a portion of the tyre is moulded includes fluorescent material, or a bicycle tyre is moulded in a conventional manner but with recesses extending circumferentially in each of the proposed side walls of the tyre. The tyre is then inserted in a further mould where strips of fluorescent material of either form described above may be moulded into the recess provided. The recess and hence fluorescent material can be formed in any shape or pattern.

In another embodiment the conventionally formed bicycle tyre is inserted into a further mould and has a complete outer covering of fluorescent material moulded onto the outermost surface of the tyre so that under appropriate circumstances the whole of the tyre glows, thereby enabling the tyre mounted on the wheel of a bicycle to be seen clearly in the dark.

In any of the above described embodiments, once a wheel is rotated upon which a tyre in accordance with the present invention is mounted, the glow will always appear to be in a circular form and will render the tyre and hence the bicycle clearly visible when viewed from any direction of the bicycle, thereby adding to the safer use of the bicycle in the dark.

In addition to use with tyres for bicycles the tyres can be similarly produced for use with a car or Commercial vehicle tyres, for safety in sighting the vehicle in the dark much earlier than might otherwise be possible.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. A tyre including a non-fluorescent portion and at least one fluorescent portion moulded to the non- fluorescent portion.

2. A tyre as claimed in claim 1, including at least one recess in the non-fluorescent portion, the at least one recess being filled with the at least one fluorescent portion.

3. A tyre as claimed in claims 1 or 2 , wherein the at least one fluorescent portion is an arcuate strip.

4. A tyre as claimed in claims 1 to 3 , wherein the at least one fluorescent portion is adapted to display an advertisement.

5. A tyre as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fluorescent portion forms an outer coating of the tyre.

6. A tyre as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the fluorescent material emits light constantly.

7. A tyre as claimed in any of claims 1-5 wherein the fluorescent material is a phosphorescent material.

8. A method of producing a tyre including moulding at least one fluorescent portion to a non-fluorescent portion of the tyre.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, comprising the steps of a) moulding the non-fluorescent portion, and b) moulding the at least one fluorescent portion onto the non-fluorescent portion.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein fluorescent material is mixed with rubberised material to form a mixture for moulding of the fluorescent portion.

11. A method as claimed in claims 9 or 10, wherein step a) includes moulding the non-fluorescent portion of the tyre with rubberised material, so that the non- fluorescent portion includes at least one recess in a side wall of the non-fluorescent portion of the tyre and step b) includes moulding into the at least one recess the at least one fluorescent portion.

12. A method as claimed in claims 9 or 10, wherein step b) comprises moulding a coating of fluorescent material over an outer surface of the non-fluorescent portion of the tyre.

13. A method as claimed in any of claims 9 to 12, wherein step b) includes providing a fluorescent material which emits light permanently for moulding the fluorescent portion.

14. A method as claimed in any of claims 9 to 12 wherein step b) includes providing a fluorescent material which is a phosphorescent material for moulding the fluorescent portion.