Pneumatic vehicle tire having a tread

Abstract

The invention relates to a pneumatic vehicle tire, which has a tread (1), which has a tread segment (6) that is arranged radially outside, said tread segment having a material strip (7) that is arranged helically in windings approximately in the circumferential direction, wherein the material strip (7) in the region of the tread segment (6) has at least two layers (8, 9) in the longitudinal direction of the material strip, wherein the first layer (8) is formed of a first rubber mixture and the second layer (9) is formed of a second rubber mixture and wherein the layers (8, 9) connect the radially outer surface (10) to the radially inner surface (11) of the tread segment (6). The problem addressed by the invention is the creation of a pneumatic vehicle tire that has advantageous snow driving behavior and, at the same time, improved properties on a dry roadway. In addition, the tire should be simple to produce. This problem is solved in that the second rubber mixture has a Shore A hardness that is greater than the Shore A hardness of the first rubber mixture by at least 2 Shore A, preferably by 4 Shore A to 12 Shore A, and in that the first and the second rubber mixtures have approximately the same stress value. The invention further relates to a method for producing such a pneumatic vehicle tire.

Claims

1. A pneumatic vehicle tire comprising a tread, wherein the tread comprises a tread segment arranged radially on an outside of the pneumatic vehicle tire; wherein the tread segment comprises a material strip arranged helically in windings approximately in a circumferential direction outside of the pneumatic vehicle tire; wherein, in a region of the tread segment, the material strip comprises at least two layers in a longitudinal direction of the material strip, and wherein the at least two layers comprise a first layer and a second layer; wherein a first layer of the material strip is formed from a first rubber compound and a second layer of the material strip is formed from a second rubber compound, different from the first layer; wherein the first layer and the second layer connect a radially outer surface of the tread segment to a radially inner surface of the tread segment; wherein, in a vulcanized state, the second rubber compound has a Shore A hardness that is greater than the Shore A hardness of the first rubber compound by at least 2, the Shore A hardness determined at room temperature in accordance with DIN ISO 7619-1; and, wherein, in the vulcanized state, the first rubber compound and the second rubber compound have approximately the same stress value, determined at 300% elongation at room temperature in accordance with DIN 53504.

2. The pneumatic vehicle tire as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the vulcanized state, the first rubber compound has a Shore A hardness of 41 Shore A to 65 Shore A, and the second rubber compound has a Shore A hardness of 49 Shore A to 76 Shore A.

3. The pneumatic vehicle tire as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first rubber compound and second rubber compound each have a stress value of 3 MPa to 7 MPa, determined at 300% elongation at room temperature in accordance with DIN 53504.

4. The pneumatic vehicle tire as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first rubber compound and second rubber compound each have a stress value of between 7 MPa and 13 MPa, determined at 300% elongation at room temperature in accordance with DIN 53504.

5. The pneumatic vehicle tire as claimed in claim 1, wherein within the tread segment, it is the case that the interface (between the first layer and the second layer has a mean slope angle per winding of −80° to 80° to radial direction rR of the pneumatic vehicle tire, in that the ratio of volume of the first layer relative to volume of the second layer per winding is from 1:1 to 10:1, and/or in mean cross-sectional thickness per winding of the first layer and/or mean cross-sectional thickness per winding of the second layer is 0.5 mm to 1 mm.

6. The pneumatic vehicle tire as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in one or two shoulder regions of the tread, the tread comprises a tread segment and, axially to an inside relative to the tread segment, the tread comprises a further segment, arranged radially on the outside, of the tread, and in that volume density of second rubber compound in the further segment is lower than volume density of second rubber compound in the tread segment (6), the volume density of second rubber compound in the further segment (16) is equal to 0.

7. The pneumatic vehicle tire as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in one or two shoulder regions of the tread, the tread comprises a tread segment and, axially to an inside relative to the tread segment, the tread comprises a further segment, arranged radially on the outside, of the tread, and in that volume density of second rubber compound in the further segment is lower than volume density of second rubber compound in the tread segment, in that the volume density of second rubber compound in the further segment is equal to 0.

8. The pneumatic vehicle tire as claimed in claim 1, wherein within the tread segment, the mean slope angle per winding that is enclosed by an interface between the first layer and the second layer of the material strip and the radial direction rR changes in an axial direction aR, the mean slope angle per winding increases in magnitude from axially on the inside to axially on the outside.

9. The pneumatic vehicle tire as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tread comprises a tread segment in each shoulder region, and in that the two tread segments differ in the sign of the mean slope angle thereof per winding that is enclosed by an interface between the first layer and the second layer of the respective material strip and a radial direction rR.

10. The pneumatic vehicle tire as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material strip comprises a third layer composed of a rubber compound different from the first rubber compound and second rubber compound.

11. The pneumatic vehicle tire as claimed in at least claim 10, wherein the material strip extends over at least 80% of axial width of the tread.

12. The pneumatic vehicle tire as claimed in claim 1, the tread segment is configured for use in winter driving conditions.

13. The pneumatic vehicle tire as claimed in claim 1, the tread segment is arranged radially on the outside, a material strip is wound on approximately helically in a circumferential direction of the pneumatic vehicle tire, wherein the material strip comprises the first layer and the second layer, and wherein the material strip is an extruded material based on a calendered multi-compound web.

14. The pneumatic vehicle tire as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in a vulcanized state, the second rubber compound has a Shore A hardness that is greater than the Shore A hardness of the first rubber compound by 4 Shore A to 12 Shore A, determined at room temperature in accordance with DIN ISO 7619-1.

Description

(1) Further features, advantages and details of the invention are now explained by means of the schematic drawings, which show illustrative embodiments. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a partial cross section through the tread region of a pneumatic vehicle tire comprising one embodiment of the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 to FIG. 6 each show schematically an embodiment according to the invention of the tread.

(4) FIG. 1 shows schematically and by way of example a partial cross section of a motorcar tire. The customary constituent parts of the tire include, in particular, a tread 1, a belt structure 2 arranged radially on the inside of the tread 1 and comprising a plurality of belt plies and optionally a belt bandage, furthermore a radial carcass 3, a largely airtight inner liner 4 and side walls (not shown) as well as bead regions with bead cores, core profiles and further reinforcing plies possibly provided in the bead regions. The tread 1 is provided, in particular in a manner known per se, with profiling, which is not shown.

(5) The tread 1 extends beyond the width of the tire in the ground contact area and ends in the shoulder regions 5. At the shoulders, tread end regions consisting of the side wall compound can be provided.

(6) FIGS. 2 to 6 each show schematically an embodiment according to the invention of the tread. The embodiments are suitable for a tread 1 of a motorcar tire of the kind illustrated in FIG. 1, in particular for a motorcar tire for use in winter driving conditions.

(7) The treads 1 illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 6 each have a tread segment 6 arranged radially on the outside, wherein the tread segment 6 has a material strip 7, which is arranged helically in windings approximately in the circumferential direction. In the region of the tread segment 6, the material strip 7 has at least two layers 8, 9 in the longitudinal direction thereof, wherein the first layer 8 is formed from a first rubber compound and the second layer 9 is formed from a second rubber compound different from the first compound, wherein the first layer 8 and the second layer 9 connect the radially outer surface 10 of the tread segment 6 to the radially inner surface 11 of the tread segment 6.

(8) The shore A hardness of the first rubber compound is 41 Shore A to 65 Shore A in the vulcanized state, and the Shore A hardness of the second rubber compound in the vulcanized state is 49 Shore A to 76 Shore A, determined at room temperature in accordance with DIN ISO 7619-1. Here, the Shore A hardnesses of the two rubber compounds differ by 4 Shore A to 12 Shore A. Furthermore, the first and second rubber compounds have approximately the same stress value in the vulcanized state, determined at 300% elongation at room temperature in accordance with DIN 53504.

(9) In a first embodiment in each case, the treads 1 shown in FIGS. 2 to 6 have rubber compounds in the first and second layers thereof with respective stress values of 3 MPa to 7 MPa, determined at 300% elongation at room temperature in accordance with DIN 53504.

(10) In a second embodiment in each case, the treads 1 shown in FIGS. 2 to 6 have rubber compounds in the first and second layers thereof with respective stress values between 7 MPa and 13 MPa, determined at 300% elongation at room temperature in accordance with DIN 53504.

(11) The treads 1 shown are produced at least partially by a procedure in which, to form the tread segment 6 arranged radially on the outside, a material strip 7 is wound on approximately helically in the circumferential direction of the pneumatic vehicle tire, wherein the material strip 7 comprises the first 8 and the second layer 9. In this case, the multilayer material strip 7 is extruded, in particular, by co-extrusion as a material strip or produced by cutting a calendered multi-compound web and joining together the pieces thereby obtained.

(12) FIG. 2 shows a tread 1 which is formed by a material strip 7 arranged helically in windings in the circumferential direction, wherein the material strip 7 is of two-layer design over the entire length thereof. The material strip 7 extends over the entire axial width of the tread 1, and the tread segment 6 extends substantially over the entire axial width of the tread 1.

(13) The interface 12 between the first layer 8 and the second layer 9 has a mean slope angle 13 per winding of −80° to 80° to the radial direction rR of the pneumatic vehicle tire.

(14) Furthermore, the ratio of the volume of the first layer 8 relative to the volume of the second layer 9 per winding is 1:1 to 10:1 and the mean cross-sectional thickness 14 per winding of the first layer 8 and/or the mean cross-sectional thickness 15 per winding of the second layer 9 is 0.5 mm to 1 mm.

(15) FIGS. 3 and 4 each show a tread 1, which has a tread segment 6 in both shoulder regions 5 and, axially to the inside relative to the tread segments 6, a further segment 16, arranged radially on the outside, of the tread 1, wherein the volume density of second rubber compound in the further segment 16 is lower than the volume density of second rubber compound in the tread segments 6.

(16) Here, the illustrative embodiment shown in FIG. 3 also has the second rubber compound in the further segment 16. In particular, segments 6 and 16 are formed from a single material strip 7, wherein the ratio of the volume of the first layer 8 of a winding to the volume of the second layer 9 of the winding of the material strip 7 changes in the axial direction.

(17) In the illustrative embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the volume density of second rubber compound in the further segment 16 is equal to 0. Layer 19 is thus formed from a rubber compound different from the first rubber compound. In particular, the further segment 16 has a material strip comprising electrically conductive material 17, wherein the electrically conductive material 17 connects the tread surface 18 in an electrically conductive manner to an electrically conductive component arranged radially to the inside of the material strip. In particular, segments 6 and 16 are formed from different material strips. However, segments 6 and 16 can also be formed from a material strip, the second layer of which is not formed from the second rubber compound in the region of segment 16 but from a rubber compound different therefrom, in particular from the first rubber compound and/or from electrically conductive material 17.

(18) FIGS. 5 and 6 each show a tread 1 having at least one tread segment 6, wherein, within the tread segment 6, the mean slope angle 13 per winding that is enclosed by the interface 12 between the first layer 8 and the second layer 9 of the material strip and the radial direction changes in the axial direction. Moreover, the two shoulder regions differ at least in the sign of the mean slope angle 13 per winding that is enclosed by the interfaces 12 between the first layer 8 and the second layer 9 of the respective material strip 7 and the radial direction.

(19) Here, the tread 1 illustrated in FIG. 5 differs from the tread 1 illustrated in FIG. 4 essentially in that, within the tread segments 6 arranged in the shoulder regions 5, the mean slope angle 13 per winding increases in magnitude from axially on the inside to axially on the outside and that the two tread segments 6 differ in the sign of the mean slope angle 13 thereof per winding that is enclosed by the interfaces 12 between the first layer 8 and the second layer 9 of the respective material strip 7 and the radial direction.

(20) In particular, the tread illustrated in FIG. 6 is formed from a material strip 7.

(21) The tread 1 illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 6 can form or partially form substantially the entire tread of a pneumatic vehicle tire or a radially outer region of the tread, in particular the “cap layer”.

(22) Tables 1 and 2 below contain examples of rubber compound compositions M1.sub.1 and M2.sub.1 for the first layer 8 and rubber compound compositions M1.sub.2 and M2.sub.2 for the second layer 9 of the compound strip 7. A compound strip 7 of this kind is suitable, in particular, as a compound strip 7 for the treads 1 illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 6. The quantity data are given in the unit phr (parts per hundred rubber) customary in rubber technology. In each case, the quantity data relate to the proportions by mass of the base polymer or, in the case of polymer blends, to those of the base polymers. Also given are the physical properties of Shore A hardness, determined at room temperature in accordance with DIN ISO 7619-1, and stress value, determined at 300% elongation at room temperature in accordance with DIN 53504.

(23) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Unit M1.sub.1 M1.sub.2 Constituents NR .sup.a) phr 20 5 BR .sup.b) phr 50 27 SBR .sup.c) phr 41.25 SBR .sup.d) phr 68 Silica .sup.e) phr 85 85 Carbon black N 399 phr 14 14 Plasticizer .sup.f) Phr 34 49 Silane .sup.g) phr 6 6.2 Other additives .sup.h) phr 16.7 16.7 S and accelerator .sup.i) phr 5.9 5.9 Physical properties Shore A hardness Shore A 57 63 Stress value MPa 5.9 5.9 Substances used .sup.a) Natural rubber TSR .sup.b) BR: BUNA CB 24, Lanxess .sup.c) SBR: Buna VSL 5025-2, Lanxess .sup.d) SBR: Sprintan ™ SLR 3402, Styron .sup.e) Silica Ultrasil VN3, Evonik .sup.f) Plasticizer Vivatec C500, Thai Base Public Company Ltd. .sup.g) Silane Si263, Evonik .sup.h) Other additives: antioxidant 6PPD, zinc oxide, stearic acid .sup.i) Sulphur and accelerator CBS

(24) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Unit M2.sub.1 M2.sub.2 Constituents NR .sup.a) phr 10 10 BR .sup.b) phr 67 33 SBR .sup.c) phr 23 57 Silica .sup.d) phr 103 103 Carbon black N 399 phr 5 5 Plasticizer .sup.e) phr 57.3 41.3 Silane .sup.f) phr 8.5 8.5 Other additives. .sup.g) phr 16.7 16.7 S and accelerator .sup.h) phr 9.83 9.83 Physical properties Shore A hardness Shore A 65 72 Stress value MPa 10 10 Substances used .sup.a) Natural rubber TSR .sup.b) BR: BUNA CB 24, Lanxess .sup.c) SBR: Sprintan ™ SLR 3402, Styron .sup.d) Silica Zeosil ® 1165 MP, Rhodia .sup.e) Plasticizer Vivatec C500, Thai Base Public Company Ltd. .sup.f) Silane Si263, Evonik .sup.g) Other additives: antioxidant 6PPD, zinc oxide, stearic acid .sup.h) Sulphur and accelerator CBS

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

Part of the Description

(25) 1 tread 2 belt assembly 3 radial carcass 4 inner liner 5 shoulder region 6 tread segment 7 material strip 8 first layer 9 second layer 10 radially outer surface of the tread segment 11 radially inner surface of the tread segment 12 interface 13 slope angle 14 mean cross-sectional thickness of the first layer 15 mean cross-sectional thickness of the second layer 16 further segment of the tread 17 electrically conductive material 18 tread surface 19 layer