SIDEWALL CONSTRUCTION FOR A TIRE

Abstract

A bead portion of a tire includes: a bead portion including a core; a first filler arranged at the core; a carcass extending around the core and the first filler and radially inward adjacent an axially inner side of the core, the carcass further extending axially outward adjacent the core and radially outward adjacent the core; a second filler extending both axially and radially beyond the first filler, the second filler overlapping the first filler, an outermost end of the second filler being positioned radially outward from the first filler; a first chafer disposed at the second filler; a second chafer extended about the carcass; and a flipper extending radially inward from a position axially adjacent the first filler. The second filler is embedded at a convergence of the first chafer and a sidewall.

Claims

1. A bead portion of a tire comprising: a bead core; a first bead filler arranged at a radially outer side of the bead core; a carcass extending around the bead core and the first bead filler, the carcass extending radially inward adjacent an axially inner side of the bead core, extending axially outward adjacent a radially inner side of the bead core, and extending radially outward adjacent an axially outer side of the bead core; a second bead filler extending both axially and radially beyond the first bead filler, the second bead filler overlapping the first bead filler, an outermost end of the second bead filler being positioned radially outward from the first bead filler; a first chafer disposed at an axially outer side of the second bead filler; a second chafer extended about a radially inner end of the carcass; and a flipper extending radially inward from a position axially adjacent an axially outer side of the first bead filler, the second bead filler being embedded at a convergence of the first chafer and a sidewall of the tire.

2. The bead portion as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second bead filler extends both axially and radially beyond a first bead filler outer end portion.

3. The bead portion as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second bead filler overlaps a first bead filler outer end portion.

4. The bead portion as set forth in claim 3 wherein a radially outermost end of the second bead filler outer end portion is positioned at the first bead filler outer end portion.

5. The bead portion as set forth in claim 1 wherein a radially inner end portion of the second bead filler is positioned at a radially outer side of the bead core.

6. The bead portion as set forth in claim 1 wherein a radially inner end portion of the second bead filler is positioned at a radially outermost surface of the bead core.

7. The bead portion as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second bead filler contacts the carcass.

8. The bead portion as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second bead filler contacts the first chafer.

9. The bead portion as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second bead filler is embedded at a convergence of a radially outer portion of the first chafer and a radially inner portion of the side rubber layer.

10. The bead portion as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first bead filler, the second bead filler, and the flipper further decrease rolling resistance of the tire.

11. A method for stiffening a bead portion of a tire, the method comprising the steps of: arranging a first bead filler at a radially outer side of a bead core; extending a carcass around the bead core and the first bead filler; extending the carcass radially inward adjacent an axially inner side of the bead core; extending the carcass axially outward adjacent a radially inner side of the bead core; extending the carcass radially outward adjacent an axially outer side of the bead core; arranging a second bead filler both axially and radially beyond the first bead filler; overlapping the first bead filler with the second bead filler; positioning an outermost end of the second bead filler radially outward from the first bead filler; arranging a first chafer at an axially outer side of the second bead filler; and embedding the second bead filler at a convergence of the first chafer and a sidewall of the tire.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11 further including the step of extending a second chafer about a radially inner end of the carcass.

13. The method as set forth in claim 11 further including the step of extending a flipper radially inward from a position axially adjacent an axially outer side of the first bead filler.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13 further including the step of extending the flipper axially inward adjacent a radially inner side of the bead core.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14 further including the step of extending the flipper radially outward to a position axially adjacent two separate parts the carcass and a radially outermost end of the first bead filler.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0092] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross sectional view along a tire radial direction and a tread width direction of a tire in accordance with the present invention.

[0093] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view of part of the tire of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0094] In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar parts. It may be appreciated that the drawings are schematically shown and the ratio and the like of each dimension may be different from these examples. Therefore, the specific dimensions must be determined in view of the below explanation. It is needless to say that relations and ratios among the respective dimensions may differ among the diagrams.

[0095] FIG. 1 shows a cross sectional view of a pneumatic or non-pneumatic tire 1 along a tire radial direction and a tread width direction of the tire in accordance with the present invention. The tire 1 may be mounted on a standard rim 100. The tire 1 may have a normal inner pressure and support a normal load. The tire 1 may include a tread portion 3, a bead portion 5, and a side wall portion 7. The tread portion 3 may contact a road surface (not shown).

[0096] The tire 1 may further include two bead portions 5 (one shown), a carcass 30, a side rubber layer 60, and a belt portion 90. The carcass 30 may be arranged throughout the tread portion 3, the bead portion 5, and the side wall portion 7. The carcass 30 may extend between a pair of the bead cores 10 (one shown) and a pair of the first bead fillers 20 (one shown). The carcass 30 may curve radially inward to the axially inner side of the bead cores 10 and the first bead fillers 20 and wrap around the axially outer sides of the bead cores 10. Second bead fillers 40 (one shown) may be arranged at the axially outer side of the carcass 30.

[0097] The example bead portion 5 may be attached to, or in contact with, the rim 100. The side wall portion 7 may interconnect the tread portion 3 and the bead portion 5. The bead portion(s) 5 may include a bead core 10, a first bead filler 20, a second bead filler 40, a first chafer 50, a flipper 70, and a second chafer 80.

[0098] The bead core 10 may allow the attachment of the tire 1 to the rim 100. The bead core 10 be constructed of bead wire (not shown). The first bead filler 20 may be arranged at the radially outer side of the bead core 10. The first bead filler 20 may have an approximate triangular shape.

[0099] The first chafer 50 may be arranged at the axially outer side of the bead portion 5. More specifically, the first chafer 50 may be arranged at the axially outer side the carcass 30 and the second bead filler 40. The side rubber layer 60 of the side wall portion 7 may be arranged at the axially outer side of the carcass 30. The second chafer 80 may extend axially between the carcass 30 and an innerliner 32. The second chafer 80 may prevent toe chipping at the rim 100. The belt layer 90 may be arranged in the tread portion 3 at the axially outer side of the carcass 30. The belt layer 90 may include, for example, two belts.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 2, the bead portion 5 may include the bead core 10, the first bead filler 20, the carcass 30, the innerliner 32, the second bead filler 40, the first chafer 50, the flipper 70, and the second chafer 80. The bead core 10 may have a bead core-innermost surface 15 which is an innermost surface of the bead core 10 in the tire radial direction. Further, the bead core 10 may have a bead core-outermost surface 17 which is an outermost surface of the bead core 10 in the tire radial direction.

[0101] The first bead filler 20 may have a first bead filler outer end portion 23 which is an outer end portion in the tire radial direction of the first bead filler 20. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the thickness of the first bead filler outer end portion 23 may be reduced toward the outer side in the tire radial direction, that is, the first bead filler outer end portion, which is an outermost end of the first bead filler 20 in the tire radial direction. An inner end portion in the tire radial direction of the first bead filler 20 may contact the bead core 10.

[0102] The second bead filler 40 may be positioned at the outer side in the tread width direction from the outer carcass 30b. The second bead filler 40 may have a second bead filler outer end portion 43, which is an outer end portion in the tire radial direction, and a second bead filler inner end portion 48, which is an inner end portion in the tire radial direction. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the thickness of the second bead filler 40 may be reduced toward the end portion of the second bead filler 40 in the tire radial direction from the center of the second bead filler 40 in the tire radial direction. That is, the thicknesses of the second bead filler outer end portion 43 and the second bead filler inner end portion 48 may be thinner than that of the center of the second bead filler 40.

[0103] The flipper 70 may wrap around the bead core 10 and extend radially outward from the radially inner side of the bead core 10. In the tread width direction, the flipper layer 70 may have an axially inner layer 70a positioned at the inner side of the bead core 10 and an axially outer layer 70b positioned at the outer side of the bead core. A radially outer end 75 of the axially inner layer 70a may extend radially outward to a position axially adjacent the carcass 30 and the first bead filler outer end portion 23. The radially outer end 75 of the axially outer layer 70b may extend radially outward to a position adjacent the first bead filler 20.

[0104] The flipper 70 may increase cornering stiffness of tire 1 thereby enhancing dynamic operating conditions, such as ride & handling performance of the tire. Further, such a flipper 70 may provide little or no negative impact to rolling resistance of the tire 1 or other factors, such as manufacturing complexity and cost.

[0105] In accordance with the present invention, the second bead filler 40 may extend both axially and radially beyond the first bead filler outer end portion 23 in the tread width direction. Accordingly, the second bead filler 40 overlaps the first bead filler outer end portion 23 in the tread width direction. An outermost end of the second bead filler outer end portion 43 in the tire radial direction may be positioned at the outer side in the tire radial direction radially outward from the first bead filler outer front end 23. The second bead filler inner end portion 48 may be positioned at a radially outer side of the bead core 10. Accordingly, the second bead filler inner end portion 48 may be positioned at the outer side in the tire radial direction from the bead core-outermost surface 17. The second bead filler 40 may contact the carcass 30 at the inner side in the tread width direction. The second bead filler 40 may contact the rubber chafer 50 at the outer side in the tread width direction.

[0106] The second bead filler 40 may be embedded at a convergence of the radially outer portion of the first chafer 50 and the radially inner portion of the side rubber layer 60. The second bead filler 40 may thus provide robust load capacity and durability for the bead portion 5. The robust combination of the first bead filler 20, the second bead filler 40, and the flipper 70 may further decrease rolling resistance of the overall tire 1.

[0107] The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the above detailed descriptions of examples of the present invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers represent like parts of the present invention. Variations in the present invention are possible in light of the description of it provided herein. While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the subject invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the subject invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that changes can be made in the particular embodiments described which will be within the full intended scope of the invention as defined by the following appended claims.