Pneumatic vehicle tire

Abstract

A pneumatic vehicle tire has a nominal tire cross-sectional height H of at most 110 mm, bead regions with bead cores, a radial carcass which runs around the bead cores in the bead regions axially on the inside to axially on the outside forming carcass turn-ups, and side wall regions, which each have a wing profile and a side wall profile. The wing profiles are the only rubber components extending in contact with the radial carcass in the radially outer region of the side wall region. The carcass turn-ups end at a radial height (h.sub.1), determined from a base line, of 15 mm to 65 mm. At least in a region between a radial height (h.sub.2) of 29% of the nominal side wall height and a radial height (h.sub.3) of at least 80% of the height H, the wing profiles are the only rubber components that extend outside the radial carcass.

Claims

1. A pneumatic vehicle tire comprising: a tread including tread edge regions; the pneumatic vehicle tire having a nominal tire cross-sectional height (H) of at most 110 mm; a belt assembly; bead regions each having a bead core and horn profile; a radial carcass running around each bead core in each bead region axially on the inside to axially on the outside forming carcass turn-ups; side wall regions each having a wing profile and a side wall profile; said wing profiles being the only rubber components extending in contact with said radial carcass in radially outer regions of said side wall regions; said wing profiles each having a radially inner end section which runs out in a tapered manner in the direction of said bead regions and which overlaps corresponding side wall profiles on the outside; said wing profiles each further having respective radially outer end sections, which run out at corresponding ones of said tread edge regions; said side wall profiles each being, in cross section, a strip-shaped rubber component arranged between corresponding ones of said wing profiles and horn profiles; said carcass turn-ups ending at a radial height (h1) of 15 mm to 65 mm determined from a base line (BL); said wing profiles being, between a radial height (h2) determined from said base line (BL) of 29% of a nominal side wall height, and a radial height (h3) determined from said base line (BL) of at least 80% of said tire cross-sectional height (H); and, said base line (BL) extending in the axial direction and being configured to intersect a rim where an outer end of a rim radius is situated; the wing profiles are the only rubber components that extend outside the radial carcass; and the wing profiles are above the radial height h1 and have a constant thickness from the height h2 to the height h3.

2. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein, in the direction of said tread up to said height (h3) of up to 90% of said tire cross-sectional height (H), said wing profiles are the only rubber components that extend outside said radial carcass.

3. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein: said wing profiles have a thickness (d) perpendicular to the extent of said radial carcass in said side wall regions in which said wing profiles are the only rubber components extending outside the radial carcass; and, said sidewall thickness (d) lies in a range from 1.0 mm to 3.5 mm.

4. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein: said wing profiles have a thickness (d) perpendicular to the extent of said radial carcass in said side wall regions in which they are the only rubber components extending outside the radial carcass; and, said sidewall thickness (d) is 2.5 mm.

5. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein: said wing profiles have a thickness (d) perpendicular to the extent of said radial carcass in said side wall regions in which they are the only rubber components extending outside the radial carcass; and, said sidewall thickness (d) is at least 1.5 mm.

6. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein: said wing profiles have a thickness (d) perpendicular to the extent of said radial carcass in said side wall regions in which they are the only rubber components extending outside the radial carcass; and, said sidewall thickness (d) is at most 1.8 mm.

7. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein: said wing profiles have a thickness (d) perpendicular to the extent of said radial carcass in said side wall regions in which they are the only rubber components extending outside the radial 5 carcass; and, said sidewall thickness (d) is constant.

8. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein: said horn profiles each have a radially outer horn profile end section; corresponding ones of said side wall profiles, said radially outer horn profile end sections and said wing profiles each form a rim protection rib in said side wall regions; and, said rim protection ribs each having, perpendicularly to the extent of the radial carcass, a maximum thickness lying in a range from 4 mm to 14 mm.

9. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 1, further comprising a boundary situated at the height h3, radially outside the boundary a first section of each of the wing profiles runs out along the tread with a continuous reduction in its thickness but does not protrude into the ground contact region of the tread; a second section of each of the wing profiles extends from the height h3 to the height h4 and has a decreasing thickness from the height h2 to the height h4; a rim protection rib having an edge K running around in a ring shape along each of the sidewall regions, where the edge K has a height from the base line (BL) of less than h1; and h3>h2, h2>h4, and h4>h1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The invention will now be described with reference to the single FIG. of the drawing (FIG. 1) which shows a cross section of half of a pneumatic vehicle tire.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(2) The size and dimension figures given herein refer to a tire mounted on a standard rim under a standard internal pressure but in the no-load state in accordance with E.T.R.T.O. standards in the current version. The radial distances or heights are determined from a base line B.sub.L, which extends in the axial direction and intersects the rim where the outer end of the rim radius is situated. The nominal width should be understood to be the nominal width in millimeters given in the tire dimension figures in accordance with the E.T.R.T.O. standards. Thus, in the tire dimension “235/35R19”, for example, the number 235 is the nominal width in millimeters and the number 35 is the nominal aspect ratio. According to this example, 35% of the nominal width of the tire therefore corresponds to the nominal side wall height, and this is therefore 82.25 mm in this example. Pneumatic vehicle tires embodied in accordance with the invention are passenger car tires of radial configuration with nominal side wall heights of up to 110 mm.

(3) The pneumatic vehicle tire shown in section in FIG. 1 has a tread 1, bead regions 2 with bead cores 3, a one- or multi-part apex (core profile) 4 and a horn profile 5, and furthermore side wall profiles 6, a belt assembly 7, a radial carcass 8 and an airtight inner layer 9. As will be described below in detail, a wing profile 10 extends over each of the side wall regions of the pneumatic vehicle tire.

(4) The apex 4, the horn profile 5, the side wall profile 6 and the wing profile 10 are rubber profiles, which can be produced from the usual rubber compounds for these components.

(5) The tread 1, which is not the subject matter of the invention, can be embodied or constructed in a known manner, for example, in a single layer or in two layers with a tread base and a tread cap. The tread 1 is furthermore provided in a manner which is known but not shown with tread profiling and is produced by coextrusion together with the two wing profiles 10, which overlap with the tread edge regions. Generally, the wing profiles 10 are composed of the same rubber compound as the side wall profiles 6. However, the rubber compound of the wing profiles 10 can also differ from that of the side wall profiles 6.

(6) In a known manner, the radial carcass 8 has at least one ply composed of rubberized cords, in particular rubberized textile cords, which extend at least substantially in a radial direction. The carcass 8, which in each case extends from axially on the inside to axially on the outside around the bead cores 3, extends with its turned-over sections, the turn-ups 8a, to a height h.sub.1 of 15 mm to 65 mm.

(7) The bead assembly 7 has at least two belt plies 7a, 7b with strengthening members, in particular steel cords, which cross each other but run parallel in each ply. The belt plies 7a, 7b can be covered by a single- or multi-ply bandage (not shown), which consists in a known manner of bandage cords, for example, nylon cords, embedded in rubber and extending substantially in the circumferential direction.

(8) Together with the side wall profile 6 and the wing profile 10, that section of the horn profile 5 which extends axially outside the carcass turn-up 8a or carcass ply 8 forms a rim protection rib 11 having an edge K running around in a ring shape along the side wall region at the thickest point of the protection rib 11. The side wall region radially outside the edge K has a concavely rounded outer contour and, radially inside the edge K, a convexly curved section along the radially outer region of the horn profile 5. The greatest rubber thickness in the region of the rim protection rib 11, determined perpendicularly to the extent of the carcass 8, is between 4 mm and 14 mm.

(9) The wing profile 10 extends from the tread 1, via the shoulder region of the tire, along the side wall region and has two end sections 10a, 10b, which externally overlap the adjoining components. End section 10a overlaps the tread edge region, and end section 10b overlaps the side wall profile 6. At least between a height h.sub.2 of 29% of the nominal side wall height of the pneumatic vehicle tire concerned and the boundary 12, situated on the carcass 8, between the wing profile 10 and the tread 1, the wing profile 10 is the only rubber component extending outside the carcass 8. The wing profiles 10 are preferably the only rubber components from a height h.sub.2 of 25% of the nominal side wall height. The boundary 12 is situated at a height h.sub.3 of 80% to 90% of the cross-sectional height H. Radially outside this boundary 12, end section 10a runs out along the tread 1 with a substantially continuous reduction in its thickness but does not protrude into the region of the ground contact area of the tread 1. Starting at height h.sub.2, end section 10b of the wing profile 10 extends in the direction of the bead region 2, wherein end section 10b has a decreasing thickness on the outside of the side wall profile 6 and runs out along the side wall profile 6. The radially inner end of end section 10b of the wing profile 10 is situated at a height h.sub.4 of 20% to 25% of the nominal side wall height and radially outside the edge K. The side wall profile 6 is of substantially strip-shaped configuration in cross section, is situated between the horn profile 5 and end section 10b of the wing profile 10 and likewise has two relatively narrow tapering end sections, an end section running out along end section 10b of the wing profile 10 and an end section running out between the horn profile 5 and along the protection rib 11 as far as the edge K.

(10) In each side wall region in which the wing profile 10 is the only rubber components extending outside the carcass ply 8, it has a thickness d of 1.0 mm to 3.5 mm, preferably up to 2.5 mm, in particular at least 1.5 mm and, in particular, at most 1.8 mm, at each point perpendicularly to the extent of the radial carcass 8. In this region, the thickness d of the wing profile 10 is largely constant but can also vary slightly, in particular by up to 0.2 mm.

(11) Tires embodied in accordance with the invention have a lower radial stiffness in the side wall regions, this being associated with a number of advantageous effects, which are mentioned at the outset.

(12) It is understood that the foregoing description is that of the preferred embodiments of the invention and that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(13) 1 Tread 2 Bead region 3 Bead core 4 Apex 5 Horn profile 6 Side wall profile 6a, 6b End section 7 Belt assembly 7a, 7b Belt ply 8 Radial carcass 8a Carcass turn-up 9 Inner layer 10 Wing profile 10a, 10b End section 11 Protective rib 12 Boundary B.sub.L Base line d Thickness H Cross-sectional height h.sub.1, h.sub.2, h.sub.3, h.sub.4 Height K Edge