SHEAR BAND

Abstract

A shear band for a tire includes a first fabric layer extending circumferentially around the tire, a second fabric layer extending circumferentially around the tire, and a spacer layer radially interposed between the first fabric layer and the second fabric layer. The first fabric layer and the second fabric layer each consist of multifilament yarns. The spacer layer consists of monofilament yarns.

Claims

1. A shear band for a tire comprising: a first fabric layer extending circumferentially around the tire; a second fabric layer extending circumferentially around the tire; and a spacer layer radially interposed between the first fabric layer and the second fabric layer, the first fabric layer and the second fabric layer each consisting of multifilament yarns, the spacer layer consisting of monofilament yarns.

2. The shear band as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first fabric layer is secured to the spacer layer.

3. The shear band as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second fabric layer secured to the spacer layer.

4. The shear band as set forth in claim 1 further including a first rubber layer secured to a radially outer surface of the first fabric layer.

5. The shear band as set forth in claim 4 further including a second rubber layer secured to a radially inner surface of the second fabric layer.

6. The shear band as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first fabric layer contains only multifilament yarns.

7. The shear band as set forth in claim 6 wherein the second fabric layer contains only multifilament yarns.

8. The shear band as set forth in claim 1 wherein the spacer layer contains only monofilament yarns.

9. The shear band as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first fabric layer forms a pattern having hexagonal vacant spaces.

10. The shear band as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second fabric layer forms a pattern having hexagonal vacant spaces.

11. A method for constructing a shear band for a tire, the method comprising the steps of: defining a first fabric layer with multifilaments; securing a first rubber layer to the first fabric layer; defining a second fabric layer with multifilaments; securing a second rubber layer to the first fabric layer; defining a spacer layer with monofilaments; securing the first fabric layer to a first part of the spacer layer; and securing the second fabric layer a second part of the spacer layer.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11 further including the step of knitting the first part of the spacer layer to the first fabric layer.

13. The method as set forth in claim 11 further including the step of knitting the second part of the spacer layer to the second fabric layer.

14. The method as set forth in claim 11 further including the step of weaving the first part of the spacer layer to the first fabric layer.

15. The method as set forth in claim 11 further including the step of weaving the second part of the spacer layer to the second fabric layer.

16. The method as set forth in claim 11 further including the step of adhering the first part of the spacer layer to the first fabric layer.

17. The method as set forth in claim 11 further including the step of adhering the second part of the spacer layer to the second fabric layer.

18. The shear band as set forth in claim 11 further including the step of knitting the first part of the spacer layer to the first fabric layer.

19. The shear band as set forth in claim 12 further including the step of adhering the second part of the spacer layer to the second fabric layer.

20. The shear band as set forth in claim 12 further including the step of weaving the second part of the spacer layer to the second fabric layer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0107] A full and enabling disclosure of examples of the present invention, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification with reference to the appended figures, in which:

[0108] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of part of an example shear band in accordance with the present invention.

[0109] FIG. 2 is schematic top view of the part of FIG. 1.

[0110] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross section view taken along line “3-3” in FIG. 1 of the complete shear band.

[0111] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross section view taken along line “4-4” in FIG. 1 of the complete shear band.

[0112] Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0113] Reference will now be made in detail to examples of the present invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the figures. These examples may be used in tires, such as described in the example tire of U.S. Pat. No. 10,071,603, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the present invention, and not meant as a limitation of the present invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one example may be used with another example to yield still a third example. It is intended that the present invention include these and other modifications and variations. It should be noted that for the purposes of discussion, only part of example tires may be depicted in one or more of the figures. One of ordinary skill in the art, using the teachings disclosed herein, will understand that the same or substantially similar features may be repeated in other parts the example tires.

[0114] The present invention provides an improved shear band that may be used in a variety of products including, for example, non-pneumatic tires, pneumatic tires, and/or other technologies. The improved shear band may be constructed as a composite comprised of individual knitted layers, which may be, in turn, constructed from certain materials having specific physical properties that, when combined in a particular manner as described herein, may provide overall physical properties and performance characteristics desirably exceeding that which would be obtained from a shear band constructed from only one of the individual materials. By way of example only, improvements in rolling resistance and tire design flexibility may be obtained.

[0115] In accordance with the present invention, shear band materials of conventional rubber compounds may be replaced by ultra-light, three-dimensional, knitted fabric layers, as described herein. In other applications, computerized weft and warp machines may develop three-dimensional textiles with improved physical, thermal, and/or mechanical properties. These textiles may be used in aerospace, automobile, geotechnical, marine, medical, and/or other applicable industries. Within this family of textiles, knitted three-dimensional fabrics may define a structure of two independent top and bottom layers (also called skins) interconnected, but kept apart, by a spacer layer. This type of structure may be manufactured by weft or warp knitting, with warp knitting being most common. During a knitting cycle, the top and bottom layers may be knitted simultaneously using a double-needle machine.

[0116] In accordance with the present invention, knitted multifilament yarns may define the top and bottom layers, while monofilament yarns (or piles) may define the spacer layer. The shear band may further comprise a first rubber layer secured to the top layer and a second rubber layer secured to the bottom layer. The shear band may be split at intervals by a material, such as polyurethane or similar fibers. The thickness of the shear band may be between 7.0 mm and 10.0 mm. The multifilament yarns of the top and bottom layers and the monofilament yards of the spacer layer may be formed of polyester or other suitable material.

[0117] As shown in FIGS. 1-4, an example shear band 10 in accordance with the present invention may include a first top rubber layer 11 (FIGS. 3-4), a first top fabric layer 21 secured to the first top rubber layer, a second bottom rubber layer 12 (FIGS. 3-4), a second bottom fabric layer 22 secured to the second bottom rubber layer, and a spacer layer 30 radially interconnecting the first top fabric layer and the second bottom fabric layer. The layers 11, 12, 21, 22, 30 may be split into regular parts by longitudinal spacer sections 40 of elastic polyurethane and/or other suitable material.

[0118] The first top fabric layer 21 and the second bottom fabric layer 22 may be constructed of multifilament yarns of suitable material. Multifilament yarns may be composed of continuous filaments aligned in parallel rows which run straight except when they are coiled by the insertion of a twist, giving the yarns an appearance of evenness or smoothness and an absence of hairiness. Most of the filaments may not require sizing. However, sizing may improve their efficiency by a further 15-20%. Sizing may improve frictional resistance of the yarn and may bond the filaments preventing peeling back and intermingling of any broken filaments which are present on the yarn before weaving or may break during weaving. In order to achieve this, the selected size of the filaments may have sufficient adhesion to the fibers to make the filaments cohere. The multifilament yarns may form a pattern with vacant spaces 23 (FIGS. 1-2) for reducing weight. The vacant spaces 23 may be any suitable shape, such as hexagonal (FIGS. 1-2), square, orthogonal, nonogonal, triangular, etc.

[0119] The spacer layer 30 may be constructed of monofilament yarns of suitable material. Monofilament yarns may consist of a single solid filament. Monofilament yarns may be circular and solid in cross section. The shape of the filament may be altered to produce noncircular filaments, hollow filaments, and/or other shaped monofilaments. The diameter range of monofilament yarns may be between 100.0 μm and 2000.0 μm. Examples of monofilament yarns may include fishing line, dental floss, sport racquet strings, bristles of tooth brushes, and/or other suitable uses. Hollow monofilaments may be used in softer sewing thread applications while elastomeric monofilaments may find applications in pressure layers, such as the spacer layer 30. The monofilaments of the spacer layer 30 may be attached to the fabric layers 21, 22 in any suitable manner, such as knitting or weaving the monofilaments directly into the fabric layers.

[0120] One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that numerous examples of the present invention may be created that fall within the present disclosure and claims that follow. It should be understood that the present invention includes various modifications that may be made to the examples described herein that come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents, as determined by one of ordinary skill in the art.