Pneumatic vehicle tire

Abstract

A vehicle pneumatic tire includes a tread, ply structure, and radial carcass extending around a bead core in each bead region and extending back under the ply structure. Side wall regions are formed by a wing rubber extending from the side of the tread toward the bead region and a rim protection rubber extending from the bead region toward the wing rubber. The wing rubber is the only rubber component extending to the tread and runs in the radially outer portion of the side wall region in contact with the carcass and covers the adjacent rubber component toward the bead region by the radially inner end section of the wing rubber. The adjacent rubber component includes an end section in the covered region narrowing toward the tread, the end of which is located a distance from a base line between 45% and 70% of the height determined therefrom.

Claims

1. A pneumatic vehicle tire defining an axial direction and an axial outermost point measured in said axial direction, an imaginary baseline (B.sub.L) which contacts the outer end of a rim radius of a standard rim corresponding to the pneumatic vehicle tire dimensions, and having a nominal tire cross-section height (H) measured from the baseline (B.sub.L) of at most 100 mm, the pneumatic vehicle tire comprising: a tread having a lateral side; a ply structure; a bead core; a radial carcass having a bead region in which said radial carcass extends around said bead core from axially inside to axially outside and with a turned-back portion that is guided so as to extend back up to underneath said ply structure to form an overlapping region between said turned-back portion and said ply structure; a wing rubber extending from said lateral side of said tread in the direction of said bead region; a rim protection rubber extending from said bead region in the direction of said wing rubber; at least said wing rubber, said rim protection rubber, and a sidewall rubber component conjointly defining a sidewall having a radially outer portion; said wing rubber having a radial inner end section covering said sidewall rubber component that adjoins said wing rubber in a covered region in the direction toward said bead region; said sidewall rubber component having a first tapered end section in said covered region of the sidewall rubber component and said sidewall rubber component extending from the first tapered end section thereof down to an end surface of the rim protection rubber; said first tapered end section of said sidewall rubber component being tapered in the direction of said tread; said first tapered end section of said sidewall rubber component having an end that is at a distance (h.sub.2) from the baseline (B.sub.L); said wing rubber being the only sidewall region rubber element that extends to said tread and said wing rubber being in direct contact with said turned-back portion of said carcass in said radially outer portion of said sidewall that is radially above the distance (h.sub.2) from the baseline (B.sub.L); said distance (h.sub.2) being between 45% and 70% of said cross-section height (H); said radial inner end section covering said sidewall rubber component extending in the direction toward said bead region so as to cause said radial inner end section to be present at said axial outermost point of said tire; and said rim protection rubber extending radially beneath the bead core and terminating at a position axially inward of an axially inner surface of said bead core, wherein said pneumatic vehicle tire has an axially outermost tire surface defined by a combination of said wing rubber and said sidewall rubber component.

2. A pneumatic vehicle tire defining an axial direction, an imaginary baseline (B.sub.L) which contacts the outer end of a rim radius of a standard rim corresponding to the pneumatic vehicle tire dimensions, and having a nominal tire cross-section height (H) measured from the baseline (B.sub.L) of at most 100 mm, the standard rim defining a contact surface for receiving the pneumatic vehicle tire thereon, the pneumatic vehicle tire comprising: a tread having a lateral side; a ply structure; a bead core; a radial carcass having a bead region in which said radial carcass extends around said bead core from axially inside to axially outside and with a turned-back portion that is guided so as to extend back up to underneath said ply structure to form an overlapping region between said turned-back portion and said ply structure; a wing rubber extending from said lateral side of said tread in the direction of said bead region; a rim protection rubber extending from said bead region in the direction of said wing rubber; at least said wing rubber, said rim protection rubber, and a sidewall rubber component conjointly defining a sidewall having a radially outer portion; said wing rubber having a radial inner end section covering said sidewall rubber component that adjoins said wing rubber in a covered region in the direction toward said bead region; said sidewall rubber component having a first tapered end section in said covered region of the sidewall rubber component and said sidewall rubber component extending from the first tapered end section thereof down to an end surface of the rim protection rubber; said first tapered end section of said sidewall rubber component being tapered in the direction of said tread; said first tapered end section of said sidewall rubber component having an end that is at a distance (h.sub.2) from the baseline (B.sub.L); said wing rubber being the only sidewall rubber element that extends to said tread and said wing rubber being in direct surface-to-surface contact with said turned-back portion of said carcass in said radially outer portion of said sidewall that is radially above the distance (h.sub.2) from the baseline (B.sub.L); said distance (h.sub.2) being between 45% and 70% of said cross-section height (H); said contact surface and said bead region conjointly defining an interface; and, said rim protection rubber becoming continuously thinner while running down from said end surface thereof into said bead region whereat said rim protection rubber assumes the form of a strip along said contact surface so as to extend over all of said interface and so causing said sidewall to extend from said interface up to said lateral side of said tread, and said rim protection rubber extending radially beneath the bead core and terminating at a position axially inward of an axially inner surface of said bead core, wherein said pneumatic vehicle tire has an axially outermost tire surface defined by a combination of said wing rubber and said sidewall rubber component.

3. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 2, wherein said sidewall rubber component is a strip-shaped sidewall rubber.

4. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 3, wherein: said wing rubber has a second tapered end section which covers said first tapered end section of said strip-shaped sidewall rubber; said wing rubber has a radial inner end which is at a distance (h.sub.5) from the baseline (B.sub.L); and, said distance (h.sub.5) is less than said distance (h.sub.2) and between 40% and 60% of said nominal tire cross-section height (H) from said baseline (B.sub.L).

5. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 2, wherein said sidewall rubber has a middle section having a width (b.sub.1) between 2 mm and 4 mm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein

(2) FIGS. 1 to 8 are cross-sectional views of a pneumatic vehicle tire according to different embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(3) The sizes and dimensions specified in the description relate to a tire fitted on a standard rim under standard internal pressure, but in the unloaded state, according to the currently applicable version of the ETRTO Standard. The radial heights to which reference is made in the description are determined from a baseline B.sub.L, which runs in the axial direction and intersects the rim where the outer end of the rim radius is located.

(4) FIGS. 1 to 8 show sectional views of a pneumatic vehicle tire of a radial type of construction for passenger cars. Tires designed according to the invention have a cross-sectional ratio of at most 55%, in particular at most 40%; the maximum nominal tire cross-sectional height is 100 mm. The embodiments shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 7 and 8 are suitable in particular for tires with a maximum cross-sectional height of 80 mm.

(5) The tires shown in the figures and fitted on a rim 8 with rim flanges 8a have a tread 1, bead regions 2 with bead cores 3, two sidewall regions 4, a ply structure 5 and a radial carcass 6. The sidewall regions 4 extend from the tire shoulderslaterally of the tread 1up to the rim flanges 8a.

(6) The tread 1, which is not the subject of the invention, may be configured or constructed in a known way, for example in two layers with a tread base and a tread cap. The tread 1 is also provided with a tread profiling in a way that is known and not shown.

(7) The radial carcass 6 is made of at least one ply of rubberized cords, which run at least substantially in the radial direction. On each side of the tire, the carcass 6, running from axially inside to axially outside around the bead cores 3, reaches with its turned-back portions 6a into the region radially inside the ply structure 5. This produces overlapping regions between the portions 6a of the carcass 6 and the ply structure 5 that are of an order of magnitude of several millimeters to several centimeters. Radially outside the bead cores 3 there is, bounded by the carcass 6, a one-part or multi-part bead filler 7, which consists of one or more rubber mixtures.

(8) The ply structure 5 has for example two bracing plies 5a, with reinforcing elements crossing one another, but running parallel in each ply, in particular of steel cord. The bracing plies 5a, 5b may be covered by a bandage, which is made of bandage cords, for example of nylon, embedded in rubber and running substantially in the circumferential direction.

(9) Arranged in the sidewall regions 4 are three rubber components in the case of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 6 and two rubber components in the case of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 7 and 8. In the case of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 6, these rubber components include a wing rubber (9, 9, 9, 9), a sidewall rubber (10, 10, 10, 10) and a rim protection rubber (11, 11, 11, 11). In the case of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 7 and 8, these rubber components include a wing rubber (19, 19, 19, 19) and a rim protection rubber (21, 21, 21, 21).

(10) As will be described hereinafter, these rubber components may form a protective rib 12 (FIGS. 1 to 4) projecting on each side of the tire axially beyond the rim flange 8a of the rim 8. The protective rib 12 has a radially inner edge K.sub.i and a radially outer edge K.sub.O, the distance between which, measured in the radial direction, is 2 mm to 6 mm. The radially inner edge K.sub.i of the protective rib 12 is at a distance h.sub.S from the line B.sub.L that is between 25% and 45% of the cross-sectional height H, likewise measured from B.sub.L. The protective rib 12 is that part of the sidewall region 4 of the tire that has the greatest thickness. The greatest thickness of the rubber in the region of the rib 12determined perpendicularly in relation to the carcass 6is between 8 mm and 12 mm. From the radially outer edge K.sub.O and the radially inner edge K.sub.i of the rib 12, concavely curved outer surfaces (14a, 14b) preferably run in the direction of the tread 1 and the rim 8. It is also possible in principle to provide the sidewall regions 4 with a largely convexly curved outer contour, so that the thickness of the rubber of the sidewall regions 4 varies little.

(11) In the case of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, there is no such definite protective rib; at the mentioned distance h.sub.S from the baseline B.sub.L, the sidewall region 4 has an edge K, at which the sidewall region 4 has its greatest thickness.

(12) In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, each wing rubber 9 extends over the shoulder region of the tire, laterally of the tread 1, into the protective rib 12, in contact with the tread 1 and the portion 6a of the carcass 6. Along the outer surface 14a, there runs a strip-shaped extension 9a of the wing rubber 9 that covers the sidewall rubber 10 on the outside. The sidewall rubber 10 runs approximately parallel to the extension 9a as a wide rubber strip from the turned-back portion 6a of the carcass 6 up to the outside of the protective rib 12. The strip-shaped extension 9a of the wing rubber 9 forms the radially outer edge K.sub.O; the sidewall rubber 10 forms the radially inner edge K.sub.i of the protective rib 12. The radially inner end of the strip-shaped extension 9a is at a distance h.sub.1 from the line B.sub.L that is between 30% and 45% of the height H. The rim protection rubber 11 adjoins the sidewall rubber 10 and runs from the latter, continuously becoming thinner, into the bead region 2 of the rubber and in the form of a strip along the contact surface of the bead region 2 with the rim 8. The radially outer, narrowing end portion of the sidewall rubber 10 ends at a distance h.sub.2 from the line B.sub.L that is between 45% and 70% of the cross-sectional height H; the radially innermost end of the sidewall rubber 10 is at a distance h.sub.3 from the line B.sub.L that is less than h1 and is between 20% and 30% of the cross-sectional height H. In its middle portion, the sidewall rubber 10 has a width b.sub.1 of 2 mm to 4 mm; the width b.sub.2 of the extension 9a of the wing rubber 9 is 0.7 mm to 1.3 mm. The radially outer end of the rim protection rubber 11 is at a distance h.sub.4 from the line B.sub.L that is greater than h.sub.1 and is between 30% and 40% of the cross-sectional height H.

(13) In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the wing rubber 9 covers only the narrowing end portion of the sidewall rubber 10, which otherwise substantially forms the protective rib 12 and therefore also includes the two edges K.sub.i and K.sub.O of the protective rib 12. The sidewall rubber 10, designed substantially as a wide rubber strip, has in its middle portion a width b.sub.3 of 3 mm to 5 mm; its radially outer, narrowing end portion ends at a distance h.sub.2 from the baseline B.sub.L that is between 45% and 70% of the cross-sectional height H. The narrowing radially inner end portion of the wing rubber 9 ends at a distance h.sub.5 from the baseline B.sub.L that is between 40% and 60% of the height H and is less than h.sub.2. The arrangement and design of the rim protection rubber 11 correspond to the arrangement and design of the rim protection rubber 11 of the first embodiment.

(14) FIGS. 3 and 4 show embodiments without a sidewall rubber. In the case of the embodiment represented in FIG. 3, the wing rubber 19 runs laterally of the tread 1 over the tire shoulder into the protective rib 12, thereby includes both edges K.sub.O and K.sub.i and therefore forms a large part of the protective rib 12. The radially inner end of the wing rubber 19 is at the distance h.sub.3 from the line B.sub.L, as described above. The wing rubber 19 covers on the outside the radially outer end portion of the rim protection rubber 21, which in the covered region runs out in a narrowing manner in the direction of the tread 1. The radially outer end of the rim protection rubber 21 is at a distance h2 from the baseline B.sub.L that is between 45% and 70% of the cross-sectional height H. Otherwise, the rim protection rubber 21 is designed in a way analogous to the previous embodiments.

(15) FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the invention in which the rim protection rubber 21 reaches so far in the direction of the tread 1 that it forms the protective rib 12 and has on its outside at least a large part of the concave outer contour 14a and the concave outer contour 14b. The radially outer end portion of the rim protection rubber 21 is covered on the outside over a short distance by the wing rubber 19 and ends at a distance h.sub.2 from the baseline BL that is between 45% and 70% of the cross-sectional height H. The radially inner end of the wing rubber 19 is at a distance h.sub.5 from the baseline B.sub.L that is between 40% and 60% of the cross-sectional height H and is less than h.sub.2.

(16) The embodiments shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 correspond substantially to those according to FIGS. 1 to 4, the sidewall regions 4 having radially outside the locations K a concavely curved outer contour and radially inside a convexly curved outer contour. The distances h.sub.1 to h.sub.5 given in the description which follows correspond to the distances h.sub.1 to h.sub.5 from the embodiments according to FIGS. 1 to 4 and have the already specified sizes or relative sizes. The same applies analogously to the widths b.sub.1, b.sub.2 and b.sub.3.

(17) FIG. 5 therefore shows an embodiment in which the wing rubber 9 covers with a strip-shaped extension 9a the sidewall rubber 10. The sidewall rubber 10, running as a wide strip substantially between the wing rubber 9 and the rim protection rubber 11, ends with its radially outer, narrowing end portion at the distance h.sub.2 from the baseline B.sub.L; the radially inner end of the wing rubber 9 is at the distance h.sub.1 from the baseline B.sub.L. In the case of the design shown in FIG. 5, the sidewall rubber 10 also includes the edge K. The arrangement and design of the rim protection rubber 11 correspond substantially to those of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, with the distances h.sub.3 and h.sub.4 at the boundary lines with respect to the sidewall rubber 10.

(18) FIG. 6 shows an embodiment in which the sidewall rubber 10 runs over a greater region of the concavely curved outer surface of the sidewall region 4 and likewise comprises the edge K. The sidewall rubber 10 and the wing rubber 9 cover one another with narrowing end portions in such a way that the radially outer end of the sidewall rubber 10 is at the distance h.sub.2 from the baseline B.sub.L and the radially inner end of the wing rubber 9 is at the distance h.sub.5 from the baseline B.sub.L, h.sub.5 being less than h.sub.2. The arrangement and design of the rim protection rubber 11, with the radial extent determined by the distances h.sub.3 and h.sub.4, corresponds to the embodiment according to FIG. 5.

(19) In FIGS. 7 and 8, embodiments without a sidewall rubber are represented. In FIG. 7, the wing rubber 19 runs in the radial direction over a large part of the sidewall region 4, includes the edge K and ends with its radially inner end at the distance h.sub.3 from the baseline B.sub.L. The rim protection rubber 21 directly adjoining the wing rubber 19 has a radially outer, narrowing end portion, which is covered on the outside by the wing rubber 19 and which ends at the distance h.sub.2 from the baseline B.sub.L. In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the rim protection rubber 21 is that component of the sidewall region 4 that has the greatest extent over the sidewall region 4. Its radially outer end portion is covered over a relatively short distance by the radially inner end portion of the wing rubber 19 in such a way that the radially outermost end of the rim protection rubber 21 is at the distance h.sub.2 from the baseline B.sub.L and the radial end of the bead rubber 19 is at the distance h.sub.5, which is less than h.sub.2, from the baseline B.sub.L.

(20) The wing rubber (9, 9, 9, 9, 19, 19, 19, 19) is produced from a rubber mixture that preferably has good weather resistance and good light resistance. The rubber mixture for the wing rubber (9, 9, 9, 9, 19, 19, 19, 19) is therefore based in particular on EPDM, natural rubber and polybutadiene rubber, and may be one of the wing rubber mixtures that is customary and known.

(21) The sidewall rubber (10, 10, 10, 10) consists of one of the customary and known sidewall rubber mixtures.

(22) Rubber mixtures that have a comparatively high abrasion resistance and a comparatively great hardness come into consideration for the rim protection rubber (11, 11, 11, 11, 21, 21, 21, 21). The known and customary rim protection rubber mixtures are suitable.

(23) 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 CHARACTERS

(24) 1 . . . tread 2 . . . bead region 3 . . . bead core 4 . . . sidewall region 5 . . . ply structure 5a . . . bracing ply 5b . . . bracing ply 6 . . . radial carcass 6a . . . turned-back portion 7 . . . bead filler 8 . . . rim 8a . . . rim flange 9,9,9,9 . . . wing rubber 19,19 . . . wing rubber 19,19 . . . wing rubber 9a,9a . . . wing rubber strip 10,10 . . . sidewall rubber 10,10 . . . sidewall rubber 11,11 . . . rim protection rubber 11,11 . . . rim protection rubber 21,21 . . . rim protection rubber 21,21 . . . rim protection rubber 12 . . . protective rib 14a,14b . . . concave outer contour K.sub.i . . . inner edge K.sub.O . . . outer edge K . . . edge H . . . cross-sectional height h.sub.1 . . . distance h.sub.2 . . . distance h.sub.3 . . . distance h.sub.4 . . . distance h.sub.5 . . . distance b.sub.1 . . . width b.sub.2 . . . width b.sub.3 . . . width B.sub.L . . . baseline