WRAPAROUND STRUCTURE FOR A BELT PACKAGE OF A TIRE

Abstract

A tire includes a carcass ply and a belt structure disposed radially outward of the carcass ply in a crown portion of the tire. The belt structure includes a first belt ply, a second belt ply radially adjacent the first belt ply, an overlay ply radially adjacent the first belt ply, a first wrap around strip encompassing both axial edges of the first belt ply, and a second wrap around strip encompassing both axial edges of the second belt ply. The overlay ply may have an axial width less than both a maximum axial width of the first belt ply and a maximum axial width of the second belt ply.

Claims

1. A tire comprising: a carcass ply; and a belt structure disposed radially outward of the carcass ply in a crown portion of the tire, the belt structure including a first belt ply, a second belt ply radially adjacent the first belt ply, an overlay ply radially adjacent the first belt ply, a first wrap around strip encompassing both axial edges of the first belt ply, and a second wrap around strip encompassing both axial edges of the second belt ply.

2. The tire as set forth in claim 1 wherein the overlay ply has an axial width less than a maximum axial width of the first belt ply and a maximum axial width of the second belt ply.

3. The tire as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first wrap around strip includes reinforcing cords.

4. The tire as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second wrap around strip includes reinforcing cords.

5. The tire as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first wrap around strip includes reinforcing fibers.

6. The tire as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second wrap around strip includes reinforcing fibers.

7. The tire as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first wrap around strip includes reinforcing fabric.

8. The tire as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second wrap around strip includes reinforcing fabric.

9. The tire as set forth in claim 1 wherein radially outer portions of the first wrap around strips axially overlap axially outer edges of the overlay ply.

10. The tire as set forth in claim 1 wherein radially inner portions of the first wrap around strips axially overlap radially outer portions of the second wrap around gum strips.

11. A method for reinforcing a crown area of a tire comprises the steps of: extending a carcass ply from a first bead portion to a second bead portion; placing a belt structure radially outward of the carcass ply in the crown area of the tire, the belt structure including a first belt ply, a second belt ply, an overlay ply, a first wrap around strip, and a second wrap around strip; encompassing each axial edge of the first belt ply with a first wrap around strip; encompassing each axial edge of the second belt ply with a second wrap around strip; axially overlapping each axial edge of the overlay ply with a radially outer portion of the first wrap around strip; and axially overlapping a radially inner portion of a first wrap around strip with a radially outer portion of the second wrap around strip.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the overlay ply has an axial width less than both a maximum axial width of the first belt ply and a maximum axial width of the second belt ply.

13. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the first wrap around strip includes reinforcing cords.

14. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the second wrap around strip includes reinforcing cords.

15. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the first wrap around strip includes reinforcing fibers.

16. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the second wrap around strip includes reinforcing fibers.

17. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the first wrap around strip includes reinforcing fabric.

18. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the second wrap around strip includes reinforcing fabric.

19. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein radially outer portions of the first wrap around strips directly contact axially outer edges of the overlay ply.

20. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein radially inner portions of the first wrap around strips directly contact radially outer portions of the second wrap around gum strips.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0076] The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0077] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross sectional view of an example tire for use with the present invention; and

[0078] FIG. 2 is a schematic detailed sectional view of the tire of FIG. 1 in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0079] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an example tire 10, mounted on a tire rim 11, designed to be capable of continued operation during inflated, under-inflated, and deflated conditions. One half of the cross-sectional view of the example tire 10 is shown, it being understood that, the other half may be a mirror image of that which is illustrated in FIG. 1. The example tire 10 may have at least one carcass reinforcing ply 12 extending from one bead area 14 of the tire to an opposing bead area (not shown). The ends of the reinforcing ply 12 may be turned axially inward to axially outward about bead cores 16 and bead apexes 18. The terminal ends of the reinforcing ply 12 may extend past the radially outer ends of the bead apexes 18 thereby enveloping the bead apexes.

[0080] Located in each sidewall region of the example tire 10 may be a sidewall insert 20. The insert 20 may be located adjacent to the tire innerliner 22 or axially outward of the reinforcing ply 12. The insert 20 may be formed of elastomeric material and may extend from the crown area, such as from radially inward of a belt structure 24, 25 to radially inward of the outermost terminal end of the bead apexes 18 that overlap the bead apexes 18. The elastomeric material of the insert 20 may be selected to provide the example tire 10 with support during underinflated and deflated operation of the tire.

[0081] In the crown area of the example tire 10, the belt structure 24, 25 may be located radially outward of the carcass ply 12. The belt structure 24, 25 may have at least two inclined, crossed cord belt plies 24, 25 and an overlay ply 26. The cords may be inclined with respect to the circumferential direction of the example tire 10 in a first belt ply 24 and the cords in a second belt ply 25 directly adjacent the first belt ply 24 may be inclined at similar, but opposing, angles to the cords in the first belt ply 24. Radially outward of the crossed cord belt plies 24, 25 may be the overlay ply 26. The overlay ply 26 may have a width equal to, or less than, the maximum width of the crossed cord plies 24, 25. The overlay ply 26 may be reinforced with cords inclined at angles between of 15° and −15° with respect to the circumferential direction of the example tire 10.

[0082] In accordance with the present invention, the overlay ply 26 may have a width less than a maximum width of the crossed cord plies of the belt structure 24, 25 (FIGS. 1-2). Edges 242 of the first belt ply 24 may be encompassed by first wrap around gum strips 244 (one shown). Edges 252 of the second belt ply 25 may be encompassed by second wrap around gum strips 254 (one shown). The first and second wrap around gum strips 244, 254 may or may not include reinforcement structures such as cords, fibers, short fibers, fabric, etc. Such a belt/overlay construction 24, 25, 26, 244, 254 may mitigate material flow in this area and thereby prevent cords of the second belt ply 25 from directly contacting cords of the first belt ply 24 and cords of the first belt ply 24 from directly contacting cords of the overlay ply 26 thereby increasing durability of the crown area.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 2, axially outer edges of the overlay ply 26 may axially overlap a radially outer portion of each first wrap around gum strip 244. A radially inner portion of the first wrap around gum strips 244 may axially overlap a radially outer portion of each second wrap around gum strip 254. These overlaps may further reinforce the axially outer edges of the crown area of the tire 10.

[0084] The above description is of the best presently contemplated mode or modes of carrying out the present invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating an example of general principles of the present invention and should not be interpreted as limiting the present invention. The scope of the present invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims. The reference numerals as depicted in the schematic drawings are the same as those referred to in the specification. For purposes of this application, the various examples illustrated in the figures each use same reference numerals for similar components. The example structures may employ similar components with variations in location or quantity thereby giving rise to alternative constructions in accordance with the present invention.