PNEUMATIC VEHICLE TIRE WITH A SOUND ABSORBER

Abstract

The invention relates to a pneumatic vehicle tire having a sound absorber composed of foam which is adhesively attached, in the interior of the tire, to the inner surface situated opposite the tread, wherein the sound absorber adheres to a previously applied, self-sealing sealant which, at least immediately after its application, has a tackiness required for the adhesive attachment of the sound absorber. The sound absorber is made up of a multiplicity of individual geometric sound absorber bodies which are not connected to one another, in that each of the geometric sound absorber bodies adheres to the sealant, and in that each of the geometric sound absorber bodies has a diameter of 1 mm to 50 mm.

Claims

1. A pneumatic vehicle tire comprising: a tire body having a tread and defining an interior and an inner surface arranged opposite to said tread; a sound absorber made of foam adhesively attached, in said interior of said tire body, to said inner surface arranged opposite said tread; a self-sealing sealant; said sound absorber adhering to said self-sealing sealant which is previously applied and, at least immediately after its application, having a tackiness required for the adhesive attachment of said sound absorber; said sound absorber including a multiplicity of individual geometric sound absorber bodies which are not connected to one another; each of said geometric sound absorber bodies adhering to said sealant; and, each of said geometric sound absorber bodies having a diameter lying in a range of 1 mm to 70 mm.

2. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein said sound absorber bodies are geometrically regular bodies.

3. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 2, wherein said geometrically regular bodies each have a diameter lying in a range of 10 mm to 70 mm.

4. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 2, wherein said geometrically regular bodies each have a diameter lying in a range of 20 mm to 40 mm.

5. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 2, wherein said geometrically regular bodies include at least one of spheres or polyhedra.

6. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein said sound absorber bodies are geometrically irregular bodies.

7. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 6, wherein said geometrically irregular bodies each have a diameter lying in a range of 10 mm to 70 mm.

8. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 6, wherein said geometrically irregular bodies each have a diameter lying in a range of 20 mm to 40 mm.

9. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein said sealant is a polyurethane gel.

10. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein said sealant is a viscous mixture based on a butyl rubber, a polybutene or based on silicone.

11. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein said sealant has a layer thickness lying in a range between 2 mm and 5 mm.

12. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein said sealant has a layer thickness of approximately 3.5 mm.

13. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein said sound absorber bodies within a tire are either of equal sizes or of different sizes.

14. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein said sound absorber bodies are arranged in such a number that, in a projection onto said sound absorber bodies, 30% to 95% of said inner surface situated opposite the tread is covered with sound absorber bodies.

15. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein said sound absorber bodies are arranged in such a number that, in a projection onto said sound absorber bodies, 70% to 90% of said inner surface situated opposite the tread is covered with sound absorber bodies.

16. A method for producing a pneumatic vehicle tire, the pneumatic vehicle tire having a tread and an inner layer and defining an interior space and an inner surface arranged opposite to the tread; the pneumatic vehicle tire further including a self-sealing sealant and a sound absorber made of foam adhesively attached, in the interior space of the tire, to the inner surface arranged opposite the tread; the sound absorber adhering to the self-sealing sealant which is previously applied and, at least immediately after its application, having a tackiness required for the adhesive attachment of the sound absorber; the sound absorber including a multiplicity of individual geometric sound absorber bodies which are not connected to one another; each of the geometric sound absorber bodies adhering to the sealant; and, each of the geometric sound absorber bodies having a diameter lying in a range of 1 mm to 50 mm; the method comprising the steps of: applying an annular sealant layer on the inner layer of the tire; pouring a sufficient number of geometric sound absorber bodies into the interior space; and, rotating the tire such that the geometric sound absorber bodies adhere to the annular sealant layer.

17. A pneumatic vehicle tire comprising: a tire body having a tread and defining an interior and an inner surface arranged opposite to said tread; a sound absorber made of foam adhesively attached, in said interior of said tire body, to said inner surface arranged opposite said tread; a self-sealing sealant; said sound absorber adhering to said self-sealing sealant which is previously applied and, at least immediately after its application, having a tackiness required for the adhesive attachment of said sound absorber; said sound absorber including a multiplicity of individual geometric sound absorber bodies which are not connected to one another; each of said geometric sound absorber bodies adhering to said sealant; and, each of said geometric sound absorber bodies having a diameter lying in a range of 1 mm to 50 mm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a cross section through a pneumatic vehicle tire of the prior art; and,

[0023] FIG. 2 shows a cross section through a pneumatic vehicle tire according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0024] FIG. 1 depicts a cross section through a radial passenger motor vehicle tire having a profiled tread 1, sidewalls 2, bead regions 3, bead cores 4 and also a multi-ply belt assembly 5 and a carcass insert 6. On its inner surface, the tire is covered with an inner layer 7 of an airtight rubber compound. Applied to the inner surface of the inner layer 7, the inner surface being opposite from the tread 1, is a sealant 8 which in the event of puncturetire damageis capable of behaving in a self-sealing manner. Adhering to the sealant 8 over the full surface area is a unipartite annular inner absorber 9 assuming the function of a sound absorber, which, immediately after the application of the sealant 8, is pressed onto the sealant 8 while the latter is still sufficiently tacky, as will be described below. With respect to its sound-absorbing properties, the inner absorber 9 is tailored to the tire cavity frequency. The inner absorber 9 has here for example an approximately elongated triangular cross section that is symmetrical with respect to the axis of symmetry of the tire and which adheres by its bottom side to the sealant 8 over the full surface area. The foam of the inner absorber 9 is an open-cell foam, since this is best suited to absorbing sound. Possible sealants are, for example, polyurethane gels or viscous mixtures based on butyl rubbers, polybutenes or silicone, it being possible for the mixtures to contain the customary further constituents, such as plasticizer oils. The sealant is introduced, for example by spraying, such that it covers at least the inner surface situated opposite the tread 1. The tire can be rotated in order to optimally distribute the sealant on the inner surface. Furthermore, the sealant is introduced in such an amount that the layer thickness of the sealant is between 7 mm and 8 mm.

[0025] The sealant ought to be relatively liquid and tacky at least immediately after application. At this time, the prefabricated inner absorber 9 is introduced into the interior of the tire. After full reaction, the inner absorber 9 adheres to the sealant 8, which is elastically deformable but remains substantially immobile.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a cross section through a pneumatic vehicle tire according to the invention for passenger motor vehicles, with dimensions 205/55 R16. The vehicle tire of FIG. 2 differs from the vehicle tire of FIG. 1 in that the sound absorber 9 is made up of a multiplicity of individual geometric sound absorber bodies 10 which are not connected to one another, which are in contact and/or which are free from contact. Sound absorber bodies 10 are arranged in such a number that, in a projection onto the sound absorber bodies, 30-95%, preferably 70-90%, of the surface situated opposite the tread is covered with sound absorber bodies. Here, the left-hand half of the cross section shows sound absorber bodies 10 of spherical form. Each of the geometric sound absorber bodies 10 adheres to the sealant 8. Each of the geometric sound absorber bodies 10 is of equal size and has a diameter 11 of 10 mm to 70 mm. The layer thickness 12 of the sealant 8 is very small and amounts to approximately 3.5 mm. Shown on the right-hand half of the drawing are, for example, different possible geometries of the sound absorber bodies 10, wherein the sound absorber 9 is preferably composed of sound absorber bodies 10 of identical geometry.

[0027] 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 SIGNS

[0028] (Part of the description)

[0029] 1 Tread

[0030] 2 Sidewall

[0031] 3 Bead region

[0032] 4 Bead core

[0033] 5 Belt assembly

[0034] 6 Carcass insert

[0035] 7 Inner layer

[0036] 8 Sealant layer

[0037] 9 Inner absorber/sound absorber

[0038] 10 Sound absorber body

[0039] 11 Diameter of the sound absorber body

[0040] 12 Layer thickness of the sealant