The Goodyear & Tire Rubber Company

Arthur Allen Goldstein

George Frank Balogh

Michael Stefan Skurich

David Ray Hubbell

Lisa Marie Missik-Gaffney

Teresa Diane Martter

Paul Harry Sandstrom

Samuel P Landers

Kanwar Bharat Singh

Shingo Futamura

William E Egan

Frederick Forbes Vannan, Jr

Gary Edwin Tubb

John Michael Fenkanyn

Peter Jung-min Suh

Robert P Loser

Jennifer Lyn Ryba

John H Golata

Amrita Patel

Joseph M Forney

Chad Edward Melvin

Rachel Tamar Graves

Matthew Ray Cappelli

David M Saylor

Jonathan Michael Darab

Kenneth Lee Oblizajek

William Ronald Rodgers

David Ray Hubell

The invention relates to a tire having a rubber tread comprised of cap/base construction where the tread outer cap rubber layer contains the running surface of the tread and the tread base rubber layer underlies the tread cap layer wherein the base layer provides a transition zone between the tread cap layer and the remainder of the tire carcass and is not intended to be ground-contacting. For this invention, the tread base rubber layer is comprised of three distinct zones, namely a circumferential annular central rubber zone positioned between two lateral annular rubber zones. In one aspect, the rubber tread cap layer and zoned rubber tread base layer are co-extruded together to form an integral tread rubber composite.

Tire with tread having base layer comprised of diverse zoned rubber compositions

A load estimation system and method for estimating vehicle load includes a tire rotation counter for generating a rotation count from rotation of a tire; apparatus for measuring distance travelled by the vehicle; an effective radius calculator for calculating effective radius of the tire from the distance travelled and the rotation count; and a load estimation calculator for calculating the load carried by the vehicle tire from the effective radius of the tire. A center of gravity height estimation may be made from an estimated total load carried by the tires supporting the vehicle pursuant to an estimation of effective radius for each tire and a calculated load carried by each tire from respective effective radii.

Vehicle weight and center of gravity estimation system and method

A pneumatic radial tire has a chipper in place of a traditional apex, the chipper located between a carcass main portion and turnup portion. The chipper layer may be composed of a chopped carbon fiber and aramid composite reinforced elastomeric layer. The tire sidewalls have a radial height SH and a section width SW located within a range of 0.4 to 0.44 of the sidewall radial height SH measured from the bead core. The section width SW may further be located within a range of 0.1&#x2033; to 0.3&#x2033; inches from a radially outward end of the chipper layer in a radial direction. The tread may of a dual layer construction, having a radially inward first layer formed of a relatively low rolling resistance compound and a radially outward second layer formed of a compound containing silica.

Pneumatic tire

A pneumatic radial tire having a circumferentially extending equatorial plane of the tire, the tire comprising a carcass, a tread radially outward of the carcass, the carcass comprising at least one carcass reinforcing ply, opposing bead portions, and opposing sidewalls, the carcass reinforcing ply having a main portion extending between the opposing bead portions and a pair of turnup portions, each turnup portion extending from one end of the main portion, each bead portion having a bead core, and a reinforcement cavity outward of each bead core, the cavity located between the main portion and one turnup portion of the at least one reinforcing ply, the tire characterized by:

A simple method of handling thermomechanical coupling for temperature computation in a rolling tire. First, the sensitivity of the tire elastic response to changes in material stiffness is characterized using the 'deformation index'. Then, using a commercial finite element program and an appropriate user subroutine, heat generation is expressed as a function of the local temperature using a simple algebraic expression involving the temperature dependent material properties and the deformation indices. Temperatures are computed using the finite element program with the coupling information contained in the user subroutine. The result is a non-iterative method for a fully-coupled thermomechanical analysis of a tire. The effects of compound changes on tire temperature distribution can also be estimated using the deformation index. The method applies to the energy loss and temperature calculations under both steady-state and transient conditions.

Non-iterative method for a fully-coupled thermomechanical analysis of a tire and estimating effects of compound changes on tire temperature distribution using the deformation index

A tire (,) having a contoured precured bead filler or apex (,) with a contoured surface for directing the ply path (,A) of the cord reinforced carcass plies (,) is taught. The contour of the precured bead filler or apex (,) has a convex surface (,A) and concave surface (,B) that transition at an inflection location (T) at or below the rim flange (,) to which the tire (,) is to be mounted.

Ply path controlled by precured apex

A radial-ply pneumatic tire carcass has a reverse curvature, an outwardly concave shape, centered about the tire's equatorial plane. A wedge of elastomeric material is positioned above or below the belt structure of the tire. If positioned above the belt structure, the wedge is used with a carcass cord angle in the range from 65.degree. to 80.degree.. This carcass structure also may be used when the wedge is positioned between the belt structure and carcass. The tire has an aspect ratio less than 75%, but 40% to 65% is preferred. The wedge has a shape on its radially inner side that is similar to a low amplitude cosine function. Particularly when the wedge is above the belt structure (providing both it and the belt structure with a reverse curvature), the belt cord angle is less than a 'critical angle' of about 25.degree.. The invention can provide a radial-ply belted tire which has 'natural shape' in the portion of the radial carcass underlying the belt structure, but the 'natural shape' is for those low cord angles used in the belt structure.

Radial ply pneumatic tire with reverse curvature carcass ply

This specification discloses a run flat insert for use with a tire and rim assembly. The insert comprises an annular band having radially inner and outer surfaces and a plurality of circumferentially spaced supporting legs extending toward the axis of rotation of the tire from the radially inner surface of the annular band. Preferably, the supporting legs are inclined with respect to the axis of rotation of the insert; half are inclined in one direction away from the mid-circumferential plane and the other half are inclined in the opposite direction away from such plane. The circumferential spacing between each supporting leg and the next circumferentially adjacent supporting leg inclined in the same axial direction is at least thirty percent of the circumferential width of the supporting legs at the radially inner ends.

Run-flat insert for a tire and rim assembly

An integral tire wheel structure (10) comprising an annular generally C-shaped support member (12) having disposed at its radially outer end a ground-engaging tread portion (14), an annular generally C-shaped decoupling member (16) disposed at the radially inner end of the annular support member, and an annular mounting member (18) disposed at the radially inner end of the stress decoupling member. The integral tire wheel being made of material wherein the modulus of elasticity divided by the ultimate strength to the three halfs power is no greater than about 2.6.

Integral tire wheel

Growing community of inventors

Mayfield Village, OH, United States of America

Arthur Allen Goldstein