The Goodyear & Tire Rubber Company

Michael Lawrence Gersman

George Jim Papakonstantopoulos

Andreas Frantzen

Bruce Raymond Hahn

Eric Sean Castner

Frank James Feher

Stephan Rodewald

Robin Lamgaday

James Gregory Gillick

Dinesh Chandra

Bina Patel Botts

Nihat Ali Isitman

Bert Verheyde

Philip Jordan Young

Dan Qu

Jerome Bernard Hobelman

Frederic Gerard Auguste Siffer

This invention reveals an uncured pneumatic tire which is comprised of a generally toroidal-shaped supporting carcass with an outer circumferential tread, two spaced beads, at least one ply extending from bead to bead, sidewalls extending radially from and connecting the tread to the beads, a sealant layer which is disposed inwardly from the supporting carcass, and an innerliner which is disposed inwardly from the sealant layer, wherein circumferential tread is adapted to be ground-contacting, and wherein the sealant layer is comprised of polyisobutylene or a butyl rubber, wherein the polyisobutylene or the butyl rubber has a number average molecular weight which is within the range of 30,000 to 100,000.

Self sealing tire

The pneumatic tires of this invention are of the tubeless type, are capable of self-sealing punctures made therein, and generate a low level of noise during use on a vehicle. These tires have a sealant/noise reduction layer which is disposed inwardly from the supporting carcass and which is typically the innermost layer of the tire. The sealant/noise reduction layer is comprised of a dispersed phase and a continuous phase, wherein the dispersed phase is comprised of a sealant material, and wherein the continuous phase is comprised of a foamed polymeric material.

Self-sealing pneumatic tire with noise suppression characteristics

This invention relates to a tire with high performance tread of rubber composition for promoting tread durability and traction. For such purpose, a tread rubber composition is provided which contains a high Tg solvent solution polymerization prepared styrene/butadiene elastomer (SSBR) together with precipitated silica reinforcement and traction resin. The invention includes extension of the uncured high Tg SSBR by triglyceride vegetable oil instead of petroleum based oil.

Tire with tread containing vegetable oil extended high Tg styrene/butadiene elastomer and traction resin

This invention discloses a technique for replenishing the level of sealant in self-sealing tires at the time that a puncture in the tire is being repaired or when the tire is being recapped. This technique provides the tire with its original level of self-sealing capabilities and will enhance the possibility of the tire remaining in service until it can be conveniently repaired. This method involves (1) injecting a liquid sealant formulation into the sealant layer of a self-sealing tire through at least one puncture hole therein, and (2) sealing the hole or holes in the supporting carcass and the innerliner of the tire. The sealant utilized is typically liquid polyisobutylene having a weight average molecular weight of 25,000 to 200,000. The sealant formulation used can optionally also contain a colorant or a pigment.

Method for repairing self-sealing tires

This invention reveals a method of manufacturing a puncture sealing pneumatic rubber tire which comprises: (1) building an unvulcanized tire including a circumferential rubber tread, a supporting carcass therefor, two spaced beads, two rubber sidewalls connecting said beads, an inner liner and a solid sealant formulation layer disposed inwardly from said supporting carcass and outwardly from said inner liner, wherein said solid sealant formulation layer is comprised of (a) polyisobutylene, (b) a peroxide, and (c) a reinforcing filler, wherein the polyisobutylene is present in the sealant layer at a level of at least 50 weight percent; and (2) shaping and vulcanizing said tire in a tire mold under conditions of heat and pressure and simultaneously forming in situ a puncture sealant layer in said tire by both crosslinking and partially depolymerizing said polyisobutylene rubber in said sealant layer formulation.

The method of this invention provides a simple and inexpensive method for manufacturing self-sealing pneumatic rubber tires of the tubeless type having a higher degree of uniformity than can be made utilizing conventional manufacturing procedures that are currently being practiced. In the practice of this invention a low viscosity sealant formulation, which would ordinarily be difficult to handle and build into an uncured tire, is encapsulated in a stiff rubber formulation. This makes it relatively easy to build the sealant layer into the tire since the low viscosity sealant formulation is contained with the more rigid solid material. The low viscosity sealant material requires little and preferably no depolymerization to act effectively as a sealant. Accordingly, it does not need to be depolymerized with a peroxide which causes off-gassing and the resultant tire uniformity and balance issues normally associated with polymer break down.

Self-sealing pneumatic tire

It has been found that carboxylic acid functionalized high cis-1,4-polybutadiene rubber which is comprised of polybutadiene rubber chains having a cis-1,4-microstructure content of at least 90 percent has much better interaction with metal salts of &#x3b1;,&#x3b2;-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids, such as zinc diacrylate or zinc dimethacrylate. This results in such rubber compositions being stiff while still exhibiting a lower level of hysteresis. These characteristics are beneficial when used in manufacturing tire apex compositions, in manufacturing golf ball cores, and in a wide variety of other applications. Such rubber compositions can be used as substitutes for thermoplastic elastomers in many applications.

Growing community of inventors

Cleveland, OH, United States of America

Michael Lawrence Gersman