Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC

Bridgestone/firestone, Inc.

Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC

Bridgestone/firestone Research, Inc.

Neel K Mani

John L Turner

Stanley J Olesky

Domenic Giampaolo

Justin M Gehres

Hidetoshi Yokota

Thomas R Branca

David C Christy

Brian E Moore

Jean Y Chen

David A Johnson

Vladimir Roth

Michael A Berzins

S J Olesky

Gregg Rasor

Various embodiments of a tire having a three-dimensional tire sipe are disclosed. In one embodiment, a tire sipe used in a tire is provided, the tire sipe comprising: a radially inner sipe taper portion having a radially inner sipe width Wand a radially inner sipe transition width W, wherein the radially inner sipe width Wis greater than the radially inner sipe transition width W; a radially outer sipe taper portion having a radially outer sipe width Wand a radially outer sipe transition width W, wherein the radially outer sipe width Wis greater than the radially outer sipe transition width W; and a sipe radially central portion having a plurality of individual sipe radially angled portions oriented in a zig-zag pattern, wherein the sipe radially central portion is oriented radially between the radially inner sipe taper portion and the radially outer sipe taper portion.

Three-dimensional tire sipe

A method of preparing a tire for mounting includes providing a tire having a central axis and at least two bead portions, including a first bead portion and a second bead portion. The method also includes providing a plurality of members and moving the plurality of members outward until each of the plurality of members engages the first bead portion of the tire and causes the first bead portion to deflect outwards at a plurality of locations. The method further includes rotating at least one of the tire and the plurality of members about the central axis of the tire while the plurality of members engages the first bead portion of the tire.

Method of preparing a tire for mounting

An apparatus is configured to receive a tire having at least two bead portions, including a first bead portion and a second bead portion. The apparatus includes a plurality of members configured to engage the first bead portion of the tire, at least one expander configured to move the plurality of members outward, and a rotating device configured to rotate the plurality of members about an axis of the tire.

Apparatus and method for preparing a tire for mounting

A tire and wheel rim assembly comprising a wheel rim having flange portions and ledge portions, wherein each ledge portion has at least one circumferentially continuous groove with a circumferentially continuous surface. The assembly further includes a tire having bead regions comprising a ledge portion having a toe, a heel, and at least one circumferentially continuous rib with a peak, wherein the at least one circumferentially continuous rib of the tire extends radially into the at least one circumferentially continuous groove of the wheel rim.

Tire and wheel rim assembly

A tire comprising a circumferential tread, a circumferential tread, at least one circumferential belt, at least one carcass ply, a pair of sidewalls, and a pair of bead portions. Each of the bead portions comprising a bead core, a bead filler, a toe region, a heel region, a ledge region, and a flange region. The ledge region is provided between the toe region and the heel region, wherein the ledge region comprises at least one circumferentially continuous groove. The flange region each extending circumferentially about the tire, the flange region provided radially above the ledge region, wherein the flange region comprises at least one circumferentially continuous groove.

Tire with circumferential grooves in the bead region

An improved method for determining an initial flat spot magnitude on a tire that has been resting for a period of time on a substantially flat surface uses regression analysis. In accordance with the method, values of a tire flat spot magnitude for a particular type of tire are determined at a number of measurement intervals by a uniformity machine that spins the tire. An equation having at least two exponentially decaying terms is then determined that corresponds to the measured data points. Regression analysis is then used to determine an estimate for an initial flat spot magnitude. The method can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of different tire designs with respect to flat spot recovery rates.

Method for approximating tire flat spot decay and magnitude using regressive analysis

The invention improves tire flat spotting by providing a bead assembly that has bead filler elements disposed outside the body cords so that the turn up portion of the ply of body cords is disposed immediately back against the main portion of the ply of body cords above the bead core. This carcass structure increases the stiffness of the lower sidewall and decreases the flat spotting experience by the tire. In one embodiment of the invention, a reinforcing ply is wrapped around the bead filler elements to further increases the stiffness of the lower sidewall. In another embodiment, a bead filler element is disposed inside the body cords so that an air pocket is not formed in the carcass during the manufacturing process.

Pneumatic tire having multiple element bead assembly

A friction testing machine and method for measuring friction characteristics between a test sample and a friction surface. The machine and method are particularly suited for measuring the coefficient of friction between a rubber specimen or a tread element and different friction surfaces at different sliding velocities, contact pressures and orientations. The machine includes a carriage, a friction surface, a motion device, a sample holder, a variable weight loading device, and a force measurement device. The motion device to cause relative movement between the carriage and the friction surface in forward and reverse directions and the sample holder holds a sample in frictional engagement with the friction surface during this forward and reverse movement. The variable weight loading device loads the sample holder so that a selected load can be applied to the sample in a direction normal to the friction surface. The force measurement device obtains a measurement indicative of the frictional force resisting movement of the sample as it is moved in the forward and reverse directions. The processor controls the motion device, controls the variable weight loading device and/or records the measurements obtained by the force measurement device.

Portable universal friction testing machine and method

A supportive tire rack for green tire transfer and storage includes a base assembly that carries at least four support pins that are horizontally cantilevered from the base. A pair of upper support plates and a pair of lower support plates are carried by the pins. The upper support plates engage the bead rings of the tire while the lower support plates cradle the lower surface of the tire. Each support plate is pivotally carried on an arm that is pivotally carried on a pin. Each arm is also in the form of a damper that dampens oscillatory forces in the tire. The arms and plates are biased toward resting positions by springs.

Supportive pin rack for green tire storage

A supportive tire rack for green tire transfer and storage includes a base assembly that carries at least four support pins that are horizontally cantilevered from the base. A pair of upper support plates and a pair of lower support plates are carried by the pins. The upper support plates engage the bead rings of the tire while the lower support plates cradle the lower surface of the tire. Each support plate is pivotally carried on an arm that is pivotally carried on a pin. Each arm is also in the form of a damper that dampens oscillatory forces in the tire. The arms and plates are biased toward resting positions by springs. Alternatively, the lower support is a spring biased sling formed of a flexible material and the upper support is a pair of spring biased T-shaped arms which are pivotally mounted on two of the pins for engaging the bead rings.

A friction testing machine and method for measuring friction characteristics between a test sample and a friction surface. The machine and method are particularly suited for measuring the coefficient of friction between a rubber specimen or a tread element and different friction surfaces at different sliding velocities, contact pressures and orientations. A preferred embodiment of machine is self-contained and portable, configured for easy and quick changing of the friction surface, and provides for rotating the test sample about an axis normal to the sliding surface and the direction of movement of the sample relative to the friction surface. In general, a friction test machine according to the invention comprises a sample holder configured to hold a sample in frictional engagement with a friction surface, and a motion device for effecting relative movement between the friction surface and sample holder in a first direction. Also provided is a variable weight loading device on the sample holder for loading the sample holder such that a selected load can be applied to the sample normal to the friction surface, and a force measurement device for obtaining a measurement indicative of the frictional force resisting such relative movement between the sample holder and the friction surface effected by the motion device.

The present invention is an improved tire design including a continuous annular band or a belt formed of a plurality of relatively flat rigid plates embedded in the rubber between the tread and body plies. The plates are curved to conform to the radius of the tire and are pivotally linked or otherwise pivotally connected together thereby creating a flexible annular belt that is extremely stiff in the in-plane or steering torsional direction due to the engagement of the side edges of the adjacent plates when experiencing an in-plane or steering torsional force but flexible in the radial direction due to the pivotal connection between the adjacent plates.

Growing community of inventors

Stow, OH, United States of America

Neel K Mani