Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC

Bridgestone/firestone, Inc.

Bridgestone Corporation

Other

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC

Stephen M Vossberg

John L Turner

Charles D Spragg

James M Kirby

Edward G Markow

Thomas R Branca

Paul M Neugebauer

Hans R Dorfi

David O Stalnaker

Martin A Yurjevich

Russell A Moser

Vladimir Roth

Gregory D Chaplin

John D Clothiaux

John G Lightner

Arthur J Dory

Sydney Kelsey

Andrew Karl Reinhardt

Dale R Harrigle, Jr

Allen C Kearney

Thomas S Fleishchman

James A Williams, Jr

An apparatus and method are disclosed for modeling at least a portion of a rolling tire (). A finite element model of at least a portion of a tire () rolling against a tire contacting surface () is input into a finite element analysis system (). The system executed instructions that result in the application of a constant force to the model tire () or portion thereof by the tire contacting surface (). The application of force control boundary conditions, as opposed to displacement control, provides significant benefit in terms of computational time of the finite element analysis solution. A finite element analysis simulation of the model against the tire contacting surface () is performed while maintaining the force on the model tire (). Alternatively, a camber (&#x3b3;) is also applied to the tire and maintained throughout the simulation.

System and method for steady state simulation of rolling tire

A method for changing the residual aligning torque (RAT) of a pneumatic tire by forming angled sipes in certain of the tread blocks in at least a pair of circumferentially extending ribs, each rib being located on an opposite side of the mid-circumferential plane of the tire. The sipes in the tread blocks in one of the ribs are formed at an inclined angle opposite to the inclined angle of the sipes in the tread blocks in the opposite rib. The RAT can also be changed by varying the depth and width of the opposed angled sipes.

Method of compensating for residual aligning torque (RAT)

A stabilizing system for a pneumatic tire and wheel assembly includes complimentary projections and grooves on internal regions of the tire which contact each during an under-inflated condition. The projections and grooves mate with each other during the under-inflated condition to provide mechanical and positive interconnection between the regions in a direction of travel thereby inhibiting lateral movement between the tire and the rim.

Pneumatic tire having a stabilizing system for under-inflated conditions

A runflat tire is provided that may be used in applications currently requiring a large aspect ratio tire. The runflat tire of the invention may be substituted in these applications while providing desirable ride characteristics. The runflat tire includes a sidewall with a radial portion and a cantilever portion. The cantilever portion may be fabricated by extending a sidewall insert in the axially inward direction or by extending the bead filler in the axially outward direction. In other embodiments, the cantilever sidewall portion is formed by a combination of the sidewall insert and the bead filler. The resulting runflat tire has desired durability in the uninflated operating condition while having desired ride characteristics in the inflated condition. The sidewall structure allows the tire to be used in applications presently requiring a tire with a high aspect ratio.

Runflat tire with cantilever-like sidewall construction

A pneumatic tire includes a tread pattern having circumferential and lateral grooves forming a plurality of circumferentially extending ribs, each rib having a plurality of tread blocks. A plurality of tie bars extend circumferentially across certain of the lateral grooves between adjacent tread blocks in at least two of the ribs which are located equally opposite of a mid-circumferential plane of the tire. The tie bars have a pair of sidewalls and a sloped top surface with the slope of the top surface in one of the ribs being opposite to the slope of the tie bars in the other rib to generate a residual aligning torque (RAT) on the tire.

Pneumatic tire having tapered tie bars

A run flat pneumatic tire has a thin annular band embedded in the crown portion of the tire. The band is formed of a composite material such as tows of fiberglass and/or graphite material impregnated with a resin. The resin coated tows are wound about a mandrel having at least one concave recess to provide the band with an anticlastic shape with an arcuate cross section and a concave surface facing radially outwardly.

Run flat pneumatic tire and anticlastic band element therefor

A run flat pneumatic tire has a thin annular band embedded in the crown portion of the tire. The band is formed of a multilayer composite formed of wound layers of a material such as fiberglass and/or graphite impregnated with a resin. The band has a radial cross-sectional thickness with a neutral axis extending through the center in an axial direction. The radial thickness of the band decreases from an axial midpoint toward outer ends of the band to provide greater thickness in the center of the band to reduce interlaminar shear fatigue.

Pneumatic tire with variable thickness band element

A pneumatic tire is reinforced by a thin annular composite band embedded in the crown portion of the tire to enable the tire to resist compressive forces in the tire when in an uninflated condition. The band is formed of a plurality of wound layers of first and second resin coated fiber tows wherein the first tow is formed of fibers twisted at a greater angle than the fibers in the second tow. Layers of the first tow are located adjacent the neutral axis of the band to provide interlaminar shear strength with the tow layers located adjacent the inner and outer surfaces of the band being formed predominately of the second tow to provide a high level circumferential stiffness. The intermediate tow layers are formed of both type of tows to provide a transition zone between the central interlaminar shear strength and the outer circumferential stiffness.

Run flat pneumatic tire and band element therefor

A method for designing pneumatic tires for rolling conditions employs a finite element tire model configured by an operator. A first set of variables is applied to the tire model and steady state footprint conditions resulting from such application of the variables to the tire model are compared against predetermined footprint constraints to determine if the steady state footprint conditions and the footprint constraints have converged. If they have not, the set of control variables is incremented and the comparison is undertaken again until the steady state footprint conditions in the footprint constraints have converged. The concept of the invention is presented with particular application to a determination of the abrasion energy dissipation or wear potential, cornering stiffness, and residual aligning torque.

Method for designing pneumatic tires for rolling conditions

An apparatus for determining lateral tire tread stiffness includes a holding fixture that is coupled to a loading fixture. The holding fixture includes a frame on which is mounted a rotary table that carries the tire tread specimen to be tested. The loading fixture includes a loading plate that can apply a normal loading force and a lateral loading force to the tire tread specimen. A processor receives data from a monitoring device which provides an indication of the deformation of the tire tread specimen as a lateral load is applied thereto. The processor also receives data from a load cell which monitors the amount of force applied to the tread specimen and correlates this data with the displacement data to determine stiffness properties of the tread specimen. The processor also controls the angular position of the rotary table to further analyze the tread stiffness of particular tire tread geometry.

Apparatus and related methods for determining lateral tire tread

An apparatus and technique for determining the abrasion potential for tire treads is presented. A tire is rotatably and forcefully brought into contacting engagement with a reflective surface received upon an illuminated glass plate. A charge coupled device monitors the internal reflection light which evidences a grey level corresponding to the force of engagement between the associated portion of the tire and the glass support plate. A marker is placed upon the tire centrally within a region of interest. The video image of the marker and region of interest is analyzed as to slip and force at that area. The product of the slip and force functions is an indication of frictional work at the interface between the tire and support surface and is correspondingly an indication of the propensity of the tire to wear.

Method and apparatus for determining abrasion potential of tire treads

A pneumatic tire having a tread, a pair of sidewalls each terminating in an annular bead area, and a pair of beads located within the bead areas, for mounting the tire on a rim. Each of the beads is formed by at least one strand of metallic wire wound upon itself into a spiral and terminating in inner and outer ends, which ends circumferentially overlap each other. The beads are placed in the tire so that the spiral orientation of the beads are opposite to each other and the inner ends of the beads are in substantial axial alignment to reduce radial force variations on the tire.

Pneumatic tire having opposite spiral oriented beads

An apparatus and technique for measuring and analyzing the tread wear of a pneumatic tire. The tire is indexed about its axis. Between the indexing steps, a laser scanner obtains data from the tread surface. This data is normalized to eliminate any out-of-roundness of the tire data. Noise spikes are removed and replaced with values attributable to valid data. From the data, a reference curve corresponding to a lateral sector of the tire is devised. The data from actual lateral sectors is then compared to the reference curve by a curve-fitting process and the deviation between the actual data and the reference curve establishes the degree of irregular wear of the tire at that lateral point.

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Medina, OH, United States of America

Stephen M Vossberg