The Goodyear & Tire Rubber Company

Tarah Pecora Shpargel

Bruce Raymond Hahn

Aaron Scott Puhala

Robert Allen Losey

Richard Michael D'Sidocky

Junling Zhao

Joseph Carmine Lettieri

Kenneth Allen Bates

Ginger Lee

Rachel Rebekah Barnette

The present invention is directed towards speckled tire treads for tires. Specifically, the speckled tire tread includes a primary tread compound that serves as a matrix in which is distributed discrete particles of one or more secondary tread compounds, at least one of the compounds is a different color than the other tread compound(s) so as to be visually distinguishable. For example, the primary tread compound may include carbon black pigment and be black in color while the secondary tread compound can include one or more pigments to provide the particles with non-black color. Thus, the colored particles have a visually distinguishable color from that of the primary tread composition. Additionally, at least a portion of the particles may be situated for viewing on a running surface of the tire tread so that a subject can visually distinguish between the compounds, and such observed compounds may provide a different tire performance characteristic(s).

Speckled tire treads

A multi-layered veneer for a tire sidewall is disclosed wherein one or more layers of the veneer include at least one pigment to provide a desired visual effect for the tire sidewall. In one embodiment, the multi-layered veneer includes a tie layer and a first thermoplastic layer bonded to the tie layer. The tie layer is capable of bonding the veneer to a sidewall compound of a tire sidewall. The first thermoplastic layer includes a thermoplastic material and the tie layer includes no less than about 80% by weight of a synthetic polymer chosen from EPDM, EPR, polyethylene, or combinations thereof. The synthetic polymers have a Mooney Viscosity (ML 1+4 at 125&#xb0; C.) from about 5 to about 40, and the EPDM and EPR have an ethylene content of about 70% by weight to about 99% by weight of the polymer. One or more pigments are dispersed in the tie layer and/or the first thermoplastic layer so as to provide the visual effect.

Multi-layered veneer for a tire sidewall

A pre-cured pneumatic rubber tire of open toroidal shape having a pre-cured rubber strip, comprised of at least one elastomer and which contains at least one electrically conductive element, adhesively bonded to an inner surface of the tire's cavity. The adhesive is an RTV polysiloxane comprised of an hydroxyl terminated (silanol terminated) polysiloxane and crosslinking agent. The adhesive is applied as a layer, or coating, thereof onto a surface of said pre-cured rubber strip, and/or onto a corresponding pre-cured inner surface of said pre-cured tire, and the resulting coated pre-cured rubber strip and inner surface of said pre-cured tire brought together with said layer of adhesive therebetween and the adhesive allowed to cure and thereby bond said strip to said tire inner surface. In one aspect of the invention, said strip is an annular pre-cured rubber strip bonded to the tire's inner surface in its crown region or to said tire inner surface circumferential with and close to the periphery of the tire's open cavity. In another aspect of the invention, said tire inner surface is of a textured configuration and optionally contains a thin coating thereon of a polysiloxane material. In a further aspect of the invention, said pre-cured rubber strip contains a transducer and/or microprocessor inductively and/or electrically connected to said electrically conductive element(s), for example a wire antenna, contained in said rubber strip.

Pneumatic rubber tire having annular rubber strip containing electrically conductive bonded to its inner surface

Growing community of inventors

Solon, OH, United States of America

Tarah Pecora Shpargel