Patent Application
20150336432
The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire provided with a decorative band having a smooth surface and formed on a sidewall portion of the tire.
Replacing a wheel rim, to be assembled with an automobile tire, with another rim having a larger rim diameter (what is called “inch up”) in order to make the tire look massive and improve appearance thereof has been widely practiced. However, there arises a problem of an increase in rolling resistance or the like when a large diameter wheel rim is assembled with a large diameter tire because then unsprung weight increases due to an increase in the wheel weight.
In view of this, there has been proposed a pneumatic tire provided with a decorative band (a color line) formed by printing, painting, a seal, a sticker or the like on a sidewall portion of the tire, as disclosed in PTL 1. The pneumatic tire can make an apparent rim diameter of a wheel rim assembled therewith look larger than the actual size without so much increasing the unsprung weight of a vehicle.
PTL 1: W2012-076555
A single color line is formed in the tire circumferential direction in the tire provided with a decorative band of PTL 1. This decorative band is satisfactory in terms of decorativeness but unsatisfactory in visibility thereof, i.e. in terms of making an apparent rim diameter of the wheel rim look larger than the actual size, because viewers continue to feel somewhat odd about the decorative band.
Our pneumatic tire aims at effectively solving the problems described above and an object thereof is to provide a pneumatic tire capable of making an apparent rim diameter of a wheel rim look larger than the actual size without so much increasing rolling resistance of the tire.
Our pneumatic tire is a pneumatic tire provided with a decorative band having a smooth surface and formed on a sidewall portion of the tire, wherein: the outermost end in the tire radial direction of the decorative band is positioned on the inner side in the tire radial direction than the largest width position of the tire; the decorative band includes a plurality of decorative lines each extending in the tire circumferential direction and having higher brightness than the base color of the tire; brightness of the decorative line having the highest brightness among the decorative lines is at least 80%; and brightness and/or hue of the decorative line having the highest brightness is different from brightness and/or hue of at least one of other decorative lines.
Positions and dimensions such as those relevant to the outermost end in the tire radial direction of the decorative band are to be measured in a tire assembled with a prescribed rim and inflated at the normal internal pressure with no load exerted thereon in our tire.
In our tire, a “prescribed rim” represents a standard (or “approved” or “recommended”) rim prescribed for each tire size by an industrial standard which is valid in an area where the tire is manufactured and used, and examples of the industrial standard include: “Year Book” of “THE TIRE AND RIM ASSOCIATION INC.” of the United States; “STANDARDS MANUAL” of “The European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation” of Europe; and “JATMA YEAR BOOK” of “The Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association, Inc.” of Japan.
“Normal internal pressure” represents internal air pressure prescribed to correspond to the maximum loading capacity of a tire by the industrial standards. “The maximum loading capacity” represents the maximum mass which may be loaded on a tire and is prescribed according to size (ply rating) of the tire by the industrial standards. In our tire, “the largest tire width position” represents the largest width position of a tire in an outer contour imaginary curve, drawn by excluding irrelevant projections such as characters and rim guards, of a sidewall portion in a state where the tire has been assembled with the aforementioned prescribed rim and inflated at the maximum air pressure prescribed by the relevant industrial standard with no load exerted thereon.
Brightness, saturation, and hue are defined by the HSV model in our pneumatic tire.
Brightness is an index representing the degree of brightness of a color. Brightness 100% represents the brightest color and brightness 0% represents pitch black in each hue.
Saturation is an index representing the degree of purity of a color in the range of 0% to 100%. High saturation represents a pure color and low saturation represents a dull color. Hue is an index indicating the position of a color in spectrum by an angle in the range of 0 degree to 360 degrees. 0 degree represents red and 60, 120, 180, 240, 300 degrees represent yellow, green, cyan, blue, and magenta, respectively.
Brightness, saturation and hue are determined in our pneumatic tire by: first measuring brightness and the like of an object such as a decorative band to be measured, based on a system other than the HSV color system such as a Lab color space, by using a spectrophotometer (e.g. a spectrophotometer manufactured by Konica Minolta, Inc.); and then converting the values thus measured into those based on the HSV color system by using a required software such as “photoshop®”.
According to our pneumatic tire, it is possible to make an apparent rim diameter of a wheel rim look larger than the actual size without giving an add impression to viewers, as compared with the conventional pneumatic tire, while avoiding deterioration of rolling resistance of the tire.
In the accompanying drawings, wherein:
One embodiment of our pneumatic tire will be demonstratively described with reference to the drawings hereinafter.
The following descriptions are provided only for a demonstrative purpose and by no means restrict structures, effects and the like of respective portions of the tire. A pneumatic tire exemplarily shown in
A decorative band 10 annularly extending in the tire circumferential direction is formed on the inner side in the tire radial direction than the largest tire width position Pw of the sidewall 2, as shown in
The decorative band 10 includes a plurality (two in the example shown in the drawings) of decorative lines 11, 12 each extending in the tire circumferential direction and having brightness higher than that of the tire base color. The decorative line 11 on the outer side in the tire radial direction is white (brightness: 100%, saturation: 0%, hue: 0°) and the decorative line 12 on the inner side in the tire radial direction is green (brightness: 60%, saturation: 66%, hue: 150°).
A mark portion 13 constituted of marks such as characters, graphics or the like may be formed in a disconnected portion of the decorative line 11 and/or the decorative line 12, as shown in
In the tire of the present embodiment, weight increase thereof can be well suppressed, as compared with a case where a decorative band is formed by projections and recesses such as ridges, because the decorative band 10 of the former has smooth and flat surfaces. The decorative band 10 having smooth and flat surfaces can be formed, for example, by printing or attaching seals.
The decorative line 11 and/or the decorative line 12 may be formed in an intermittent manner in the tire circumferential direction (not shown in the drawings). Further alternatively, the decorative band 10 may include three or more decorative lines.
Visibility of the decorative band 10 improves and a viewer can well recognize the decorative band 10 from a position remote from the tire because the decorative lines 11, 12 each have brightness higher than brightness of the tire base color which is substantially black, as described above.
The decorative band 10 includes: the decorative line 11 having the highest brightness (at least 80%) among the decorative lines; and the decorative line 12 of which brightness and/or hue (both brightness and hue in the example of the present embodiment) is different from brightness and/or hue of the decorative line 11. An apparent rim diameter of a wheel rim looks larger than the actual size in this case because the decorative line 11 having high brightness reflects light and looks as if it were a rim flange 21 having high brightness.
Further, provision of the decorative line 12 having brightness different from that of the decorative line 11, i.e. provision of a plurality of different decorative lines, overcomes the odd feeling caused by the conventional decorative band constituted of a single decorative line and gives a viewer a good three-dimensional image of the entire wheel rim portion (in the tire radial direction thereof in particular), thereby successfully making the wheel rim look larger than the actual size without causing the viewer to feel odd.
The decorative line 11 on the outermost side in the tire radial direction has the highest brightness among the decorative lines in the tire of the present embodiment. Such a decorative line 11 as described above, positioned close to the outermost portion in the tire radial direction of the wheel rim, reflects light and looks as if it were a rim flange 21 having high brightness. Further, the decorative line 12 formed on the inner side in the tire radial direction than the decorative line 11 and having brightness not exceeding that of the decorative line 11 looks as if it were an outer rim 22 of a disc portion on the inner side in the tire radial direction of the rim flange. An apparent rim diameter of the wheel rim looks larger than the actual size by these effects in the tire of the present embodiment,
Further, it is possible to emphasize the brand image and/or the added values of the tire by making the decorative line 12 take on a chromatic color. For example, the decorative line 12 colored green as in the present embodiment reminds a viewer of tree foliage and possibly makes him/her feel as if the tire is environmentally friendly.
The outermost end 10a in the tire radial direction of the decorative band 10 is positioned on the inner side in the tire radial direction than the largest tire width position Pw of the tire, as shown in
A distance d in the tire radial direction between the radially outermost end 10a of the decorative band 10 and the bead base line 1a is preferably set to be 0.35×SH≦d<0.50×SH as shown in
The distance d<0.35×SH may deteriorate visibility of the decorative band and fail to ensure a sufficiently large space for accommodating the serial markings on the inner side in the tire radial direction of the decorative band. The distance d≧0.50×SH results in: provision of the decorative band 10 in a region experiencing relatively large strains when the tire is rotated or the like, which possibly makes it difficult to suppress exfoliation and cracks of the decorative band in a satisfactory manner; and failure in ensuring a sufficiently large space for accommodating the serial markings on the outer side in the tire radial direction of the decorative band.
A width w1 in the tire radial direction of the decorative line 11 and a width w2 in the tire radial direction of the decorative line 12 of the decorative band 10 are preferably in the range of 2% to 10% of the cross sectional height SH of the tire, respectively, in terms of improving visibility of the decorative band with ensuring good durability of the decorative band against strains of the tire.
The width w1/w2<2% of SH makes the decorative line too narrow, whereby visibility of the decorative line may deteriorate. The width w1/w2>10% of SH facilitates concentration of strains at end portions of the decorative line and thus exfoliation therein, whereby durability of the decorative line may deteriorate.
The decorative line 11 having the highest brightness preferably takes on a white color of brightness 100% in terms of improving visibility of the decorative band 10 and ensuring that an apparent rim diameter of the wheel rim looks larger than the actual size.
It is preferable that the decorative lines 11, 12 are disposed to be distanced from each other in the tire radial direction in terms of improving visibility of each of the decorative lines 11, 12. In a case where the decorative lines 11, 12 are provided to be adjacent or too close to each other in the tire radial direction, these decorative lines 11, 12 tend to look like a single line and may fail to cause a visual effect as desired. In this connection, a width wg in the tire radial direction of a gap 14 between the decorative lines 11, 12 may be 1.5 mm, for example.
It is preferable that an end portion 6e (see
The decorative line 11 having the highest brightness has good visibility and looks thick. Accordingly, making the width w1 in the tire radial direction of the decorative line 11 having the highest brightness narrower than the width w2 in the tire radial direction of the decorative line 12 can achieve a good balance between the decorative line 11 and the decorative line 12, prevent a viewer from having an odd impression thereon, and reliably make an apparent rim diameter of the wheel rim look larger than the actual size.
Setting brightness of the mark portion 13 higher than the brightness of the decorative line 11 having the highest brightness among the decorative lines is preferable in terms of making the mark portion 13 conspicuous without deteriorating the effect of the decorative line 11.
Further, enlarging the width in the tire radial direction of the decorative line 12 having the lowest brightness in a portion thereof adjacent in the tire circumferential direction to the mark portion 13, to form an enlarged width portion 12a so that the decorative line 12 terminates at the enlarged width portion 12a, as shown in
UV curable ink is preferably used in a case where the decorative band 10 is formed by printing. Use of UV curable ink can improve workability in this case because the ink is instantly cured by irradiation of UV thereon, whereby exfoliation of a resulting decorative band and ink drop in forming the decorative band can be both suppressed.
Yet further, a contamination preventive rubber layer 7 not containing an anti-oxidant is provided on the tire outer surface side of the carcass ply 6 in the tire of the present embodiment, as shown in
Examples of a rubber component of the contamination preventive rubber layer 7 include natural rubber (NR), butyl rubber (IIR), halogenated butyl rubber, isoprene rubber (IR), butadiene rubber (BR), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), chloroprene rubber (CR), acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR), ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM), and the like. These rubbers may be used as the rubber component either solely or in combination of two or more thereof. In a case where ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer is blended in the contamination preventive rubber layer, the content of ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer in the contamination preventive rubber layer is preferably at least 80 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the rubber component of the contamination preventive rubber layer.
In this connection, presence of butyl-based rubber in at least a portion of the contamination preventive rubber layer 7 suppresses permeation of an anti-oxidant through the contamination preventive rubber layer 7, thereby effectively preventing the anti-oxidant contained in other rubber layers from contaminating the decorative band 10. Further, in a case where the contamination preventive rubber layer 7 contains inorganic clay minerals, the inorganic clay minerals further suppress permeation of an anti-oxidant through the contamination preventive rubber layer, thereby further enhancing an effect caused by the contamination preventive rubber layer of preventing the other rubber layers from contaminating the decorative band 10.
Next, a tire according to another embodiment of our pneumatic tire is shown in
An apparent rim diameter of the wheel rim looks larger than the actual size in the tire of the present embodiment because the decorative line 111 having the highest brightness looks as if it were the rim flange 21. Further, provision of the decorative line 112 having a chromatic color on the outer side in the tire radial direction emphasizes color tone of the decorative line 112 and thus successfully enhances a brand-image appealing effect on customers.
Examples tires 1 to 10 according to our pneumatic tire and Comparative Example tires 1 to 4 were prepared as test tires, respectively. Each test tire has: tire size of 205/55R16; a tire cross sectional height SH of 114 mm; and a decorative band including two decorative lines (a single decorative line in Comparative Example 2) formed on the inner side in the tire radial direction than the largest tire width position (the distance in the tire radial direction between the largest tire width position and the bead base line is 52.5 mm, which is 0.46×the tire cross sectional height SH), wherein each of the decorative lines extends in the tire circumferential direction and has higher brightness than the tire base color (brightness: 10%, saturation: 0%, hue: 0°). The respective decorative lines keep a distance of 1.5 mm therebetween in the tire radial direction in each of the test tires other than Comp. Example 2 tire.
Table 1 shows for each of the test tires: brightness of the decorative line on the outer side in the tire radial direction; brightness of the decorative line on the inner side in the tire radial direction; a ratio of the distance d in the tire radial direction between the radially outermost end of the decorative band and the bead base line, with respect to the tire cross sectional height SH; a ratio of the width w1(=w2) in the tire radial direction of each decorative line of the decorative band, with respect to the tire cross sectional height SH;
and whether or not the folded-up end of the carcass ply is disposed in a tire radial portion between the innermost end and the outermost end in the tire radial direction of the decorative band, i.e. whether or not the ply end overlaps the decorative band. “Yes” represents that the ply end overlaps the decorative band and “No” represents that the ply end does not overlap the decorative band.
Each of the test tires was assembled with a prescribed rim and visibility of the decorative band thereof was investigated. Specifically, 20 viewers observed each of the test tires thus prepared and a questionnaire survey was conducted for these viewers regarding whether or not visibility of the decorative bands improved, i.e. an apparent wheel rim diameter looked larger than the actual size (larger than the same wheel rim in the conventional tire). The results are shown in Table 1. With regard to the evaluation criteria of visibility, the number of the viewers who answered that the apparent wheel rim diameter looked larger than the actual size was counted and the grade A represents the number≧18, the grade B represents 10≦the number≦17, and the grade C represents the number≧9. Table 1 also shows for each test tire the specific number of the viewers who answered that the apparent wheel rim diameter looked larger than the actual size.
Durability of the decorative band of each test tire was determined by: assembling the test tire with a prescribed rim and inflating the tire at the normal internal pressure; setting the test tire on a tire drum testing machine with the maximum allowable load exerted thereon; running the test tire at constant speed on the testing machine; and checked whether or not exfoliation had occurred in the decorative band after running 10,000 km and 30,000 km, respectively. “Good” represents that exfoliation had not occurred and “Poor” represents that exfoliation had occurred.
It has been confirmed from the results of the tests that each of Example tires, in which: the outermost end in the tire radial direction of the decorative band is positioned on the inner side in the tire radial direction than the largest width position of the tire; the decorative band includes a plurality of decorative lines each extending in the tire circumferential direction and having higher brightness than the base color of the tire;
brightness of the decorative line having the highest brightness among the decorative lines is at least 80%; and brightness and/or hue of the decorative line having the highest brightness is different from brightness and/or hue of at least one of other decorative lines, exhibits better visibility of the decorative band than Conventional Example tires.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-001836 | Jan 2013 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2013/007376 | 12/16/2013 | WO | 00 |
