Patent Application
20240025210
The present disclosure relates to a pneumatic tire.
In general, it is desirable to increase the cornering power of pneumatic tires.
Especially in recent years, fuel efficiency can be improved by simplifying tire structures and reducing their weights, such as by thinning rubber in the sidewall portions or reducing the height of the bead fillers (for example, Patent Literature 1 [PTL 1]). In such cases, there is a concern about a decrease in cornering power, due to a decrease in lateral spring coefficient in particular.
It would therefore be helpful to provide a pneumatic tire that can prevent a decrease in cornering power.
The gist of the present disclosure is as follows.
(1) A pneumatic tire including:
a pair of bead portions; and
a carcass including one or more carcass plies of radially arranged cords that extend in a toroidal form between the pair of bead portions, wherein
a reinforcing member is provided so as to extend at an angle with respect to a tire radial direction in an area including a tire maximum width position of the pneumatic tire that stretches in the tire radial direction on an outer side in a tire width direction of the carcass
in a reference state in which the pneumatic tire is mounted on an applicable rim, a specified internal pressure is applied, and no load is applied.
Herein, the “tire maximum width position” refers to a position where the width in the tire width direction of the pneumatic tire becomes maximum in the cross-section in the tire width direction in the aforementioned reference state.
Herein, an “applicable rim” refers to a standard rim (which is called a measuring rim in STANDARDS MANUAL of the European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation [ETRTO], and a design rim in YEAR BOOK of the Tire and Rim Association, Inc. [TRA]) of an applicable size that is described or will be described in industrial standards valid for a region in which the tire is produced or used. Examples of the industrial standards include JATMA Year Book of the Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association (JATMA) in Japan, STANDARDS MANUAL of the ETRTO in Europe, and YEAR BOOK of the TRA in the United States of America (that is, the “rim” includes any size currently included and any size which will be possibly included in the industrial standards. Examples of the “size which will be described” include those described as “FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS” in the ETRTO 2013 edition). As for sizes not described in the industrial standards, a “rim” refers to a rim having a width corresponding to the bead width of the tire.
Moreover, a “specified internal pressure” refers to an air pressure (maximum air pressure) corresponding to the maximum load capability of a single wheel of an applicable size/ply rating specified by the JATMA or the like. As for sizes not described in the industrial standards, a “specified internal pressure” refers to an air pressure (maximum air pressure) corresponding to the maximum load capability determined depending on a vehicle to which the tire is mounted.
According to the present disclosure, a pneumatic tire that can prevent a decrease in cornering power can be provided.
In the accompanying drawings:
In the following, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail by illustration with reference to the drawings.
The tire 1 includes a pair of bead portions 2, and a carcass 3 including one or more carcass plies of radially arranged cords that extend in a toroidal form between the pair of bead portions 2.
In this example, each bead portion 2 includes a bead core 2a and a bead filler 2b disposed on an outer side in a tire radial direction of the bead core 2a. The bead core 2a in this example includes a plurality of bead wires that are surrounded by a rubber coating. The bead wires in this example are formed by steel cords. In this example, the bead filler 2b is made of rubber or the like and has a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape with a thickness decreasing toward the outer side in the tire radial direction. In the present disclosure, however, the tire 1 may also be configured without bead cores 2a or bead fillers 2b.
Here, the height of the bead fillers 2b (measured in the tire radial direction) is preferably 8 to 25 mm, as in this example. This is because setting the height of the bead fillers 2b to 8 mm or more can prevent air entry during manufacturing, while setting the height of the bead fillers 2b to 25 mm or less can reduce the weight of the tire. For the same reason, it is more preferable to set the height of the bead fillers 2b to 10 to 15 mm.
The carcass 3 in this example includes a carcass body portion 3a that extends in a toroidal form between the pair of bead portions 2, and carcass fold-up portions 3b that are folded from the carcass body portion 3a around the bead cores 2a from the inner side in the tire width direction to the outer side in the tire width direction. Organic fibers, such as PET, hybrid cords made of two types of organic fiber cords (e.g., nylon and aramid) twisted together, or the like may be used as carcass cords. As mentioned above, the carcass plies are plies of radially arranged cords.
In this example, outer ends in the tire radial direction of the carcass fold-up portions 3b are located further inward in the tire radial direction than the tire maximum width position and are located further outward in the tire radial direction than outer ends in the tire radial direction of the bead fillers 2b. With this configuration, the weight of the tire can be further reduced.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Here, as illustrated in
In this example, the reinforcing member 7 includes organic fiber cords. Examples the organic fiber cords include organic fibers, such as PET, or hybrid cords made of two types of organic fiber cords (e.g., a nylon cord and an aramid cord) twisted together. The Young's modulus of the cords of the reinforcing member 7 (tested by JIS L1017 8.5 a] [2002] and determined in accordance with JIS L1017 8.8 [2002]) is not particularly limited, but can be 3000 to 5000 GPa, the number of cords of the reinforcing member 7 can be 20 to 70 cords/50 mm, and the cord diameter of the cords of the reinforcing member 7 can be 0.3 to 0.9 mm. Although it is preferable to dispose one layer of reinforcing member from the viewpoint of weight reduction, two or more layers can be disposed, and in such cases, it is preferable to adjust the Young's modulus, the number, and the diameter of the cords so that they can be reduced to be substantially equal to those of one layer in terms of stiffness and weight reduction.
As in this example, the reinforcing member 7 preferably extends at an angle of 30° to 60° with respect to the tire radial direction, and more preferably, it extends at an angle of 40° to 50° with respect to the tire radial direction.
The length in the tire radial direction of the reinforcing member 7 is preferably 10 to 40%, and more preferably 15 to 35% of the height of the cross-section of the tire. Disposing the reinforcing member 7 at an appropriate cross-sectional height can control cornering power, maintain appropriate ride comfort, and reduce weight increase, thereby improving fuel efficiency.
Here, as illustrated in
Outer ends in the tire radial direction of the rubber chafers 8 are preferably located further outward in the tire radial direction than the rim separation point. Inner ends in the tire radial direction of the rubber chafers 8 are preferably located further inward in the tire radial direction than inner ends in the tire radial direction of the bead cores 2a. As illustrated in
In the present embodiment, the rubber chafers 7 are made of highly elastic rubber, and specifically, when the storage modulus of the bead fillers 2b is E1′ and the storage modulus of the rubber chafers 7 is E2′, the ratio E2/E1 satisfies
0.4≤E2′/E1′≤1.
Herein, a “storage modulus” refers to a value measured at a temperature of 25° C. in accordance with JIS K7244.
Advantageous effects of the pneumatic tire according to the present embodiment will be described below.
In the pneumatic tire according to the present embodiment, first of all, the height of the bead fillers 2b is 25 mm or less, the outer ends in the tire radial direction of the carcass fold-up portions 3b are located further inward in the tire radial direction than the tire maximum width position, and the rubber gauge at the tire maximum width position is 3 mm or less, and the material of the carcass cords is an organic fiber, such as PET, or a hybrid cord made of two types of organic fibers. Accordingly, the weight of the tire can be reduced. As mentioned above, such a tire may suffer a decrease in cornering power due to a decrease in lateral spring coefficient. The present inventors have conducted studies and found that the cause of a decrease in lateral spring coefficient is that lateral displacement is concentrated directly under the load and the surrounding area is pulled in the direction of the load, causing an increase in shear deformation on the circumference. For this reason, the tire according to the present embodiment is provided with the reinforcing member 7, which extends at an angle with respect to the tire radial direction in an area including the tire maximum width position that stretches in the tire radial direction on the outer side in the tire width direction of the carcass 3. As a result, as schematically illustrated in
As described above, the pneumatic tire according to the present embodiment can prevent a decrease in cornering power, while reducing the weight of the tire.
Additionally, although it is particularly effective in the aforementioned lightweight configuration as in the present embodiment, even in a case in which the aforementioned lightweight configuration is not adopted, the effect of preventing a decrease in cornering power can be obtained, because two forces pulling in the opposite directions act on the reinforcing member 7 during shearing deformation.
Here, the reinforcing member preferably includes organic fiber cords. Since organic fibers are lightweight despite their rigidity, weight increase due to the addition of the reinforcing member can be minimized.
The reinforcing member preferably extends at an angle of 30° to 60° with respect to the tire radial direction, and more preferably, it extends at an angle of 40° to 50° with respect to the tire radial direction. The effect of reducing shear deformation illustrated schematically in
The length in the tire radial direction of the reinforcing member is preferably 10 to 40% of the height of the cross-section of the tire. Setting the length to 10% or more further ensures that the effect of preventing a decrease in cornering power can be obtained, while setting the length to 40% or less can minimize weight increase due to the addition of the reinforcing member. In an example, an outer end in the tire radial direction of the reinforcing member can be at a position corresponding to 50 to 80% of the height of the cross-section of the tire from the bead base line (imaginary line passing through bead bases and extending parallel to the tire width direction), and an inner end in the tire radial direction of the reinforcing member can be at a position corresponding to 40% of the height of the cross-section of the tire from the bead base line. The length in the tire radial direction of the reinforcing member can be, but is not particularly limited to, 15 to 40 mm.
The tire according to the present disclosure is preferably a pneumatic radial tire for passenger vehicles.
In an example, the tire has a shape with a narrow width and a large diameter, with a tire cross-sectional width SW of less than 165 (mm) and with a ratio SW/OD of the tire cross-sectional width SW to the outer diameter OD of 0.26 or less. Setting the tire cross-sectional width SW to be narrower than the tire outer diameter OD can reduce air resistance, and increasing the tire outer diameter OD relative to the tire cross-sectional width SW can reduce deformation of the tread rubber in the vicinity of a ground-contacting surface of the tire, thereby reducing rolling resistance. This can improve the fuel efficiency of the tire. The ratio SW/OD is preferably 0.25 or less, and more preferably 0.24 or less.
The above ratio is preferably satisfied when the internal pressure of the tire is 200 kPa or more, more preferably when it is 220 kPa or more, and even more preferably when it is 280 kPa or more. This is because rolling resistance can be reduced. On the other hand, the above ratio is preferably satisfied when the internal pressure of the tire is 350 kPa or less. This is because ride comfort can be improved.
From the viewpoint of maintaining the ground contact area, the tire cross-sectional width SW is preferably 105 mm or more, more preferably 125 mm or more, even more preferably 135 mm or more, and particularly preferably 145 mm or more, within the range in which the above ratio is satisfied. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of reducing air resistance, the tire cross-sectional width SW is preferably 155 mm or less, within the range in which the above ratio is satisfied. From the viewpoint of reducing rolling resistance, the tire outer diameter OD is preferably 500 mm or more, more preferably 550 mm or more, and even more preferably 580 mm or more, within the range in which the above ratio is satisfied. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of reducing air resistance, the tire outer diameter OD is preferably 800 mm or less, more preferably 720 mm or less, even more preferably 650 mm or less, and particularly preferably 630 mm or less, within the range in which the above ratio is satisfied. From the viewpoint of reducing rolling resistance, the rim diameter is preferably 16 inches or more, more preferably 17 inches or more, and even more preferably 18 inches or more, providing that the tire cross-sectional width SW and the outer diameter OD satisfy the above ratio. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of reducing air resistance, the rim diameter is preferably 22 inches or less, more preferably 21 inches or less, even more preferably 20 inches or less, and particularly preferably 19 inches or less, providing that the tire cross-sectional width SW and the outer diameter OD satisfy the above ratio. The aspect ratio of the tire is preferably 45 to 70, and more preferably 45 to 65, providing that the tire cross-sectional width SW and the outer diameter OD satisfy the above ratio.
In an example, the specific size of the tire may be, but is not particularly limited to, 105/50R16, 115/50R17, 125/55R20, 125/60R18, 125/65R19, 135/45R21, 135/55R20, 135/60R17, 135/60R18, 135/60R19, 135/65R19, 145/45R21, 145/55R20, 145/60R16, 145/60R17, 145/60R18, 145/60R19, 145/65R19, 155/45R18, 155/45R21, 155/55R18, 155/55R19, 155/55R21, 155/60R17, 155/65R18, 155/70R17, or 155/70R19.
In another example, the tire has a shape with a narrow width and a large diameter, with a tire cross-sectional width SW of 165 (mm) or more, wherein the tire cross-sectional width SW (mm) and the outer diameter OD (mm) satisfy the relational expression
OD(mm)≥2.135×SW(mm)+282.3.
By satisfying the above relational expression, air resistance can be reduced, and rolling resistance can be reduced, whereby the fuel efficiency of the tire can be improved.
In a second embodiment, the ratio SW/OD is preferably 0.26 or less, more preferably 0.25 or less, and even more preferably 0.24 or less, providing that the tire cross-sectional width SW and the outer diameter OD satisfy the above expressional expression. This is because the fuel efficiency of the tire can be further improved.
The above relational expression and/or the ratio are/is preferably satisfied when the internal pressure of the tire is 200 kPa or more, more preferably when it is 220 kPa or more, and even more preferably when it is 280 kPa or more. This is because rolling resistance can be reduced. On the other hand, the above relational expression and/or the ratio are/is satisfied when the internal pressure of the tire is 350 kPa or less. This is because ride comfort can be improved.
Here, from the viewpoint of maintaining the ground contact area, the tire cross-sectional width SW is preferably 175 mm or more, and more preferably 185 mm or more, within the range in which the above relational expression is satisfied. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of reducing air resistance, the tire cross-sectional width SW is preferably 230 mm or less, more preferably 215 mm or less, even more preferably 205 mm or less, and particularly preferably 195 mm or less, within the range in which the above relational expression is satisfied. From the viewpoint of reducing rolling resistance, the tire outer diameter OD is preferably 630 mm or more, and more preferably 650 mm or more, within the range in which the above relational expression is satisfied. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of reducing air resistance, the tire outer diameter OD is preferably 800 mm or less, more preferably 750 mm or less, and even more preferably 720 mm or less, within the range in which the above relational expression is satisfied. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of reducing rolling resistance, the rim diameter is preferably 18 inches or more, and more preferably 19 inches or more, providing that the tire cross-sectional width SW and the outer diameter OD satisfy the above relational expression. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of reducing air resistance, the rim diameter is preferably 22 inches or less, and more preferably 21 inches or less, providing that the tire cross-sectional width SW and the outer diameter OD satisfy the above relational expression. Moreover, the aspect ratio of the tire is preferably 45 to 70, and more preferably 45 to 65, providing that the tire cross-sectional width SW and the outer diameter OD satisfy the above relational expression.
In an example, the specific size of the tire may be, but is not particularly limited to, 165/45R22, 165/55R18, 165/55R19, 165/55R20, 165/55R21, 165/60R19, 165/65R19, 165/70R18, 175/45R23, 175/55R 19, 175/55R20, 175/55R22, 175/60R18, 185/45R22, 185/50R20, 185/55R19, 185/55R20, 185/60R19, 185/60R20, 195/50R20, 195/55R20, 195/60R19, 205/50R 21, 205/55R20, or 215/50R21.
In yet another example, the tire has a shape with a narrow width and a large diameter, wherein the tire cross-sectional width SW (mm) and the outer diameter OD (mm) satisfy the relational expression
OD(mm)≥−0.0187×SW(mm)2+9.15×SW(mm)−380.
By satisfying the above relational expression, air resistance can be reduced, and rolling resistance can be reduced, whereby the fuel efficiency of the tire can be improved.
In a third embodiment, the ratio SW/OD is preferably 0.26 or less, more preferably 0.25 or less, and even more preferably 0.24 or less, providing that the tire cross-sectional width SW and the outer diameter OD satisfy the above expressional expression. This is because the fuel efficiency of the tire can be further improved.
The above relational expression and/or the ratio are/is preferably satisfied when the internal pressure of the tire is 200 kPa or more, more preferably when it is 220 kPa or more, and even more preferably when it is 280 kPa or more. This is because rolling resistance can be reduced. On the other hand, the above relational expression and/or the ratio are/is preferably satisfied when the internal pressure of the tire is 350 kPa or less. This is because ride comfort can be improved.
Here, from the viewpoint of maintaining the ground contact area, the tire cross-sectional width SW is preferably 105 mm or more, more preferably 125 mm or more, even more preferably 135 mm or more, and particularly preferably 145 mm or more, within the range in which the above relational expression is satisfied. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of reducing air resistance, the tire cross-sectional width SW is preferably 230 mm or less, more preferably 215 mm or less, even more preferably 205 mm or less, and particularly preferably 195 mm or less, within the range in which the above relational expression is satisfied. From the viewpoint of reducing rolling resistance, the tire outer diameter OD is preferably 500 mm or more, more preferably 550 mm or more, and even more preferably 580 mm or more, within the range in which the above relational expression is satisfied. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of reducing air resistance, the tire outer diameter OD is preferably 800 mm or less, more preferably 750 mm or less, and even more preferably 720 mm or less, within the range in which the above relational expression is satisfied. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of reducing rolling resistance, the rim diameter is preferably 16 inches or more, more preferably 17 inches or more, and even more preferably 18 inches or more, providing that the tire cross-sectional width SW and the outer diameter OD satisfy the above relational expression. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of reducing air resistance, the rim diameter is preferably 22 inches or less, more preferably 21 inches or less, and even more preferably 20 inches or less, providing that the tire cross-sectional width SW and the outer diameter OD satisfy the above relational expression. Moreover, the aspect ratio of the tire is preferably 45 to and more preferably 45 to 65, providing that the tire cross-sectional width SW and the outer diameter OD satisfy the above relational expression.
In an example, the specific size of the tire may be, but is not particularly limited to, 105/50R16, 115/50R17, 125/55R20, 125/60R18, 125/65R19, 135/45R21, 135/55R20, 135/60R17, 135/60R18, 135/60R19, 135/65R19, 145/45R21, 145/55R20, 145/60R16, 145/60R17, 145/60R18, 145/60R19, 145/65R19, 155/45R18, 155/45R21, 155/55R18, 155/55R19, 155/55R21, 155/60R17, 155/65R18, 155/70R17, 155/70R19, 165/45R22, 165/55R18, 165/55R19, 165/55R20, 165/55R21, 165/60R19, 165/6R19, 165/70R18, 175/45R23, 175/55R18, 175/55R19, 175/55R20, 175/55R22, 175/60R18, 185/45R22, 185/50R20, 185/55R19, 185/55R20, 185/60R19, 185/60R20, 195/50R20, 195/55R20, 195/60R19, 205/50R21, 205/55R20, or 215/50R21.
Here, a tire with the aforementioned lightweight configuration may suffer a decrease in cornering power due to a decrease in lateral spring coefficient.
To address the above, the present inventors have conducted studies and found that an increased rotational component of lateral displacement, among translation, rotational, and bending components, is the cause of a decrease in lateral spring coefficient, when out-of-plane bending acts on a bead portion 2 (in particular, in a case in which the height of the bead fillers 2b is set to 25 mm or less as mentioned above, the stiffness of the bead portions decreases, and the degree of out-of-plane bending increases). Furthermore, it has been found that the out-of-plane bending acts as a tensile force on the side of the bead portion 2 that is closer to a tire inner surface, while also acting as a compressive force on the side of the bead portion that is close to the tire outer surface, and that a decrease in lateral spring coefficient can be prevented, in particular by withstanding the compressive force on the side of the bead portion 2 that is closer to the tire outer surface (inner side of the bending). This is the reason why the highly rigid (0.4≤E2′/E1′≤1) rubber chafers 8 are disposed on the outer side in the tire width direction of the bead fillers 2b as described above. As a result, even when a compressive force acts on the side the bead portions 2 that is closer to the tire outer surface, the highly rigid rubber chafers 8 can prevent an increase in the rotational component of the lateral displacement, thus preventing a decrease in lateral spring coefficient, thereby further preventing a decrease in cornering power.
Setting the ratio E2′/E1′ to 0.4 or more can effectively prevent an increase in the rotational component of lateral displacement. On the other hand, setting the ratio E2′/E1′ to 1 or less can prevent the tire from coming off the rim due to a decrease in friction coefficient at the contact area with the rim.
Although it is particularly effective in the aforementioned lightweight configuration as in the present embodiment, even in a case in which the aforementioned lightweight configuration is not adopted, the effect of further preventing a decrease in cornering power can be obtained, because the highly rigid rubber chafers 8 can prevent an increase in the rotational component of lateral displacement due to a compressive force acting on the side of the bead portions 2 that is closer to the tire outer surface.
Here, for the same reason as above, the ratio E2′/E1′ preferably further satisfies
0.6≤E2′/E1′≤1.
The length in the tire radial direction of the rubber chafers is preferably to 60 mm. Setting the length to 30 mm or more can more fully provide the effect of preventing an increase in the rotational component of lateral displacement, while setting the length to 60 mm or less can minimize weight increase due to the disposition of the rubber chafers.
The outer ends in the tire radial direction of the rubber chafers are preferably located further outward in the tire radial direction than the rim separation point. That way, a wider area on which out-of-plane bending acts is covered, and the effect of preventing an increase in the rotational component of lateral displacement can be more fully obtained.
The inner ends in the tire radial direction of the rubber chafers are preferably located further inward in the tire radial direction than the inner ends in the tire radial direction of the bead cores. That way, a wider area on which out-of-plane bending acts is covered, and the effect of preventing an increase in the rotational component of lateral displacement can be more fully obtained.
In order to verify advantageous effects of the present disclosure, Example tire, Comparative Example tire, and Conventional Example tire were experimentally produced, and their performance was evaluated. Each tire includes: a pair of bead cores embedded in a pair of bead portions; and a carcass including one or more carcass plies extending in a toroidal form between the pair of bead cores, wherein bead fillers are disposed on an outer side in a tire radial direction of the bead cores, and rubber chafers are provided on an outer side in a tire width direction of the bead fillers. The specifications of each tire are summarized in Table 1 below. In Table 1, “side portion” means “sidewall portion”, and “side portion gauge” means a rubber gauge at a tire maximum width position. Furthermore, BF is an abbreviation for “bead filler”, and GC for “rubber chafer.” Lateral spring coefficients were measured, by mounting each tire on a rim, measuring the amount of deflection using an indoor tester, and measuring the lateral spring coefficient from a tangential gradient at a load of 4 kN. The weight of each tire before rim mounting was also measured. In Table 1, evaluation results are presented as an index with the Conventional Example being 100.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-009058 | Jan 2021 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2021/040881 | 11/5/2021 | WO |
