VEHICLE AIR TIRES

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle pneumatic tire with a tread area, sidewall areas, a carcass insert made of at least one layer of reinforcing elements embedded in a carcass rubber coating, bead areas with bead cores and rim contact areas, and with textile fiber-based surface structures as abrasion protection layers located as outermost layers on the sidewall areas, on the fibers of which a coating containing particles of hard materials is applied at least on the outside, and wherein the textile surface structures each have a middle layer section, a radially outer edge section, and a radially inner edge section, wherein the radially outer edge sections extend into the tread area on the shoulder side and the radially inner edge sections extend into the bead areas or into the rim contact areas.

[0002] Such pneumatic tires are known, for example, from DE 10 2019 212 714 A1. In one design, if the tire is a bicycle tire, the abrasion protection layers form nettle strips in those areas on the outer sidewall of the bead that come into contact with the rim flanges. In an alternative design, fully coated textile surfaces extend along the outer sidewall and up to the tread edges. In passenger car or commercial vehicle tires, the fully coated textile surfaces are either integrated into the sidewall profiles and covered on the outside by a layer of the rubber material of the sidewall profiles, or attached to the outer sides of the sidewall profiles, possibly taking into account sidewall markings and the like, only in certain areas.

[0003] EP 2 666 650 A1 also discloses a tire relevant to the present invention.

[0004] The invention is based on the objective of fixing coated textile surface structures on the outer sides of the sidewall areas of a tire of the type mentioned above in a particularly durable manner within the tire.

[0005] The problem set out in the invention is solved by the fact that the radially outer edge sections of the textile surface structures are free of coating or have end sections that are free of coating and are vulcanized in the tread area in this way, wherein the coatings are applied at least to a partial section of the middle layer section of the textile surface structures.

[0006] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the radially inner edge sections of the textile surface structures (10) are also free of coating or they have end sections that are free of coating, and they are vulcanized into the bead areas in such a way.

[0007] In a tire designed according to the invention, the textile surface structures are not completely coated on the outside, but have radially outer edge sections, preferably also radially inner edge sections, without coating, so that the textile surface structures are vulcanized into the tire and thus fixed in a particularly durable manner.

[0008] A particularly preferred embodiment is one in which the coating is applied exclusively to the central layer section of the textile surface structure and extends to the edge sections. In this embodiment, the two edge sections are therefore uncoated. The radially outer edge sections are thus vulcanized in the shoulder-side tread areas between components made of or containing a rubber material. In preferred embodiments, the radially inner edge sections are also vulcanized in the bead areas between such components.

[0009] The coating does not need to completely cover the middle layer section, but can advantageously be applied to an area of ​​at least 20%, and in particular at least 40%, of the middle layer section of the textile surface structure. This leaves room for applying lettering to the sidewall areas outside the coating.

[0010] To ensure good fixation or vulcanization of the edge sections, it is advantageous if the edge sections have a width of at least 5.00 mm each.

[0011] It is also advantageous to have a design in which the radially inner edge sections of the textile surface structures extend into the area axially adjacent to the bead cores.

[0012] The textile fabrics can have different configurations. Preferred designs include corded fabrics with reinforcing strands running at an angle of 10° to 50°, preferably 20° to 40°, to the radial direction; knitted fabrics; woven fabrics; or cross-woven fabrics, or combinations thereof. Depending on the type of vehicle tire, the most suitable design can be selected.

[0013] If the textile surfaces are at least rubberized on the inside or even embedded in a rubber coating, they can be bonded to the relevant tire components in a particularly durable way during the vulcanization of the tire.

[0014] The coating is advantageously applied exclusively to the outside of the textile surfaces.

[0015] The hard particles contained in the coating can consist of different materials. Particles made of ceramic hard materials, especially carbides, nitrites and / or borides, are particularly preferred with regard to their abrasion properties, as are particles made of glass, glass-like materials or metal, for example stainless steel.

[0016] Coatings with particles exhibit particularly good abrasion properties if their average particle size, based on all particles or at least 95% of the particles, is in the range of 0.10 µm to 100 µm, particularly from 1 µm to 80 µm, and most preferably from 10 µm to 50 µm. The average particle size or the size of at least 95% of the particles can be determined, for example, by laser diffraction.

[0017] The coating preferably originates from a suspension applied to the outside of the textile surfaces before their installation, which contained a mass fraction of particles of 5% to 10%.

[0018] The invention further relates to a vehicle pneumatic tire, which is a tire for passenger cars, a tire for light trucks, a commercial vehicle tire, or a bus tire and has bead protection components in the bead areas made of or containing a rubber material, such as rim strips or horn profiles. In commercial vehicle tires or bus tires, such bead protection components can also be bead protection strips or reinforcing strips made of a rubberized fabric (cord fabric). In the aforementioned tire types, it is particularly advantageous if the radially inner edge sections of the textile surface structures in the bead areas extend under one of the bead protection components made of or containing a rubber material and are thus vulcanized into the bead areas.

[0019] In these tire types, the textile surface structures can be applied directly to the carcass insert or to the outside of sidewall profiles.

[0020] Applying it directly to the carcass insert has the advantage that the sidewall areas can be made thin, thereby reducing the tire weight and thus the rolling resistance of the tire.

[0021] The invention relates in particular to a pneumatic tire for passenger cars or light trucks, comprising shoulder-side wing rubbers in the tread area, and further comprising a belt structure consisting of at least two belt layers and bead profiles in the bead areas. In such tires, it is preferred that the textile layers are applied directly to the carcass ply, with the radially outer edge sections of the textile layers covering the carcass ply at least below the wing rubbers and the radially inner edge sections of the textile layers covering the carcass ply below the bead profiles. This design is characterized above all by reduced tire weight and reduced rolling resistance.

[0022] In the case of passenger car tires or tires for light trucks, it is further preferred if the radially outer edge sections of the textile surface structures extend into the area within the radially inner belt layer or a belt edge pad, so that a particularly good fixation of these edge sections is ensured.

[0023] If a vehicle pneumatic tire designed according to the invention is a bicycle tire or a bias-ply tire in which, as is known and usually not the case, a separate bead component abutting the rim flanges is provided in the bead areas, the radially inner edge sections of the textile surface structures in the bead areas are each applied directly to the rim contact areas, preferably uncoated or at least coated only over a partial section.

[0024] Further features, advantages, and details of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawing, which schematically illustrates exemplary embodiments. The drawing shows Fig. 1 a partial cross-section of a vehicle pneumatic tire with an embodiment of the invention and Fig. 2 a partial cross-section of a vehicle pneumatic tire with a further embodiment of the invention.

[0025] Tires according to the invention are vehicle pneumatic tires in diagonal or radial design for passenger cars, including mini-vans or SUVs, tires for light trucks (light trucks with GVW ≤ 7.5 t), two-wheel tires including bicycle tires, commercial vehicle tires or bus tires.

[0026] Preferred designs for a radial-type passenger car tire are described below based on the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 described in more detail, Fig. 1 and 2The figures show partial cross-sections of a passenger car tire with a profiled tread area 1 with wing rubbers 1c located in the shoulder areas of the tread area 1, furthermore with a belt reinforcement 2 located radially within the tread area 1, a single-layer carcass ply 3 in the exemplary embodiments, bead areas with horn profiles 4 and bead cores 5 with core profiles 6 mounted on these, an airtight inner layer 7 and with sidewall areas 8 between the wing rubbers 1c and the bead areas. The sidewall areas 8 do not have any of the usual separate, outer-side sidewall profiles.

[0027] In the illustrated embodiments, the tread area 1 comprises, in addition to the wing rubbers 1c, a radially outer tread layer 1a – a tread cap – and a radially inner tread layer 1b – a tread base. The radially outer tread layer 1a incorporates the structures for profiling the tread area 1, such as grooves and indentations. The belt assembly 2 is typically covered with a belt bandage and, in particular, comprises two belt layers 2a, each of which has reinforcing elements, especially steel cords, embedded in a belt rubber in a manner known per se. In the illustrated embodiments, belt edge pads 9 are also installed in the area of ​​the belt edges of the belt layers 2a.

[0028] The carcass insert 3 runs radially within the tread area 1 between the belt reinforcement 2 and the inner layer 7, is led outside the belt reinforcement 2 along the inner layer 7 to the bead areas, surrounds the bead cores 5 from the inside out and in the designs shown ends between the core profiles 6 and the horn profiles 4 with carcass upturns 3a.

[0029] The carcass ply 3 comprises reinforcing elements embedded in a carcass rubber lining, particularly those of a known design, which extend at least substantially radially in the sidewall areas 8 of the tire. The reinforcing elements consist in particular of a textile material, for example polyester, rayon, or polyamide. The carcass ply 3 has a thickness of 0.80 mm to 1.80 mm, depending on the tire type. As a result of their embedding, the reinforcing elements of the carcass ply 3 are therefore covered on both the outside and inside by a thin layer of the aforementioned carcass rubber lining.

[0030] Each textile fabric 10 covers the outer surface of the tire with a central layer section 10a, extending over the carcass ply 3 between the wing rubbers 1c and the bead areas, and with edge sections 10b and 10c below the horn profiles 4 and at least below the wing rubbers 1c. The textile fabric 10 is a corded, knitted, or cross-woven or mesh fabric, or has such a weave, knitted, or mesh construction. Alternatively, the edge sections 10b extend radially into the area within the radially inner belt edge pad 9 or the radially inner belt layer 2a. The widths b1 and b2 of the edge sections 10b and 10c are each at least 5.00 mm. If the radially outer edge section 10b of the textile surface structures 10 extends into the area radially within the radially inner belt layer 2a, the overlap width with the belt layer 2a is at least 5.00 mm and in particular up to 15.00 mm.In alternative designs, the radially inner edge sections 10c of the textile surface structures 10 extend into the area axially next to the bead cores 5.

[0031] If the textile fabric 10 is a cross-woven fabric with two threads running at least substantially parallel to each other and intersecting each other, it is preferably positioned on the tire such that these threads run equally relative to the radial direction of the tire. The threads of the textile fabric 10 consist in particular of one of the usual textile materials used in vehicle tires, such as polyester, cotton, rayon, polyamide, especially nylon, polyaramid, such as Kevlar®, Nomex® or Twaron®, polyester polyarylate, such as Vectran®, or hybrid materials, such as a combination of nylon and aramid or nylon and polyester polyarylate. The threads can be filaments, yarns or cords.

[0032] The textile fabric 10 can be rubberized on the side facing the carcass insert 3, or alternatively, it can be rubberized on both sides or embedded in a rubber coating. Both an unrubberized and a rubberized textile fabric 10 are preferably treated with a rubber solution or a rubber adhesion system, at least on the side that comes into contact with the carcass insert 3. A suitable rubber adhesion system, for example, is one consisting of adhesive impregnations, particularly preferably selected from the group consisting of RFL dips comprising resorcinol, formaldehyde, and latex, and aqueous dispersions, wherein the aqueous dispersions are essentially free of free resorcinol and resorcinol precondensates, in particular resorcinol-formaldehyde precondensates, and are free of free formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing substances.

[0033] The threads of the textile fabric 10 are provided on their outer surface, at least in some areas, with a coating 11 that forms an abrasion-resistant protective layer. In the Fig. 1 In the embodiment shown, the threads in the middle layer section 10a of the textile fabric 10 are provided with the coating 11. In alternative embodiments, the coating 11 extends only over a partial section of the middle layer section 10a of the textile fabric 10, for example, over a partial section directly adjacent to the respective wing rubber 1c or the respective horn profile 4, or over a partial section located at a distance from the respective wing rubber 1c and the respective horn profile 4. Preferably, at least 20%, and in particular at least 40%, of the area occupied by the middle layer section 10a of the textile fabric 10 is provided with the coating 11, which forms an abrasion-protective layer.

[0034] At the in Fig. 2 In the embodiment shown, the coating 11 extends not only over the middle layer section 10a of the textile surface structure 10, but also over a partial section of both edge sections 10b, 10c, wherein the edge sections 10b, 10c of the textile surface structure 10 have end sections which are free of the coating 11 over a width of, for example, at least 5.00 mm.

[0035] The coating 11 on the edge sections 10b, 10c is treated with an adhesive dip, as already described, or with a conventional tackifier, as used to adjust the manufacturing tackiness, before the textile surface structure 10 is installed in the raw tire.

[0036] The coating 11 contains particles made of hard materials, such as ceramic hard materials, glass, glass-like materials, or metals, such as stainless steel, which provide the desired effect of the coated textile threads of the surface structures 10 as abrasion-resistant protective layers. The particles made of ceramic hard materials are, in particular, carbides, nitrides, and / or borides.

[0037] The coating 11 is produced from a suspension which contains at least one solvent, one or more binders and the aforementioned particles.

[0038] Suitable solvents include water or other protic solvents, such as alcohols. Binders are particularly those that ensure good bonding to the fibers of the textile structures 10 and promote good particle encapsulation. Polyurethane-based binders, such as polyurethane dispersions of water and polyurethane polymers, are especially well-suited. Binders based on at least one vulcanizable polymer, such as polyisoprene, polybutadiene, styrene-butadiene rubber, and / or natural rubber, are also suitable.

[0039] A typical suspension is composed as follows (mass fractions in %): Particles: 5% to 10%, solvent: 40% to 60%, remainder binder.

[0040] In the illustrated embodiments, the threads of the textile fabrics 10 in the relevant section are coated largely only on one side, namely the outer side of the tire. In an alternative embodiment, the threads of the textile fabrics 10 are coated almost completely. The suspension can be applied, for example, by brushing, dipping, or immersion.

[0041] The carcass rubber lining can be made from a carbon black-containing or a carbon black-free rubber compound, for example, one containing silica. The carcass rubber lining can also contain an aging inhibitor, which is commonly incorporated into rubber compounds for sidewall profiles, such as an oxidation stabilizer like p-phenylenediamine, substituted phenol or bisphenol, dihydroquinoline, diphenylamine, and the like.

[0042] The sidewall lettering, which is usually applied to sidewalls, can be formed, for example, in the rubber material of the outside of the bead areas, on the areas visible radially outside the rim flange of the rim.

[0043] In an alternative, not shown, version, the tire has conventional sidewall profiles made of a rubber material. The coated textile surfaces are applied to the outside of the sidewall profiles in an analogous manner as described.

[0044] Further corresponding and largely analogous embodiments of the invention are possible for other tire types in radial or diagonal construction, as already mentioned above. Reference symbol list

[0045] 1 Tread area 1a Outermost tread layer, tread cap 1b Inner tread layer, tread base 1c Wing rubber 2 Belt reinforcement 2a Belt layer 3 Carcass insert 3a Carcass high edge 4 Horn profile 5 Bead core 6 Core profile 7 Inner layer 8 Sidewall area 9 Belt edge padding 10 Textile surface structure 10a Middle layer section 10b, 10c Edge section 11 Coating b1, b2 Width

Claims

1. Pneumatic vehicle tyre comprising: a tread region (1); sidewall regions (8); a carcass inlay (3) comprising at least one ply of reinforcing elements embedded in a carcass rubberizing compound; bead regions with bead cores (5) and rim contact regions; and fabrics (10) which are made up of textile threads, are located on the sidewall regions (8) as outermost layers and act as abrasion protection layers, a coating (11) that contains particles of hard materials having been applied to the threads of the fabrics, at least on the outside, and wherein the textile fabrics (10) each have a middle layer portion (10a), a radially outer peripheral portion (10b) and a radially inner peripheral portion (10c), wherein the radially outer peripheral portions (10b) on the shoulder side extend into the tread region (1) and the radially inner peripheral portions (10c) extend into the bead regions or into the rim contact regions, the coating (11) having been applied in each case at least to part of the middle layer portion (10a) of the textile fabrics (10), characterized in that the radially outer peripheral portions (10b) of the textile fabrics (10) do not have any coating (11) or have end portions which do not have any coating (11) and are in this way vulcanized into the tread region (1).

2. Pneumatic vehicle tyre according to Claim 1, characterized in that the radially inner peripheral portions (10c) of the textile fabrics (10) do not have any coating or have end portions which do not have any coating and are in this way vulcanized into the bead regions.

3. Pneumatic vehicle tyre according to Claim 1, characterized in that the coating (11) has been applied in each case exclusively in the middle layer portion (10a) of the textile fabrics (10) and up to the peripheral portions (10b, 10c).

4. Pneumatic vehicle tire according to Claim 1 or 3, characterized in that the coating (11) is applied in a region of at least 20%, in particular at least 40%, of the middle layer portion (10a) of the textile fabrics (10).

5. Pneumatic vehicle tyre according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the peripheral portions (10b, 10c) of the textile fabrics (10) have a width (b1, b2) of at least 5.00 mm in each case.

6. Pneumatic vehicle tyre according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the radially inner peripheral portions (10c) of the textile fabrics (10) extend up to the region axially next to the bead cores (5).

7. Pneumatic vehicle tyre according to one or more of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the textile fabric (10) is a cord fabric, a knitted fabric or a cross-woven fabric or comprises such a woven fabric or knitted fabric.

8. Pneumatic vehicle tyre according to one or more of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the textile surfaces (10) are rubberized on the inside or embedded in a rubberizing compound.

9. Pneumatic vehicle tyre according to one or more of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the coating (11) has been applied exclusively to the outer side of the textile fabrics (10).

10. Pneumatic vehicle tyre according to one or more of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the hard particles are particles of ceramic hard materials, in particular carbides, nitrides and / or borides, further particles of glass, of glass-like materials or of metal.

11. Pneumatic vehicle tyre according to one or more of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the particles have an average particle size, based on all the particles or at least 95% of the particles, ranging from 0.10 µm to 100 µm, in particular from 1 µm to 80 µm and particularly preferably from 10 µm to 50 µm.

12. Pneumatic vehicle tyre according to one or more of Claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the coating (11) originates from a suspension containing a proportion by mass of particles of 5% to 10%.

13. Pneumatic vehicle tyre, which is a tyre for passenger cars, a tyre for light trucks, a commercial vehicle tyre or a bus tyre and comprises, in the bead regions, bead protection components, such as rim strips or flange profiles (4), comprising or consisting of a rubber material according to one or more of Claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the radially inner peripheral portions (10c) of the textile fabrics (10) extend in the bead regions in each case to underneath one of the bead protection components consisting of rubber material or comprising rubber material.

14. Pneumatic vehicle tyre according to Claim 13, characterized in that the textile fabrics (10) have been applied either directly to the carcass inlay (3) or to a sidewall profile in each case.

15. Pneumatic vehicle tyre, which is a tyre for passenger cars or light trucks and comprises a tread region (1) with wing rubbers (1c) at the shoulders, a belt assembly (2) comprising at least two belt plies (2a) and flange profiles (4), according to one or more of Claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the textile fabrics (10) have been applied directly to the carcass inlay (3) in each case, the radially outer peripheral portions (10b) of the textile fabrics (10) covering the carcass inlay (3) at least in the regions below the wing rubbers (1c) and the radially inner peripheral portions (10c) of the textile fabrics (10) covering the carcass inlay (3) underneath the flange profiles (4).

16. Pneumatic vehicle tyre according to Claim 15, characterized in that the radially outer peripheral portions (10b) of the textile fabrics (10) extend up to the region inside the radially inner belt ply (2a) or a belt edge cushion (9) in each case.

17. Pneumatic vehicle tyre, which is a bicycle tyre or a cross-ply tyre, according to Claim 1, characterized in that the radially inner peripheral portions (10c) of the textile fabrics (10) in the bead regions in each case have been directly applied to the rim contact regions, do not have any coating or have been at least partially provided with the coating (11).