METHOD OF FLAP PLACEMENT ON TIRE BEAD

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to a method of placement of a flap onto a bead of a tire. More particularly, the present application involves placement of a flap onto a hybrid tubeless tire that has a flat seat configured for placement onto a flat seat wheel without the use of an inner tube.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Pneumatic tires for vehicles and other applications are known that include an inner hub, sometimes referred to as a wheel, onto which a pair of beads of a tire seat. The seating of the beads is air tight, and the wheel and the interior surface of the tire likewise do not permit the transfer of air therethrough. These types of tires are sometimes referred to as tubeless tires. Tube tires, on the other hand, include a tube that is positioned within the interior cavity of the tire and that is inflated with air. The interface between the beads of the tire and the wheel may or may not be air tight, and the wheel itself may include apertures around its circumferential length that allow air to move through, and thus are not air tight. Tube tires include a flap that engages the inner surface of the tire and that extends across the opening from bead to bead in order to cover the tube. The flap functions to prevent the tube from rubbing against portions of the beads that move during normal operation. The flap thus prevents the beads from puncturing the tube and causing air loss.

[0003] Tube tires are predominant in certain areas of the world. In turn, all of the wheels of vehicles in these areas are configured for use with tube tires and thus include openings and other features that render them air permeable. If one desires a tube tire to be used on these wheels, an air tight seal would not be formed due to the openings around the circumference of the wheel. These wheels have a flat seat, and the tires used with these wheels have a corresponding flat seat for matching engagement. Presently, the tube tires cannot work without the tube being present. With the great number of wheels in certain areas of the world that use tube tires, a way of converting them or the wheel/tire assembly into one that does not require a tube may be desired. As such, there remains room for variation and improvement within the art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification, which makes reference to the appended Figs, in which:

[0005] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a tire.

[0006] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a tire and flap mounted onto a wheel.

[0007] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a flap in a non-collapsed state.

[0008] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 3.

[0009] Fig. 5 is a top plan view of tape.

[0010] Fig. 6 is a perspective view the flap with the tape applied to a roughened portion of the flap.

[0011] Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a tire located on a pair of roller banks and resting against a pair of stops.

[0012] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

[0013] Fig. 9 is a top plan view of a positioning member.

[0014] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the positioning member and bead with ; stand-off engaging the bead.

[0015] Fig. 11 is a top plan view of the flap in a collapsed state inside of the tire.

[0016] Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the flap positioned onto the upper surface of the positioning member when the flap is in the non-collapsed state.

[0017] Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the positioning member lowered away from the flap and the reference feature of the flap engaged with the bead.

[0018] Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the flap and the bead positioned and with an adhered section formed.

[0019] Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the tire with the positioned flap. [0020] Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF REPRESENTATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not meant as a limitation of the invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield still a third embodiment. It is intended that the present invention include these and other modifications and variations.

[0022] The present invention provides for a method of positioning a flap 14 onto a tire 10. The tire 10 may be a tubeless tire 10 in that an inner tube is not present within the tire 10. The tire 10 may be mounted onto a wheel 74 that is configured for use with a tire that does in fact use an inner tube. The flap 14 functions to seal an inner portion of the tire 10 so that air can be used to inflate the tire 10 between the inner surface 76 of the tire 10 and the flap 14. In this manner, the tire 10 can be tubeless but may be used on wheels 74 that are configured for use with tube tires. The method involves attaching the flap 14 to a bead 12 of the tire 10 through an adhered section 62 by way of properly positioning the flap 14 onto the tire 10. The flap 14 is supported by a positioning member 18, and the flap 14 includes a reference feature 16. The flap 14 is moved by the positioning member 18 until the reference feature 16 engages a bead 12 of the tire 10. An adhered section 62 is then formed between the flap 14 and the bead 12. Subsequently the adhered section 62 can be cured for permanent attachment of the flap 14 to the bead 12 through the use of thermal or chemical vulcanization.

[0023] In order to define certain directions of the tire 10, reference is made to Fig. 1. A tire 10 is illustrated that has tread 70 that extends all the way around the tire 10 in a circumferential direction 64 three hundred and sixty degrees about an axis of rotation 44 of the tire 10. The axis of rotation 44 may also be referred to as a central axis 44 and extends through the center of the tire 10. The axis of rotation 44 extends in an axial direction 68 of the tire 10. A radial direction 66 is oriented at a ninety degree angle to the axial direction 68. A sidewall of the tire 10 extends from the tread 70 to a bead 12 of the tire 10 which is located at the interior of the tire 10. A second bead 60 extends from the other sidewall of the tire 10 that is not visible in Fig. 1. [0024] Fig. 2 shows the flap 14 positioned onto the bead 12, and this resulting assembly mounted onto a wheel 74. The arrangement in Fig. 2 results after the steps are performed for positioning the flap 14 as discussed herein. The first step in positioning the flap 14 may involve ensuring that the layers of the tire 10 are air impermeable. If the inner surface 76 of the tire 10 is permeable, then a layer of butyl rubber, sometimes referred to as a gum impermeable material, can be applied to the inner surface 76 to prevent air from leaking therefrom. Next, the end 58 of the bead 12 can be roughened with a brush or other object to create a roughened portion 30. The end 58 may be the terminal end of the bead 12 that is between the inner surface 76 and the sidewall. The roughened portion 30 can then be coated with cement 32, and the cement 32 can be allowed to dry to become tacky. The cement may be cushion gum, which is bonding rubber in some embodiments.

[0025] The same procedure may be conducted on the flap 14. With reference to Figs. 2-4, the flap 14 can be roughened with a brush or other instrument to create a roughened portion 26. The roughened portion 26 may extend completely three hundred and sixty degrees around the surface of the flap 14 and may be located at an end of the flap 14 on an exterior surface of the flap 14 so that it extends to the terminal end of the flap 14. The roughened portion 26 is located below a radial extension 78 of the flap 14 and is not located on the radial extension 78. This roughened portion 26 can be coated with cement 28 which is then allowed to dry and become tacky. In some

arrangements the cement 28 may be cushion gum. The second bead 60 is not roughened or coated with cement. The cement 28 and 32 may be any type of adhesive that exhibits some degree of tack or stickiness.

[0026] With reference now to Fig. 5, a tape 20 may next be used and applied to the cement 28 or to the cement 32. The tape 20 includes an adhesive layer 22 covered by a plastic layer 24. The plastic layer 24 may sometimes be referred to as "poly," and functions to cover the adhesive layer 22 so that the adhesive layer 22 is not prematurely exposed and adhered to an unintended surface or object. The adhesive layer 22 may be made out of a variety of materials and in some embodiments may be made out of cushion gum. However it is to be understood that the adhesive layer 22 may be made out of a different material or materials in accordance with various exemplary embodiments. The adhesive layer 22 is positioned onto the cement 28 of the flap 14 as shown in Fig. 6. The entire surface of cement 28 may be covered by the adhesive layer 22 which is in turn covered by the plastic layer 24. Although Fig. 6 shows the tape 20 applied to the flap 14, it is to be understood that in alternate exemplary embodiments of the process that the tape 20 may instead be applied to the cement 32 of the bead 12 and not at all to the flap 14. When applied, an extension of the plastic layer 24 of the tape 20 can hang down off of the applied section to allow a human or machine to grasp the portion of the plastic layer 24 and pull for removal of the plastic layer 24.

[0027] The tire 10 can be placed on its side and may be supported by a pair of roller banks 34, 36 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The roller banks 34, 36 have a plurality of rollers onto which the tire 10 may rest and may be moved. The rollers of the first roller bank 34 form a support surface 38 that has a surface normal 46. In a similar regard, the rollers of the second roller bank 36 form a support surface 40 that has a surface normal 48. The surface normals 46 and 48 extend towards one another at an angle and are thus not parallel to one another. The surface normals 46 and 48 are both at an angle to the surface normal 72 of the ground 42 onto which the roller banks 34, 36 rest. The surface normals 46, 48 are not parallel to the surface normal 72 and are not perpendicular to the surface normal 72. The rollers of the roller banks 34, 36 may roll in various directions to allow the tire 10 to move along the support surfaces 38, 40 in different directions.

[0028] The tire 10 resting on its side is arranged so that the axis of rotation 44 is parallel to the surface normal 72 of the ground 42. The tire 10 may be moved along the support surfaces 38 and 40 until it engages a pair of stops 80 that provide a known location for the tire 10 to be placed for processing. The support surfaces 38 and 40 support the tire 10 on the shoulders of the tire 10 and not on the sidewalls so that deformation of the center opening of the tire 10 does not occur as would be the case if the tire 10 simply laid onto the ground 72. The center opening of the tire 10 is not deformed by the first and second roller banks 34, 36 because of their support at the shoulder of the tire 10 by the line of the roller banks 34, 36 that engage the tire 10.

[0029] A positioning member 18 may be located under the tire 10 when the tire 10 is supported by the first and second roller banks 34 and 36. The positioning member 18 may be configured in a variety of manners, and one such example is shown in Fig. 9. The positioning member 18 includes a central disk portion that has an upper surface 50. Three arms extend from the central disk portion in the radial direction and are oriented 120 degrees from one another in the radial direction. Each one of the arms has its own stand-off 52, 54, 56 located thereon that extends upwards in the axial direction and may all be of the same height. In other versions of the positioning member 18, any number of arms and associated stand-offs can be included and they may or may not be

symmetrically oriented around the central disk. In another version, the stand-offs may be suppressed and the edge of the positioning member 18 may be shaped in a way to match the inner shape of the tire bead 32. In another version, the system may detect the position of the tire bead 32 and raise the positioning member 18 to the desired position using an automatic position feedback system.

[0030] The positioning member 18 under the tire 10 can be raised so as to move away from the ground 42. The positioning member 18 may be moved towards the tire 10 until the stand-offs 52, 54 and 56 engage the tire 10. A portion of the assembly is shown in Fig. 10 in which the stand-off 52 engages the bead 12. The stand-offs 52, 54 and 56 can engage the bead 12 at locations that are outward in the radial direction 66 from the end 58 of the bead 12 proximate to the stand-offs 52, 54 and 56. The stand-offs 52, 54 and 56 thus engage one of the beads 12 of the tire 10, but do not engage the opposite, second bead 60 of the tire 10. The stand-offs 52, 54 and 56 may not deform the bead 12 in some instances but may simply rest against the bead 12 without applying significant force thereto in order to cause the bead 12 to change shape or position. The positioning member 18 is arranged so that the upper surface 50 along with other portions of the positioning member 18 are located inside of the tire 10 when the stand-offs 52, 54 and 56 engage the tire 10. In this regard, the upper surface 50 and other portions of the positioning member 18 are located in the inner area of the tire 10 within the inner diameter of the tire 10 in that they are inward in the axial direction 68 from portions of the bead 12 of the tire and thus are directly opposite to portions of the end 58 in the radial direction 66.

[0031] With the positioning member 18 in place, the flap 14 may be inserted into the center opening of the tire 10. In order to fit the flap 14 inside, the flap 14 can be folded into a collapsed configuration as shown for example in Fig. 11. The collapsed state may resemble a bean shape as shown from above in Fig. 11 in which the central void of the flap 14 is reduced in size or eliminated. The flap 14 is flexible enough to be collapsed in this manner and the end of the flap 14 proximate to the roughened portion 26 is placed into engagement with the upper surface 50. The flap 14 can then be opened up so that it is converted from the collapsed state into its non-collapsed state. The flap 14 can spring into its non-collapsed shape when released. The non-collapsed shape of the flap 14 is also shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 6 and is cylindrical in shape with an opening running completely through its axial center. The upper surface 50 serves as a surface to allow the flap 14 to rest on so that it allows it, or makes it easier, to be opened up into its non-collapsed state. The upper surface 50 serves as a surface to stage and pre-position flap 14 with respect to the tire bead 32 before moving flap 14 into its final position. The radial extension 78 is located between the first bead 12 and the second bead 60 within the interior of the tire 10 when the flap 14 is opened up into its non- collapsed state.

[0032] Fig. 12 shows the flap 14 expanded into its non-collapsed state in which the terminal end of the flap 14 engages the upper surface 50. The tape 20 faces the bead 12, and the plastic layer 24 is located so as to be outward in the radial direction 66 from the cement 28 and adhesive layer 22. As the flap 14 is inserted into the interior of the tire 10 it may rub up against the beads 12 or 60 or other portions of the tire 10. The plastic layer 24 functions as a cover to prevent the cement 28 and the adhesive layer 22 from engaging portions of the tire 10 and rubbing off from its desired location. The flap 14 has a reference feature 16 that is a ledge contiguous with a notch and the radial extension 78. The notch causes the flap 14 to be thinner in the radial direction 66 at its terminal end than at the radial extension 78. The reference feature 16 is spaced from the bead 12 in the axial direction 68 and is located above the bead 12. The end 58 of the bead 12, which may be the terminal end of the bead 12, directly faces the plastic layer 24 when the flap 14 rests onto the upper surface 50 and the flap 14 is moved into the non-collapsed state. The upper surface 50 may be located in the axial direction 68 at a position at the midpoint of the end 58 in the axial direction 68 such that the terminal end of the flap 14 is located at the midpoint of the terminal end 58 in the axial direction 68. The reference feature 16 may extend 360 degrees and thus be completely around the flap 14 in the circumferential direction of the flap 14. The tire 10 and the flap 14 are supported by the roller banks 34, 36 and the positioning member 18 when the flap 14 is opened so that the various features of the flap 14, such as the radial extension 78, can be properly positioned without interference by features of the tire 10.

[0033] As stated, the reference feature 16 need not be a ledge or a notch of the flap 14 but can be variously configured in other exemplary embodiments. The reference feature 16 may be a surface that engages a surface of the bead 12. In other embodiments, the reference feature 16 may be a surface that engages the second bead 60 of the tire 10. In still other arrangements, the reference feature 16 may be a surface that engages the tire 10 at a location other than the bead 12 or the second bead 60. The reference feature 16 may be any portion of the flap 14 that engages the tire 10 during a step in positioning the flap 14 onto the tire 10.

[0034] After the flap 14 is moved into the non-collapsed state the positioning member 18 can be lowered as shown in Fig. 13. As the positioning member 18 is lowered, the flap 14 likewise moves downward in the axial direction 68. The reference feature 16 engages the bead 12 and the plastic layer 24 directly faces the cement 32 at the end 58 of the bead 12. The stand-off 52 is moved out of engagement with the bead 12 when the positioning member 18 is lowered. Likewise, the other stand-offs 54 and 56 are moved out of engagement with the bead 12 when the positioning member 18 is lowered in the axial direction 68 relative to the bead 12. The flap 14 can be made of a material and with a geometry that allows it to open up and snap into place on the tire 10 from the collapsed state with some mechanical assistance, or in some instances without any mechanical assistance from a human or machine. When the positioning member 18 is lowered, the flap 14 may snap into place around the bead 12 and be properly positioned with respect to the other sections of the tire 10.

[0035] A strip of the plastic layer 24 is exposed and can be grasped and pulled in order to remove the plastic layer 24 from the adhesive layer 22 to cause the adhesive layer 22 to be exposed. The plastic layer 24 can be removed around the entire length of the adhesive layer 22 in the circumferential direction 64 so that the adhesive layer 22 is exposed 360 degrees around the flap 14. With the plastic layer 24 removed, the adhesive layer 22 is exposed to and directly faces the cement 32. The positioning member 18 may be capable of moving up and down with respect to the ground 42 and roller banks 34, 36.

[0036] In Fig. 14, the adhesive layer 22 is pressed against the cement 32 so that these two components are attached to one another. Force can be applied in the radial direction 66 on the flap 14 in order to press the flap 14 against the bead 12. This force may be by hand or can be applied with a roller. The force can be applied along the entire length of the flap 14 in the circumferential direction 64 at the bead 12 so that the force is applied 360 degrees about the flap 14. An adhered section 62 is formed at the interface between the adhesive layer 22 and the cement 32 when these two are pressed against one another. The adhered section 62 has enough adhesion in order to cause the flap 14 to be attached to the bead 12. After placement, the cement 32 directly engages the end 58 and the adhesive layer 22, and the cement 28 directly engages the adhesive layer 22 and the cement 28. The cement 28 directly engages the flap 14 in addition to directly engaging the adhesive layer 22.

[0037] The flap 14 positioned onto the bead 12 is shown both in Figs. 14 and 15. The flap 14 is attached to the bead 12 at the L-point of the bead 12 and is attached all the way around the bead 12 so as to be attached 360 degrees around the axis of rotation 44 in the circumferential direction 64.

The flap 14 extends in the axial direction 68 from the first bead 12 to the second bead 60 and beyond the tire 10 in the axial direction 68. The flap 14 has a flared portion at the end of the flap 14 that is opposite from the end of the flap 14 attached to the bead 12. The flared portion is an extension of the flap 14 in the radial direction 66 so that the flared portion is larger in the radial direction than other portions of the flap 14.

[0038] The tire 10, including the bead 12, and the flap 14 may both be fully cured components. The adhered section 62 may not be cured upon placement of the flap 14 onto the bead 12.

Subsequent to placement, in some embodiments, if chemical vulcanization or chemical curing is to be used additional pressure can be applied at this location after placement of the flap 14 onto the bead 12. The adhered section 62 can be treated in this manner to cause a secure attachment between the flap 14 and the bead 12. If chemical vulcanization is not to be used, thermal vulcanization can be used in order to treat the adhered section 62.

[0039] The aforementioned method utilizes the tape 20 applied to the cement 28 of the flap 14. In other embodiments, the tape 20 could instead be placed onto the cement 32 of the bead 12. If this is the case, the plastic layer 24 faces the cement 28 when the flap 14 is located onto the positioning member 18 and is lowered by the positioning member 18. The plastic layer 24 can be pulled to expose the adhesive layer 22 to the cement 28 and the adhered section 62 can be formed in a similar manner as previously discussed.

[0040] With reference back to Fig. 2, the flap 14 and tire 10 can be seated onto the wheel 74. The flap 14 may be gas impermeable so that the interior of the tire 10, which is the part between the inner surface 76 and the flap 14, can be inflated with air. The flap 14 is bonded to the bead 12 via the adhered section 62. The second bead 60 is seated onto the wheel 74 and the flap 14 is located between the second bead 60 and the wheel 74 at this point. The flap 14 at the location of the second bead 60 is not bonded to the second bead 60 but is instead held in place by pressure exerted from the second bead 60 onto the wheel 74 upon seating of the second bead 60 in place. The tire 10 may be a flat seat tire 10, and this flat seat tire 10 may be used on a flat seat wheel 74 without the use of an inner tube. It is also to be understood that the tire 10 used in the present method need not be a flat seat tire 10, and that the wheel 74 onto which the tire 10 and flap 14 are seated may or may not be a flat seat wheel 74 in other versions of the presently described method.

[0041] While the present invention has been described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the subject matter encompassed by way of the present invention is not to be limited to those specific embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended for the subject matter of the invention to include all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as can be included within the spirit and scope of the following claims.