WO2001070519A1

WO2001070519A1 - Pneumatic tire

Info

Publication number: WO2001070519A1
Application number: PCT/JP2000/001661
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hiroyoshi Takahashi
Original assignee: Hiroyoshi Takahashi
Priority date: 2000-03-17
Filing date: 2000-03-17
Publication date: 2001-09-27

Abstract

A pneumatic tire for vehicle (1) capable of assuring a traveling performance as a normal tire in a normal traveling mode in which rubber blocks do not project from the surface of a tread and providing the same traveling and braking performances as those obtained when a tire chain is installed on the tire in an ice and snow road traveling mode in which the rubber blocks project from the surface of the tread, wherein the plurality of rubber blocks (3, 20) disposed so as to be projected partially from the tread surface in contact with a road surface and at equal intervals all around the periphery of that tread are provided on a tread part (4), expandable air chambers (11, 21) are provided on the just rear side of the rubber blocks, respectively, and a working fluid such as air can be introduced, with the tire installed on a vehicle, from the outside into each air chamber through an air path (14) and an air inlet port (16) communicating with these air chambers, whereby the rubber blocks can be projected from the surface of the tread to the same degree as the tire chain and the rubber blocks can be retracted into the tread by exhausting the introduced air from the air chambers.

Description

Satsuki Itoda

Technical field

The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire for a vehicle that is particularly suitable for running on icy and snowy roads. Background art

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a method of mounting a tire chain made of metal or hard rubber / resin on the outer periphery of a tire has been generally used in order to travel on a snowy road with an automobile or the like. Recently, since spiked tires were banned to prevent road damage and dust pollution, so-called snowless tires have been widely used, and in some cases, studless tires and tire chains are used in combination.

In general, studless tires run well on icy and snowy roads by forming a special grooved tread with a special block shape on the surface using soft rubber that maintains flexibility even in low-temperature environments. Demonstrates performance and braking performance. However, this has the problem that the lateral stiffness is lower than that of ordinary tires, and the steering stability, especially during high-speed running, is reduced. In addition, it is necessary to replace the tires with normal tires at the beginning and end of the snowfall / freezing season on the road surface, and it is not possible to immediately respond to sudden snowfall or changes in road surface conditions. Moreover, replacing tires is relatively cumbersome and labor-intensive, and it is practically difficult especially for women who are weak.

On the other hand, conventional tire chains are relatively inexpensive, do not require tire replacement, and are advantageous in that they can respond immediately to changes in road surface conditions. There is a problem that the comfort of the vehicle is greatly impaired. In addition, the running speed is limited to a relatively low speed due to the durability of the chain itself. In addition, the work of attaching and detaching tire chains on the road is relatively troublesome and easy to get dirty, and it is expected that other vehicles will travel in the immediate vicinity, which may be dangerous.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a simple and immediate method for anyone, even a weak woman, without the need for work such as changing tires or installing tire chains. It is possible to switch from a state suitable for traveling to a state suitable for traveling on icy and snowy roads, and more preferably, to return to a state suitable for normal traveling. In any state, good traveling performance and braking performance can be obtained. To provide the resulting vehicle pneumatic tires.

Disclosure of the invention

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the tread part which has a some rubber block provided so that it can partially protrude from the tread surface which contacts a road surface, and is provided over the perimeter, and the plurality provided in correspondence with each rubber block The rubber block is provided with an inflatable fluid chamber, a fluid passage communicating with each fluid chamber, and a fluid inlet. The working fluid is introduced from the fluid inlet through the fluid passage into each fluid chamber, so that the rubber block is tread. A pneumatic tire is provided, which is partially projected from a surface.

As a result, in the normal running mode in which the rubber block does not protrude from the tread surface, the running performance of a normal tire is ensured, and the tire is mounted on the vehicle immediately by a simple operation that only requires the introduction of working fluid. In addition, it is possible to switch to a running mode on an icy road with the rubber block protruding from the tread surface. In this running mode on icy and snowy roads, the same running performance and braking performance as when a tire chain is mounted can be obtained.

As the working fluid, various materials such as gas such as air, liquid such as oil, and low-viscosity resin material can be used, but air which is relatively easy to handle is preferable. In some embodiments, for example, a working fluid can be easily introduced from the outside by providing a fluid introduction port on the outer wall surface of the side wall portion.

In another embodiment, each rubber block can be returned to its original state without protruding from the tread surface by removing the introduced working fluid and contracting each fluid chamber. This allows the tires to be used as normal tires again in response to changes in seasons and road surface conditions, so that running on normal road surfaces does not impair comfort, and the tires can be used for a given life. Can be used for BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1 is a side view showing the entirety of a first embodiment of a pneumatic tire according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a cross section taken along line II-II of FIG.

Fig. 3A shows the state of the rubber block in the normal running mode.

FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 1 and in a running mode on an ice-snow road. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the whole second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view showing a section taken along line VV of FIG.

FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-V in FIG. 5 in the normal driving mode, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view in the icy and snowy road driving mode. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 schematically shows an entire pneumatic tire for a vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The tire 1 shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on a rim 2, and a number of rubber blocks 3 protrude radially outward from the surface of a tread portion 4 that comes into contact with the ground during running at regular intervals on the outer periphery. The rubber blocks 3 are arranged at intervals similar to those of a tire chain that is usually used.

As shown in FIG. 2, each rubber work 3 has a slender U-shaped belt-like shape extending from the trad portion 4 to the side portions 5 on both sides of the rubber protruding portion to a position in front of the bead portion 6 as a whole. A protruding block portion 7 extending over the entire length, an intermediate elastic portion 8 extending from both ends along the side wall portion 5, and a fixing portion 9 further extending to each end. The protruding block portion 7 is formed of the same hard rubber material as that of the traded portion 4 of the tire main body, and has a protruding shape corresponding to the traded pattern on the ground contact surface side. The fixing portion 9 is integrally fixed to the side wall portion with the same rubber material so that its outer surface is smoothly continuous at the same surface height as the side wall portion 5. On the other hand, the intermediate elastic part 8 connecting the projecting block part 7 and the fixing part 9 is made of an elastic rubber material. As best shown in FIG. 2, immediately below the protruding block portion 7 of the rubber block 3, between the force block portion 10 including a belt layer such as a steel belt (not shown), and a substantially full length thereof. A continuous expansion and contraction air chamber 11 is provided. As shown in Figs.3A and 3B, the air chamber 11 has an elongated concave It is composed of a lower film portion 12a forming a groove, and an upper film portion 12b partially overlapped thereon so as to be accommodated in the concave groove, and is made of a highly flexible synthetic resin or It is formed integrally and air-tight with rubber material.

One end of each air chamber 11 is connected to a distribution pipe 13, respectively, and an air introduction port 16 provided on an outer surface of the side wall section 5 through an air supply passage 14 and a communication passage 15. Is in communication with The air inlet 16 is provided with a check valve to prevent the internal air from leaking to the outside. As shown in FIG. 1, for each set of a predetermined number (four in the present embodiment) of adjacent rubber blocks 3, air supply passages 14, A working air introduction system including a communication passage 15 and an air introduction port 16 is provided. In another embodiment, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 2, a second distribution pipe line 17 is provided inside the tire 1 along the carcass portion 10 and each end thereof is connected to the other end of the air chamber 11. And the air supply passages 14 can be connected to each other.

In the normal running mode shown in FIG. 3A, the rubber block 3 does not protrude from the tread surface, and thus can run as a normal tire. In order to switch to the running mode on ice and snow roads in this state, compressed air as working fluid must be supplied from the air inlet 16 through the communication passage 15, the air supply passage 14 and the distribution pipe 13 to the air chamber 11. Introduce within. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 3B, the upper membrane portion 12 b bulges in a balloon shape, and the protruding block portion 7 is lifted up while the intermediate elastic portion 8 is extended. At this time, if the second distribution pipe 17 is provided as described above, the air chamber 11 can be expanded more quickly and efficiently.

On each of the front and rear side surfaces of the protruding block portion 7, two ridges 18 are formed at predetermined intervals over substantially the entire length thereof, and the inner wall surface of the tread portion 4 adjacent to the bracket is provided with ridges 1. The three grooves 19 having a cross-sectional shape that complements 8 are respectively recessed at the predetermined intervals. In the normal driving mode shown in FIG. 3A, each of the ridges 18 of the protruding block 7 is fitted into the lower two grooves 19 of the inner wall of the tread portion, respectively, and is engaged with the tread surface from the tread surface. The protruding block is held so as not to protrude.

In the icy road running mode shown in FIG. 3B, when the air chamber 11 is inflated and the protruding block 7 is lifted as described above, the protruding ridge 18 of the protruding block and the rubber material in the vicinity thereof are raised. The material and the corresponding groove 19 on the inner side wall of the tread portion and the rubber material in the vicinity thereof are elastically deformed, and the engagement state is temporarily released. When the protruding block 7 is lifted to the position shown in FIG. 3B, each ridge 18 is engaged with the upper two grooves 19 respectively, and the protruding block 7 is tread to a predetermined height. Hold it protruding from the surface. The height is approximately the same as the height of a commonly used tire chain, for example, about 5 to: L0 thigh is preferable.

The pneumatic tire of the present embodiment can return from the icy and snowy road running mode in which the rubber block 3 protrudes from the tread surface to the normal running mode in which the rubber block 3 does not protrude. For example, the check valve of the air inlet 16 is configured to be selectively openable, and air is discharged from the inside of the air chamber 11 to the outside through the air inlet 16 and the vehicle travels in that state. Then, each protruding block 7 can be retracted to the original position shown in FIG. 3A inside the tread 4 by pressure from the road surface.

In this embodiment, as described above, by forming the entire tread portion including the rubber blocks with the same hard rubber material, the same running performance as that of a normal tire can be obtained in the normal running mode. In another embodiment, each of the rubber blocks can be formed of a different rubber material from that of the trade portion. For example, by forming the tread portion of the tire body with a relatively soft rubber material as used for conventional snow tires and forming the rubber block with a harder rubber material, The grip power in the road running mode can be increased.

FIG. 4 schematically shows the entirety of a pneumatic vehicle vehicle according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As in the first embodiment, a large number of rubber tracks 20 are provided on the outer periphery of the tire 1 mounted on the rim 2 at a constant interval substantially equal to that of a normal tire chain, from the surface of the traded portion 3 in the radial direction. It protrudes in the direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the rubber block 20 is composed of individual block bodies formed of the same hard rubber material as the part of the tread portion 4 and embedded so as to be able to protrude and retract from the tread surface. In this embodiment, three rubber blocks 20 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the tire. Immediately below each rubber block 20, an air chamber 21 that can be expanded and contracted is provided between the rubber block 20 and a force portion 10 including a belt layer such as a steel belt (not shown). Each air chamber 21 As shown in the figure, a lower film portion 2 2 a forming a central groove in the width direction of the tire, and an upper film portion partially overlapped thereon so as to be accommodated in the groove. It is made of 22b and is integrally and airtightly formed of a highly flexible synthetic resin or rubber material.

Three air chambers 21 adjacent to each other in the width direction of the tire are connected to each other in series by a passage 23, and at one end thereof, as in the first embodiment, an air supply passage 14 And a communication passage 15 communicating with an air inlet 16 with a check valve provided on the outer surface of the sidewall portion 5. In addition, the other end of the three air chambers connected to each other is, as shown by an imaginary line in FIG. 5, a second component provided along the force gap 10 inside the tire 1. The pipe 17 can be connected to the air supply passage 14 similarly. Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, as shown in FIG. 4, for each set of four rubber blocks 20 adjacent to each other, each of the air supply passages 14, A working air introduction system including a communication passage 15 and an air introduction port 16 is provided.

In the normal running mode of FIG. 6A, since the rubber block 20 does not protrude from the surface of the trade, the vehicle can run as a normal tire. When switching to the running mode on icy and snowy roads, compressed air as working fluid is supplied from the air inlet 16 through the communication passage 15, the air supply passage 14 and the distribution pipe 13 and, if necessary, the second The air is introduced into each air chamber 21 via the distribution pipe 17. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 6B, the upper membrane portion 22b expands like a balloon, and the rubber block 20 is lifted upward.

On each of the front and rear sides of each rubber block 20, two ridges 24 are formed at predetermined intervals over substantially the entire length thereof, and the inner wall surface of the tread portion 4 adjacent to the bracket is provided with ridges 2 on each side. The three grooves 25 having a cross-sectional shape that complements 4 are respectively recessed at the predetermined intervals. In the normal driving mode shown in FIG. 6A, each of the rubber blocks 24 is fitted into each of the lower two grooves 25 on the inner side wall of the trad portion so as not to protrude from the tread surface. Holds 20. As described above, when the air chamber 21 expands and lifts the rubber block 20, the ridge 24 of the rubber block and the rubber material in the vicinity thereof and the corresponding groove 25 in the inner wall surface of the tread portion and the vicinity thereof. When the rubber material is elastically deformed and disengaged once, and reaches the position of the icy and snowy road running mode shown in Fig. 3B, each ridge 24 of the rubber block has two upper grooves 25. , Respectively, and hold the tip of the rubber block 20 so as to protrude from the tread surface by a predetermined height. The height is preferably about the same as that of a commonly used tire chain, for example, about 5 to 10 thighs.

Also in the pneumatic tire of the present embodiment, it is possible to return from the running mode on an icy and snowy road where the rubber block 20 protrudes from the tread surface to the normal running mode where the rubber block does not protrude. To this end, for example, similarly, the check valve of the air inlet 16 is configured to be selectively openable, air is discharged from the inside of each air chamber 21 to the outside, and the vehicle travels in that state. Accordingly, each rubber block 20 can be retracted to the original position inside the tread portion 4 by the pressure from the road surface.

With the configuration described above, the pneumatic tire of the present invention secures the running performance as a normal tire in the normal running mode in which the rubber block does not protrude from the tread surface, and the tire is mounted on the vehicle. With a simple operation of introducing the working fluid as it is, it is possible to immediately switch to a running mode on ice and snowy roads where the rubber block protrudes from the tread surface, and the same running performance and braking as when a tire chain is attached It has the advantage that performance can be obtained.

The present invention can be implemented by adding various modifications and changes to the above embodiment within the technical scope described in the claims. For example, the shape or size of the rubber block, the number of the rubber blocks arranged on the outer periphery of the tread portion, or the interval therebetween can be variously set depending on the use conditions of the tire. Air is particularly preferred as the working fluid because it is relatively easy to handle, but various materials such as gas other than air, liquids such as oil, and low-viscosity resin materials can also be used.

In still another embodiment, as described above, instead of directly applying the pressure at the time of inflation of the air chamber provided on the back side of each rubber block directly, the inside of the tire, that is, the cavity between the inner surface of the carcass portion and the rim is formed. By using the provided fluid chamber and the driving means operated by the pressure of the working fluid, the rubber block can be indirectly protruded and retracted from the track portion.

Claims

Speculation of Word

1. A tread portion having a plurality of rubber blocks disposed partially over the entire circumference of the tread surface in contact with the road surface, and

A plurality of inflatable fluid chambers provided corresponding to each of the rubber blocks, and a fluid passage and a fluid introduction port communicating with each of the fluid chambers,

A pneumatic tire, wherein the rubber block is partially projected from the tread surface by introducing a working fluid into each of the fluid chambers from the fluid introduction port through the fluid passage.

2. The rubber block can be returned to an original state in which the rubber block does not protrude from the tread surface by removing the introduced working fluid and contracting each of the fluid chambers. Pneumatic tire.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the working fluid is air.