IP Library Granted Patent US 12,240,271
Granted Patent B2
US 12,240,271 · App. 17/771,072 · Granted Mar 4, 2025

Tire having an improved tread

Inventors: Miguel Fernandez (Clermont-Ferrand, FR); Karine Longchambon (Clermont-Ferrand, FR); Regis Schach (Clermont-Ferrand, FR); Philippe Labrunie (Clermont-Ferrand, FR); Alexandre Tobie (Clermont-Ferrand, FR)
Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
B60C11/005B60C2011/0025B60C2011/0033
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,240,271
App. No.
17/771,072
Granted
Mar 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A tire comprises an outer strip ( 2 ) having a tread ( 21 ). The outer strip ( 2 ) has a central part and two axially outer parts and comprises at least two rubber compounds (M 1 , M 2 ) making up at least 90% of the volume of the outer strip ( 2 ). The first compound (M 1 ) is radially on the outside of the second compound (M 2 ), which makes up at least 60% of the axially outer parts and being disposed in a layer that is substantially continuous from one axially outer part to the other, said layer having a minimum thickness at least equal to 0.3 mm. The compound M 1 has a modulus G* that is greater than 1.35 times and less than 3 times that of the compound M 2 . The compound M 1 has a dynamic loss at 0° C. greater than 0.5 and the compound M 2 has a dynamic loss at 23° C. less than 0.3.

Claims (27)

1. A tire for a passenger vehicle comprising:

a crown comprising an outer strip having a tread that is intended to come into contact with a ground via a tread surface, two beads that are intended to come into contact with a rim, and two sidewalls that connect the crown to the beads,

the outer strip being radially on the outside of a crown reinforcement comprising crown layers comprising reinforcing elements, the outer strip being axially on an inside of a part of the sidewalls that is radially on an outside of the crown reinforcement, and the outer strip being constituted of a central part and two axially outer parts,

the central part of the outer strip having an axial width equal to 80% of an axial width of the tread surface,

the outer strip comprising at least two rubber compounds, the two rubber compounds making up at least 90% of a volume of the outer strip,

the first rubber compound being radially on an outside of the second rubber compound, the second rubber compound making up at least 60% of a volume of the axially outer parts of the outer strip and being disposed in a layer that is substantially continuous from one axially outer part of the outer strip to the other, the layer having a minimum radial thickness at least equal to 0.3 mm,

wherein the first rubber compound has a dynamic shear modulus G*, at 10% deformation at 10 Hz at 23° C. measured in accordance with standard ASTM D 5992-96, at least equal to 1.35 times a dynamic shear modulus G*, at 10% deformation at 10 Hz at 23° C. measured in accordance with standard ASTM D 5992-96, of the second rubber compound and at most equal to 3 times the dynamic shear modulus G*, at 10% deformation at 10 Hz at 23° C. measured in accordance with standard ASTM D 5992-96, of the second rubber compound,

wherein the first rubber compound has a dynamic loss tan D0_1, measured in accordance with standard ASTM D 5992-96, at a temperature of 0° C. and under a stress of 0.7 MPa at 10 Hz, at least equal to 0.5,

wherein the second rubber compound has a dynamic loss tan D23_2, measured in accordance with standard ASTM D 5992-96, at a temperature of 23° C. and under a deformation of 10% at 10 Hz, at most equal to 0.3, and

wherein the first and second rubber compounds have reinforcing fillers made up of at least 80% silica, expressed as a percentage of a total mass of the reinforcing fillers.

2. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein the second rubber compound has a dynamic shear modulus G*, at 10% deformation at 10 Hz at 23° C. measured in accordance with standard ASTM D 5992-96, at least equal to 0.8 MPa and at most equal to 4 MPa.

3. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein the first rubber compound has a dynamic loss tan D0_1, measured in accordance with standard ASTM D 5992-96, at a temperature of 0° C. and under a stress of 0.7 MPa at 10 Hz, at least equal to 0.6.

4. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein the second rubber compound has a secant extension modulus MA300 at 300% deformation, measured at 23° C. in accordance with standard ASTM D 412-16, at least equal to 1.4 MPa.

5. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein a total volume of the second rubber compound represents at least 25% and at most 50% of the volume of the outer strip.

6. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein the second rubber compound is disposed in the layer that is substantially continuous from one axially outer part of the outer strip to the other, the layer having a minimum thickness at least equal to 0.6 mm.

7. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein the first rubber compound is axially on an inside of the second rubber compound, and

wherein an interface between the first and the second rubber compounds forms an angle with a normal to an external surface of the outer strip at a point of intersection of the interface with the external surface that is at most equal to 60° in terms of absolute value.

8. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein the tread comprises grooves or circumferential furrows, and wherein the layer of the second rubber compound, which is substantially continuous from one outer part of the outer strip to the other, is radially on an inside, in the central part of the outer strip, of bottom surfaces of the grooves or of the circumferential furrows of the tread.

9. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein the tread comprises grooves or circumferential furrows, and wherein the grooves or circumferential furrows are configured such that a surface void ratio of the tread surface increases with wear of the tire.

10. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein volumes of the first and second rubber compounds of the outer strip are substantially symmetrical with respect to an equatorial plane.

11. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein the outer strip is made up of two rubber compounds and one of the two rubber compounds is an electrical conductor and is configured such that an electrical resistance of the tire, measured in accordance with standard ISO 16392:2017, is at most equal to 10 10 ohms.

12. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein the outer strip is made up of three rubber compounds, the third rubber compound being disposed between a radially outermost layer of reinforcing elements of the crown reinforcement and the tread surface, and wherein the electrical resistance of the tire, measured in accordance with standard ISO 16392:2017, is at most equal to 10 10 ohms.

13. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein the outer strip is made up of three rubber compounds, and

wherein the third rubber compound is disposed between a radially outermost layer of reinforcing elements of the crown reinforcement and the second rubber compound, the maximum thickness of the third rubber compound being at most equal to 0.6 mm.

14. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein the outer strip is made up of four rubber compounds,

wherein a third rubber compound is disposed between a radially outermost layer of reinforcing elements of the crown reinforcement and the second rubber compound, the maximum thickness of the third rubber compound being at most equal to 0.4 mm, and

wherein a fourth rubber compound is disposed between the radially outermost layer of reinforcing elements of the crown reinforcement and the tread surface and configured such that an electrical resistance of the tire, measured in accordance with standard ISO 16392:2017, is at most equal to 10 10 ohms.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 7, 2022
From: FERNANDEZ, MIGUEL; LONGCHAMBON, KARINE; SCHACH, REGIS; LABRUNIE, PHILIPPE; TOBIE, ALEXANDRE
To: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
Reel/Frame 061342/0507 →
Priority Claims (1)
FR 1911783 · Oct 22, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220371370A1 · Nov 24, 2022
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