16 patents in this list

Updated:

Puncture resistance in tires is crucial for ensuring safety and reliability across various terrains and conditions. Whether navigating city streets or rugged off-road paths, tires encounter sharp objects and unpredictable surfaces. Enhancing puncture resistance helps reduce downtime, maintenance costs, and the risk of sudden failures, which can be critical for both everyday drivers and professionals in demanding environments.

The challenge lies in achieving this resistance without compromising other essential tire characteristics like flexibility, grip, and ride comfort. Engineers must balance these factors while integrating materials and structures that can withstand impacts and cuts. From reinforcing sidewalls to developing self-sealing layers, the task is complex and requires innovative approaches.

This page explores a range of solutions, including triangulated layer arrangements and dual-ply carcass structures, which provide robust reinforcement. It also examines advanced rubber compositions and fiber-reinforced layers that enhance tear strength and durability. These strategies collectively improve tire performance, offering enhanced protection against punctures while maintaining optimal functionality.

1. Triangulated Layer Arrangement in Passenger Vehicle Tire Reinforcement Structure

COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, 2023

A passenger vehicle tire with improved resistance to penetration and puncture while also being lighter weight than conventional tires. The tire reinforcement design uses a triangulated arrangement of the carcass, working, and hooping layers. The carcass layer angle is optimized for flexibility while the hooping layer angle is shallow to provide radial stiffness. The hooping layer has narrow-spaced reinforcements with high strength. The resulting tire has reduced susceptibility to puncture while using less material.

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2. Dual-Ply Carcass Structure in Pneumatic Tire for Enhanced Sidewall Reinforcement

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, 2023

A pneumatic tire with improved puncture resistance and durability, particularly in the sidewall area. The tire has two carcass reinforcing plies. The first ply extends radially between the bead portions. The second ply wraps around the bead and apex forming a turn-up portion. This configuration provides increased strength and puncture resistance in the sidewall compared to a single ply. The two plies work together to distribute loads and prevent cuts and penetration.

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3. Carcass Reinforcement with Unbalanced Twist Cords for Cut-Resistant Tire Sidewall Structure

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, 2023

Tire structure for light trucks and off-road vehicles with enhanced cut and puncture resistance. The tire has a carcass reinforcement with at least one ply wrapped around bead cores and through sidewalls. A cut/puncture-resistant sidewall layer, adjacent to the carcass reinforcement, contains cords twisted together with an unbalanced twist. One example is nylon and aramid cords twisted together with nylon S twist (4-8 tpi) and aramid Z twist (4-8 tpi). This provides a cord with extensibility like nylon at low elongation and modulus and cut resistance like aramid at high elongation.

4. Pyrazolone-Compound-Enhanced Rubber Composition with Increased Tear Strength for Tire Layers

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, 2023

Rubber composition for tire layers like treads and carcasses improves tear strength without reducing stiffness while maintaining rolling resistance. The composition includes a pyrazolone-based compound in addition to rubber and filler. The pyrazolone compound provides tear strength improvements without negatively impacting stiffness compared to conventional compositions.

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5. Fiber-Reinforced Rubber Layer in Pneumatic Tire with Dithiodicarboxylic Acid and Dimaleimide Additives

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, 2023

Pneumatic tire with a fiber-reinforced rubber layer beneath the tread to prevent foreign object penetration. The layer is made of rubber reinforced with fibers like nylon or aramid along with specific chemicals like dithiodicarboxylic acid and dimaleimide. The fiber reinforcement and chemical additives make the layer act as a barrier to stop objects from penetrating deeper into the tire.

6. Tire with Porous Sound-Absorbing Layer and Integrated Sealant Layer

HANKOOK TIRE & TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., 2023

A tire design that reduces noise while maintaining self-sealing capability for puncture repairs. The tire has a sound-absorbing material layer adhered to the inner surface of the tire and a sealant layer between the tire and the sound-absorbing layer. The sound-absorbing layer uses a porous material with a larger average pore size (1,200 to 2,400 μm) compared to typical foam. This prevents small particles from hindering the sealing ability of the sealant when punctured.

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7. Spiral Dual-Layer Sealant Application Method for Self-Sealing Tire Production

SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD., 2023

A method of producing a self-sealing tire with improved tear resistance. The method involves applying the first sealant layer as a continuous spiral along the inner periphery of the tire, and then applying a second sealant layer as a continuous spiral along the first layer in a crossing direction. The two layers of spirally applied sealant stacked in this way provide better tear resistance compared to a single spirally applied sealant layer.

8. Off-Road Tire with Enlarged Sidewall Protruding Blocks in Shoulder Region

Toyo Tire Corporation, 2023

Off-road tire design to improve puncture resistance and reduce sidewall cutting on rough surfaces. The design includes larger side blocks protruding from the sidewall in the shoulder region of the tire. These side blocks provide extra protection against rocks and debris impacting the sidewall and help prevent cuts and punctures in off-road conditions. The larger size of these side blocks compared to the shoulder blocks also helps maintain traction over time while reducing sidewall damage.

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9. Bicycle Tire with Reinforced Tread Using Modified Silicate and Fibrillated Polymer Fibers

PIRELLI TYRE S.p.A., 2023

A bicycle tire with improved puncture resistance and rolling resistance. The tire tread contains modified silicate fibers and fibrillated polymer fibers as reinforcement instead of conventional materials like carbon black or silica. The modified silicate fibers have needle-like nanometric morphology while the fibrillated polymer fibers have micrometric size.

10. Bicycle Tire with Fibrillated Fiber Tread and Angled Cord Reinforcement Layers

Pirelli Tyre S.p.A., 2023

A bicycle tire with improved puncture resistance without sacrificing performance. The tire uses a tread compound containing fibrillated polymeric fibers to provide puncture protection. It also has protective layers under the tread that contain angled cords or fabrics to stop punctures from reaching the inner carcass. These layers extend beyond the tire's axial length. The angled reinforcements and extended layers complement the fiber-filled tread to provide comprehensive puncture resistance for all bike types.

11. Modified Rubber Tire with UV-Exposed Fiber Reinforcement and Twisted Long Fiber Cord Ply

Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., LTD., Zhejiang Geely Automobile Research Institute Co., LTD., 2023

A bulletproof and puncture-resistant tire with lightweight, riding stability, and bulletproof/puncture resistance for vehicles like military and armored cars. The tire uses modified rubber containing high-performance short fibers. The fiber modification involves exposing the fibers to UV light to incorporate coupling agents. The modified rubber is used in the tire's tread, belt ply, and inner liner. The tire also has a buffer layer made of modified rubber. The cord ply uses twisted high-performance long fibers.

12. Self-Sealing Pneumatic Tire with Silicone-Based Self-Sealing Layer and Integrated Sound-Absorbing Layer

DOW SILICONES CORPORATION, 2023

Self-sealing pneumatic tire with improved puncture sealing and noise reduction by using a specific silicone composition for the self-sealing layer. The silicone composition contains silyl terminated polymers, cross-linkers, catalysts, and fillers. The molar ratios of hydroxyl groups, hydrolyzable groups, and catalysts are controlled to optimize curing properties. The composition is applied as a two-part mixture that adheres, seals punctures, and cures on the inner tire surface. A sound-absorbing layer is adhered to the self-sealing layer.

13. Adhesive-Backed Strip with Flexible Flags for Sealing Punctures in Tubeless Tires

King Abdulaziz University, 2023

A simple, cost-effective device for preventing flat tires caused by punctures in tubeless tires. The device is a strip with attached flexible flags that can be adhered to the inner surface of a tubeless tire. The flags are arranged to seal any holes created by punctures. The adhesive-backed strip with flags provides a quick, aftermarket solution that can be applied to any tubeless tire to protect against punctures.

14. Aircraft Tire with Cut/Puncture-Resistant Breaker Layer Comprising Parallel Monofilaments

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, 2023

Aircraft tire with improved cut and puncture resistance for heavy load and high-speed conditions. The tire has a cut/puncture-resistant breaker layer between the crown reinforcement and tread. The breaker layer is made of parallel monofilaments inclined at 0-10 degrees to the equatorial plane. This configuration protects against cuts and punctures without sacrificing ride comfort or tire life.

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15. Counter-Wound Reinforced Tire Cord with Gapped External Strand and Varied Diameter Internal Strand

COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, 2023

A reinforced tire cord that balances strength and flexibility while allowing good elastomer penetration. The cord has an internal strand surrounded by an external strand. The external strand is wound in the opposite direction to the internal strand. The external strand has an incomplete layer - the outer wires don't touch. This creates gaps for elastomer to penetrate between the strands. The internal strand's wires have larger diameters towards the center to help elastomer flow. The cord is used in heavy-duty vehicle tires.

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16. Tire with Grooved Foam Ring and Adhesive Sealant Layer

Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin, 2023

A self-sealing foam tire that effectively seals punctures while also reducing road noise compared to previous designs. The tire has a layer of adhesive sealant like a traditional self-sealing tire. But instead of a full foam layer on top, it uses a foam ring with grooves that align with the tire's tread grooves. This prevents the foam from obstructing the sealant flow in those areas, maintaining the self-sealing capability there. The foam still provides noise damping in the non-grooved areas.

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To fulfill the demands of contemporary driving conditions, advancements like strengthened sidewalls, improved tread compositions, and self-sealing capabilities are essential. The discussed patents are a reflection of the continuous efforts of leading tire manufacturers to produce more dependable and long-lasting tires that offer improved puncture resistance without sacrificing overall tire performance.