US 12,070,972 B2
Truck tire with stiff outer bead products
Christopher Barton, Clemson, SC (US)
Assigned to Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin, Clermont-Ferrand (FR)
Appl. No. 17/780,575
Filed by Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin, Clermont-Ferrand (FR); and Christopher Barton, Clemson, SC (US)
PCT Filed Dec. 18, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/067132
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 27, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/126187, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 24, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0410638 A1, Dec. 29, 2022
Int. Cl. B60C 15/06 (2006.01)
CPC B60C 15/0607 (2013.01) [B60C 15/0628 (2013.01); B60C 2015/0621 (2013.01); B60C 2015/065 (2013.01); B60C 2200/06 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A heavy truck tire that has a central axis, a radial direction, and an axial direction, comprising:
a tread;
a casing that carries the tread, wherein the casing has a bead that has:
a bead core that has a rod and padding gum;
a reinforcement ply that wraps around a section of the bead core, wherein the reinforcement ply has a return casing ply a portion of which is outboard in the axial direction from the bead core;
a bead filler that has a portion radially outward from the bead core in the radial direction and axially inboard from the return casing ply in the axial direction;
a stiffener layer that has a portion located outboard from the return casing ply in the axial direction;
a first bead layer that has a portion that is between the return casing ply and the stiffener layer in the axial direction;
a second bead layer that has a portion that is outboard from the stiffener layer;
wherein the stiffness of the first bead layer is 8 MPa to 14 MPa;
wherein the stiffness of the second bead layer is 8 MPa to 14 Mpa;
wherein the stiffness of the bead filler is less than the stiffness of the first bead layer, and wherein the stiffness of the bead filler is less than the stiffness of the second bead layer;
wherein the bead has a first flexible layer that engages the first bead layer and that has a portion located outward from the first bead layer in the radial direction, wherein the stiffness of the first flexible layer is 3.6 to 5.6 Mpa; and
wherein the bead has a second flexible layer that engages the second bead layer and that has a portion located outward from the second bead layer in the radial direction, wherein the stiffness of the second flexible layer is 3.6 to 5.6 Mpa.