Title of Invention

"TUBELESS TIRE"

Abstract [Object] To provide a tubeless tire containing a tube, which is capable of breaking a flexible capsule without any external force applied to a tube and of preventing a sealant from flowing in an air valve provided in the tube. [Solving Means] When an air chamber 3 of a tube is filled with an air to be expanded in a state in which a flexible capsule 4 filled with a sealant 8 and a tube 2 are inserted in the tire 1, pressing projections 23 provided on a tube main body 21 press and break the flexible capsule 4. A sealant chamber 7, which is defined among the inner surface of the tire 1, the outer surface of the tube main body 21, and the annular projections 23 provided on the tube main body 21, is filled with the sealant 8 flowing out of the flexible capsule 4. [Selected Drawing
Full Text [Technical Field of the Invention]
The present invention relates to a tubeless tire including a tire having a bead portion air-tightly press-contacted with the outer periphery of a rim by an air pressure, and a tube contained in a space defined by the rim and the tire and having an air valve air-tightly passing through the rim.
[Related Art]
In general tube tires, when a tube is pierced by a nail or the like, an air in the tube flows from the pierced portion, passing through microgaps between the tire and the tube, and is leaked from a nipple hole of the rim, leading to a so-called puncture state.
To cope with such an inconvenience, there is known a tire containing a tube, in which a liquid sealant for automatically, temporarily repairing a pierced portion of
the tube is previously stored in the tube in a suitable.amount (japan) [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]
In the above-described related art tire, a capsule filled with a sealant is put in the tube when the tube is molded and it is broken after molding of the tube to fill the tube with the sealant, and accordingly, there arise problems that the tube is liable to be damaged when an external force is given to break the capsule, and that the sealant possibly blocks an air valve of the tube and/or it possibly blocks a pressure gauge when an air pressure in the tube is measured.
In view of the foregoing, the present invention has been made, and an object of the present invention is to provide a tubeless tire containing a tube, which is capable of preventing a sealant from flowing in an air valve of the tube, and of breaking a capsule without any external force applied to the tube.
[Means for Solving the Problem]
To achieve the above object, according to an invention described in claim 1, there is provided a
tubeless tire containing a tube, including: a tire having a bead portion air-tightly press-contacted with the outer periphery of a rim by an air pressure; and a tube contained in a space defined by said rim and said tire and having an air valve air-tightly passing through said rim; wherein at least two annular projections press-contacted with the inner surface of said tire are formed on the outer surface of a tube main body in the circumferential direction; a sealant chamber is defined among the inner surface of said tire, the outer surface of said tube main body, and said annular projections; and said sealant chamber is filled with a sealant.
According to an invention described in claim 2, there is provided a tubeless tire containing a tube according to claim 1, wherein a flexible capsule containing said sealant is previously mounted in said tire, and said flexible capsule is broken by a pressure of said tube expanded in said tire to fill said sealant chamber with said sealant.
According to an invention described in claim 3, there is provided a tubeless tire containing a tube according to claim 2, wherein a pressing projection for
pressing and breaking said flexible capsule is projectingly provided on the outer surface of said tube main body,
Accordingly, the present invention relates to a tubeless tire containing a tube, comprising a tire having a bead portion air-tightly press-contacted with the outer periphery of a rim by an air pressure and a tube contained in a space defined by said rim and said tire and having an air valve air-tightly passing through said rim, wherein at least two annular projections press-contacted with the inner surface of said tire are formed on the outer surface of a tube main body in the circumferential direction, a sealant chamber is defined among the inner surface of said tire, the outer surface of said tube main body, and said annular projections, and said sealant chamber is filled with a sealant, a flexible capsule containing said sealant is previously mounted in said tire, and said flexible capsule is broken by a pressure of said tube expanded in said tire to fill said sealant chamber with said sealant.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
[Fig. 1]
A transverse sectional view of a wheel mounting a tubeless tire
containing a tube.
[Fig. 2]
A schematic view illustrating the function of the tubeless tire.
[Fig. 3]
A schematic view illustrating the function of the tubeless tire when a flexible capsule is broken.
{Preferred Embodiment of the Invention]
Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figs. 1 to 3 shows one embodiment of the present invention, wherein Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view of a wheel mounting a tubeless tire containing a tube; Fig. 2 is a schematic view illustrating the function of the tubeless tire when the tube is expanded; and Fig. 3 is a schematic view illustrating a function of the tubeless tire when a flexible capsule is broken.As shown in Fig. I, a tubeless tire T composed of atire 1 and a tube 2 contained in the tire 1 is mounted on a rim R of a wheel used for a motorcycle. In the tube 2, two annular projections 22l 22 extending along the circumferential direction over 360° are formed on the outer surface of right and left side wall portions of a tube main body 21; and a plurality of cone-shaped pressing projections 23, ..., 23 spaced at specified intervals along
the circumferential direction are formed on the outer surfaces of the peripheral wall portions. When an air chamber 3 is filled with an air and the tube 2 is expanded in the tire 1, the annular projections 22, 22 are closely contacted with the inner surface of the tire 1, and a sealant chamber 7 filled with a known sealant 8 is defined among the inner surface of the tire I, the outer surface of the tube main body 2l, and the annular projections 22, 22. The sealant chamber 7 is defined at least over a half circumference radially outward of the tube 2 in such a manner as to be opposed to a tread portion of the tire 1.
The rim R is composed of an annular main body 11 extending in the circumferential direction of the tubeless tire containing a tube, and a pair of flange portions 12, 12 extending radially outward from both the axial ends of the rim main body 11 and holding bead portions 1:, lj of
»»
the tire 1. An air valve 6 for filling the air chamber 3 formed in the tube 2 with an air is covered with a rubber sealing member 14, and the sealing member 14 is fitted in a hole of an air valve mounting portion 13 formed at a position in the circumferential direction of the rim main body 11, so that the air valve 6 is air-tightly fixed on the rim R. When the tube 2 is expanded in the tire 1, the
bead portions l1, I1 of the tire 1 are pressed on the inner wall surfaces of the flange portions 12, 12 of the rim R by the expansion pressure, and thereby the tire 1 is rigidly, air-tightly fixed on the rim R.
Fig. 2 shows a state in which the tube 2 mounted in the tire 1 is expanded by filling the air chamber 2 with air. A flexible capsule 4 filled with the sealant 8, which is formed of a brittle bag-shaped vessel made of a vinyl resin is previously mounted on the back surface of the tread portion of the tire 1. At this time, the flexible capsule 4 may be fixed at a suitable position using an adhesive tape for improving workability. When the tube 2 is expanded in such a state, it is pressed by the pressing projections 23, ..., 23 projecting from the outer surface of the tube main body 2 as shown in Fig. 3, with a result that the flexible capsule 4 is broken. When the flexible

capsule 4 is broken, a pair of the annular projections 22, ..., 22 are already press-contacted with the inner surface of the tire 1 to define the sealant chamber 7, so that the sealant 8 leaked from the flexible capsule 4 is diffused in the sealant chamber 7, to thereby prevent the sealant 8 from being leaked from the sealant chamber 7 to the outside.


Since the sealant chamber 7 is held in a shape following the inner surface of the tire 1 by an air pressure of the air chamber 3, the sealant 8 is prevented from being shifted on the outer peripheral side of the tube 2 even when applied with an centrifugal force due to the rotation of the wheel. Thus, even when the tire 1 is pierced with a nail or the like in the radial or sideward direction, the pierced portion is immediately buried with the sealant 8 to be thus repaired, so that the leakage of air from the air chamber 3 can be suppressed. Also, since the sealant 8 is held in the sealant chamber 7 and is not allowed to flow out on the air chamber 3 side, it does not block the air valve 3 or a pressure gauge touched with the air valve 6.
Since the flexible capsule 4 is broken by the expansion pressure of the tube 2 without any external pressure applied to the tube 2, the tube 2 is never damaged. Further, since the flexible capsule 4 is formed of a soft material such as a vinyl resin, the residue of the flexible capsule 4 in the sealant chamber 7 does not exert any effect on the sealant chamber 7. [0016]
Since the tube 2 is of a simple structure in which

the annular projections 22, 22 and the pressing projections 23, . .., 23 are formed on the outer surface of the tube main body 21, it can be simply manufactured only by slight modification from the existing tube at a low cost.
While the embodiment of the present invention has been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that many changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
For example, although the right and left annular projection 22, 22 are formed on the tube 2 in this embodiment, the sealing performance of the sealant chamber 7 can be further enhanced by provision a plurality of annular projections on the light and left sides. Also, the number and arrangement of the pressing projections 23, ..., 23 provided on the tube 2 may be suitably selected, and the flexible capsule 4 can be broke only by a pressing force of the tube main body 21 without provision of the pressing projections 23, ... , 23.
[Effect of the Invention]
As described above, according to the invention described in claim 1, since the annular projections are formed on the outer surface of the tube main body, the sealant chamber is defined among the inner surface of the tire, the outer surface of the tube main body, and the annular projections. Consequently, even when the tire is pierced with a nail or the like, the pierced portion is immediately repaired by the sealant to prevent the leakage of an air from the air chamber. Also, since the sealant chamber is separated apart from the air chamber, an air valve for filling the air chamber with an air is not blocked by the sealant, additionally, since the structure can be simply obtained only by provision of the annular projections on the outer surface of the existing tube, the manufacturing cost is not increased so much as compared with the existing tube.
According to the invention described in claim 2, since the flexible capsule containing a sealant is previously mounted in the tire, and it is broken by a pressure of the tube expanded in the tire to fill the sealant chamber with the sealant, it is possible to eliminate the need of applying an external force to the tube and hence to prevent damage of the tube due to such an
external force.
According to the invention described in claim 3, since the pressing projections for pressing and breaking the flexible capsule are provided on the outer surface of the tube main body, it is possible to break the flexible capsule by applying a local load to the capsule.
[Reference Characters]
R: rim, 1: tire, 11: bad portion, 2: tube, 21: tube main body, 22: annular projection, 23: pressing projection, 4: flexible capsule, 6: air valve, 7: sealant chamber, 8: sealant




We claim:
A tubeless tire, comprising:
a tire (1) having a bead portion "(l1) air-tightly press-contacted with the
outer periphery of a rim (R) by an air pressure; and
a tube (2) contained in a space defined by said rim (R) and said tire (1)
and having an air valve (6) air-tightly passing.through said rim (R);
wherein at least two annular projections press-contacted with the
inner surface of said tire (1) are formed" on the outer surface of a tube
main body (21) in the circumferential direction; a sealant chamber (7) is
defined among the inner surface of said tire (1), the outer surface of said
tube main body (21), and said annular projections (22); and said sealant
chamber (7) is filled with a sealant (8), a flexible capsule (4) containing
said sealant (8) is previously mounted in said tire (1), and said flexible
capsule (8) is broken by a pressure of said tube (2) expanded in said tire
(1) to fill said sealant chamber (7) with said sealant (8).
2. A tubeless tire as claimed in claim 1, wherein a
pressing projection (23) for pressing and breaking said flexible capsule (4)
is projectingly provided on the outer surface of said tube main body (21).
3. A tubeless tire substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

1514-del-1997-abstract.pdf

1514-del-1997-claims.pdf

1514-del-1997-correspondence-others.pdf

1514-del-1997-correspondence-po.pdf

1514-del-1997-description (complete).pdf

1514-del-1997-drawings.pdf

1514-del-1997-form-1.pdf

1514-del-1997-form-13.pdf

1514-del-1997-form-19.pdf

1514-del-1997-form-2.pdf

1514-del-1997-form-3.pdf

1514-del-1997-form-4.pdf

1514-del-1997-form-6.pdf

1514-del-1997-gpa.pdf

1514-del-1997-petition-137.pdf

1514-del-1997-petition-138.pdf

abstract.jpg


Patent Number 214852
Indian Patent Application Number 1514/DEL/1997
PG Journal Number 10/2008
Publication Date 07-Mar-2008
Grant Date 18-Feb-2008
Date of Filing 06-Jun-1997
Name of Patentee HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Applicant Address 1-1 MINAMIAYOMA 2-CHOME,MINATO-KU, TOKYO, JAPAN
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 HIROHISA TAKAHASHI NAKAYAMA C/O KABUSHIKI KAISHA GIJUTSU KENKYUSHO, OF 4-1, CHUO 1-CHOME, WAKO-SHI, SAITAMA, JAPAN
2 KATSUTOSHI YAMAZAKI C/O KABUSHIKI KAISHA GIJUTSU KENKYUSHO, OF 4-1, CHUO 1-CHOME, WAKO-SHI, SAITAMA, JAPAN
3 TOSHIO YAMAGIWA C/O KABUSHIKI KAISHA GIJUTSU KENKYUSHO, OF 4-1, CHUO 1-CHOME, WAKO-SHI, SAITAMA, JAPAN
PCT International Classification Number B60C 025/14
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 HEI-8-168006 1996-06-27 Japan