Patent ID: 6571845
Filing Date: 2003-06-03
Classification: B29C,B29D,B29L,B60B,B60C,Y10T

Abstract:
A low-section tire for a vehicle wheel, comprising:a carcass; and an air tube; wherein the carcass comprises a toroidal form, wherein the carcass further comprises a crown portion and two axially-opposite carcass sidewalls delimiting an inner cavity, wherein the air tube comprises an elastomer material, wherein the air tube further comprises an internal wall and a pair of axially-opposite air tube sidewalls, wherein the internal wall separates the air tube into at least two distinct circumferential portions, wherein the internal wall extends in a plane substantially normal to a rotation axis of the air tube, wherein, when fully inflated, the air tube further comprises a right section in a meridian plane that is substantially elliptical, with a major axis parallel to the rotation axis of the air tube, and wherein a rigidity of the internal wall is greater than a rigidity of the air tube sidewalls so that, when the carcass and the air tube are mounted on a rim, and during inflation of the air tube, the air tube sidewalls contact the carcass sidewalls before a time when a radially-outer portion of the internal wall contacts a radially-inner surface of the crown portion.