Patent ID: 6487900
Filing Date: 2002-12-03
Classification: B60C,G06F,Y10T

Abstract:
The method of constructing a bead flange profile for a pneumatic tire to be mounted on the design rim as specific in the United States Tire and Rim Association, the European Tyre and Rim Technical Organization-Standards Manual, or the Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers' Association or any other standard rim specified for the tire size, comprises the steps of:(a) selecting the design rim or standard rim having a specified configuration and width and a cured tire construction and bead profile; (b) predicting the deformation of the tire upon mounting and inflation by numerical simulations, analytical formulas, or empirical calculations; or measuring the said deformation by experimental techniques; (c) analyzing the predicted or measured deformation of the mounted and inflated tire to show the compressed bead seat profile and the bead flange profile contacting the rim flange from a preselected radially outer location C extending radially inwardly toward the bead heel of the tire; (d) identifying any gaps between the tire and the rim radially inward of the location C; (e) modifying the bead flange profile of the tire to eliminate any gaps by moving selected points on the bead flange profile in proportion to the local gap sizes thereby forming a new modified bead flange profile wider then the original profile; (f) shifting all the points of the new modified profile bead flange profile in step (e) axially inward by a distance so that the axially outermost position of the modified bead flange profile wider than the original profile coincides at that radial location with the axially outermost position of the original profile; then (g) smoothing the connections of the modified portion of the bead flange profile to the rest of the profile up to the radially outer contact with the rim flange thus constructing an adjusted flange profile.