Patent ID: 6405773
Filing Date: 2002-06-18
Classification: B60C,Y10T

Abstract:
In a pneumatic tire including an elastomeric casing with a tread formed in a crown portion thereof and sidewalls extending from the crown portion to generally circular beads adapted to seat themselves in an airtight secured relationship with a wheel, a thin annular composite band embedded in the crown portion of the tire for resisting compressive forces on the tire when uninflated;said band having an axial width and a radial thickness with a neutral axis extending generally through the center of the band, said band further including: a plurality of twisted fibers forming first and second tows, said tows being helically wound to form a plurality of wound layers of said fiber tows contained in a resin matrix, layers of the first fiber tows being located primarily adjacent the neutral axis and having a higher level of shear strength than layers of the second fiber tows located primarily in outermost layers of the band having a higher level of circumferential stiffness than said first layer of fiber tows.