Patent ID: 6557603
Filing Date: 2003-05-06
Classification: B29C,B29D,B29L,B60C,Y10T

Abstract:
A tube for a tire, the tire including an outer ground engaging portion, a pair of sidewalls integrally formed to opposite sides of the outer ground engaging portion and extending radially inward, and radially inner first and second edges of the sidewalls being adapted to abut against first and second rim flanges of a wheel, said tube comprising:walls forming a toroidal shape with an inner radius, a central radius, and an outer radius, said tube being adapted to fit inside a space formed between the sidewalls and adjacent to a radial underside of the ground engaging portion, said walls of said tube having a wall thickness which is substantially uniform; and a first reinforced member positioned along a first circumferential strip of said walls of said tube located between said inner radius and said central radius, said first reinforced member creating an overall tube thickness across said first circumferential strip, wherein said first reinforced member rises from said wall thickness to an increased thickness and then declines to said wall thickness, and wherein said first reinforced member is positioned on said walls so that when the ground engaging portion of the tire deforms toward the radially inner first edge of the sidewalls, said first reinforced member will overlay the first rim flange of the wheel; and a second reinforced member positioned along a second circumferential strip of said walls of said tube located between said inner radius and said central radius and opposite to said first circumferential strip, said second reinforced member creating an overall tube thickness across said second circumferential strip, wherein said second reinforced member rises from said wall thickness to said increased thickness and then declines to said wall thickness, and wherein said second reinforced member is positioned on said walls so that when the ground engaging portion of the tire deforms toward the radially inner second edge of the sidewalls, said second reinforced member will overlay the second rim flange of the wheel.