Patent ID: 7011125
Filing Date: 2006-03-14
Classification: B60C,C08K,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A pneumatic rubber tire with a sidewall having an outer visible layer of a rubber composition of low electrical conductivity; wherein said tire sidewall contains an internal rubber strip of a rubber composition of relatively high electrical conductivity; wherein said rubber strip is exclusive of the outer surface of said outer visible sidewall layer, wherein (A) said rubber strip and said outer sidewall layer individually communicate with at least one radially inwardly positioned tire component adapted to contact a metal rim to form a tire/wheel assembly, wherein said at least one radially inwardly positioned tire component is composed of a carbon black-rich rubber composition containing at least 50 phr of carbon black and having a relatively high electrical conductivity, wherein said rubber strip is exclusive of the outer surface of said at least one radially inwardly positioned tire component and wherein said rubber strip is thereby not adapted to contact said metal rim, and (B) said rubber strip extends radially outward from said at least one radially inwardly positioned tire component within said tire sidewall to and connects with a rubber tread base layer of a rubber tread of cap/base construction, wherein said tread cap is an outer rubber layer having an outer surface adapted to be ground-contacting and said rubber tread base layer underlies said tread cap layer and is not intended to be ground-contacting, wherein said rubber tread base layer is of a carbon black-rich rubber composition which contains at least 50 phr of carbon black and has a relatively high electrical conductivity, wherein said rubber strip is exclusive of the outer surface of said tread cap layer adapted to be ground-contacting and wherein said rubber strip is thereby not adapted to be ground-contacting; wherein said rubber composition of said internal rubber strip provides a path of increased electrical conductivity and thereby of least electrical resistance between said at least one radially inwardly positioned tire component and said tread rubber base layer.