Abstract:
A vee shaped Air Bladder for hermetically sealing the pressurized air chamber of tire liners that have vee shaped air chambers. The vee shaped Air Bladder being molded with a desired vee shape portion. The vee shaped Air Bladder precluding any pressurized gas from coming between the interior surface of the tire and the tire liner.

Description:
This nonprovisional utility patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/687,683 filed on Jun. 6, 2005. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is in the general field of tire liners for pneumatic tires that have a pressurized air chamber inside the tire and wheel assembly, which is sealed to preclude any pressurized gas from coming between the interior surface of the tire and the tire liner. Specifically, the present invention is an improved means to seal the pressurized air chamber of tire liners that have vee shaped air chambers. 
     One such tire liner with a vee shaped air chamber is described in Applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 6,568,443. The vee shaped air chamber created by the tire liners described therein, is sealed by means of an “inner tube.” The inner tube referred to is the conventional type of rubber inner tube used in the tire industry. These conventional rubber inner tubes are manufactured in molds that have a round cross section and therefore produce inner tubes that also have a round cross sections, as molded. 
     Applicant has discovered that there are problems with using “round” inner tubes to seal a “vee shaped” air chamber. The problem is that a conventional round inner tube and a vee shaped air chamber are incompatible, because of their extremely dissimilar shapes. When using a conventional round inner tube to seal a vee shaped air chamber, the conventional round inner tube either (1) “wads” or “bunches” up in the bottom of the vee, the portion of the air chamber closest to the tread, or (2) stretches into the bottom of the vee, thereby placing an extreme tension load on that portion of the conventional round inner tube. 
     Regarding the “wadding” or “bunching-up” in the bottom of the vee, when using a conventional round inner tube with the seemingly correct diameter and cross section dimensions to seal an intended vee shaped air chamber, the round inner tube simply has to much surface area. Three dimensionally, a conventional “round” inner “tube” is a circular tube and the vee shaped portion of the air chamber is essentially two “cone segments.” A conventional round inner tube with (1) a circumference dimension the same as the perimeter cross section dimension of the intended complete vee shaped air chamber that is parallel with the rotational axis of the tire, and (2) an outside diameter that is the same dimension as the maximum inside diameter of the intended vee shaped air chamber, i.e., the dimension from the bottom of the vee (point closest to the tread) on one side, straight across to the bottom of the vee on the other side, this conventional round inner tube has substantially more surface area than the surface area of the complete vee shaped air chamber. This circumstance causes the “wadding” or “bunching-up” of the excess conventional inner tube in the bottom of the vee shaped air chamber. This is illustrated in  FIG. 6 . In  FIG. 6  there is shown conventional round inner tube  27  with over-all dimensions that correspond to the over-all dimensions of the vee shaped air chamber that it is intended to be used in, as described above, and conventional inner tube  27  is pressurized inside the intended vee shaped air chamber. As the  FIG. 6  illustration shows, the conventional inner tube excess “wads” or “bunches” up in the bottom of the vee shaped air chamber creating folds. These folds cause (1) detrimental heat to be generated from the friction of the folds rubbing against each other when in a tire that is being use on the highway and (2) the folds rubbing against each other will rub a hole completely through conventional inner tube  27 , which allows pressurized air to now go between the interior surface of the tire and the tire liner. When the pressurized air is allowed to get between the interior surface of the tire and the tire liner through the hole rubbed in conventional inner tube  27 , this equalizes the air pressure force on both sides of the tire liner. When the air pressure is equal on both sides of a tire liner inside a tire, the tire liner abrades the interior surface of the tire, damaging the tire. Because there is no pressure differential to press the tire liner against the interior surface of the tire and keep it from rubbing against the interior surface. 
     A conventional round inner tube with over-all dimensions that correspond to the over-all dimensions of a vee shaped air chamber that it is intended to be used in, does not provide a functional means of sealing a vee shaped air chamber because of the inherent, insurmountable surface area problem that generates detrimental heat and ultimately holes in the conventional round inner tube. Thereby defeating its sole purpose of sealing the air chamber. 
     Attempts to eliminate the “wadding” and “bunching-up” in the bottom of the vee problem set forth above by using a conventional round inner tube with over-all dimensions that are less than the over-all dimensions of the vee shaped air chamber that it is intended to be used in, the conventional round inner tube now having less surface area than the intended complete vee shaped air chamber, creates an extreme tension load problem. 
     The “vee shape” of the air chamber causes a round inner tube with over-all dimensions that are less than the over-all dimensions of the intended complete vee shaped air chamber, to “thrust” out of the vee shaped air chamber toward the wheel during initial pressurization. Which ultimately results in an extreme tension load being placed on the conventional round inner tube. This problem is illustrated in  FIGS. 7 ,  8  and  9 . 
     In  FIG. 7  there is shown a cross section of a conventional round inner tube  25  as molded. In  FIG. 7  there is also shown a cross section of a tire and wheel assembly that includes a tire liner that creates a vee shaped portion of the complete air chamber. And in the air chamber of this assembly is conventional inner tube  25  which has over-all dimensions that are less than the over-all dimensions of the vee shaped air chamber and conventional inner tube  25  is unpressurized. 
       FIG. 8  shows the same tire and wheel assembly cross section that is shown in  FIG. 7 , except that now conventional inner tube  25  has begun to have pressurized air introduced into it. This initial pressurization period, when the pressure in conventional inner tube  25  is approximately two (2) or three (3) PSI, is what causes the “thrusting” problem. Two (2) or three (3) PSI is not enough air pressure force to hold conventional inner tube  25  stationary against the vee shaped surface portion of the air chamber to counteract the inherent characteristic of the vee shape to eject a round inner tube expanding in it. Two (2) or three (3) PSI is however, enough air pressure force to cause conventional inner tube  25  to thrust out of the vee shaped air chamber toward the wheel.  FIG. 8  illustrates this thrusting toward the wheel problem during initial pressurization.  FIG. 8  shows during initial pressurization, with approximately two (2) or three (3) PSI in conventional inner tube  25 , conventional inner tube  25  has pulled away from the bottom of the vee shaped air chamber, i.e., the part of the air chamber closest to the tire tread, as shown in  FIG. 7 , and has thrust toward the wheel. 
     As the air pressure in conventional inner tube  25  is increased beyond the initial pressurization pressure, conventional inner tube  25  now begins to stretch back toward the bottom of the vee shaped air chamber. And when conventional inner tube  25  is pressurized to the required pressure for tire liner applications intended for highway use, conventional inner tube  25  has stretched all the way back to the bottom of the vee shaped air chamber. This is illustrated in  FIG. 9  which shows the progression of conventional inner tube  25  as it stretches back toward the bottom of the vee shaped air chamber as the air pressure is increased beyond the initial pressurization pressure. This stretching places the portion of conventional inner tube  25  that has stretched all the way back to the bottom of the vee, under an extreme tension load. 
     The tension load illustrated in  FIG. 9  becomes a dynamic, cyclical tension load when the tire is put to uses on a vehicle. When under the load between the axel and the ground, that portion of conventional inner tube  25  under an extreme tension load, now moves back toward the wheel. And therefore back toward a neutral load thereby significantly reducing the tension load. As the tire rotates and that portion of conventional inner tube  25  is no longer between the axel and the ground, it move back to its normal pressurized position, restoring the tension load. Cycling like this for every revolution of the tire. This cycling during highway use generates so much heat that it causes the portion of conventional inner tube  25  under this extreme tension load to fail and the tire liner portion in contact with it to be damaged. 
     A conventional round inner tube with over-all dimensions that are less than the over-all dimensions of a vee shaped air chamber that it is intended to be used in, does not provide a functional means of sealing a vee shaped air chamber because of the inherent, insurmountable extreme tension load problem that results from the conventional round inner tube having to stretch into the bottom of the vee shaped air chamber. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a vee shaped Air Bladder for hermetically sealing the pressurized air chamber of tire liners that have air chambers that are vee shaped. The present invention Air Bladder in its “as molded” state, has a vee shaped portion that conforms to the vee shaped portion of the intended air chamber prior to pressurization. The present invention Air Bladder does not have to be pressurized inside a vee shaped air chamber to assume the vee shape and dimensions of the intended air chamber. The object of the present invention is to provide a means of hermetically sealing pressurized vee shaped air chambers that is free of the extreme tension load and the excessive surface area problems associated with the use of conventional round inner tubes to seal vee shaped air chambers. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a cross sectional view of the Air Bladder of the present invention being manufactured in the cavity of a mold. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of the Air Bladder of the present invention and a pneumatic tire that is lined with a tire liner that has a vee shaped air chamber, showing the completed Air Bladder of the present invention positioned outside of and next to a tire lined with a tire liner that has a vee shaped air chamber. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of the Air Bladder of the present invention and the pneumatic tires illustrated in  FIG. 2 , showing the Air Bladder of the present invention installed for use in the lined tire and the lined tire including the Air Bladder of the present invention subsequently mounted onto a wheel and the Air Bladder of the present invention pressurized. 
         FIG. 4  is a partial cross sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention, showing the portion of the Air Bladder of the present invention that will contact the wheel being a universal semicircular shape to accommodate different wheel profiles. 
         FIG. 5  is a partial view showing the Air Bladder of the present invention reinforced with fibers. 
         FIG. 6  is an illustration of the “wadding” or “bunching-up” of the excess conventional round inner tube in the bottom of a vee shaped air chamber. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view of a conventional round inner tube as molded and a tire and wheel assembly that includes a tire liner that creates a vee shaped portion of the complete air chamber with a conventional round inner tube that is unpressurized in the air chamber. 
         FIG. 8  is the cross sectional view of the tire and wheel assembly shown in  FIG. 7 , showing the conventional inner tube thrusting towards the wheel during initial pressurization. 
         FIG. 9  is an illustration of the conventional round inner tube stretching back toward the bottom of the vee shaped air chamber as the air pressure increases. 
     
    
    
     REFERENCE NUMERALS IN THE DRAWINGS 
     
         
         
           
               1 —complete mold containing the Air Bladder of the present invention in the mold cavity 
               1   a —external mold half 
               1   b —external mold half 
               2   a —internal mold section 
               2   b —internal mold section 
               3 —Air Bladder of the present invention 
               7 —individual reinforcing fibers 
               15 —pneumatic tire containing tire liners that form a vee shaped air chamber 
               20 —one-piece drop center wheel 
               25 —conventional round inner tube with over-all dimensions that are less than the over-all dimensions of the vee shaped air chamber intended to be used in 
               27 —conventional round inner tube with over-all dimensions that correspond to the over-all dimensions of the vee shaped air chamber intended to be used in 
               50 —vee shaped air chamber 
           
         
       
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A cross sectional view of the Air Bladder of the present invention being manufactured is shown in  FIG. 1 . In  FIG. 1  there is shown complete mold  1 , external mold halves  1   a  and  1   b , internal mold sections  2   a  and  2   b  and the Air Bladder of the present invention  3 . Mold  1  illustrates a mold used for injection molding or liquid injection molding (LIM) to manufacture the Air Bladder of the present invention. This is indicated by the use of internal mold sections  2   a  and  2   b . When the Air Bladder of the present invention is manufactured from injection molding methods, a subsequent step or steps are required to complete the Air Bladder. The Air Bladder of the present invention can also be made in one molding operation. In this case internal mold sections  2   a  and  2   b  are not used and an annular tube of uncured rubber or any other suitable elastomer, is placed in the mold cavity of mold  1  and expanded with compressed air until contact is made with the entire surface of the mold cavity. The rubber is then cured while in this state. This method will produce a complete Air Bladder of the present invention in one molding operation. No additional steps are required to complete the Air Bladder using this method. 
       FIG. 1  shows the Air Bladder of the present invention  3  in its “as molded” state. The Air Bladder of the present invention has a vee shaped portion that conforms to the vee shape and dimensions of the air chamber for which it will be used in “as molded” because the Air Bladder of the present invention is manufactured in a mold cavity that has the desired vee shape and dimensions of the air chamber for which it will be used in. 
     The Air Bladder of the present invention is made of an elastomeric material such as rubber, any synthetic rubbers or any synthetic elastomers. The preferred elastomeric material used to construct the Air Bladder of the present invention  3  is a low heat build-up polyurethane elastomer compound. 
     The present invention and its advantage over the prior art is easily understood by the  FIG. 2  illustration.  FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of the Air Bladder of the present invention outside of and positioned next to a pneumatic tire that is lined with a tire liner which has a vee shaped air chamber. In  FIG. 2  there is shown the Air Bladder of the present invention  3 , pneumatic tire that is lined with a tire liner  15  and vee shaped air chamber  50 . The construction of the Air Bladder of the present invention  3  in  FIG. 2  is complete. The completed Air Bladder of the present invention  3  in  FIG. 2  is a hollow, hermetically sealed, airtight elastomeric structure. The completed Air Bladder of the present invention  3  outside of tire  15  in  FIG. 2  clearly shows that the Air Bladder of the present invention  3  does not have to be pressurized inside tire  15  to assume the shape and dimensions of vee shaped air chamber  50 . Because the Air Bladder of the present invention  3  is molded and cured/vulcanized in the desired vee shape and dimensions of vee shaped air chamber  50  and the subsequently mounted one-piece drop center wheel. 
       FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of the Air Bladder of the present invention installed for use in a tire with a vee shaped air chamber and this same tire subsequently mounted onto a wheel. In  FIG. 3  there is shown the completed Air Bladder of the present invention  3  shown in  FIG. 2 , pneumatic tire  15  which is lined with a tire liner that has a vee shaped air chamber and the same tire  15  subsequently mounted onto one-piece drop center wheel  20 . In  FIG. 3 , the Air Bladder of the present invention  3  is shown installed in the vee shaped air chamber of lined tire  15  unpressurized, before tire  15  is mounted onto wheel  20 .  FIG. 3  clearly shows that the Air Bladder of the present invention  3  conforms to the vee shape and dimensions of the air chamber “as molded”, without having to be pressurized with air. This “unpressurized conformance” of the vee shaped Air Bladder of the present invention is what eliminates the problems that result from the use of a conventional round inner tube to seal a vee shaped air chamber. Namely, the problem of the excess surface area of the conventional round inner tube “wadding” or “bunching-up” in the bottom of the vee shaped air chamber and the problem of an extreme tension load that results from use of a smaller conventional round inner tube to try and eliminate the “wadding” and “bunching” problem. 
       FIG. 3  also illustrates putting the Air Bladder of the present invention to use. In operation, the completed Air Bladder of the present invention  3  is installed in the vee shaped air chamber created by the tire liner(s) lining the interior of tire  15 . The Air Bladder of the present invention  3  has the typical valve to allow pressurization of the Air Bladder. Pneumatic tire  15  containing the Air Bladder of the present invention  3  is then mounted onto one-piece drop center wheel  20 . The Air Bladder of the present invention  3  is then pressurized to a desired pressure. The tire and wheel assembly containing the Air Bladder of the present invention is now ready for use. 
       FIG. 4  is a partial cross sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the Air Bladder of the present invention. The portion of the Air Bladder that contacts the vee shaped air chamber continues to be molded in the shape and dimensions of the intended vee shaped air chamber. However, the portion of the Air Bladder that will come in contact with the wheel is semicircular. This semicircular “universal” configuration, allows this embodiment of the present invention to accommodate a number of different shapes of the drop center portion of different wheels. Rather than having to mold a number of Air Bladders of the present invention for different wheel profiles. The portion of the Air Bladder that is in contact with the wheel is static. There is no movement. Therefore any stretching or bunching-up of this portion of the Air Bladder does not cause a problem because there is no movement. It is desirable however, to have the radius of this semicircular portion large enough to provide sufficient material to contact the entire wheel with little or no stretching. 
     The portion of the Air Bladder of the present invention that is in contact with the tire liner may be strengthened with fiber reinforcement. This is depicted in  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 5  is a partial view of the Air Bladder of the present invention that is parallel to the rotational axis of the tire. In  FIG. 5  there is shown the Air Bladder of the present invention  3  and individual reinforcing fibers  7 .  FIG. 5  shows one example of the orientation of the fiber reinforcement where reinforcing fibers  7  extend from the top/widest part of the vee shaped air chamber, to the bottom of the vee and up the other side to the top of the vee, i.e., the area of the Air Bladder of the present invention that contacts the tire liner. Individual reinforcing fibers  7  shown in  FIG. 5  would continue 360° all the way around to reinforce the entire Air Bladder of the present invention  3 .  FIG. 5  is one possible example of fiber orientation. Any fiber orientation or fiber pattern desired could be implemented when reinforcing the Air Bladder of the present invention with fibers. Kevlart® or any other suitable type of fiber may be used for the reinforcement of the Air Bladder of the present invention.