Patent Publication Number: US-2020290403-A1

Title: Tire

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a tire, and more particularly, to a tire whose carcass ply is improved. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Usually, steel cords are used for carcass plies of medium and large tires. The carcass ply is an important member that maintains the internal pressure of a tire as a pressure vessel and ensures the durability of the tire. Currently, as a steel cord for use in a carcass ply, a cord having a compact structure (closest-packed structure) such as a 12 cc structure, in which steel filaments are arranged in such a manner to be closest-packed in a cross section of the cord, is mainly used. 
     In the above-described cord structure, usually, a wrapping filament (also referred to as a spiral filament or the like) wound spirally along the longitudinal direction of a cord is provided outside a cord body in order to prevent a cord cross section from being disarranged when the tire is bent. Examples of a secondary effect of the wrapping filament also include an effect of preventing a flared cord-end (an untwisted cord-end). Specifically, since the cord body is constrained by a wrapping filament, even when the steel cord is cut during tire manufacturing, a twist of the cord body is not loosened, so that there is an advantage that a cut end of the steel cord can be easily passed through a guide portion or the like. 
     For example, as a technique for improving a rupture life when a large bending moment is input, without using a wrapping filament, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which, by making the tensile strength of all filaments in a steel cord of 3+ from 7 to 8 structure equal to or more than a predetermined value and making the core filament diameter equal to or larger than the sheath filament diameter, the rubber penetration is improved, and a twist of the cord is prevented from being loosened with the holding force of a sheath using the adhesive force between the sheath and the rubber. 
     RELATED ART DOCUMENT 
     Patent Document 
     Patent Document 1 JPH07-109685A (Claims, paragraphs [0002] to [0006], and the like) 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Problems to be Solved by the Invention 
     Problems with a cord having the above-described compact structure include: a possibility of progress of corrosion o the entire carcass ply when water infiltrates from outside due to an external damage such as tire cut since there am voids between filaments, which may reduce the tire strength, and a possibility of fretting between the cord body and the wrapping filament due to repeated input by rolling the tire. In terms of cost, the above-described compact structure involves an additional step of winding a wrapping filament around a cord body and thus has a problem that causes a cost increase. 
     In order to solve the problems, a cord structure such as a 3+8 structure (rubber penetration structure) is also used that provides a gap between filaments in a cord cross section so that the rubber can infiltrate into the cord cross section during vulcanization. Although this structure can also suppress water flow at the time of external damage, as shown in  FIG. 5 , for example, even in a case using a cord having a 3+8 structure, there is still a gap in a 1×3 core inside 40 and therefore a possibility of water penetration corrosion in the longitudinal direction of the cord still remains. There also have been problems that the gauge pressure in such a tire increases compared with a case of a closest-packed structure, and that such a tire has to be designed in consideration of the end count of plies. Although there is a technology described in Patent Document 1 that addresses these problems, in particular, the realization of a technique that can further improve the corrosion resistance to water penetration, the fretting resistance, and the cord untwisting resistance of a steel cord applied to carcass plies has been desired with the recent increase in required performance for tires. 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a tire in which the corrosion resistance to water penetration, the fretting resistance, and the cord untwisting resistance of a steel cord applied to a carcass ply is improved. 
     Means for Solving the Problems 
     The present inventor intensively studied and found that the following structure can solve the above-described problems, thereby completing the present invention. 
     Specifically, the present invention relates to a tire including a carcass ply as a skeleton, wherein 
     the carcass ply is reinforced by a steel cord including no wrapping filament, the steel cord is composed of a plurality of steel filaments including 3 or more core filaments, at least a part of a surface of each of the plurality of steel filaments is coated with a resin material containing at least an ionomer, and when a resin component contained in the resin material is composed of a single resin, a melting point of the resin material is 150° C. or less, and when the resin component is composed of a composition containing two or more resins, a softening point of the resin material is 150° C. or less. 
     The term “resin” herein conceptually includes a thermoplastic resin including a thermoplastic elastomer and a thermosetting resin including a thermosetting elastomer, and does not include a vulcanized rubber. 
     In the tire of the present invention, the steel cord includes a core portion composed of the core filaments and at least one sheath layer arranged on an outer periphery of the core portion, and when a region occupied by portions other than the steel filaments in a region surrounded by a line connecting centers of respective sheath filaments constituting an outermost sheath layer in a cord cross section orthogonal to a cord longitudinal direction is defined as a gap region, a filling rate indicating a ratio of the resin material to the gap region is preferably from 52% to 120%. 
     In the tire of the present invention, the resin material preferably contains an inorganic filler in an amount of from 0.1 parts by mass to 30 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of a resin component, and more preferably, the inorganic filler is carbon black, and suitably, the grade of the carbon black is GPF. 
     Furthermore, in the tire of the present invention, preferably, the resin material further includes a resin modified with an acid anhydride, and more preferably, the modified resin is a maleic acid-modified resin and/or a dimer acid-modified resin. Still furthermore, in the tire of the present invention, preferably, the mass ratio of the maleic acid-modified resin to the ionomer is from 4:6 to 6:4. 
     EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, a tire in which the corrosion resistance to water penetration, the fretting resistance, and the cord untwisting resistance of a steel cord applied to a carcass ply is improved can be provided. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view in the width direction showing an example of a tire of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view in the width direction of an example of a steel cord according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an explanatory diagram of a region X surrounded by a line connecting the centers of respective sheath filaments constituting an outermost sheath layer in a cord cross section of a steel cord according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an arrangement state of resin filaments when the steel cord shown in  FIG. 2  is manufactured. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view in the width direction showing a conventional steel card having a 3+8 structure. 
     
    
    
     MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view in the width direction showing an example of a tire of the present invention. In  FIG. 1 , a tire  10  of the present invention includes a tread portion  11  forming a ground contact portion, a pair of sidewall portions  12  extending continuously inward in the tire radial direction from both sides thereof, and a pair of bead portions  13  each continuous from the inner peripheral side of each of the sidewall portions  12 . The tread portion  11 , the sidewall portions  12 , and the bead portions  13  are reinforced by a carcass ply  1  toroidally extending between the pair of bead portions  13 . 
     The carcass ply  1  is a member forming a skeleton of a tire, and at least one, for example, from one to six carcass plies are arranged. In the tire  10 , a bead core  2  is embedded in each of the pair of bead portions  13 , and the carcass ply  1  is folded around the bead core  2  from the inside to the outside in the tire radial direction and is locked, however the method of locking the carcass ply  1  is not limited thereto. 
     In the present invention, a specific steel cord described in detail below is used as a ply cord used for reinforcing the carcass ply  1 .  FIG. 2  shows a cross-sectional view in the width direction of an example of the steel cord according to the present invention. In  FIG. 2 , a steel cord  20  has a compact structure (closest-packed structure) of a 12 cc structure, and has twelve steel filaments  21  arranged without gaps in the cord cross section. The steel cord  20  includes a core portion  22  composed of three core filaments  21 C, and a single sheath layer  23  composed of nine sheath filaments  21 S arranged on the outer periphery thereof. 
     As illustrated, the steel cord  20  as the ply cord according to the present invention does not include a wrapping filament conventionally wound around the outer periphery of the cord body. As illustrated, in the steel cord  20  according to the present invention, it is important that at least a part of the surface of the steel filament  21  is coated with a specific resin material  24 . Since at least a part of the surface of the plurality of steel filaments  21  is coated with the resin material  24 , the gap between the filaments in the cord can be reduced to block the water flow path, thereby suppressing the progress of corrosion due to water flow when the tire is externally damaged. Since the steel filaments  21  are constrained to each other by the resin material  24 , the shape of the steel filaments in the tire is maintained without a wrapping filament, which can suppress disarrangement of the cord cross section and loosening of twists of the cord, and since the steel cord does not include a wrapping filament, a fretting problem can be solved and manufacturing costs can be reduced due to the reduction of manufacturing steps. 
     In the present invention, the resin material  24  is a resin material containing at least an ionomer and having a melting point of 150° C. or less when a resin component contained is composed of a single resin or a softening point of 150° C. or less when the resin component contained is composed of a composition containing two or more resins. As described below, in the present invention, the steel cord is formed by melting a resin material at the time of tire vulcanization and coating a steel filament with the melted resin material, and when the softening point or melting point of the resin material exceeds 150° C., the resin material is hardly softened at the time of vulcanization of the tire, and the molding workability deteriorates. The softening point or melting point of the resin material needs to be 150° C. or lower, and suitably 140° C. or lower, and more suitably 120° C. or lower, and suitably 80° C. or higher, and more suitably 90° C. or higher. When the softening point or melting point of the resin material is too low, the resin material is likely to soften due to heat generation during traveling, and a steel filament may be easily loosened, which is not preferable. Here, the softening point refers to a value measured using a softening point test method described in JIS K 7206 (1999). 
     As described below, in the present invention, the resin material is twisted with a steel filament in a state of a resin filament and embedded in a green tire. Therefore, when twisting a steel filament and a resin filament having completely different characteristics from each other, it is necessary to prevent the resin filament from being broken. At the same time, the resin filament must be made of a resin material that has favorable adhesion to the surface of a steel filament after softening and is capable of preventing an interface with the steel filament from peeling off to form a water infiltration path, and that can prevent an interface with rubber or the like that coats a steel cord from peeling off and forming a water infiltration path. Accordingly, in the present invention, it is preferable to use a thermoplastic resin as a resin component of a resin material, and a resin material containing at least an ionomer is used as the resin component. By containing an ionomer, the surface of a resin filament can be smoothed, and when twisted with a steel filament, the slip property between the steel filament and the resin filament can be improved. As a result, breakage of the resin filament can be prevented, the waterproofness of the steel cord can be improved, and at the same the slip property of the resin filament in a twisting machine can be improved. In the present invention, the resin material only needs to contain at least an ionomer. For example, the resin component of the resin material may be a resin filament composed of only an ionomer. 
     Here, the ionomer is a thermoplastic resin containing an olefin (covalent bond) as a main component and an ionic bond (crosslinking) between long chains, which is characterized by having a low density, a high toughness and a high resilience, and being excellent in grease resistance and solvent resistance. A carboxyl group is used as the anion portion of the ion bridge, and a metal ion such as sodium ion, potassium ion, magnesium ion, or zinc ion is used as the cation portion. The ionomer resin can be obtained, for example, by cross-linking between molecular chains (between carboxyl groups in the molecular chain) of a copolymer of ethylene and methacrylic acid with a metal ion as described above. 
     Specific examples of the ion tier include a zinc ion neutralized ionomer such as Himilan 1554, Himilan 1557, Himilan 1650, Himilan 1652, Himilan 1702, Himilan 1706, or Himilan 1855 manufactured by Du Pont-Mitsui Polychemicals Co., Ltd. and a sodium ion neutralized ionomer such as Himilan 1555, Himilan 1601, Himilan 1605, Himilan 1707, Himilan 1856, or AM7331. Further examples thereof include a lithium ion neutralized ionomer such as Surlyn 7930 and a sodium ion neutralized ionomer such as Surlyn 8120 manufactured by DuPont. These may be used singly or in combination of two or more kinds thereof. 
     In the present invention, the resin material preferably contains an inorganic filler. As described above, since the resin material needs to be easily melted at the vulcanization temperature of a tire, a resin material having a softening point or melting point of 150° C. or less needs to be used, and when the softening point, or the melting point of the resin material is low, the strength of a resin filament is reduced, and therefore, at the time of twisting a cord, the resin filament may be broken and productivity may be deteriorated. Therefore, in the present invention, it is preferable to add an inorganic filler to a resin material to improve the strength of a resin filament. By adding the inorganic filler to a resin material, the tackiness on the surface of a resin filament is reduced, so that there is an advantage that the slip property of the resin filament is further improved and the twisting of a steel cord is facilitated. 
     The addition amount of an inorganic filler based on 100 parts by mass of a resin component contained in a resin material is preferably 0.1 parts by mass or more, more preferably 0.5 pans by mass or more, further preferably 5 parts by mass or more, and particularly preferably 10 parts by mass or more, and preferably 30 parts by mass or less, and particularly preferably 20 parts by mass or less. When the addition amount of the inorganic filler based on 100 parts by mass of the resin component is less than 0.1 parts by mass, the reinforcing effect of a resin filament is not sufficiently obtained, whereas when the addition amount exceeds 30 parts by mass, the reinforcing effect of the resin filament is saturated, which is not preferable in terms of manufacturing costs, and at the same time, when the dispersibility of the inorganic filler decreases, the durability of the resin filament may be adversely affected. 
     In the present invention, examples of the inorganic filler include carbon black, silica, aluminum hydroxide, clay, alumina, talc, mica, kaolin, glass balloon, glass bead, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium oxide, titanium oxide, potassium titanate, and barium sulfate. These may be used singly or in combination of two or more kinds thereof. Among these, carbon black is preferred from the viewpoint of reinforcing a resin filament. Since a rubber composition that constitutes a tire also usually contains carbon black, by using carbon black. as the inorganic filler, the compatibility between the resin filament according to the present invention and the rubber composition constituting a tire is improved, and an improvement in the adhesiveness between the rubber and the resin can be expected. 
     When carbon black is used, the grade of carbon black is not particularly limited, and any grade can be appropriately selected and used. For example, SRF, GPF, FEF, HAF, ISAF, SAF, or the like used, and particularly preferred examples include GPF, FEF, HAF, ISAF, and SAF, which are excellent in bending resistance and fracture resistance. The nitrogen adsorption specific surface area N 2 SA (based on JIS K 6217-2: 2001) is preferably 20 m 2 /g or more, and more preferably 25 m 2 /g or more, and preferably 150 m 2 /g or less, and more preferably 130 m 2 /g or less. 
     In the present invention, the resin material may further contain an acid-modified resin, and among acid-modified resins, a resin modified with an acid anhydride such as dimer acid, maleic acid, or itaconic acid is preferable. A maleic acid-modified resin is preferable since such a resin can improve the adhesiveness to steel filaments. In the present invention, the ratio of an acid-modified resin can be appropriately set as long as the resin material contains at least an ionomer. In order to obtain a favorable balance between an effect of a maleic acid-modified resin and an effect of an ionomer, the mass ratio between the maleic acid-modified resin and the ionomer may be from 1:9 to 9:1, and in consideration of the balance of various performances, the mass ratio is preferably from 4:6 to 6:4. When the ionomer satisfies the lower limit of the above-described mass ratio or more, the slip property of a resin filament at the time of manufacturing is improved in order to promote vulcanization adhesion at the interface between a resin material and a coating material such as rubber during vulcanization, it is preferable to set the degree of neutralization of an ionomer to be high, and to prepare a blend that does not cause vulcanization inhibition on the alkali side. 
     Examples of the maleic acid-modified resin include maleic anhydride-modified styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SEBS), maleic anhydride-modified ultra-low density polyethylene, maleic anhydride-modified ethylene-butene-1 copolymer, maleic anhydride-modified ethylene-propylene copolymer, maleic anhydride-modified ethylene-octene, and maleic anhydride-modified propylene. Specific examples of commercially available products include Tuftec M1943, M1911, and M1913 manufactured by Asahi Kasci Corporation. Other examples include Admer LB548, NF518, QF551, QF500, and QE060, High wax 4051E, 4252E, and 1105A, and Tuffmer MH7010 and MH7020 manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. These may be used singly or in combination of two or more kinds thereof. 
     Further, the resin material according to the present invention may contain a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer other than the ionomer and the acid-modified resin to such art extent that the above-described effects are not impaired. Still further, various additives such as an antioxidant, an oil, a plasticizer, a color former, and a weathering agent may be contained (blended). 
     The steel cord  20  according to the present invention is constituted by the plurality of steel filaments  21 , and the structure is not particularly limited as long as at least a part thereof is coated with the resin material. Specific examples thereof include a cord having a compact structure in which steel filaments are closest-packed in the cord cross section as shown in  FIG. 2  and a cord having a layer-twisted structure such as 3+9+16 structure. In particular, a compact structure is preferable from the viewpoint of improving strength. When there are three or more core filaments, corrosion due to gaps formed between the core filaments is likely to occur, and therefore, the present invention is particularly useful when a steel cord having three or more core filaments, for example, three core filaments is used as a ply cord. 
     In the present invention, a desired effect can be obtained as long as at least a part of steel filaments constituting a steel cord is coated with a resin material. Preferably, as shown in  FIG. 3 , in a cord cross section of the steel cord  20 , orthogonal to the cord longitudinal direction, when a region occupied by portions other than the steel filament  21  in a region X (hatched portion in the figure) surrounded by a line connecting the centers of the respective sheath filaments  21 S constituting the outermost sheath layer (the sheath layer  23  in the figure) is defined as a gap region, a filling rate indicating a ratio of the resin material  24  to the gap region is 52% or more, and particularly 60% or more, and preferably 120% or less, and more preferably 100% or less. When the filling rate of the resin material  24  is 52% or more, it is preferable because the cord untwisting resistance, and the corrosion resistance to water, penetration are further improved. It is noted that the filling rate of the resin material  24  is 100% or more means that the resin material  24  is filled to the outside of the region X, namely, that a portion corresponding to the outer periphery portion of a cord on the surface of each sheath filament  21 S constituting the outermost sheath layer is coated with the resin material  24 . When the portion corresponding to the outer periphery portion of the cord on the surface of each sheath filament 21S constituting the outermost sheath layer is coated with the resin material  24 , the adhesiveness between the card and the coating material such as rubber deteriorates, and therefore, the filling rate of the resin material  24  is preferably 120% or less. When using a resin material that can adhere to a coating material such as rubber as the resin material  24 , the filling rate of the resin material  24  may exceed 120%, and for example, the entire sheath filament  21 S may be coated with the resin material  24 . 
     In the present invention, as the steel filament, any conventionally used steel filament can be used, and in order to secure the ply strength, it is preferable to use a steel filament having a tensile strength of 2,700 N/mm 2  or more. As the steel filament having high tensile strength, a steel filament containing at least 0.72% by mass, particularly at least 0.82% by mass of carbon can be suitably used. 
     The surface of a steel filament may be plated. The composition of the plating on the surface of the steel filament is not particularly limited, and is preferably brass plating made of copper and zinc, and more preferably has a copper content of 60% by mass or more. As a result, the adhesiveness between a steel filament and a coating material such as rubber can be improved. 
     In the present invention, the wire diameter of a steel filament and a resin filament and the cord diameter are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately selected according to the type, the size, and the like of a tire. The conditions such as the twist direction and twist pitch, of a steel cord and the end count of the steel cord in a carcass ply are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately designed according to a conventional method. Further, the present invention, the material for coating a steel cord is not particularly limited, and a commonly used material for coating a steel cord such as a thermoplastic resin, a thermosetting resin, a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermosetting elastomer, or a rubber can be appropriately used. 
     The above-described steel cord as a ply cord in the present invention is obtained by twisting a steel filament and a resin filament made of the above-described resin material, heating the resin filament to a flowable state, and filling a gap between the steel filaments with the resin material. 
     Specifically, first, a resin filament made of the resin material is manufactured. The resin filament can be manufactured by a known method, and the manufacturing method is not particularly limited. For example, the resin filament can be manufactured by kneading a resin component, such as the ionomer, and the inorganic filler and drawing the obtained resin composition. The resin filament can also be produced by preparing a masterbatch in which a large amount of an inorganic filler is added to a resin component in advance, adding the masterbatch to the resin component to prepare a resin composition containing a predetermined content of an inorganic filler, and stretching the resin composition. 
     The position of a resin filament when twisting a steel filament and the resin filament is not particularly limited as long as the resin material of the resin filament can be filled in a gap between the steel filaments by heating. For example, in the case of a steel cord having a layer-twisted structure, the position of the resin filament is preferably inside the outermost sheath filament, and in the case of a steel cord having a multi-twisted structure, the position of the resin filament is preferably inside the outermost sheath strand or inside the outermost sheath filament of each strand. In the case of the compact structure shown in  FIG. 2  described above, since there is a plurality of gaps formed between the three steel filaments  21  in the cross section of the cord, it is preferable to arrange the resin filaments  31  at locations corresponding to the gaps as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     By improving the strength of a resin filament, the steel cord according to the present invention can be manufactured, using a twisting machine generally used for producing steel cords for tires, by twisting together with the resin filament at the time of twisting the steel cord. Therefore, the number of working processes is not increased, and the productivity is not reduced. In order to prevent breakage of a resin filament caused by twisting different materials of a steel filament and the resin filament, it is preferable to use a resin material having as high a strength as possible. The strength of a resin filament can be increased by increasing the drawing magnification during the manufacturing of the resin filament. It is preferable that a resin filament in a twisting machine has good slippage. Here, at the time of twisting, all resin filaments and steel filaments may be twisted in one process, or a part thereof may be twisted in a separate process. 
     After twisting a steel filament and a resin filament, straightening may be performed on a twisted cord with a straightener. By plastically deforming the resin filament in the straightening process, the stability of the shape as a steel cord can be secured, which is preferable. 
     The tire of the present invention is obtained by using the above-described twisted cord as a ply cord of a carcass ply. By assembling a green tire and performing vulcanization according to a conventional method, heating during the vulcanization softens a resin filament to a flowable state and fills a gap between steel filaments, whereby at least a part of the steel filaments is covered with a resin material constituting the resin filament. Although, in a state in which the steel filaments and the resin filament are twisted together, the steel filaments are not in a closest-packed state, when tension is applied to the carcass ply during the vulcanization, the steel filaments are arranged in a close-packed state as the resin material flows. 
     In the present invention, vulcanization conditions such as vulcanization time, temperature, and pressure in the vulcanization process when manufacturing a tire are not particularly limited, and known conditions can be adopted. As a process other than the vulcanization process at the time of manufacturing a tire, a normal tire manufacturing process can be adopted, and there is no particular limitation. For example, in a tire molding process before, a vulcanization process, members needed for forming a tire with a belt layer, a carcass, a bead core, and the like may be prepared, and then these members may be assembled into a single tire using a molding machine to form a green tire, and then vulcanization may be performed. 
     The present invention, in which a steel cord is used as a ply cord, is usually applied to medium or large tires, and specifically, is useful for heavy load tires such as trucks or buses. The tire of the present invention is not particularly limited except that the above-described steel cord is applied to a carcass ply, and may have a known structure. For example, in the tire shown in  FIG. 1 , on the outer side of the carcass ply  1  in the tire radial direction of a crown portion, a belt  3  composed of at least four layers inclined in the tire circumferential direction, four layers of a first belt layer  3   a,  a second belt layer  3   b,  a third belt layer  3   c,  and a fourth belt layer  3   d  in the illustrated example, is arranged. Although not illustrated, a bead filler having a tapered cross section is usually arranged outside the bead core in the tine radial direction. As the gas to be charged into the tire, in addition to normal air or air with adjusted oxygen partial pressure, an inert gas such as nitrogen, argon, or helium can be used. 
     EXAMPLES 
     Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Examples. 
     Example 1 
     By twisting a steel filament having a wire diameter of 0.34 mm and a resin filament having a wire diameter of 0.08 mm, a steel cord having a 12 cc structure as shown in  FIG. 4  is produced. The obtained steel cord is coated with a coating rubber to produce a steel cord-rubber composite. The resin filament is prepared by drawing a resin composition A obtained by kneading Tuftec M1943 (softening point: 39° C.) manufactured by Asahi Kasei Corporation as the maleic anhydride-modified SEBS, Himilan 1702 manufactured by Du Pont-Mitsui Polychemicals Co., Ltd. (softening point 90° C.) as the ionomer, and Carbon black (manufactured by Asahi Carbon Co., Ltd., Asahi #55 (GPF)) at the ratio shown in Table 1 below. Compounded rubber shown in Table 2 below is used as the coating rubber. 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
             
               
                   
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Resin com- 
                 Resin com- 
               
               
                   
                 position A 
                 position B 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                 Compounded 
                 Anhydrous maleic 
                 50 
                 — 
               
               
                 amount (parts 
                 acid-modified SEBS *1 
               
               
                 by mass) 
                 Ionomer *2 
                 50 
                 100 
               
               
                   
                 Carbon black *3 
                 20 
                 15 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                 Softening point or melting point (° C.) 
                 90 or less 
                 90 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 *1 Manufactured by Asahi Kasei Corporation, Tuftec M1943 (Softening point; 39° C.) 
               
               
                 *2 Manufactured by Du Pont-Mitsui Polychemicals Co., Ltd., Himilan 1702 (Melting point: 90° C.) 
               
               
                 *3 Manufactured by Asahi Carbon Co., Ltd., Asahi #55 (GPF) 
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
       
         
           
               
               
             
               
                   
                 TABLE 2 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Compounded amount (parts by mass) 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                 Natural rubber * 4   
                 100 
               
               
                 Carbon black * 5   
                 60 
               
               
                 Cobalt salt * 6   
                 1 
               
               
                 Oxidation zinc 
                 7.5 
               
               
                 Vulcanization accelerator * 7   
                 1 
               
               
                 Sulfur * 8   
                 6 
               
               
                 Antioxidant * 9   
                 3.5 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 * 4  Natural rubber: RSS #3 
               
               
                 * 5  Carbon black: N326 manufactured by Asahi Carbon Co., Ltd., “Asahi #70L” 
               
               
                 * 6  Cobalt salt: manufactured by Datnippon Ink and Chemicals, Incorporated, “DICNATE NBC-II” 
               
               
                 * 7  Vulcanization accelerator: manufactured by Ouchi Shinko Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd.,“Nocceler-DZ” (N,N-diclohexyl-benzothiazolysulfenamide) 
               
               
                 * 8  Insoluble sulfur: manufactured by Flexsys Inc., trade name “Crystex HS OT 20” 
               
               
                 * 9  Antioxidant: manufactured by Ouchi Shinko Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd., “Nocrac NS-6” 
               
            
           
         
       
     
     Examples 2, 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4 
     Steel cord-rubber composites of Examples and Comparative Examples are produced under the conditions shown in Table 3 below. In Examples 2 and 3 and Comparative Example 4, a steel cord is produced using a steel filament and as resin filament in the same manner as in Example 1, and the obtained steel cord is coated with a coating rubber to produce a steel cord-rubber composite. In Comparative Examples 1 to 3, a steel cord was produced using a steel filament, and the obtained steel cord is coated with a coating rubber to produce a steel cord-rubber composite. 
     Each obtained steel cord-rubber composite is vulcanized at 145° C. for 15 minutes, and the vulcanized steel cord-rubber composite is evaluated as described below. After the vulcanization, a steel filament constituting a steel cord of each Example is at least partially coated with a resin material. 
     (Test Method for Corrosion Resistance to Water Penetration) 
     A cord end of a vulcanized steel cord-rubber composite is exposed by polishing, immersed in a 5% by mass saline solution for 2 weeks, and a static corrosion test is performed to measure the length of rust development inside the cord. The test results are described in a table, with the case of rust development of less than 5 mm denoted by ∘, the case of rust development of 5 mm or more and less than 50 mm denoted by Δ, and the case of rust development of 50 mm or more denoted by ×. 
     (Cord Untwisting Resistance) 
     A steel cord-rubber composite after vulcanization is cut with a shearing cutter, and a cord untwisting resistance test is carried out by holding the position about 10 cm from an end of a cord by hand and hitting the end of the cord three times on a desk. The test results are described in a table, with the case of no filaments unraveled denoted by ∘, the case of less than half of the outermost sheath filaments unraveled denoted by Δ, and the case of all of the outermost sheath filaments unraveled denoted by ×. Δ indicates that the composite has sufficient durability when used as a tire member, and Δ indicates that the composite has further durability. 
     (Fretting Resistance) 
     A test is carried out by a belt bending fatigue method in which a sample obtained by embedding three 500 mm long steel cords in an unvulcanized rubber and vulcanizing at 145° C. for 15 minutes in a belt-shaped mold 10 mm wide×6 mm thick×500 mm long is hung at the center thereof on a cylinder having a diameter D where the bending strain of the outer periphery portion of the cord is 1% in a conversion formula according to strain=d/D when the cord diameter is d, and the sample is reciprocated 100,000 times while applying a constant tension at 30 N to both ends of the sample. The test results are described in a table, with the case of no fretting damage between a wrapping filament and the outermost sheath after fatigue or fracture denoted by ∘, the case of fretting damage denoted by ×. 
     (Test Method for Adhesive Strength) 
     For a sample obtained by embedding 210 min long, steel cords at an interval of 2 mm in an unvulcanized rubber and vulcanizing at 145° C. for 15 minutes in a mold 55 mm wide×7 mm thick×210 mm long, the peeling force when a cord end is peeled from the rubber is measured. The peel strength of Comparative Example 1 having the same structure and serving as a reference is set to 100, the peeling force in Examples is indexed with respect to the strength, and 90 or more is determined as an adhesive strength that can be used. 
     Examples 4 to 6 and Comparative Example 5 
     Conditions are changed as shown in Table 4 below to produce steel cord-rubber composites of Examples and Comparative Examples. In Examples 4 to 6 and Comparative Example 5, a steel cord is produced using a steel filament and a resin filament in the same manner as in Example 1, and the obtained steel cord is coated with a coating rubber to produce a steel cord-rubber composite. 
     Each of the obtained steel cord-rubber composites is vulcanized at 145° C. for 15 minutes, and the vulcanized steel cord-rubber composites are evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1. Regarding the adhesive strength, the peel strength in Comparative Example 5 is set to 100, the peeling force in Examples is indexed, and 90 or more is determined as an adhesive strength that can be used. After the vulcanization, a steel filament constituting a steel cord of each Example is at least partially coated with a resin material. 
     These results are collectively shown in Tables 3 and 4 below. 
                                                     TABLE 3                       Comparative   Comparative   Comparative   Comparative                       Example 1   Example 2   Example 3   Example 4   Example 1   Example 2   Example 3                                                                    Coating   Rubber   Rubber   Rubber   Resin   Resin   resin   resin       material               composition   composition   composition   composition                       A   A   B   B       Cord   12 cc   12 cc   3 + 8 (rubber   12 cc   12 cc   12 cc   12 cc       structure           penetration                   structure)       Wrapping   Yes   None   None   Yes   None   None   None       filament *10       Filling rate    0    0   60    60    60   100   120       (%) *11       Corrosion   x   x   Δ   ∘   ∘   ∘   ∘       resistance to       water       penetration       Cord   ∘   x   Δ   ∘   ∘   ∘   ∘       untwisting       resistance       Fretting   x   ∘   ∘   x   ∘   ∘   ∘       resistance       Adhesive   100   100   —   100   100    95    90       strength       (index)                    
*10) A steel filament having a wire diameter of 0.15 mm is used.
     *11) A ratio of the resin material to a gap region defined as a region occupied by portions, other than the steel filaments in a region surrounded by a line connecting the centers of respective sheath filaments constituting an outermost sheath layer in a cord cross section orthogonal to the cord longitudinal direction of the steel cord expressed as a percentage.   

     
       
         
           
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
                 TABLE 4 
               
               
                   
               
               
                   
                 Comparative 
                   
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Example 5 
                 Example 4 
                 Example 5 
                 Example 6 
               
               
                   
                 Resin 
                 Resin 
                 Resin 
                 Resin 
               
               
                 Coating 
                 composition 
                 composition 
                 composition 
                 composition 
               
               
                 material 
                 A 
                 A 
                 B 
                 B 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                 Cord structure 
                 3 + 9 + 16 
                 3 + 9 + 16 
                 3 + 9 + 16 
                 3 + 9 + 16 
               
               
                 Wrapping 
                 Yes 
                 None 
                 None 
                 None 
               
               
                 filament * 10   
               
               
                 Filling rate 
                  60 
                  60 
                 100 
                 120 
               
               
                 (%) * 11   
               
               
                 Corrosion 
                 ∘ 
                 ∘ 
                 ∘ 
                 ∘ 
               
               
                 resistance to 
               
               
                 water 
               
               
                 penetration 
               
               
                 Cord 
                 ∘ 
                 ∘ 
                 ∘ 
                 ∘ 
               
               
                 untwisting 
               
               
                 resistance 
               
               
                 Fretting 
                 x 
                 ∘ 
                 ∘ 
                 ∘ 
               
               
                 resistance 
               
               
                 Adhesive 
                 100 
                 100 
                  95 
                  90 
               
               
                 strength 
               
               
                 (index) 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     As shown in the above Tables, according to a steel cord of each Example that includes no wrapping filament and in which at least a part of a steel filament is coated with a predetermined resin material, it is clear that excellent corrosion resistance to water penetration, cord untwisting resistance, and fretting resistance, and high adhesive strength can be obtained. 
     DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 
     
         
           1  Carcass ply 
           2  Bead core 
           3  Belt 
           3   a  First belt layer 
           3   b  Second belt layer 
           3   c  Third belt layer 
           3   d  Fourth belt layer 
           10  Tire 
           11  Tread portion 
           12  Sidewall portion 
           13  Bead portion 
           20  Steel cord 
           21  Steel filament 
           21 C Core filament 
           21 S Sheath filament 
           22  Core portion 
           23  Sheath layer 
           24  Resin material 
           31  Resin filament 
           40  Core inside 
         X Region surrounded by a line connecting centers of respective sheath filaments constituting outermost sheath layer  10  in cord cross section