Patent Description:
Studless tires are known as tires that can exert a large driving force and braking force on snowy roads and icy roads (ice and snow road surfaces) while suppressing the occurrence of environmental problems such as dust, and are disclosed in Patent Document <NUM> and the like. In order to exert a large driving force and braking force on ice and snow road surfaces, pneumatic tires such as studless tires are required to have excellent starting performance, acceleration performance and braking performance of tires on ice and snow road surfaces, that is, excellent performance on ice. Therefore, various methods for improving the performance on ice have been proposed.

For example, a method for forming the tread portion with a rubber composition containing solid fine particles (inorganic fine particles, non-metal fibers, walnut powder, etc.) has been proposed, and Patent Document <NUM> discloses a rubber composition for studless tire containing eggshell powder.

Further, Patent Document <NUM> discloses a rubber composition for studless tire in which a combination of eggshell powder having an average particle size of <NUM> or less and eggshell powder having an average particle size of <NUM> to <NUM> is blended in order to improve the performance on ice while maintaining the wear resistance of the tire.

Further, a pneumatic tire formed by a rubber composition for a tire, in which a non-metal fiber having an average fiber diameter of <NUM> to <NUM> and a filler (inorganic fine particles) having two or more protrusions having a length of <NUM> to <NUM> times the average fiber diameter are contained in a diene rubber, is disclosed in Patent Document <NUM> as a studless tire having excellent performance on ice (friction performance on ice) and not significantly deteriorating wear resistance; and glass fiber is exemplified as the non-metal fiber, and zinc oxide whisker is exemplified as the filler.

Further, it is described in Patent Document <NUM> and the like that, in the tread pattern shown in <FIG> in the same document, the rigidity of the shoulder block portion (hereinafter, referred to as "shoulder portion" and "Sh portion") should be larger than the rigidity of the crown block portion (hereinafter, may be referred to as "center portion" or " Cr portion") in order to prevent one-sided wear of the studless tire. Patent Document <NUM> discloses a tire wherein the rubber composition of at least the central region of the tread contains bamboo charcoal powder. Patent Document <NUM> describes a tire wherein the rubber composition of the central portion and both shoulder portions of the tread contains thermally expandable microcapsules and expanded graphite, in different compounding ratios. Patent Document <NUM> discloses a tire having a tread rubber which includes a crown rubber part and a shoulder rubber part arranged on both sides of the crown rubber part, wherein the crown rubber part is blended with short fibers, while the shoulder rubber part does not include short fibers.

Pneumatic tires, such as studless tires, that require performance on ice, are often mounted on vehicles in advance before the snow season and run on dry roads. This tendency is particularly remarkable in heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks and buses. Moreover, in recent years, even after the end of the snow season, there are many cases where studless tires and the like continue to be used without replacement. However, it has been found that when a tire is used in this way, the appearance of the conventional studless tire or the like as described above may be deteriorated. In particular, the more the filling of solid particles is blended to the rubber composition forming the tread portion, the more easily the appearance is deteriorated.

Since tires are also desired to have a good appearance, deterioration of the appearance is a problem and solving the problem is desired. An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of pneumatic tires such as conventional studless tires. That is, an object is to provide a pneumatic tire in which deterioration of the appearance of the tire is suppressed without impairing the excellent performance on ice and wear resistance of a conventional pneumatic tire such as a studless tire, when traveling on a dry road surface for a long time; and is to provide a method for manufacturing the same.

The present inventor has conducted diligent studies for the solution to the above problems and found that the deterioration of the appearance of the tire is mainly caused by wear or loss of the tread end (edge portion of the shoulder portion) of the tread portion (the edge roughness of the shoulder portion) that occurs during running on a dry road surface. Then, it was found that if the product of the particle size and the blending amount (volume fraction) of the solid fine particles blended in the rubber composition forming the center portion of the tread is made larger than the product of the particle size and the blending amount (volume fraction) of the solid fine particles blended in the rubber composition forming the shoulder portion, the edge roughness of the shoulder portion is reduced and the deterioration of the appearance of the tire is suppressed while maintaining the excellent performance on ice. The present invention was thus completed. That is, the above-mentioned object of the present invention is solved by the pneumatic tire having the configuration shown below.

The present invention (the invention of claim <NUM>) is a pneumatic tire having a tread portion comprising a shoulder portion and a center portion, wherein the center portion is formed by a rubber composition A which contains a rubber component A, a reinforcing filler A, and solid fine particles A having an average particle size of <NUM> pm or more, and the shoulder portion is formed by a rubber composition B which contains a rubber component B and a reinforcing filler B, and contains solid fine particles B having an average particle size of <NUM> or more, which is characterized by satisfying the following formula,<MAT> wherein PA is the average particle size of the solid fine particles A, RA is the volume fraction of the blending amount of the solid fine particles A to the blending amount of the rubber component A, PE is the average particle size of the solid fine particles B, and RE is the volume fraction of the blending amount of the solid fine particles B to the blending amount of the rubber component B, and the solid fine particles A and the solid fine particles B are one or more selected from the group consisting of eggshells, non-metal fibers, glass fiber, zinc oxide whiskers, rice husks, Shirasu and water-soluble metal salt fine particles, and the average particle size of the solid fine particles B is less than <NUM>.

Among the pneumatic tires of the present invention, the pneumatic tire (claim <NUM>) characterized by satisfying the formula: (PB × RB) × <NUM> < PA × BA is more preferable, and the pneumatic tire (claim <NUM>) characterized by satisfying the formula: (PB × RB) × <NUM> < PA × RA is further more preferable.

The invention of claim <NUM> is the pneumatic tire according to any one of claims <NUM> to <NUM>, wherein the tire is a studless tire. The pneumatic tire of the present invention is a tire that exhibits excellent performance on ice, and a studless tire is a typical example thereof.

In the pneumatic tire according to the invention, the solid fine particles A and the solid fine particles B are one or more selected from the group consisting of eggshells, non-metal fibers, glass fiber, zinc oxide whiskers, rice husks, Shirasu and water-soluble metal salt fine particles.

The invention of claim <NUM> is the pneumatic tire according to any one of claims <NUM> to <NUM>, wherein the solid fine particle A is an eggshell having an average particle size of <NUM> or more.

The invention of claim <NUM> is the pneumatic tire according to any one of claims <NUM> to <NUM>, wherein the solid fine particle A is a glass fiber having an average fiber diameter of <NUM> or more.

The invention of claim <NUM> is the pneumatic tire according to any one of claims <NUM> to <NUM>, wherein the solid fine particle A is a zinc oxide whisker having two or more protrusions and having an average length of the protrusions (average needle-like fiber length) of <NUM> or more.

The invention of claim <NUM> is the pneumatic tire according to any one of claims <NUM> to <NUM>, wherein the reinforcing filler A contains carbon black and silica, the blending amounts of the carbon black and the silica in the rubber component A are each <NUM>% by mass or more with respect to the rubber component A, and the total blending amount of the carbon black and silica is <NUM>% by mass or more with respect to the rubber component A.

The invention of claim <NUM> is the pneumatic tire according to any one of claims <NUM> to <NUM>, wherein the reinforcing filler B contains carbon black or contains carbon black and silica, the blending amount of the carbon black is <NUM>% by mass or more with respect to the rubber component B, and the total blending amount of the carbon black and silica is <NUM>% by mass or more with respect to the rubber component B.

The invention according to claim <NUM> is the pneumatic tire according to any one of claims <NUM> to <NUM>, wherein the rubber component A and the rubber component B are a mixed rubber of natural rubber (NR) and butadiene rubber (BR).

The invention of claim <NUM> is a method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire according to any one of claims <NUM> to <NUM>, comprising.

According to the present invention, a pneumatic tire, particularly a studless tire, which has excellent performance on ice and wear resistance, has less wear and loss on the shoulder portion even when driven on a dry road surface for a long time, and suppresses deterioration of the tire appearance, is provided. The pneumatic tire of the present invention can be easily manufactured by the above-mentioned method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

An example of a tread pattern of a studless tire, which is a typical example of the pneumatic tire of the present invention, is shown in <FIG>. In <FIG>, the portion indicated by reference numeral <NUM> is the center portion (Cr portion, crown block portion), and the portions represented by reference numerals <NUM> on both sides of the center portion <NUM> are shoulder portions (Sh portion, shoulder block portion).

That is, the shoulder portion means the side portion (edge portion) of the tread portion near the side surface on both sides of the tire, and the center portion means the central portion of the tread portion sandwiched between the shoulder portions. Normally, for each of both sides of the surfaces, the portion having a width of <NUM>% or more and less than <NUM>% of the total width of the tread portion is regarded as the shoulder portion, and the remaining central portion having a width of <NUM>% or more and less than <NUM>% is regarded as the center portion. The same applies to the pneumatic tire of the present invention other than the studless tire.

By forming the shoulder portion and the center portion defined as above using the rubber composition specified in the present invention, excellent performance on ice and wear resistance are obtained, deterioration of the appearance of the tire is suppressed, and the object of the present invention can be achieved. In order to achieve the object, it is preferable that a portion having a width of <NUM>% or more and less than <NUM>% on both side of the tread portion is defined as a shoulder portion, and a portion having a width of <NUM>% or more and less than <NUM>% of the central portion is defined as a center portion.

Various grooves are engraved and various tread patterns are formed in the tread portion of the tire to improve the running performance, maneuverability, driving force, braking performance, straight running stability, grip and drainage of the tire, and to reduce the running resistance. In the example of <FIG>, a so-called block type pattern is engraved, and a groove substantially perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the tire is engraved on the shoulder portion <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, on the center portion <NUM>, are engraved four main grooves <NUM> extending continuously in the tire circumferential direction and a plurality of lateral grooves <NUM> extending across the two main grooves <NUM> and provided in a lateral direction (a direction substantially perpendicular to the circumferential direction) spaced apart in the tire circumferential direction. The main groove <NUM> is a wide groove designed for drainage.

A sub groove <NUM> extending continuously in the tire circumferential direction is formed at a substantially intermediate position between the two main grooves <NUM> and a position between the center portion <NUM> and the shoulder portion <NUM> with a width and groove depth smaller than those of the main groove <NUM>. Further, in order to improve the running performance on ice, on the center portion <NUM>, a siping <NUM> which is a groove having a width smaller than that of the main groove <NUM> and the sub groove <NUM> is formed in a direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the tire so as to connect the adjacent main grooves <NUM> or to connect the main groove <NUM> and the lateral groove <NUM>.

On the shoulder portion <NUM>, a plurality of lateral grooves <NUM> provided in the lateral direction at intervals in the tire circumferential direction are engraved. Further, a siping <NUM> is also formed in the lateral direction.

The tread pattern of the pneumatic tire of the present invention can be the pattern shown in <FIG>, although it can also be another pattern. The tread pattern of the pneumatic tire of the present invention is not particularly limited, and the optimum pattern is selected in consideration of running performance, braking performance, drainage performance, running resistance, etc., according to the application of the tire.

<FIG> is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the pneumatic tire of the present invention which is a studless tire (only the right half is shown because it is symmetrical). In <FIG> is a shoulder portion and <NUM> is a center portion. The shoulder portion <NUM> is formed of the rubber composition <NUM> (rubber composition B) for forming the shoulder portion, and the center portion <NUM> is formed of the rubber composition <NUM> (rubber composition A) for forming the center portion.

In the studless tire of the example of <FIG>, two layers of an innerliner and a ply are provided inside the tire in the radial direction. The innerliner and ply are formed in the shape of the tire and are formed on the tread side and the side of the tire. In <FIG>, <NUM> represents an innerliner and <NUM> represents a ply.

A breaker <NUM> is pasted on the radial outside of the tire on the tread surface side of the ply <NUM>, a band <NUM> is pasted on the outside of the breaker <NUM>, and a rubber composition <NUM> (rubber composition A) is further pasted on the outside to form the center portion <NUM>.

A bead <NUM> is set at the end of the ply <NUM> (side of the tire), and a sidewall <NUM> is provided to cover the side of the tire.

The shoulder portion <NUM> is provided on the outer side of the ply <NUM> in the tire radial direction so as to be pasted on the ply <NUM>. The shoulder portion <NUM> is further provided so as to be adhered to the center portion <NUM> and the sidewall <NUM>. In <FIG>, <NUM> represents an edge portion of the shoulder portion <NUM> (tread).

The pneumatic tire of the present invention is characterized by the center portion (<NUM> in <FIG>) of the tread portion being formed of the rubber composition A and by the shoulder portion (<NUM> in <FIG>) being formed by the rubber composition B.

The rubber composition A is composed of a rubber component A, a reinforcing filler A such as carbon black and silica, and solid fine particles A having an average particle size of <NUM> or more as essential components. The rubber composition B is composed of a rubber component B and a reinforcing filler B such as carbon black as essential components, and further contains solid fine particles B having an average particle size of <NUM> or more, wherein the average particle size of the solid fine particles B is less than <NUM>. In each of the rubber compositions A and B, in addition to the above-mentioned essential components, other non-essential components can be blended as necessary, in consideration of the characteristics desired for the tire within a range that does not impair the object of the present invention.

As the rubber components A and B, diene-based rubber used in the production of conventional studless tires can be used. For example, a type of diene based rubber such as natural rubbers (NR), polyisoprene rubber (IR), various polybutadiene rubbers (BR), various styrene-butadiene copolymer rubbers (SBR), acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer rubbers (NBR), butyl rubbers, butyl halogenated rubbers and polychloroprene (CR) can be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

Among them, a rubber component blended with natural rubber (NR) and butadiene rubber (BR) is preferable from the viewpoint of good low temperature characteristics and an excellent balance between low temperature characteristics, processability, durability and the like.

The blending ratio of NR in the blend of natural rubber (NR) and butadiene rubber (BR) is preferably <NUM>% by mass or more, more preferably <NUM>% by mass or more, based on the total of NR and BR. Further, <NUM>% by mass or less is preferable, and <NUM>% by mass or less is more preferable. Within the above range, a better low temperature characteristic and an excellent balance between the low temperature characteristic and processability, durability and the like can be obtained.

As the reinforcing filler to be filled for reinforcing the tire in the rubber composition forming the tire, carbon black, silica or the like can be mentioned. As the carbon black or silica, carbon black or silica usually used in the manufacture of tires can be used.

As the reinforcing filler A to be blended in the rubber composition A for forming the center portion, those containing both carbon black and silica are preferable. The preferable range of the blending amounts of carbon black and silica in the rubber composition A varies depending on the type of the solid fine particles A, although it is usually preferable that the blending amount of carbon black is <NUM>% by mass or more, the blending amount of silica is <NUM>% by mass or more, and the total blending amount of carbon black and silica is <NUM>% by mass or more, with respect to the blending amount of the rubber component A.

When the solid fine particles A are eggshells and the silica content is <NUM>% by mass or less with respect to the rubber component A, the blending amount of carbon black in the rubber composition A is more preferably <NUM>% by mass or more and further more preferably <NUM>% by mass or more with respect to the rubber component A, from the viewpoint of the strength of the tire (center portion). Further, <NUM>% by mass or less is more preferable, and <NUM>% by mass or less is still more preferable.

The more preferable range of the blending amount of silica in the rubber composition A varies depending on the blending amount of carbon black used in combination and the type of solid fine particles. When the solid fine particles A are eggshells and the content of carbon black is <NUM>% by mass or more with respect to the rubber component A, the blending amount of silica is more preferably <NUM>% by mass or more with respect to the rubber component A. By setting the silica content to <NUM>% by mass or more, the excellent performance on ice required for studless tires in recent years can be obtained. In the above case, the content of silica is more preferably <NUM>% by mass or more, particularly preferably <NUM>% by mass or more, and more excellent performance on ice can be obtained.

On the other hand, for heavy-duty tires used for trucks, buses, etc., when the solid fine particles A are eggshells, the content of silica is preferably <NUM>% by mass or less, more preferably <NUM>% by mass or less, further more preferably <NUM>% by mass or less, with respect to the rubber component A. By setting the content of silica to <NUM>% by mass or less, deterioration of wear performance can be prevented. However, for a low load tire such as a PC tire, wear performance can be ensured even when the content of silica is higher than the above range.

As the reinforcing filler B to be blended in the rubber composition B for forming the shoulder portion, the one containing carbon black is preferable. Further, the rubber composition B may contain silica as a reinforcing filler B. By blending silica, the performance on ice can be further improved.

The blending amount of the carbon black is preferably <NUM>% by mass or more with respect to the rubber component B, and when silica is contained, the total blending amount of the carbon black and silica is preferably <NUM>% by mass or more with respect to the rubber component B.

When the solid fine particles B are eggshells and the blending amount of silica is <NUM>% by mass or less with respect to the rubber component B, the blending amount of carbon black in the rubber composition B is more preferably <NUM>% by mass or more, further more preferably <NUM>% by mass or more with respect to the rubber component B, from the viewpoint of the strength of the tire (shoulder portion), and <NUM>% by mass or less is preferable, <NUM>% by mass or less is more preferable.

When the solid fine particles B are eggshells, the blending amount of silica is preferably <NUM>% by mass or more with respect to the rubber component B from the viewpoint of improving the performance on ice. On the other hand, for heavy-duty tires used for trucks, buses, etc., when the solid fine particles B are eggshells, the blending amount of silica in the rubber composition B is preferably <NUM>% by mass or less, more preferably <NUM>% by mass or less, with respect to the rubber component B, from the viewpoint of preventing deterioration of tire wear performance.

Solid fine particles mean hard solid fine particles having much greater rigidity than rubber. The solid fine particles A and the solid fine particles B are solid fine particles having an average particle size of <NUM> or more. From the viewpoint of preventing deterioration of the appearance of the tire, those solid fine particles A having an average particle size of <NUM> or less are preferable, and those having an average particle size of <NUM> or less are more preferable. The solid fine particles B have an average particle size of less than <NUM>.

Solid fine particles A or B include inorganic fine particles such as glass fiber and zinc oxide whisker; water-soluble metal salt fine particles such as magnesium sulfate and metal salts of lignin sulfonic acid; non-metal fibers such as glass fiber; plant-derived powders obtained from plants such as rice husks; animal-derived powders obtained from animals such as eggshell (eggshell powder) and bone powder; and natural mineral-derived powders such as Shirasu.

Among them, those selected from the group consisting of eggshells, non-metal fibers, glass fiber, inorganic fine particles such as zinc oxide whiskers, rice husks, Shirasu and water-soluble metal salt fine particles are preferable.

From the viewpoint of availability, non-metal fibers such as glass fiber and eggshells such as chicken eggshell powder are preferable.

Further, from the viewpoint of the effect of improving the performance on ice, the inorganic fine particles having two or more, preferably three or more, more preferably four, protrusions as described in Patent Document <NUM> can be preferably used because it gives an excellent scratching effect on the ice and snow road surface and improves the performance on ice. Examples of the inorganic fine particles having two or more protrusions include zinc oxide whiskers and star sand from Okinawa, and zinc oxide whiskers are particularly preferable.

It is considered that, by blending the solid fine particles A with the rubber composition A, the effect that the solid fine particles A themselves scratch the ice and snow road surface, the effect that the pores formed by falling off the solid fine particles A absorb and remove the water on the ice and snow road surface, and the effect that the edge portion of the pores formed by falling off the solid fine particles A acts as an edge scratching the ice and snow road surface are obtained, and the performance on ice is improved by these effects. When the solid fine particles A are eggshells, the pores existing in the eggshells also have the effect of absorbing and removing water on the ice and snow road surface, which is considered to further contribute to the improvement of the performance on ice.

The pneumatic tire of the present invention is characterized by satisfying the formula: (PB × RB) × <NUM> < PA × RA, wherein the average particle size of the solid fine particles A is PA, the volume fraction of the blending amount of the solid fine particles A to the blending amount of the rubber component A is RA, the average particle size of the solid fine particles B is PB, and the volume fraction of the blending amount of the solid fine particles B to the blending amount of the rubber component B is RB. As described above, excellent performance on ice can be obtained by blending the solid fine particles A in the center portion, and, by satisfying (PB × RB) × <NUM> < PA × RA, deterioration of the appearance of the tire due to wear and loss of the shoulder portion when running on a dry road surface for a long time can be suppressed. That is, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the appearance of the tire while maintaining the excellent performance on ice by blending the solid fine particles.

Here, the average particle size is a value measured using a particle size distribution measuring device. However, in the case of rod-shaped (fibrous) particles such as glass fiber, the average particle size means the average fiber diameter. In the case of inorganic fine particles having two or more protrusions (for example, zinc oxide whiskers), the average particle size means the average needle-like fiber length (average protrusion length).

The volume fraction is the value obtained by formula: R × (GD/PD), wherein the mass ratio of the blending amount of solid fine particles to the total blending amount of rubber components is R, the density of rubber components is GD, and the density of solid fine particles is PD.

The smaller the ratio of (PB × RB) to (PA × RA), the more the deterioration of the appearance of the tire can be suppressed and the excellent performance on ice can be maintained. Therefore, from the viewpoint of suppressing deterioration of the appearance of the tire further and maintaining excellent performance on ice, the studless tires of the present invention satisfying (PB × RB) × <NUM> < PA × RA are more preferable, and those satisfying (PB × RB) × <NUM> < PA × RA are further more preferable.

When the solid fine particles A are eggshells, the average particle size is preferably <NUM> or more. Further, the blending amount of the solid fine particles A with respect to the blending amount of the rubber component A is preferably <NUM>% by mass or more. The performance on ice can be further improved by setting the average particle size of the solid fine particles A to <NUM> or more, or setting the blending amount of the solid fine particles A to <NUM>% by mass or more.

The blending amount of the solid fine particles A is more preferably <NUM>% by mass or more, and more excellent performance on ice can be obtained.

When the solid fine particles A are non-metal fibers such as glass fibers, the average particle size (average fiber diameter) is preferably <NUM> or more. Further, the blending amount thereof with respect to the blending amount of the rubber component A is preferably <NUM>% by mass or more. By setting the average particle size to <NUM> or more and the blending amount of the solid fine particles A to <NUM>% by mass or more, the performance on ice can be further improved.

When the solid fine particles A are zinc oxide whiskers having two or more protrusions, the average particle size (average length of protrusions, average needle-like fiber length) is preferably <NUM> or more. Further, the blending amount thereof with respect to the blending amount of the rubber component A is preferably <NUM>% by mass or more. By setting the average particle size to <NUM> or more and the blending amount of the solid fine particles A to <NUM>% by mass or more, the performance on ice can be further improved.

On the other hand, in any of the above cases, the blending amount of the solid fine particles A is preferably <NUM>% by mass or less, more preferably <NUM>% by mass or less, with respect to the blending amount of the rubber component A. By setting the blending amount of the solid fine particles A to <NUM>% by mass or less, deterioration of wear performance (wear resistance) can be prevented.

The solid fine particles B are solid fine particles having an average particle size of less than <NUM>. By setting the average particle size of the solid fine particles B to less than <NUM>, it is possible to further suppress deterioration of the appearance of the tire while maintaining excellent on-ice performance.

In addition to the above-mentioned essential ingredients, various compounding agents and additives to be blended in conventional rubber compositions for manufacturing studless tires, such as vulcanizing agents (crosslinking agents), vulcanization accelerators, various oils, antiaging agents, softeners, plasticizers, and silane couplings agents can be blended to the rubber compositions A and B within a range that does not impair the object of the present invention. The blending amount of these compounding agents and additives may be a usual amount in the production of conventional studless tires and the like, that is, pneumatic tires that require excellent performance on ice.

When silica is blended, it is preferable to use a silane coupling agent in combination. The blending amount of the silane coupling agent is preferably <NUM> part by mass or more, more preferably <NUM> parts by mass or more, and further more preferably <NUM> parts by mass or more with respect to <NUM> parts by mass of silica. Further, the amount of the silane coupling agent to be blended is preferably <NUM> parts by mass or less, more preferably <NUM> parts by mass or less, and further more preferably <NUM> parts by mass or less with respect to <NUM> parts by mass of silica.

Rubber compositions A and B can be obtained by kneading the above-mentioned essential components and non-essential components with a kneader. As the types of kneaders, kneading conditions and the like, the same conditions can be adopted as in the case of manufacturing a rubber composition for forming a tread of a conventional studless tire or the like, that is, a pneumatic tire required to have excellent performance on ice. When the shoulder portion and the center portion are formed by the strip wind described later, the rubber compositions A and B obtained by kneading are molded into a rubber strip by a molding machine. The same molding machine can be used also in this step as the molding machine used for producing the rubber strip used for the conventional strip wind.

The materials for the innerliner, ply, breaker, band, bead and sidewall, that constitute the pneumatic tire of the present invention, are similar to those of a pneumatic tire required to have excellent performance on ice, such as conventional studless tires. They can be formed by the same method as the conventional method. For example, plies and bands can be formed by the strip wind method.

The pneumatic tire of the present invention can be produced by a method having a step of winding a rubber strip made of a rubber composition B by a strip wind to form a portion B constituting a shoulder portion, a step of winding a rubber strip made of the rubber composition A by a strip wind to form a portion A constituting a center portion and a step of integrating the portion A and the portion B.

Among them, a method of manufacturing according to the method described in <CIT> or <CIT> is preferable. That is, preferable is a manufacturing method which comprises.

Hereinafter, an example of each process of this manufacturing method will be described with reference to the drawings.

<FIG> is a diagram schematically showing an example of the first molding step. In the example of <FIG>, first, sidewalls (SW) 24a and 24b are wound around both side portions of the first forming drum <NUM>, and a sheet-shaped innerliner <NUM> is pasted on the central portion of the first forming drum <NUM> ((a) in <FIG>), and then the ply <NUM> is pasted on the inner <NUM> ((b) in <FIG>).

Next, a pair of beads 23a and 23b are set inside the sidewalls 24a and 24b on both sides, at an interval according to the width of the product tire ((c) in <FIG>). Then, the rubber strips 15a and 15b made of the rubber composition B are spirally wound on the sidewalls 24a and 24b on the outer side of the beads 23a and 23b by a strip wind ((d) in <FIG>) to form the portion B to be the shoulder portion <NUM>, and molding of the cover <NUM> is completed.

In the example of <FIG>, the bead is set before the strip wind of the rubber composition B, but the bead may be set after the strip wind.

Further, instead of winding the rubber strips 15a and 15b made of the rubber composition B on the sidewalls 24a and 24b on the outer sides of the beads 23a and 23b, a method wherein the rubber strips 15a and 15b are wound on the outer sides of the sidewalls 24a and 24b, respectively, or are wound on the ply <NUM> inside the beads 23a and 23b can also be adopted.

As shown in <FIG>, first, a sheet-shaped breaker <NUM> is wound around and pasted on the second forming drum <NUM> ((a) in <FIG>). Then, a band <NUM> is formed on the breaker <NUM> using a strip wind ((b) in <FIG>).

Next, the rubber strip 27a made of the rubber composition A is spirally wound on the band <NUM> by a strip wind ((c) in <FIG>) to form a portion A (central portion) to be the center portion <NUM>, and molding of the tread ring is completed.

In the shaping step, first, inside the cylindrical tread ring, which was formed in the tread ring forming step and obtained by pulling out the second forming drum <NUM>, the cover <NUM>, which was formed in the first molding step and obtained by pulling out the first forming drum <NUM>, is inserted and they are combined.

Next, the portion between the beads 23a and 23b of the cover <NUM> is inflated to crimp the tread ring and the cover <NUM> and the whole is formed into a low cover shape.

The sidewalls 24a and 24b each respectively on the outer sides of the beads 23a and 23b are folded back and pasted toward the side surface of the cover <NUM> inflated in the shaping step. In this turn-up process, the portion B that becomes the shoulder portion <NUM> of the cover <NUM> and the portion A that becomes the center portion <NUM> of the tread ring are pasted together to form a tread, and production of the low cover for manufacturing the pneumatic tire of the present invention is completed.

The pneumatic tire of the present invention is produced by vulcanizing the produced low cover with a tire vulcanizer. As the vulcanization method, conditions, etc., the same methods and conditions as those for manufacturing a conventional studless tire can be adopted.

The pneumatic tire of the present invention has excellent performance on ice and excellent wear resistance and it is less likely to cause wear or loss of the shoulder portion of the tread (the edge roughness of the shoulder portion), and the deterioration of the tire appearance is suppressed even when running on a dry road surface for a long time. Therefore, it is preferably used as a pneumatic tire such as a studless tire and it is particularly preferably used as a studless tire for heavy vehicles such as buses and trucks.

Hereinafter, the present invention and specific embodiments thereof will be described in more detail based on Examples. The tires of Examples <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> are not according to the invention.

The raw materials used in Examples and Comparative examples are summarized below. Some raw materials are indicated by abbreviations in Tables <NUM>-<NUM>, the abbreviations are shown in parentheses at the end of the description for each raw material.

Using a carbon black reactor in which a combustion zone having inner diameter of <NUM> and length of <NUM> and equipped with an air introduction duct and a combustion burner, a raw material introduction zone connected from the combustion zone and consisting of narrow diameter part having inner diameter of <NUM> and length of <NUM> connected from the periphery through a raw material nozzle and a rear reaction zone equipped with a quenching device having inner diameter of <NUM> and length of <NUM> are sequentially joined, using an C heavy oil as fuel and creosort oil as raw material hydrocarbon, Carbon black <NUM> was manufactured.

Chemicals other than sulfur and vulcanization accelerator were blended according to the blending amounts shown in Tables <NUM> and <NUM>, and kneaded at about <NUM> for <NUM> minutes using a Banbury mixer. Then, sulfur and a vulcanization accelerator were added to the obtained kneaded product according to the blending amounts shown in Tables <NUM> and <NUM>, and kneaded with a twin-screw open roll at about <NUM> for <NUM> minutes to obtain an unvulcanized rubber composition (Formulation example).

The unvulcanized rubber composition thus obtained was used in the shoulder portion (Sh portion) and the center portion (Cr portion) in the combinations shown in Tables <NUM> and <NUM>, and a tread shape was formed by strip wind and pasted to other tire members, according to the methods described in (<NUM>) to (<NUM>) of "<NUM>. Method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire of the present invention". Then, by vulcanizing at <NUM> and <NUM> kgf for <NUM> minutes, studless tires for trucks and buses (Examples <NUM> to <NUM>: tire size 11R22. <NUM>) and PC studless tires (Examples <NUM> to <NUM>: tire size <NUM>/65R14) were manufactured and used in the following tests.

An unvulcanized rubber composition (blending example) was obtained in the same manner as in Examples except that the blending amount shown in Table <NUM> was adopted instead of the blending amounts shown in Tables <NUM> and <NUM>. A tread shape was formed by strip wind and pasted to other tire members in the same manner as in the examples except that the obtained unvulcanized rubber composition was used for both the shoulder portion (Sh portion) and the center portion (Cr portion). Then, by vulcanizing at <NUM> and <NUM> kgf for <NUM> minutes, studless tires for trucks and buses (Comparative Examples <NUM> to <NUM>: tire size 11R22. <NUM>) and PC studless tires (Comparative Examples <NUM> to <NUM>: tire size <NUM>/65R14) were manufactured, and used in the following tests.

The studless tires obtained from the above production of the studless tires were mounted on a <NUM>-D vehicle, and after running-in on a dry road surface for <NUM>, the traveled distance required to reach a speed of <NUM>/h from a stopped state was measured at a temperature of <NUM> on Hokkaido Nayoro test course. The reciprocal of the measured distance was expressed as a ratio (index) with the reciprocal of the distance of Comparative Example <NUM> as <NUM>, and the index was used as the performance on ice index. The obtained performance on ice index is shown in the column of "Performance on ice" in Tables <NUM>-<NUM>. The larger the performance on ice index is, the better the performance on ice is.

Test pieces with a thickness of <NUM> were cut out from the shoulder portion (Sh portion) and center portion (Cr portion) of the tread portion of the studless tire obtained in the manufacture of the studless tire. Using a ramborn wear tester manufactured by Iwamoto Seisakusho Co. , the amount of wear was measured at a surface rotation speed of <NUM>/min, a load of <NUM>, a amount of falling sand of <NUM>/min, and a slip rate of <NUM>%. The reciprocal of the measured amount of wear is expressed by the ratio (index) with the reciprocal of the amount of wear of Comparative Example <NUM> (Formulation Example <NUM>) as <NUM>, and is shown in the column of "Rubber compound wear performance" in Tables <NUM>-<NUM>. The larger this index is, the better the wear resistance is.

The studless tire obtained in the manufacture of the studless tire were mounted on the same <NUM>-D vehicle as described above, and after running <NUM> on a dry road surface, the appearances of the shoulder portion (Sh portion) and the center portion (Cr portion) of the tread were confirmed with the naked eye. If no change in appearance is visible on either the shoulder portion or center portion, set it (appearance performance) to <NUM>; if there is almost no change in the block shape of the shoulder, set it to <NUM>; if wear is seen on the edge of the block on the shoulder, set it to <NUM>; and when the appearance is significantly deteriorated due to wear on almost the entire upper surface and side surface of the block, set it to <NUM>. When the change in appearance is in the middle of each of the above cases, the value is in the middle of the values in each case to express the appearance performance. The results are shown in the "Appearance performance" column of Tables <NUM>-<NUM>.

The studless tires obtained in the manufacture of the studless tire were mounted on the same <NUM>-D vehicle as described above, and after running <NUM>,<NUM> on a dry road surface, the amount of wear in the center portion was measured. The measurement was performed on both sides of the tire equator and at <NUM> locations in the tire circumferential direction, and the average value thereof was calculated. Then, the reciprocal of the calculated average value is expressed by a ratio (index) with the reciprocal of the average value of Comparative Example <NUM> as <NUM>, and is shown in the column of "Actual vehicle wear performance" in Tables <NUM>-<NUM>. The larger this index is, the better the actual vehicle wear performance is.

The experimental results are shown in Tables <NUM>-<NUM>.

As shown from the results in Tables <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>, in Examples <NUM> to <NUM> in which the value of the average particle size (µm) (PB) × volume fraction (%) (RB) of the solid fine particles B in the shoulder portion is smaller than the values of average particle size (µm) (PA) × volume fraction (%) (RA) of the solid fine particles A in the center portion, excellent performance on ice (index <NUM> or more) is obtained and regarding tire appearance (appearance performance) , the index is <NUM> or more and deterioration of the appearance due to running is suppressed. That is, the appearance performance is also excellent.

In particular, in Examples <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM> in which PB × RB is less than <NUM>/<NUM> of PA × RA, more excellent appearance performance (index of <NUM> or more) is obtained. Among them, in Examples <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> in which PB × RB is less than <NUM>/<NUM> of PA × RA, further excellent appearance performance (index <NUM> or more) is obtained.

On the other hand, in Comparative examples <NUM>-<NUM>, in which the center portion and the shoulder portion are formed of a rubber composition having the same composition, and the values of the average particle size (µm) × volume fraction (%) of the solid fine particles are the same between the center portion and the shoulder portion, one of the performance on ice, the wear resistance performance and the appearance performance is insufficient, and the effect of the present invention that the appearance performance is excellent while maintaining the excellent performance on ice and the wear resistance performance is not obtained.

That is, in Comparative examples <NUM> and <NUM> in which eggshells having a relatively small average particle size were blended, Comparative example <NUM> in which the blending amount of eggshell was small, and Comparative example <NUM> in which the blending amount of glass fiber was small, the appearance performance was an index of <NUM> and the performance on ice was an index of <NUM> or less than <NUM>; and in Comparative examples <NUM> and <NUM> in which the center portion and the shoulder portion are formed by using a rubber composition containing no solid fine particles, the performance on ice was low (index less than <NUM>), although the appearance performance is excellent (index <NUM> or more). That is, none of them has the performance on ice desired for current studless tires. On the other hand, in Comparative example <NUM> in which the center portion and the shoulder portion were formed by using a rubber composition having an average particle size (µm) × volume fraction (%) of more than <NUM>, the appearance performance was low (index <NUM>) although the performance on ice was excellent, and the appearance of the tire is significantly deteriorated when running on a dry road surface for a long time.

Claim 1:
A pneumatic tire having a tread portion comprising a shoulder portion (<NUM>) and a center portion (<NUM>), wherein the center portion (<NUM>) is formed by a rubber composition A which contains a rubber component A, a reinforcing filler A, and solid fine particles A having an average particle size of <NUM> or more, and the shoulder portion (<NUM>) is formed by a rubber composition B which contains a rubber component B and a reinforcing filler B, and contains solid fine particles B having an average particle size of <NUM> or more,
which is characterized by satisfying the following formula, <MAT>
wherein PA is the average particle size of the solid fine particles A, RA is the volume fraction of the blending amount of the solid fine particles A to the blending amount of the rubber component A, PB is the average particle size of the solid fine particles B, and RB is the volume fraction of the blending amount of the solid fine particles B to the blending amount of the rubber component B;
the solid fine particles A and the solid fine particles B are one or more selected from the group consisting of eggshells, non-metal fibers, glass fiber, zinc oxide whiskers, rice husks, Shirasu and water-soluble metal salt fine particles, and
the average particle size of the solid fine particles B is less than <NUM>.