CA2994340C

CA2994340C - Pneumatic vehicle tire

Info

Publication number: CA2994340C
Application number: CA2994340A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Peter Bogenschutz
Original assignee: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH
Current assignee: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH
Priority date: 2015-08-10
Filing date: 2016-04-21
Publication date: 2019-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 2036-04-21
Also published as: CN107848345B; CN107848345A; WO2017025207A1; RU2675157C1; EP3130485A1; CA2994340A1; EP3130485B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a pneumatic vehicle tyre comprising at least one planar element on at least one side wall (3), said element consisting of a three-dimensionally structured pattern (5, 5 ') having a plurality of corresponding, uniformly arranged depressions (6, 6'), the largest diameter of which is = 0.70 mm and the greatest depth of which is = 0.60 mm. The depressions (6, 6') are substantially pyramidal with a square, regular pyramid as the base shape and are arranged in mutually perpendicular rows with their outer border edges (7, 7'), which run along squares when the pattern (5, 5') is viewed from above, running trough-like into the rubber material of the sidewall (3).

Description

PNEUMATIC VEHICLE TIRE
Field The invention relates to a pneumatic vehicle tire comprising at least one planar element on at least one sidewall, which element consists of a three-dimensionally structured pattern with a multiplicity of identically designed, regularly arranged depressions, the greatest diameter of which is 5 0.70 mm and the greatest depth of which is 5 0.60 mm.
Background A pneumatic vehicle tire is known from WO 2014 040967 Al. The depressions take up at least 60% of the pattern and are arranged in such a way that at least five depressions per square millimeter of the pattern are provided. The depressions have diameters of the same size, of 0.03 mm to 0.5 mm. In the case of one embodiment of the invention, the depressions are designed as circular in plan view, in the case of another embodiment they are designed as regular hexagons directly adjoining one another. In the case of one variant, the depressions that are circular at the surface of the pattern extend into the rubber material of the sidewall in a conical or frustoconical form. The maximum depth of the depressions of a pattern, which is the same for all of them, is between 0.2 mm and 0.6 mm. If such patterns are used for creating inscriptions or design elements on an otherwise smooth region of the sidewall, the achievable contrast in relation to the smooth sidewall surface is particularly great, since the depressions only reflect a small proportion of the incident light.
Summary The invention seeks to addresses the problem of reducing the reflectance of such depressions still further to increase the achievable contrast, especially to allow inscriptions or design elements that appear deep black to be produced on a tire sidewall.
The problem addressed is sought to be solved according to the invention by the depressions being created as substantially pyramidal, with a square, regular pyramid as the basic form, and being arranged in rows running perpendicularly to one another, their outer delimiting edges, which

2 extend along squares in a plan view of the pattern, running into the rubber material of the sidewall in the form of recesses.
According to a broad aspect, the invention provides a pneumatic vehicle tire comprising at least one planar element on at least one sidewall, the at least one planar element defining a three-dimensionally structured pattern with a multiplicity of identically designed, regularly arranged depressions, a greatest diameter of which is equal or smaller to 0.70 mm and a greatest depth of which is equal or smaller to 0.60 mm, wherein the depressions are substantially pyramidal, in each case with a square, regular pyramid as a basic form, and are arranged in rows running perpendicularly to one another, their outer delimiting edges, which extend along squares in a plan view of the pattern, running into the sidewall in the form of recesses.
A sidewall pattern comprising depressions designed in such a way, with delimiting edges running in the form of recesses, absorbs more light than the depressions designed in the known way, so that the contrast of the sidewall inscriptions or sidewall designs consisting of such a pattern is increased in comparison with the surrounding smooth surface of the sidewall.
Several advantageous configurations of the pattern according to the invention allow influence to be brought to bear on the desired contrast effect of the planar elements provided with the patterns structured according to the invention on the sidewall of a pneumatic vehicle tire. In particular, the creation of the pattern can be made to match the configuration of the planar elements.
In the case of one of these preferred measures, the greatest depth of the delimiting edges running in the form of recesses is at most half the maximum depth of the depressions.
This measure .. influences the extent of the absorption of incident light.
In the case of preferred embodiments, the delimiting edges running in the form of recesses run in either an arcuately curved or shallow V-shaped manner.
Also particularly preferred are embodiments of the pattern in which there are between adjacent depressions narrow webs, 0.01 mm to 0.04 mm wide, running in the form of recesses in a way analogous to the delimiting edges.

3 Particularly great luminous reflectance is achieved in the case of a design variant in which the delimiting edges that run in a shallow V-shaped manner and the webs that are possibly present between the delimiting edges are created in the form of a series of steps down to their lowest point, the walls that delimit the depressions also in particular being formed as a series of steps, with the surfaces of the steps extending in a square manner in the plan view.
In this case, the number of steps of the webs and the walls running in the form of a series of steps, in each case down to their lowest point, is three to five. The configuration in the form of a series of steps is not discernible to the naked eye and imparts a roughness to the areas concerned in the pattern that contributes to a particularly effective absorption of light.
Also particularly preferred is a design of the pattern in which the lowest point of the depressions, measured in the radial direction and from that plane in which the corners of the delimiting edges lie, is at a depth of 0.02 mm to 0.20 mm, in particular of 0.08 mm to 0.19 mm.
The radial distance of the lowest point of the delimiting edges from the plane in which the corners of the delimiting edges lie is 0.01 mm to 0.10 mm, preferably 0.01 mm to 0.03 mm. It is also particularly advantageous for the achievable light absorption if the length of the extent of the delimiting edges in plan view of the pattern is 0.02 mm to 0.50 mm, preferably 0.10 mm to 0.30 mm, in particular 0.18 mm.
Brief description of the drawings Further features, advantages and details of the invention will be discussed in more detail on the basis of the drawing, which illustrates exemplary embodiments. In the drawing:
Figure 1 shows an oblique view of a portion of a pneumatic vehicle tire, Figure 2 shows an oblique view of a detail of an embodiment of a three-dimensionally structured pattern, Figure 3 shows a plan view of the detail of the pattern from Figure 2, Figure 4 shows a sectional representation along the line IV-IV of Figure 3,

4 Figure 5 shows a plan view of a detail of a further embodiment of a three-dimensionally structured pattern and Figure 6 shows a sectional representation along the line VI-VI of Figure 5.
Detailed description of embodiments Variants, examples and preferred embodiments of the invention are described are described hereinbelow. The pneumatic vehicle tire shown in Figure 1 has a tread 1, bead regions 2 and sidewalls 3. On at least one sidewall 3, preferably in a region provided with a smooth surface, there are formed areal elements, for example letters of a logo or decorative elements, that are formed from a three-dimensionally structured pattern according to the invention. Indicated in Figure 1 is a detail 4 of the pattern of which two design variants are explained in more detail on the basis of Figures 2 to 6.
Figures 2 to 4 consequently show greatly enlarged a detail 4 with an embodiment of a pattern 5 that has a multiplicity of depressions 6. The depressions 6 have substantially the form of regular square pyramids, are all identically designed and are arranged in two rows running perpendicularly to one another. The square detail 4 that is shown comprises four horizontal rows and four vertical rows of depressions 6, therefore altogether sixteen depressions 6. Each depression 6 is delimited on the outer side of the pattern by delimiting edges 7 which extend along the sides of a square and the length I of extent of which, determined in plan view, is 0.02 mm to 0.50 mm, preferably 0.10 mm to 0.30 mm, in particular 0.18 mm. The mutual distance 131 between the delimiting edges 7 running parallel to one another of adjacent depressions 6 is 0.01 m to 0.04 mm. The delimiting edges 7 and the narrow webs 7a between the depressions 6 run in the form of recesses inwardly in the direction of the interior of the depression, preferably in a concavely curved manner. The lowest point of each delimiting edge 7 is in its middle, the distance a in the radial direction of the lowest point from the plane in which the corners of the delimiting edges lie being 0.01 mm to 0.10 mm, preferably 0.01 mm to 0.03 mm. The edges 7 are adjoined in the radial direction by triangular delimiting walls 8 running down to the tip of the pyramid at the lowest point of the depressions 6 and respectively forming the side faces of the pyramids. The lowest point of the depressions 6 in the radial direction, measured from the plane in which the corners of the delimiting edges lie, is at a depth ti of 0.02 mm to 0.20 mm, in particular of 0.08 mm to 0.19 mm, where t1 is at least twice the distance a. The depressions 6 take up at least 80% of the

5 surface area of the pattern 5. The size of the intermediate areas is correspondingly small. In the case of an embodiment that is not shown separately, the depressions 6 may adjoin one another directly, so that in the case of adjacent depressions 6 delimiting edges 7 respectively delimit two depressions 6.
Figures 5 and 6 show a square detail of a further embodiment of a pattern 5' with identically designed depressions 6', which are arranged in rows running perpendicularly to one another and are likewise formed in principle in the form of pyramids with a regular, square pyramid as the basic shape. On the outer side of the pattern 5', the delimiting edges 7' of the depressions 6 extend in plan view along squares, in a way similar to the first embodiment, but in the same way as the webs 7'a between the edges 7' of adjacent depressions 6' run inwardly in the form of recesses, in the direction of the interior of the depressions 6'. The webs 7'a run in the form of a series of steps down to their lowest point in the middle, the distance a of which from the level of the corners of the edges 7' corresponds to the aforementioned distance a. The number of steps of a series 10 on each side of the lowest point is between three and five; in the case of the design shown, four steps 10 are provided. Down to the lowest point of each depression

6', which in the radial direction is at the aforementioned depth tl, the four walls 8' of the depressions 6' are also created in the form of a series of steps and formed with surfaces of the steps extending around a square in plan view that progressively become smaller from step 11 to step 11.
At the lowest point of the depression 6', there is a tiny square. Discounting the lowest point ¨
the number of steps 11, in particular matching the number of steps 10 in the webs 7'a, is between three and five, in particular four. The steps 10, 11 have in particular step heights of the same size and step surfaces of the same width. The tiny steps 10, 11 have the effect of imparting a roughness to the areas concerned, which contributes to a particularly effective absorption of light.
The configuration according to the invention of the depressions 6, 6', in particular of the delimiting edges 7, 7' at the outer surface of the pattern that run in the form of recesses in the direction of the interior of the depressions, reduces the reflection of light to a very small proportion. Areal elements covered with such patterns 5, 5' in the sidewall 3 of tires therefore appear deep black in comparison with the surrounding surface of the sidewall. As a result of their very small dimensions, the individual depressions 6, 6' that make up the patterns 5 5' are not discernible to the naked eye.

For producing patterns 5, 5' according to the invention, correspondingly fine structures are introduced by means of laser engraving into the side shells of a tire heating mold that form the sidewalls. For producing the pattern 5', the laser works in a correspondingly controlled manner according to a grayscale bitmap layer by layer into the material of the side shells.
List of designations 1 ............. Tread 2 ....... Bead region 3 ............. Sidewall 4 ............. Detail 5, 5' ........ Pattern 6, 6' ......... Depression

7, 7' .. Delimiting edge 7a, 7'a ....... Web

8, 8' ........ Delimiting wall 10,11 ........ Step a ............. Distance I ....... Length of extent t1 ............ Depth

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A pneumatic vehicle tire comprising at least one planar element on at least one sidewall, the at least one planar element defining a three-dimensionally structured pattern with a multiplicity of identically designed, regularly arranged depressions, a greatest diameter of which is equal or smaller to 0.70 mm and a greatest depth of which is equal or smaller to 0.60 mm, wherein the depressions are substantially pyramidal, in each case with a square, regular pyramid as a basic form, and are arranged in rows running perpendicularly to one another, their outer delimiting edges, which extend along squares in a plan view of the pattern, running into the sidewall in the form of recesses.

2. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 1, wherein a greatest depth of the outer delimiting edges is at most half the maximum depth of the depressions.

3. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 1 or 2, wherein the outer delimiting edges run in an arcuately curved manner.

4. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 1 or 2, wherein the outer delimiting edges run in a shallow V-shaped manner.

5. The pneumatic vehicle tire of any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising, between adjacent depressions narrow webs having a wide between 0.01 mm and 0.04 mm and running in a form of recesses in a way analogous to the outer delimiting edges.

6. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 1 or 2, wherein the outer delimiting edges run in a shallow V-shaped manner created in a form of a series of steps down to their lowest point.

7. The pneumatic vehicle tire of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein webs are created in a form of a series of steps down to their lowest point.

8. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 7, wherein walls that delimit the depressions are formed as a series of steps with surfaces of the steps extending in a square manner in the plan view of the pattern.

9. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 8, wherein a number of steps of the webs and walls is three to five.

10. The pneumatic vehicle tire of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the lowest point of the depressions, measured in a radial direction and from a plane in which corners of the outer delimiting edges lie, is at a depth between 0.02 mm and 0.20 mm.

11. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 10, wherein the depth of the lowest point of the is between 0.08 mm and 0.19 mm.

12. The pneumatic vehicle tire of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein a radial distance of a lowest point of the outer delimiting edges from a plane in which the corners of the outer delimiting edges lie is between 0.01 mm and 0.10 mm.

13. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 12, wherein the radial distance of the lowest point of the outer delimiting edges is between 0.01 mm and 0.03 mm.

14. The pneumatic vehicle tire of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein a length of an extent of the outer delimiting edges in the plan view of the pattern is between 0.02 mm and 0.50 mm

15. The pneumatic vehicle tire of claim 14, wherein the length of the extend of the outer delimiting edges is 0.18 mm.