Goodyear

A composition is disclosed comprising: an elastomer, the elastomer comprising from 25 phr to 75 phr of a natural rubber and from 25 phr to 75 phr of a synthetic elastomer; an accelerator, comprising from 0.1 phr to 5 phr of a first accelerator and 0.1 phr to 5 phr a second accelerator, the second accelerator being different from the first accelerator; and from 0.1 phr to 10 phr of a hydrogenated gum rosin. The hydrogenated gum rosin has an acid value of 140 mg KOH/g to 200 mg KOH/g and a softening point as determined in accordance with ASTM E28 in a range of from 70 °C to 125 °C. Also disclosed is an article such as a tire or a tire component comprising such a composition and a method of mixing such a rubber composition.

A tire comprising a circumferential tread portion including at least one sipe extending in an elongated direction transversely to a direction of rotation of the tire and having a pair of opposite sidewalls is disclosed. In a first aspect, the pair of opposite sidewalls includes a leading sidewall and a trailing sidewall with respect to the direction of rotation of the tire, wherein the trailing sidewall extends essentially linearly along its radial height, and the leading sidewall comprises protrusions along its radial height, which extend along the elongated direction and have radially outer top sides, and wherein at least a majority of the protrusions are chamfered along their radially outer top sides. In a second aspect, the pair of opposite sidewalls extends along the elongated direction, wherein at least one of the sidewalls comprises protrusions along its radial height, which extend along the elongated direction and have radially outer sides, wherein at least a majority of the protrusions are chamfered along their radially outer sides, and wherein (i) a radially outermost edge of one of the sidewalls comprising protrusions is chamfered over a majority of its length along the elongated direction and/wherein (ii) at least one of the sidewalls comprises at least one radially elongated bump stop extending along a majority of a radial height of the sipe and protruding towards an opposite sidewall of the sidewalls.

A method is disclosed comprising: adding an additive (116) to a release agent (113), the additive (113) having an extinction coefficient or a maximum extinction coefficient above a predefined threshold for electro-magnetic radiation having a predefined wavelength or a predefined wavelength range; disposing the release agent (113) comprising the additive (116) between a preformed tire (109) and a curing bladder (106) of a tire curing press (100); curing the preformed tire (106) in the tire curing press (100), thereby resulting in a cured tire (111); and performing a laser cleaning of an innerliner (123) of the cured tire (111) using a laser (126) that generates a laser beam (129) at the predefined wavelength or the predefined wavelength range. Also, a composition is disclosed comprising a release agent (113) that prevents a curing bladder (106) of a tire curing press (100) from adhering to an innerliner (123) of a cured tire (111) and an additive (116) added to the release agent (113). The additive (116) has an extinction coefficient or a maximum extinction coefficient above a predefined threshold for electro-magnetic radiation having a predefined wavelength or a predefined wavelength range. The additive (116) promotes or increases ablation of the release agent (113) compared to the same composition without the additive (116) when a laser beam (129) having the predefined wavelength or having the predefined wavelength range is applied to a surface of the innerliner (123) of the cured tire (111) comprising the release agent (113).

In one aspect of the invention, a tire curing method is disclosed comprising: engaging at least a portion of a first bead engaging projection (20) with a first tire bead (205) of a green tire (200) and engaging at least a portion of a second bead engaging projection (20) with a second tire bead (206) of the green tire (200); providing at least one pump in fluid communication with a chamber (150) defined by an inner surface (202) of the green tire (200) and the first and second bead engaging projections (20), the at least one pump being configured to circulate a heated fluid through the chamber (150); causing the at least one pump to circulate the heated fluid through the chamber (150) such that the heated fluid flows through the chamber (150) at a flow rate for a period of time; and at least partially curing the green tire (200) using the heated fluid flowing through the chamber (150).

In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a tire comprising a conductive rubber composition strip having an end, which is i) axially between a first sidewall and an adjacent axially outer surface of a tread base layer, and ii) radially below a tread cap layer, wherein the strip extends along the sidewall from said end at least to an electrically conductive chafer. In another aspect, a tire also has a second conductive rubber composition layer having an edge adjacent an axially outer end region of a belt portion, and extending along a radially inner surface of the tread portion towards a first conductive rubber composition layer. In a third aspect, a tire comprises a conductive circumferential ring portion extending through a shoulder rib and/or row of tread blocks, and/or an adjacent rib or row of tread blocks, and which is in contact with a conductive rubber composition layer.

A rubber composition comprising one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes and at least 75 parts per hundred rubber (phr) of one or more solution-polymerized styrene butadiene rubbers is disclosed. The rubber composition may be used in a tire.

A system and method or estimating mileage of a tire (12) supporting a vehicle (14) is disclosed. The system (10) comprises a processor (38); means for measurements of a tread depth (52) of the tire (12); and means for transmitting the measurements of tread depth (52) to the processor (38). The processor (38) is configured to receive the measurements of tread depth (52), to determine an estimate of mileage of the tire (12) with an inverse treadwear model (54) from the measurements of tread depth (52), to generate a notification (76) when the estimate of mileage of the tire (12) is determined, and to transmit the notification (76) to at least one of a vehicle control system and a device (50) for actuation of the vehicle (14) in response to the notification.

A wear estimation system (10) and method for a tire (12) supporting a vehicle (14) is disclosed. The system (10) comprises a processor being in electronic communication with a CAN bus system of the vehicle and means for determining a total frictional energy of the tire. The processor is configured to: receive the total frictional energy of the tire; divide the total frictional energy into a longitudinal frictional energy estimation and a lateral frictional energy estimation with a separator; receive the longitudinal frictional energy estimation in a longitudinal acceleration classifier; determine at least one of a low, medium, and high longitudinal frictional energy estimate with the longitudinal acceleration classifier; receive the lateral frictional energy estimation in a lateral acceleration classifier; determine at least one of a low, medium, and high lateral frictional energy estimate with the lateral acceleration classifier; generate an output notification including the at least one of the low, medium, and high longitudinal frictional energy estimate and the at least one of the low, medium, and high lateral frictional energy estimate; and determine at least one of an estimated wear rate of the tire and an estimated wear state of the tire from the output notification.

A composition is disclosed comprising at least one elastomer; 10 phr to 150 phr of a silica selected from a conventional silica and a pretreated silica; 0.5 phr to 15 phr of a reinforcing agent, wherein the reinforcing agent is a bismaleimide compound or a derivative thereof; and 0.5 phr to 25 phr of a coupling agent, wherein the coupling agent comprises an organosilane compound or a derivative thereof. The composition may be used in a tire as a vulcanized composition. Also disclosed is a method for mixing rubber, the method comprising a nonproductive stage and a productive stage, wherein the nonproductive stage comprises: combining together at least one elastomer, 10 phr to 150 phr of a conventional silica, 0.5 phr to 25 phr of a coupling agent comprising an organosilane compound, and 0.5 phr to 15 phr of an alkoxysilane, thereby forming an initial mixture; and mixing the initial mixture at a temperature of 100 °C to 170 °C, thereby forming a nonproductive mixture; and wherein the productive stage comprises: combining together the nonproductive mixture with 0.5 phr to 15 phr of a reinforcing agent, wherein the reinforcing agent is a bismaleimide compound or a derivative thereof, and a curing agent, thereby forming an intermediate mixture; and mixing the intermediate mixture at a temperature of 70 °C to 120 °C, thereby forming a productive mixture.

An uncured rubber composition is disclosed comprising 40 phr to 70 phr of a styrene butadiene elastomer; 25 phr to 55 phr of a polybutadiene elastomer; 70 phr to 110 phr silica; and 25 phr to 55 phr of a plasticizer. The rubber composition may be used as a vulcanized rubber composition in a tire.