Pneumatic tire having layer of rubber disposed between the body and belt package

Abstract

A pneumatic tire includes a body, a belt package, and a tread package. The tire includes a layer of rubber disposed between the body and the tread package. The layer of rubber creates a thickness of between about 0.5 millimeters and about 1.5 millimeters between the cords in the body and the cords in the belt package. The layer of rubber is fabricated from a rubber having a stiffness greater than the rubber in the body of the tire. This configuration provides a tire having improved cornering coefficient, reduced vibrational levels, and less coarse road noise with only a small increase in rolling loss.

1 . A pneumatic tire for an on-the-road passenger vehicle, the tire comprising: 
 a body having at least one layer of radially-disposed body cords;    a belt package having at least two layers of reinforcing cords; the reinforcing cords encased in rubber; the two layers of rubber-encased reinforcing cords disposed adjacent one another over the axial extent of belt package;    a tread package connected to the belt package; and    a gage of rubber disposed between the belt package and the body; the gage of rubber spacing the body cords from the reinforcing cords a distance in the range of 0.5 millimeters to 1.5 millimeters; the gage of rubber extending entirely under the belt package.    
     
     
         2 . The tire of  claim 1 , wherein the body includes rubber disposed adjacent the body cords; at least a portion of the gage being fabricated from a rubber having a stiffness greater than the stiffness of the rubber in the body.  
     
     
         3 . The tire of  claim 1 , wherein the gage of rubber having the thickness in the range of 0.5 millimeters to 1.5 millimeters has substantially the same width as the belt package.  
     
     
         4 . The tire of  claim 1 , wherein the body includes rubber adjacent the body cord and the belt package includes rubber adjacent the reinforcing cord; the gage of rubber including a portion of the rubber adjacent the body cord, a portion of the rubber adjacent the reinforcing cord, and a layer of rubber disposed between the portions of rubber.  
     
     
         5 . The tire of  claim 4 , wherein the layer of rubber is substantially the same width as the belt package.  
     
     
         6 . The tire of  claim 1 , wherein the body includes rubber adjacent the body cord and the belt package includes rubber adjacent the reinforcing cord; the gage of rubber being formed from a portion of the rubber of the belt package and a portion of the rubber of the body.  
     
     
         7 . The tire of  claim 1 , wherein the body includes rubber adjacent the body cord and the belt package includes rubber adjacent the reinforcing cord; more than half of the thickness of the gage of rubber being formed from the rubber of the belt package.  
     
     
         8 . A pneumatic tire for an on-the-road passenger vehicle, the tire comprising: 
 a body having a layer of radially-disposed body cords;    a belt package having two layers of reinforcing cords; the reinforcing cords encased in rubber; the two layers of rubber-encased reinforcing cords disposed adjacent one another over the axial extent of belt package;    a tread package connected to the belt package; and    a gage of rubber disposed between the belt package and the body cords; the gage of rubber spacing the body cords from the reinforcing cords a distance in the range of 0.5 millimeters to 1.5 millimeters; the gage of rubber extending entirely under the belt package.    
     
     
         9 . The tire of  claim 8 , wherein the body includes rubber disposed adjacent the body cords; at least a portion of the gage being fabricated from a rubber having a stiffness greater than the stiffness of the rubber in the body.  
     
     
         10 . The tire of  claim 8 , wherein the gage of rubber having the thickness in the range of 0.5 millimeters to 1.5 millimeters has substantially the same width as the belt package.  
     
     
         11 . The tire of  claim 8 , wherein the body includes rubber adjacent the body cord and the belt package includes rubber adjacent the reinforcing cord; the gage of rubber including a portion of the rubber adjacent the body cord, a portion of the rubber adjacent the reinforcing cord, and a layer of rubber disposed between the portions of rubber.  
     
     
         12 . The tire of  claim 11 , wherein the layer of rubber is substantially the same width as the belt package.  
     
     
         13 . The tire of  claim 8 , wherein the body includes rubber adjacent the body cord and the belt package includes rubber adjacent the reinforcing cord; the gage of rubber being formed from a portion of the rubber of the belt package and a portion of the rubber of the body.  
     
     
         14 . The tire of  claim 8 , wherein the body includes rubber adjacent the body cord and the belt package includes rubber adjacent the reinforcing cord; more than half of the thickness of the gage of rubber being formed from the rubber of the belt package.  
     
     
         15 . In an on-the-road pneumatic tire comprising a body having at least one layer of radially-disposed body cords; a belt package having at least two layers of reinforcing cords; the reinforcing cords encased in rubber; the two layers of rubber-encased reinforcing cords disposed adjacent one another over the axial extent of belt package; a tread package connected to the belt package; the improvement comprising: 
 a gage of rubber disposed between the belt package and the body; the gage of rubber spacing the body cords from the reinforcing cords a distance in the range of 0.5 millimeters to 1.5 millimeters; the gage of rubber extending entirely under the belt package.    
     
     
         16 . The improvement of  claim 15 , wherein the body includes rubber disposed adjacent the body cords; the gage being fabricated from a rubber having a stiffness greater than the stiffness of the rubber in the body.  
     
     
         17 . The improvement of  claim 15 , wherein the body includes rubber adjacent the body cord and the belt package includes rubber adjacent the reinforcing cord; the gage of rubber being formed from a portion of the rubber of the belt package and a portion of the rubber of the body.  
     
     
         18 . The improvement of  claim 15 , wherein the body includes rubber adjacent the body cord and the belt package includes rubber adjacent the reinforcing cord; more than half of the thickness of the gage of rubber being formed from the rubber of the belt package.  
     
     
         19 . The improvement of  claim 15 , wherein the body includes rubber adjacent the body cord and the belt package includes rubber adjacent the reinforcing cord; the gage of rubber including a portion of the rubber adjacent the body cord, a portion of the rubber adjacent the reinforcing cord, and a layer of rubber disposed between the portions of rubber.