Run-flat tire and tire/wheel assembly

Abstract

The present inventions are a run-flat tire and a tire/wheel assembly in which the workability of the tire-to-rim fit has been improved while including a core-type run-flat support member. The tire/wheel assembly is formed by fitting a pneumatic tire into a wheel rim. In the tire/wheel assembly, the run-flat support member constituted of a circular shell and elastic rings is inserted into a cavity of the pneumatic tire, in which the circular shell has a support surface thereof extended toward the periphery of the tire and leg portions along each end of the support surface, and the elastic rings are attached to the leg portions of the circular shell. Meanwhile, stages extending in a tire circumferential direction are formed on the inner walls of a pair of right and left beads in the pneumatic tire, and the elastic rings are locked into the stages.

1 . A run-flat tire, including: 
 a run-flat support member constituted of a circular shell within a cavity of a pneumatic tire, the circular shell having a support surface and a pair of leg portions attached to the support surface, the support surface and the pair of leg portions extending in a tire circumferential direction; and    a pair of stages extending in a tire circumferential direction and formed on inner walls of a pair of right and left beads,    wherein the leg portions of the circular shell are locked into the stages.    
   
   
       2 - 3 . (canceled)  
   
   
       4 . A tire/wheel assembly, in which a pneumatic tire is fit into a wheel rim, including: 
 a run-flat support member constituted of a circular shell within a cavity of the pneumatic tire, the circular shell having a support surface and a pair of leg portions attached to the support surface, the support surface and the pair of leg portions extending in a tire circumferential direction; and    a pair of stages extending in a tire circumferential direction and formed on inner walls of a pair of right and left beads of the pneumatic tire,    wherein the leg portions of the circular shell are locked into the stages.    
   
   
       5 - 6 . (canceled)  
   
   
       7 . The run-flat tire according to  claim 1 , wherein the support surface has at least one convexly curved portion aligned in a tire axial direction.  
   
   
       8 . The run-flat tire according to  claim 1 , wherein the support member is separated from a tread of the pneumatic tire under normal driving conditions.  
   
   
       9 . The run-flat tire according to  claim 1 , wherein the support surface is structurally adapted to support the pneumatic tire when the pneumatic tire is deflated.  
   
   
       10 . The run-flat tire according to  claim 1 , wherein a rubber portion protrudes from the bead in a tire axial direction, a surface of the rubber portion being the stage.  
   
   
       11 . The run-flat tire according  claim 10 , wherein the rubber portion is harder than the bead.  
   
   
       12 . The tire/wheel assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein the support surface has at least one convexly curved portion aligned in a tire axial direction.  
   
   
       13 . The tire/wheel assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein the support member is separated from a tread of the pneumatic tire under normal driving conditions.  
   
   
       14 . The tire/wheel assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein the support surface is structurally adapted to support the pneumatic tire when the pneumatic tire is deflated.  
   
   
       15 . The tire/wheel assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein a rubber portion protrudes from the bead in a tire axial direction, a surface of the rubber portion being the stage.  
   
   
       16 . The tire/wheel assembly according  claim 15 , wherein the rubber portion is harder than the bead.