Tire with exo-belt skin

Abstract

A tire assembly for insertion into a tire mold including a partially cured base tire and a partially cured skin. The partially cured base tire includes a plurality of spaced tread members. The skin includes a predetermined percentage of reinforcing fiber comprised of a crushed mono-filament aramid fiber material and the skin includes a predetermined printed pattern. The partially cured skin is at least slightly larger than the partially cured base tire and surrounds and engages an entire outer periphery of the partially cured base tire. The partially cured skin surrounds and engages an entire tread surface of the tread members. The partially cured base tire and the partially cured skin are insertable into the tire mold. The predetermined pattern is visible on an external peripheral surface of the tire assembly.

1 . A tire assembly for insertion into a tire mold, the tire assembly comprising: 
 a partially cured base tire; and    a partially cured skin including a predetermined pattern, the predetermined pattern being printed on an entire external peripheral surface of the skin, the partially cured skin being approximately the same size as the partially cured base tire and surrounding and engaging an entire outer surface of the partially cured base tire, the partially cured base tire and the partially cured skin being insertable into the tire mold together, the predetermined pattern being visible on the external peripheral surface of the tire assembly.    
   
   
       2 . The tire assembly of  claim 1  wherein the predetermined pattern includes a retro-reflective material.  
   
   
       3 . The tire assembly of  claim 3  wherein the retro-reflective material is comprised of at least one of particles and beads.  
   
   
       4 . The tire assembly of  claim 1  wherein the partially cured base tire and the partially cured skin are constructed of a predetermined rubber composition.  
   
   
       5 . The tire assembly of  claim 1  wherein the rubber composition of the skin includes a retro-reflective material therein.  
   
   
       6 . The tire assembly of  claim 1  wherein the skin includes a predetermined percentage of reinforcing fiber, the reinforcing fiber comprised of an aramid fiber material.  
   
   
       7 . The tire assembly of  claim 1  wherein the predetermined pattern is comprised of a plurality of discrete decorative patterns.  
   
   
       8 . The tire assembly of  claim 1  wherein the predetermined pattern is comprised of an advertisement printed on the skin.  
   
   
       9 . The tire assembly of  claim 1  wherein a retro-reflective material is added to at least one of one of the partially cured skin and the predetermined pattern.  
   
   
       10 . The tire assembly of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a plurality of spaced tread members, the partially cured skin surrounding and engaging an entire tread surface of the plurality of spaced tread members.    
   
   
       11 . A tire for a vehicle comprising: 
 a base tire constructed of a first rubber mixture; and    a skin constructed of a second rubber mixture, the skin mounted to and covering an entire outer circumferential surface of the base tire; and    a predetermined pattern printed onto an entire external peripheral surface of the skin.    
   
   
       12 . The tire of  claim 11  wherein the first and second rubber mixtures include a predetermined percentage by volume of reinforcing fiber comprised of an aramid fiber material.  
   
   
       13 . The tire of  claim 11  wherein the predetermined pattern is comprised of a plurality of discrete decorative patterns.  
   
   
       14 . The tire of  claim 11  wherein the first and second rubber mixtures include between one and twelve percent (1-12%) by weight of aromatic polyamide fibers therein.  
   
   
       15 . The tire of  claim 14  wherein the first and second rubber mixtures include eight percent (8%) by weight of aromatic polyamide fibers therein.  
   
   
       16 . The tire of  claim 11  wherein the first and second rubber mixtures are comprised of a blend of approximately twenty-five percent (25%) synthetic rubber and approximately seventy-five percent (75%) natural rubber.  
   
   
       17 . The tire of  claim 16  wherein the synthetic rubber is comprised of a styrene-butadiene rubber.