GB2331052A

GB2331052A - Tyre with fluorescent material

Info

Publication number: GB2331052A
Application number: GB9723528A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alex Raymond Sweetman; Kevin Fahey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-11-06
Filing date: 1997-11-06
Publication date: 1999-05-12
Also published as: WO1999024271A1; GB9723528D0

Abstract

The tyre is at least in part composed of fluorescent material which may be mixed with the conventional rubberised material of a tyre prior to moulding or may be moulded into recesses formed in side walls of the tyre or the moulded tyre may be provided with an outer coating of a fluorescent material. The fluorescent material may be a phosphorescent material or a material which emits light permanently.

Description

TYRES This invention relates to tyres.

The safety of children when riding bicycles, for example, has long been the subject of much concern, particularly as light is fading and night-time falls.

Such concerns have been met to some extent by providing lighting/reflectors on the bicycles with fixed or flashing red rear lights and bright front lights.

However, the lights/reflectors remain small and generally inadequate.

This problem has been met to some extent by providing white coloured tyres but in the dark these do not have effect unless bright light is directed upon them.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a tyre in which the above mentioned disadvantages are substantially met.

According to the present invention there is provided a tyre being at least in part of a fluorescent material.

In one embodiment of the present invention the tyre is conveniently of a material being of a mixture of conventional tyre material such as rubber, mixed prior to moulding with fluorescent material rendering the whole of the moulded tyre fluorescent and very visible in the dark. The amount of visibility is dependent upon the particular form in which the fluorescent material is presented. The fluorescent material can have a permanent fluorescence such as by a radium based material which emits a permanent glow and which can be readily seen in the dark. Alternatively, the fluorescent material is of a phosphorescent based material which once light is shone upon it receives the light energy and re-transmits this energy by glowing until the energy has dissipated.

In an alternative embodiment the fluorescent material is located in recesses in each side wall of the tyre to define circumferentially extending strips which are preferably arcuate.

In a further embodiment the bicycle tyre is completely covered by a layer of the fluorescent material moulded to the tyre.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of one tyre in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of another tyre in accordance with the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a further tyre in accordance with the present invention.

In the following description with reference to the drawings like parts have the same reference numerals.

One form of tyre in accordance with the present invention is disclosed in Fig. 1 which shows a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the tyre having annular side wall portions 1, 2 and a road contacting tyre tread portion 3 extending intermediate between radially outermost extremities 4 of the side walls.

The material from which the tyre is formed is of a conventional rubberised composition mixed from which a tyre would normally be produced with a fluorescent material and then the mixture is moulded by a conventional moulding technique into the tyre as shown in Fig. 1. The conventional moulding technique referred to is well known and therefore not described herein.

The dimensions of the tyre are also of a conventional form and the fluorescent particles of the mixture extend throughout the thickness of the tyre so that as the tyre wears, particularly on the road contacting tyre tread portion 3, the fluorescence continues to be present ensuring the safety aspects throughout the life of the tyre.

Fig. 2 illustrates another embodiment of the tyre which is initially moulded of conventional material and form, but is provided with one or more recesses 5 located in the outer surfaces of the side walls 1, 2 thereof. The tyre is then inserted into a further mould where a fluorescent material is injected into the recesses to fill the same. The tyre when removed from the mould then has arcuate strips 6 of the fluorescent material extending around each side wall of the tyre.

The strips may comprise any shape or form and may include advertising information. For example, the strips can be elongate rectangular strips which are short relative to the circumferential length of the tyre, placed at stepped locations around the side walls 1,2 of the tyre.

Fig. 3 is again a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a tyre which is initially formed in a conventional manner but which is placed in another mould so that a layer 7 of fluorescent material can be moulded over the whole of the tyre to define the outer surface of the tyre. The outermost fluorescent moulding on the tyre can be of any colour.

Accordingly, there has been described a tyre to which a fluorescent material has been applied during its moulding process so that the mixture from which the tyre is moulded includes fluorescent material, or a bicycle tyre is moulded in a conventional manner but with recesses extending circumferentially in each of the proposed side walls of the tyre. The tyre is then inserted in a further mould where strips of fluorescent material of either form described above may be moulded into the recess provided. The recess and hence fluorescent material can be formed in any shape or pattern.

In another embodiment the conventionally formed bicycle tyre is inserted into a further mould and has a complete outer covering of fluorescent material moulded onto the outermost surface of the tyre so that under appropriate circumstances the whole of the tyre glows, thereby enabling the tyre mounted on the wheel of a bicycle to be seen clearly in the dark.

In any of the above described embodiments, once a wheel is rotated upon which a tyre in accordance with the present invention is mounted, the glow will always appear to be in a circular form and will render the tyre and hence the bicycle clearly visible when viewed from any direction of the bicycle, thereby adding to the safer use of the bicycle in the dark.

In addition to use with tyres for bicycles the tyres can be similarly produced for use with a car or Commercial vehicle tyres, for safety in sighting the vehicle in the dark much earlier than might otherwise be possible.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A tyre including at least in part a fluorescent material.
2. A tyre as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluorescent material is mixed with the rubberised material of the tyre and extends throughout the thickness of the rubberised material of the tyre.
3. A tyre as claimed in claim 1, including recesses in side walls of the tyre which recesses are filled with fluorescent material.
4. A tyre as claimed in claim 1, including an outer coating of fluorescent material.
5. A tyre as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the fluorescent material emits light constantly.
6. A tyre as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the fluorescent material is a phosphorescent material.
7. A method of producing a tyre including adding a fluorescent material.
8. A method as claimed in claim 7, comprising mixing the fluorescent material with the rubberised material of the tyre prior to moulding of the tyre.
9. A method as claimed in claim 7, comprising moulding the tyre with rubberised material including recesses in the side walls of the tyre, and moulding into the recesses the fluorescent material.
10. A method as claimed in claim 7, comprising moulding the tyre and then moulding over the whole outer surface of the tyre a coating of fluorescent material.
11. A method as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the fluorescent material emits light permanently.
12. A method as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the fluorescent material is a phosphorescent material.
13. A tyre substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Fig. 1; or Fig. 2; or Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.
14. A method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Fig. 1; or Fig. 2; or Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.