Pneumatic tire
A tire with a flexible casing enclosing pressurized air or another gas. Its deformable air chamber cushions impacts and supports a vehicle's load.
Tire pressure: The pressure of gas inside a tire, commonly measured in kilopascals or pounds per square inch. Inflation pressure sets the tire’s load capacity, shape, and rolling behavior.
Robert William Thomson: A Scottish inventor who patented an air-filled vehicle tire in 1845. His early pneumatic tire preceded the design that became commercially influential.
Natural rubber: An elastic polymer obtained mainly from the latex of rubber trees. It remains a major ingredient in tire compounds, especially for demanding applications.
Bicycle tire: A pneumatic tire designed for a bicycle wheel and its riding conditions. Bicycle tires were among the first widely adopted applications of pneumatic tires.
Solid tire: A tire made of solid or cellular material rather than an air-filled chamber. It avoids air leaks but generally provides less cushioning than a pneumatic tire.
Tire carcass: The structural body of a tire, made from rubber-coated reinforcing cords beneath the tread and sidewalls. Its cord arrangement determines how the casing flexes under load.
John Boyd Dunlop: A Scottish-born inventor who developed and patented a practical pneumatic bicycle tire in the 1880s. His design helped bring air-filled tires into widespread use.
Synthetic rubber: Man-made elastomers produced through chemical polymerization. Different synthetic rubbers help tune grip, heat resistance, and durability.
Automotive tire: A tire designed to carry and guide a road vehicle such as a car or truck. Road-vehicle tires balance grip, comfort, efficiency, and load capacity.
Airless tire: A tire-like wheel that supports a load without relying on pressurized air. Its structure replaces the pneumatic tire’s air chamber and pressure-dependent support.