Annular ring and non-pneumatic tire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10166732-B2
Application number	US-201715677391-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2017
Priority date	Jun 15, 2013
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

The present invention provides an annular beam of monolithic construction of one homogeneous material and a related efficient, low-cost non-pneumatic tire. Specific geometric design, combined with nonlinear elastomer physical properties, enable the suppression of all reinforcing belts, continuous fibers, or other strengthening layers in the annular beam. The annular beam consists of at least two bands that are continuous in the circumferential direction and connected by a web geometry. The non-pneumatic tire consists of the annular beam, a ground contacting portion, a central wheel, and a plurality of web spokes that connect the wheel and beam. When the tire is loaded to a design load against a flat surface over a design contact length, a contact area of essentially uniform pressure is produced, while the load is transmitted from the beam to the hub via tension in the web spokes. The tire can be economically manufactured.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-pneumatic tire comprising:
an annular beam configured to deflect at a contact patch of the non-pneumatic tire as the non-pneumatic tire rolls on a ground surface, the annular beam comprising:
an outer annular portion;
an inner annular portion; and
a shearing annular portion between the outer annular portion and the inner annular portion of the annular beam;
the outer annular portion, the inner annular portion, and the shearing annular portion of the annular beam being elastomeric, at least one of the outer annular portion and the inner annular portion of the annular beam being free of substantially inextensible reinforcement running in a circumferential direction of the annular beam, the annular beam being configured to deflect more by shearing than by bending at the contact patch of the non-pneumatic tire; and
an annular support extending radially inwardly from the annular beam and configured to deform as the non-pneumatic tire rolls on the ground surface.

2. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 1 , wherein each of the outer annular portion and the inner annular portion of the annular beam is free of substantially inextensible reinforcement running in the circumferential direction of the annular beam.

3. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 1 , wherein the shearing annular portion of the annular beam is shaped to cause the annular beam to deflect more by shearing than by bending at the contact patch of the non-pneumatic tire.

4. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 3 , wherein the shearing annular portion of the annular beam comprises a plurality of formations distributed in the circumferential direction of the annular beam and arranged to cause the annular beam to deflect more by shearing than by bending at the contact patch of the non-pneumatic tire.

5. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 4 , wherein the formations comprise voids.

6. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 5 , wherein each of the voids extends from a first lateral side of the annular beam to a second lateral side of the annular beam opposite to the first lateral side of the annular beam.

7. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 1 , wherein the shearing annular portion of the annular beam comprises a plurality of shearing members interconnecting the outer annular portion and the inner annular portion of the annular beam and spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction of the annular beam.

8. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 7 , wherein a dimension of each of the shearing members in the circumferential direction of the annular beam is greater than a thickness of a given one of the outer annular portion and the inner annular portion of the annular beam.

9. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 8 , wherein the given one of the outer annular portion and the inner annular portion of the annular beam is the outer annular portion of the annular beam; and the dimension of each of the shearing members in the circumferential direction of the annular beam is greater than a thickness of the inner annular portion of the annular beam.

10. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 7 , wherein a dimension of each of the shearing members in the circumferential direction of the annular beam varies in a radial direction of the annular beam.

11. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 10 , wherein the dimension of each of the shearing members in the circumferential direction of the annular beam increases towards a given one of the outer annular portion and the inner annular portion of the annular beam.

12. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 11 , wherein the given one of the outer annular portion and the inner annular portion of the annular beam is the outer annular portion of the annular beam; and the dimension of each of the shearing members in the circumferential direction of the annular beam increases towards the inner annular portion of the annular beam.

13. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 1 , wherein the annular beam comprises elastomeric material and a Young's modulus of the elastomeric material is at least a plurality of times a secant modulus at 100% elongation of the elastomeric material.

14. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 13 , wherein the Young's modulus of the elastomeric material is at least four times the secant modulus at 100% elongation of the elastomeric material.

15. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 13 , wherein the Young's modulus of the elastomeric material is at least ten times the secant modulus at 100% elongation of the elastomeric material.

16. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 1 , wherein the annular beam is entirely made of homogeneous elastomeric material.

17. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 16 , wherein a Young's modulus of the homogeneous elastomeric material is at least a plurality of times a secant modulus at 100% elongation of the homogeneous elastomeric material.

18. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 17 , wherein the Young's modulus of the homogeneous elastomeric material is at least four times the secant modulus at 100% elongation of the homogeneous elastomeric material.

19. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 17 , wherein the Young's modulus of the homogeneous elastomeric material is at least ten times the secant modulus at 100% elongation of the homogeneous elastomeric material.

20. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 16 , wherein a Young's modulus of the homogeneous elastomeric material is no more than 350 MPa.

21. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 1 , wherein the annular beam comprises elastomeric material having a Young's modulus of no more than 350 MPa.

22. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 21 , wherein the Young's modulus of the elastomeric material is at least 90 MPa.

23. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 21 , wherein the Young's modulus of the elastomeric material is at least 150 MPa.

24. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 1 , wherein the annular beam is injection molded or cast.

25. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a transverse deflection of the annular beam due to shear over a transverse deflection of the annular beam due to bending at a center of a design contact length at the contact patch of the non-pneumatic tire is at least 1.2 when the ground surface is substantially flat.

26. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 25 , wherein the ratio of the transverse deflection of the annular beam due to shear over the transverse deflection of the annular beam due to bending at the center of the design contact length at the contact patch of the non-pneumatic tire is at least 2 when the ground surface is substantially flat.

27. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 25 , wherein the ratio of the transverse deflection of the annular beam due to shear to the transverse deflection of the annular beam due to bending at the center of the design contact length at the contact patch of the non-pneumatic tire is determined by:

z
s

z
b

=

19.2
⁢

EI

L
2

⁢

1
GA

Assignees

• Advancing Mobility Llc
• Camso Inc

Inventors

• Thompson Ronald H

Classifications

• B60C7/102

  Tyres built-up with separate rubber parts · CPC title

• B60C7/18

  disposed radially relative to wheel axis · CPC title

• B60C2007/005

  made by casting, e.g. of polyurethane · CPC title

• B29L2030/006

  Solid tyres · CPC title

• B60C7/12

  using enclosed chambers, e.g. gas-filled · CPC title