Airless tire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10189311-B2
Application number	US-201615333772-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2016
Priority date	Oct 26, 2015
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

An airless tire includes multiple tire pieces including a first tire piece and a second tire piece such that the first and second tire pieces are integrated in alignment in tire axial direction. The first tire piece includes a first tread ring, a first inner periphery portion and first spokes such that the first ring has a cylindrical form and a ground contact surface, the first periphery portion is formed on radial direction inner side of the first ring, and the first spokes are connecting the first ring and periphery portion, and the second tire piece includes a second tread ring, a second inner periphery portion, and second spokes such that the second ring has a cylindrical form and a ground contact surface, the second periphery portion is formed on radial direction inner side of the second ring, and the second spokes are connecting the second ring and periphery portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An airless tire, comprising:
a plurality of tire pieces comprising a first tire piece and a second tire piece such that the first tire piece and the second tire piece are integrated in alignment in a tire axial direction; and
a coupling portion configured to couple one of a first inner periphery portion and a second inner periphery portion to an axle,
wherein the first tire piece comprises a first tread ring, the first inner periphery portion and a plurality of first spokes such that the first tread ring has a cylindrical form and a ground contact surface, the first inner periphery portion is formed on a radial direction inner side of the first tread ring, and the plurality of first spokes is connecting the first tread ring and the first inner periphery portion, the second tire piece comprises a second tread ring, the second inner periphery portion, and a plurality of second spokes such that the second tread ring has a cylindrical form and a ground contact surface, the second inner periphery portion is formed on a radial direction inner side of the second tread ring, and the plurality of second spokes is connecting the second tread ring and the second inner periphery portion, the first inner periphery portion includes a first cylindrical portion formed on a tire radial direction inner side of the plurality of first spokes, and a first flange portion projecting on an inner peripheral side of the first cylindrical portion and configured to be fixed to the coupling portion, and the second inner periphery portion includes a second cylindrical portion formed on a tire radial direction inner side of the plurality of second spokes, and a second flange portion projecting on an inner peripheral side of the second cylindrical portion and configured to be fixed to the coupling portion.

2. The airless tire according to claim 1 , wherein the first tire piece and the second tire piece are integrated such that the first inner periphery portion and the second inner periphery portion are configured to be fixed to each other by the coupling portion.

3. The airless tire according to claim 1 , wherein the first tire piece and the second tire piece are integrated in alignment in the tire axial direction by the coupling portion such that the first tread ring and the second tread ring are adjacent to each other without leaving a gap between the first tread ring and the second tread ring in the tire axial direction.

4. The airless tire according to claim 1 , wherein the first tire piece and the second tire piece are integrated in alignment in the tire axial direction by the coupling portion such that the first spokes and the second spokes are formed at positions not in contact with each other before and after load is exerted on the plurality of tire pieces.

5. The airless tire according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of first spokes and the plurality of second spokes are positioned such that each of the tire pieces has a tire axial direction maximum width which does not change before and after load is exerted on each of the inner periphery portions.

6. The airless tire according to claim 2 , wherein the first tire piece and the second tire piece are formed such that the first spokes are periodically positioned in a tire circumferential direction and that the second spokes are periodically positioned in the tire circumferential direction, and the first tire piece and the second tire piece are integrated in alignment in the tire axial direction by the coupling portion such that the first spokes are shifted in phase in the tire circumferential direction with respect to the second spokes.

7. The airless tire according to claim 2 , wherein the first tire piece and the second tire piece have the first and second tread rings in a same shape and the first and second spokes in a same shape.

8. The airless tire according to claim 2 , wherein the first tire piece and the second tire piece have the first and second tread rings in a symmetrical shape and the first and second spokes in a symmetrical shape with respect to a plane that passes through between the first tire piece and the second tire piece and is perpendicular to a tire rotation axis.

9. The airless tire according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first tire piece and the second tire piece has an asymmetrical shape with respect to a tire equator plane.

10. The airless tire according to claim 2 , wherein the coupling portion comprises a first coupling portion configured to couple one of the first inner periphery portion and the second inner periphery portion to the axle, and a second coupling portion configured to be mounted to the first and second flange portions of the first and second inner periphery portions such that the second coupling portion is mounted between the first and second inner periphery portions.

11. The airless tire according to claim 1 , wherein the first tire piece and the second tire piece are integrated in alignment in the tire axial direction by the coupling portion such that the first tread ring and the second tread ring are adjacent to each other without leaving a gap between the first tread ring and the second tread ring in the tire axial direction.

12. The airless tire according to claim 1 , wherein the first tire piece and the second tire piece are integrated in alignment in the tire axial direction by the coupling portion such that the first spokes and the second spokes are formed at positions not in contact with each other before and after load is exerted on the plurality of tire pieces.

13. The airless tire according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first spokes and the plurality of second spokes are positioned such that each of the tire pieces has a tire axial direction maximum width which does not change before and after load is exerted on each of the inner periphery portions.

14. The airless tire according to claim 1 , wherein the first tire piece and the second tire piece are formed such that the first spokes are periodically positioned in a tire circumferential direction and that the second spokes are periodically positioned in the tire circumferential direction, and the first tire piece and the second tire piece are integrated in alignment in the tire axial direction by the coupling portion such that the first spokes are shifted in phase in the tire circumferential direction with respect to the second spokes.

15. The airless tire according to claim 1 , wherein the first tire piece and the second tire piece have the first and second tread rings in a same shape and the first and second spokes in a same shape.

16. The airless tire according to claim 1 , wherein the first tire piece and the second tire piece have the first and second tread rings in a symmetrical shape and the first and second spokes in a symmetrical shape with respect to a plane that passes through between the first tire piece and the second tire piece and is perpendicular to a tire rotation axis.

17. The airless tire according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first tire piece and the second tire piece has an asymmetrical shape with respect to a tire equator plane.

18. The airless tire according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling portion comprises a first coupling portion configured to couple one of the first inner periphery portion and the second inner periphery portion to the axle, and a second coupling portion configured to be mounted to the first and second flange portions of the first and second inner periphery portions such that the second coupling portion is mounted between the first and second inner

Assignees

• Sumitomo Rubber Ind

Inventors

• Iwamura Wako
• Sugiya Makoto
• Shirakawa Naoki
• Takeuchi Hitoshi
• YAMAZAKI Shoushuu

Classifications

• B60B1/00

  Spoked wheels; Spokes thereof (non-metallic B60B5/00 {; spoked wheels comprising rail-engaging elements B60B17/001; making wheel spokes B21F39/00}) · CPC title

• B60B2310/204

  by moulding, e.g. injection moulding, i.e. casting of plastics material · CPC title

• B60C7/18 Primary

  disposed radially relative to wheel axis · CPC title

• B60B2360/50

  Rubbers · CPC title

• B60B2900/131

  Vibrations · CPC title