Non-pneumatic tire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11021015-B2
Application number	US-201816120560-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2018
Priority date	Sep 7, 2017
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

A non-pneumatic tire includes a support structure for supporting a load from a vehicle. The support structure includes an inner annular portion, an outer annular portion concentrically provided on an outer side of the inner annular portion, and a plurality of connecting portions which connect the inner annular portion and the outer annular portion to each other and are provided in a tire circumferential direction independently of one another, the plurality of connecting portions are configured such that elongated plate-like first connecting portions and elongated plate-like second connecting portions are arrayed along the tire circumferential direction, a plate thickness is smaller than a plate width, a plate thickness direction is oriented to the tire circumferential direction, and a plate thickness at a tire radial direction inner end coupled to the inner annular portion is larger than a plate thickness at a tire radial direction center portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-pneumatic tire comprising a support structure for supporting a load from a vehicle,
wherein the support structure includes an inner annular portion, an outer annular portion concentrically provided on an outer side of the inner annular portion, and a plurality of connecting portions which connect the inner annular portion and the outer annular portion to each other and are provided in a tire circumferential direction independently of one another,
the plurality of connecting portions are configured such that elongated plate-like first connecting portions and elongated plate-like second connecting portions are arrayed along the tire circumferential direction, the first connecting portions being extended from one side in a tire width direction of the inner annular portion to other side in a tire width direction of the outer annular portion, and the second connecting portions being extended from the other side in the tire width direction of the inner annular portion to the one side in the tire width direction of the outer annular portion, and
in each of the first connecting portions and the second connecting portions, a plate thickness is smaller than a plate width, a plate thickness direction is oriented to the tire circumferential direction, and a plate thickness at a tire radial direction inner end coupled to the inner annular portion is larger than a plate thickness at a tire radial direction center portion,
wherein each of the first connecting portions and the second connecting portions include; a thick portion having a plate thickness which is constant from the tire radial direction inner end toward the tire radial direction center portion, the plate thickness of the thick portion is larger than the plate thickness at the tire radial direction center portion.

2. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein, in each of the first connecting portions and the second connecting portions, a plate thickness at a tire radial direction outer end coupled to the outer annular portion is larger than the plate thickness at the tire radial direction center portion.

3. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 2 , wherein the plate thickness at tire radial direction outer end is larger than the plate thickness at the tire radial direction inner end.

4. A non-pneumatic tire comprising a support structure for supporting a load from a vehicle,
wherein the support structure includes an inner annular portion, an outer annular portion concentrically provided on an outer side of the inner annular portion, and a plurality of connecting portions which connect the inner annular portion and the outer annular portion to each other and are provided in a tire circumferential direction independently of one another,
the plurality of connecting portions are configured such that elongated plate-like first connecting portions and elongated plate-like second connecting portions are arrayed along the tire circumferential direction, the first connecting portions being extended from one side in a tire width direction of the inner annular portion to other side in a tire width direction of the outer annular portion, and the second connecting portions being extended from the other side in the tire width direction of the inner annular portion to the one side in the tire width direction of the outer annular portion, and
in each of the first connecting portions and the second connecting portions, a plate thickness is smaller than a plate width, a plate thickness direction is oriented to the tire circumferential direction, and a plate thickness at a tire radial direction inner end coupled to the inner annular portion is larger than a plate thickness at a tire radial direction center portion,
wherein, in each of the first connecting portions and the second connecting portions, a plate thickness at a tire radial direction outer end coupled to the outer annular portion is larger than the plate thickness at the tire radial direction center portion,
wherein each of the first connecting portions and the second connecting portions includes; a thick portion in which a plate thickness gradually increases from the tire radial direction inner end toward the tire radial direction center portion; a thin portion in which a plate thickness gradually decreases from the tire radial direction outer end toward the tire radial direction inner end through the tire radial direction center portion; and a tapered portion thinned from the thick portion to the thin portion.

5. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 4 , wherein both side surfaces of the thick portion in the tire circumferential direction extend radially along the tire radial direction.

6. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 4 , wherein both side surfaces of the thin portion in the tire circumferential direction extend radially along the tire radial direction.

7. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 4 , wherein the plate thickness at tire radial direction outer end is larger than the plate thickness at the tire radial direction inner end.

Assignees

• Toyo Tire & Rubber Co
• Toyo Tire Corp

Inventors

• Kitamura Takashi

Classifications

• B60C7/146

  extending substantially radially, e.g. like spokes · CPC title

• B60C7/107

  comprising lateral openings · CPC title

• B60C7/14 Primary

  using springs · CPC title

• B60C2007/146

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60C7/102

  Tyres built-up with separate rubber parts · CPC title