Non-pneumatic tires with strain limiting features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11718126-B2
Application number	US-202016838181-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2020
Priority date	Apr 12, 2019
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

A non-pneumatic tire includes a wheel portion, a tread ring portion, a plurality of flexible spokes extending between and attached to the wheel portion and the tread ring portion, and plurality of bump stops positioned between the wheel portion and the tread ring portion. The bumps stops are configured to limit deformation and/or compressive strain of the plurality of flexible spokes. The plurality of bump stops includes a plurality of tower bump stops, a plurality of triangular-shaped bump stops, and/or a plurality of roof-top shaped bump stops.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-pneumatic tire comprising:
a wheel portion;
a tread ring portion;
a plurality of flexible spokes, each of the plurality of flexible spokes including an outer leg attached to and extending from the tread ring portion, an inner leg attached to and extending from the wheel portion, and an elbow positioned between the inner leg and the outer leg, the elbow having a thickness that is greater than a thickness of the outer leg and greater than a thickness of the inner leg; and
at least one inner bump stop positioned between the wheel portion and the tread ring portion and extending radially outward from the wheel portion, wherein the at least one inner bump stop is configured to limit deformation and strain of the plurality of flexible spokes upon engagement with at least one of the inner leg and the elbow of at least one of the plurality of flexible spokes.

2. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one inner bump stop comprises a plurality of tower bump stops positioned between adjacent flexible spokes and extending from the wheel portion towards the tread ring portion.

3. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of tower bump stops each comprise an outer surface configured for the adjacent flexible spokes to contact during compression of the adjacent flexible spokes.

4. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of tower bump stops comprise a plurality of symmetrical tower bump stops.

5. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one inner bump stop comprises a plurality of triangular-shaped bump stops positioned between adjacent flexible spokes and extending from the wheel portion towards the tread ring portion.

6. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of triangular-shaped bump stops each comprise an outer surface configured for the adjacent flexible spokes to contact during compression of the adjacent flexible spokes.

7. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of triangular-shaped bump stops comprise a plurality of irregular triangular-shaped bump stops, each of the plurality of irregular triangular-shaped bump stops including an arcuate outer surface.

8. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one inner bump stop comprises a plurality of roof-top shaped bump stops positioned between adjacent flexible spokes and extending from the wheel portion towards the tread ring portion.

9. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 8 , wherein the plurality of roof-top shaped bump stops each comprise a pair of outer surfaces configured for the adjacent flexible spokes to contact during compression of the adjacent flexible spokes.

10. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of roof-top shaped bump stops comprise a plurality of symmetrical roof-top shaped bump stops.

11. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one inner bump stop comprises a first set of tower bump stops positioned between each pair of adjacent flexible spokes and extending from the wheel portion towards the tread ring portion, and wherein the non-pneumatic tire further comprises at least one outer bump stop, the at least one outer bump stop comprises a second set of tower bump stops positioned between each pair of adjacent flexible spokes and extending from the tread ring portion towards the wheel portion.

12. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 11 , wherein each of the first set of tower bump stops comprise an outer surface and each of the second set of tower bump stops comprise an inner surface.

13. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of inner tower bump stops and a plurality of outer tower bump stops, the inner tower bump stops extending from the wheel portion towards the tread ring portion, the outer tower bump stops extending from the tread ring portion towards the wheel portion, wherein an outer surface of each inner tower bump stop and an inner surface of each outer tower bump stop are configured to oppose and abut against each other and limit compression of the adjacent flexible spokes.

14. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the elbow connects the inner leg to the outer leg to form a V-shape.

15. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of tower bump stops extending from the wheel portion towards the tread ring portion, each tower bump stop comprises an outer surface configured to abut against the tread ring portion and limit compression of the adjacent flexible spokes.

16. A non-pneumatic tire comprising:
a wheel portion;
a tread ring portion with a tread;
a plurality of flexible spokes, each of the plurality of flexible spokes including an outer leg attached to and extending from the tread ring portion, an inner leg attached to and extending from the wheel portion, and an elbow positioned between the inner leg and the outer leg, the elbow having a thickness that is greater than a thickness of the outer leg and greater than a thickness of the inner leg; and
a plurality of inner bump stops positioned between the wheel portion and the tread ring portion and extending radially outward from the wheel portion, wherein the plurality of inner bump stops is configured to limit deformation and strain of the plurality of flexible spokes upon engagement with at least one of the inner leg and the elbow of at least one of the plurality of flexible spokes.

17. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 16 , wherein the plurality of inner bump stops is selected from the group consisting of a plurality of tower bump stops positioned between respective pairs of adjacent flexible spokes and extending from the wheel portion towards the tread ring portion, a plurality of triangular-shaped bump stops positioned between respective pairs of adjacent flexible spokes and extending from the wheel portion towards the tread ring portion, a plurality of roof-top shaped bump stops positioned between respective pairs of adjacent flexible spokes and extending from the wheel portion towards the tread ring portion, and a first set of tower bump stops positioned between respective pairs of adjacent flexible spokes and extending from the wheel portion towards the tread ring portion and configured to oppose a second set of tower bump stops positioned between respective pairs of adjacent flexible spokes and extending from the tread ring portion towards the wheel portion.

18. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 16 , further comprising a plurality of tower bump stops positioned between adjacent flexible spokes and extending from the wheel portion towards the tread ring portion and each of the plurality of tower bump stops has an outer surface configured to abut against the tread ring portion and limit compression of the pairs of adjacent flexible spokes.

19. A non-pneumatic tire comprising:
a wheel portion;
a tread ring portion with a tread;
a plurality of flexible spokes, each of the plurality of flexible spokes including an outer leg attached to and extending from the tread ring portion, an inner leg attached to and extending from the wheel portion, and an elbow positioned between the inner leg and the outer leg, the elbow having a thickness that is greater than a thickness of the outer leg and greater than a thickness of the inner leg; and
a plurality of inner bump stops positioned between adjacent flexible spokes and extending between the wheel

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Tardiff Janice Lisa
• Wirth Adam
• Morris Wesley Grant
• Barrera-Martinez Cindy Sofia

Classifications

• B60B9/04 Primary

  in leaf form · CPC title

• B60B9/26 Primary

  comprising resilient spokes · CPC title

• B60C7/14

  using springs · CPC title

• B60C7/146

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

• B60C7/18

  disposed radially relative to wheel axis · CPC title