Wheel with multiple resilient tires

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12227028-B2
Application number	US-202017755048-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2020
Priority date	Oct 21, 2019
Publication date	Feb 18, 2025
Grant date	Feb 18, 2025

Abstract

A vehicle wheel includes two annular rim members, at least one annular flange member disposed between the two rim members, a securing member that secures relative positional relationship between adjacent members among the two rim members and the at least one flange member, a plurality of body springs that each connects adjacent members among the two rim members and the at least one flange member, and a plurality of linking springs linked to the plurality of body springs so as to restrict relative displacement between the plurality of body springs. At least part of each body spring in a width direction of the vehicle wheel protrudes further to an outer side in a radial direction of the vehicle wheel than the rim members and the flange member, and the plurality of body springs is provided at intervals over an entire circumferential direction of the vehicle wheel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle wheel comprising:
two annular rim members disposed on a same axis;
at least one annular flange member disposed between the two rim members so as to have a same rotation axis as the two rim members;
a securing member that secures a positional relationship between adjacent members among the two rim members and the at least one flange member;
a plurality of body springs that each connect adjacent members among the two rim members and the at least one flange member; and
a plurality of linking springs that are linked to the plurality of body springs so as to restrict relative displacement between the plurality of body springs, wherein
at least part of each body spring in the plurality of body springs in a width direction of the vehicle wheel protrudes further to an outer side in a radial direction of the vehicle wheel than the rim members and the flange member, and the plurality of body springs are provided at intervals over an entire circumferential direction of the vehicle wheel, and
the plurality of body springs are attached to the rim members and the flange member so that an axis of each body spring in the plurality of body springs forms an inclination angle of less than 30 degrees with respect to the radial direction of the vehicle wheel at peripheral portions of the rim members and the flange member.

2. The vehicle wheel according to claim 1 , further comprising
spoke members that are fitted to the two respective rim members.

3. The vehicle wheel according to claim 1 , wherein the flange member is formed by securing two members with a same shape to each other.

4. The vehicle wheel according to claim 1 , further comprising
a plurality of tire portions that each include a skeleton portion and a tread portion fitted to an outer side in the radial direction of the skeleton portion, wherein, in the skeleton portion, a deformable ground contacting portion is formed by the plurality of body springs, and wherein
the tread portion is configured with tread members, and
in each tire portion in the plurality of tire portions, tread members are arranged in one direction.

5. The vehicle wheel according to claim 4 , wherein the direction in which the tread members are arranged with respect to a rotation axis of the plurality of tire portions in one tire portion in the plurality of tire portions is different from the direction in which the tread members are arranged with respect to the rotation axis of the plurality of tire portions in another tire portion in the plurality of tire portions.

6. The vehicle wheel according to claim 2 , wherein the flange member is formed by securing two members with a same shape to each other.

7. The vehicle wheel according to claim 2 , further comprising
a plurality of tire portions that each include a skeleton portion and a tread portion fitted to an outer side in the radial direction of the skeleton portion, wherein, in the skeleton portion, a deformable ground contacting portion is formed by the plurality of body springs, and wherein
the tread portion is configured with tread members, and
in each tire portion in the plurality of tire portions, tread members are arranged in one direction.

8. The vehicle wheel according to claim 3 , further comprising
a plurality of tire portions that each include a skeleton portion and a tread portion fitted to an outer side in the radial direction of the skeleton portion, wherein, in the skeleton portion, a deformable ground contacting portion is formed by the plurality of body springs, and wherein
the tread portion is configured with tread members, and
in each tire portion in the plurality of tire portions, tread members are arranged in one direction.

9. A vehicle wheel comprising:
two annular rim members disposed on a same axis;
at least one annular flange member disposed between the two rim members so as to have a same rotation axis as the two rim members;
a securing member that secures a positional relationship between adjacent members among the two rim members and the at least one flange member;
a plurality of body springs that each connect adjacent members among the two rim members and the at least one flange member; and
a plurality of linking springs that are linked to the plurality of body springs so as to restrict relative displacement between the plurality of body springs, wherein
at least part of each body spring in the plurality of body springs in a width direction of the vehicle wheel protrudes further to an outer side in a radial direction of the vehicle wheel than the rim members and the flange member, and the plurality of body springs are provided at intervals over an entire circumferential direction of the vehicle wheel, and
the flange member is formed by securing two members with a same shape to each other.

10. The vehicle wheel according to claim 9 , further comprising
spoke members that are fitted to the two respective rim members.

11. The vehicle wheel according to claim 9 , further comprising
a plurality of tire portions that each include a skeleton portion and a tread portion fitted to an outer side in the radial direction of the skeleton portion, wherein, in the skeleton portion, a deformable ground contacting portion is formed by the plurality of body springs, and wherein
the tread portion is configured with tread members, and
in each tire portion in the plurality of tire portions, tread members are arranged in one direction.

Assignees

• Bridgestone Corp

Inventors

• Kouno Yoshihide
• Kon Seiji

Classifications

• B60C7/18

  disposed radially relative to wheel axis · CPC title

• B60B2900/711

  High loads, e.g. by reinforcements · CPC title

• B60B2900/351

  versatility, e.g. usable for different purposes or different arrangements · CPC title

• B60B11/04 Primary

  Wheels with a rim capable of carrying more than one tyre · CPC title

• B60C2003/005

  Twin tyres · CPC title