Airless tire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9387726-B2
Application number	US-201313922218-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2013
Priority date	Jun 27, 2012
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to an airless tire, and includes first and second bands that face each other with a distance interposed therebetween, a plurality of spokes that connect the first band to the second band and are provided at intervals, and first and second connecting members that connect the adjacent spokes. The spoke includes a first member of which one end is curved from the first band toward the second band, and a second member of which one end is curved from the second band toward the first band. The other ends of the first and second members are connected to each other, and the first and second members are curved in opposite directions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An airless tire comprising:
a circular first band;
a second band that surrounds the first band while being spaced apart from the first band, and has a diameter larger than the diameter of the first band;
a plurality of spokes that connect the first band to the second band, are disposed between the first and second bands, and contract or expand by a load transmitted from outside the airless tire;
wherein each spoke includes a pair of first members, a pair of second members, and a first connecting member; and
wherein adjacent spokes are connected to each other via a second connecting member extending from each spoke to an adjacent spoke to disperse a load applied to the plurality of spokes;
wherein each of the first members has a first end opposite from a second end, wherein each of the first members protrude at each respective first end from the first band toward the second band;
wherein each of the second members has a first end opposite from a second end, wherein each of the second members protrude at each respective first end from the second band toward the first band;
wherein the first connecting member has a first end opposite from a second end, wherein the first end of the first connecting member connects the second end of one of the first members to the second end of one of the second members, and wherein the second end of the first connecting member connects the second end of the other first member to the second end of the other second member;
wherein each of the first members and the second members have a curved shape, wherein one of the pairs of members curves inward with each of the members extending toward each other while the other pair of members curves outward away from each other.

2. The airless tire according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second connecting members are disposed in a zigzag pattern.

3. The airless tire according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a tread that is connected to the outer surface of the second band; and
a reinforcing layer that is positioned between the second band and the tread.

4. The airless tire according to claim 3 , wherein the reinforcing layer is selected from a group consisting of a steel wire, a steel belt, a fiber cord, a composite, a hollow tube, and combinations thereof.

5. The airless tire according to claim 4 , wherein the reinforcing layer is selected from a group consisting of basalt fiber, filaments based on basalt fiber, and combinations thereof.

6. The airless tire according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second bands is selected from a group consisting of basalt fiber, filaments based on basalt fiber, and combinations thereof.

7. The airless tire according to claim 1 , wherein the radius (R 1 ) of curvature of each first member is 40 mm or more and smaller than 50 mm, and the radius (R 2 ) of curvature of each second member is 30 mm or more and smaller than 40 mm.

8. The airless tire according to claim 1 , wherein the length of the second connecting member is longer than the length of the first connecting member.

9. The airless tire according to claim 1 , wherein the length of each second member is longer than the length of each first member.

10. An airless tire comprising:
a circular first band;
a second band that surrounds the first band while being spaced apart from the first band, and has a diameter larger than the diameter of the first band;
a plurality of spokes that connect the first band to the second band, are disposed between the first and second bands, and contract or expand by a load transmitted from outside the airless tire,
wherein each spoke includes a pair of first members, a pair of second members, and a first connecting member;
wherein adjacent spokes are connected to each other via a second connecting member extending from each spoke to an adjacent spoke to disperse a load applied to the plurality of spokes;
wherein each of the first members has a first end opposite from a second end, wherein each of the first members protrude at each respective first end from the first band toward the second band, wherein a distance between the second ends of the first members is shorter than a distance between first ends of the first members, wherein each of the first members has a curved shape, and wherein the first members curve away from each other;
wherein each of the second members has a first end opposite from a second end, wherein each of the second members protrude at each respective first end from the second band toward the first band, wherein a distance between the first ends of the second members is longer than a distance between second ends of the second members, wherein each of the second members has a curved shape, and wherein the second members curve toward each other; and
wherein the first connecting member has a first end opposite from a second end, wherein the first end of the first connecting member connects the second end of one of the first members to the second end of one of the second members, and wherein the second end of the first connecting member connects the second end of the other first member to the second end of the other second member such that the distance between the second ends of the first members equals the distance between the second ends of the second members.

11. The airless tire according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a tread that is connected to the outer surface of the second band; and
a reinforcing layer that is positioned between the second band and the tread.

12. The airless tire according to claim 11 , wherein the reinforcing layer is selected from a group consisting of a steel wire, a steel belt, a fiber cord, a composite, a hollow tube, and combinations thereof.

13. The airless tire according to claim 12 , wherein the reinforcing layer is selected from a group consisting of basalt fiber, filaments based on basalt fiber, and combinations thereof.

14. The airless tire according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second bands is selected from a group consisting of basalt fiber, filaments based on basalt fiber, and combinations thereof.

15. The airless tire according to claim 1 , wherein the radius (R 1 ) of curvature of the first member is 40 mm or more and smaller than 50 mm, and the radius (R 2 ) of curvature of the second member is 30 mm or more and smaller than 40 mm.

16. The airless tire according to claim 1 , wherein the length of the second connecting member is longer than the length of the first connecting member.

17. The airless tire according to claim 1 , wherein the length of each second member is longer than the length of each first member.

18. An airless tire comprising:
a circular first band;
a second band that surrounds the first band while being spaced apart from the first band, and has a diameter larger than the diameter of the first band;
a plurality of spokes that connect the first band to the second band, are disposed between the first and second bands, and contract or expand by a load transmitted from outside the airless tire,
wherein each spoke includes a pair of first members, a pair of second members, and a first connecting member;
wherein adjacent spokes are connected to each other via a second connecting member extending from each second member of each spoke to a second member of an adjacent spoke to disperse a load applied to the plurality of spokes;
wherein each of the first members has a first end opposite from a second end, wherein each of the first members protrude at each respective first end from the first band toward the second band, w

Assignees

• Hankook Tire Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Seok Ju
• Kim Hak Joo
• Kim Man Seop
• Ko Kil Ju
• Kang Ki Ho
• Choi Yoon Jin

Classifications

• B60C7/18

  disposed radially relative to wheel axis · CPC title

• B60C2007/146

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60C7/10 Primary

  characterised by means for increasing resiliency · CPC title

• B60C7/107 Primary

  comprising lateral openings · CPC title

• B60B1/04

  Attaching spokes to rim or hub · CPC title