Method for fabrication of a non-pneumatic survivable tire and wheel assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9463603-B2
Application number	US-201314028129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2013
Priority date	Aug 12, 2010
Publication date	Oct 11, 2016
Grant date	Oct 11, 2016

Abstract

A non-pneumatic tire and wheel assembly is fabricated by forming inner and outer mold elements having apertures to receive casting blocks. A tread having an inner wall is prepared for casting and fill apertures are machined in a rim of a metal wheel. The tread, the outer mold element, the wheel, the inner mold element and the rubber casting blocks are assembled and an elastomer is introduced into the mold assembly through fill tubes inserted in the fill apertures of the wheel. The elastomer is allowed to cure at room temperature to form a tire body element and the rubber casting blocks and inner and outer mold elements are disassembled. A post-cure of the disassembled tire body element is accomplished at a high temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for fabrication of a non-pneumatic tire and wheel assembly comprising:
forming an inner and an outer mold element having strut and aperture dimensions adapted for a desired spoke design and mating rubber casting blocks to be received in the apertures;
preparing a tread having an inner wall for casting;
machining fill apertures in a rim of a metal wheel for a vehicle;
assembling the tread, the outer mold element, the wheel, the inner mold element and the rubber casting blocks to form a mold assembly;
introducing an elastomer into the mold assembly through fill tubes inserted in the fill apertures of the wheel;
allowing the elastomer to cure at room temperature to form a tire body element;
disassembling the rubber casting blocks and inner and outer mold elements from tire body element; and
post-curing the disassembled the body element at a temperature of at least 160° F. to form a non-pneumatic tire and wheel assembly.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of forming the inner and outer mold elements further comprises:
concentrically receiving the inner and outer mold elements with the tread, the outer mold element intruding into the tread to create a recess in an outer surface of the tire body element.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising machining mating holes in an outer recess of the rim of the wheel.

4. The method of claim 3 further including fabrication of a cover comprising the steps of:
sequential layup of concentrically reduced radius layers, and,
bonding of the layers.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising attaching the cover to a mounting plate.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising selecting pressure-sensitive fasteners.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of selecting pressure-sensitive fasteners comprises selecting fasteners from a set of plastic rivets or deformable plastic nuts.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising attaching the cover and the mounting plate to the wheel using the pressure-sensitive fasteners received in the machined mating holes in the outer recess of the rim of the wheel.

9. The method of claim 5 further comprising selecting frangible fasteners.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
receiving the cover in the recess in the outer surface of the tire body element; and,
attaching the cover and the mounting plate to the wheel using the frangible fasteners received in machined mating holes in an outer recess of the rim of the wheel.

11. The method of claim 5 further comprising inserting spacers in a recess in the rim of the wheel.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of introducing an elastomer includes selecting an elastomer having a durometer ranging from approximately 40 to 90 on the Shore A scale.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of selecting an elastomer comprises selecting an elastomer from the set of urethane , Two Component Polyurethane Cast Elastomer Systems having Polyether (PTMEG) Polyol Mixture and Polyether or Polyester/MDI Quasi-Prepolymer Isocyanate, natural rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, and polybutadiene rubber.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of introducing an elastomer includes forming an engagement dome on the outer circumference of the tire body element engaging a mating depression in the inner wall of the tread.

15. A method for fabrication of a blast resistant non-pneumatic tire and wheel assembly comprising:
forming an inner and an outer mold element having strut and aperture dimensions adapted for a desired spoke design and mating rubber casting blocks to be received in the apertures;
preparing a tread having an inner wall for casting;
machining fill apertures in a rim of a metal wheel for a vehicle;
assembling the tread, the outer mold element, the wheel, the inner mold element and the rubber casting blocks, concentrically receiving the inner and outer mold elements with the tread, the outer mold element intruding into the tread to create a recess in an outer surface of a tire body element;
introducing an elastomer into the mold assembly through fill tubes inserted in the fill apertures of the wheel;
allowing the elastomer to cure at a room temperature to form the tire body element;
disassembling the rubber casting blocks and the inner and outer mold elements from the tire body element;
post-curing the disassembled tire body element at a temperature of at least 160° F. to form a non-pneumatic tire and wheel assembly;
fabricating a cover;
attaching the cover to a mounting plate; and
attaching the mounting plate to the metal wheel with the cover received in the recess in the outer surface of the tire body element.

16. The method as defined in claim 15 wherein the step of attaching the mounting plate further comprises:
machining mating holes in an outer relief of the rim of the wheel; and,
attaching the cover and mounting plate to the wheel using fasteners received in the machined mating holes.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising selecting the fasteners from the group consisting of frangible fasteners, plastic rivets or deformable plastic nuts.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of fabricating a cover comprises:
sequentially laying up concentrically reduced radius layers, and, bonding the layers.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of introducing an elastomer includes forming an engagement dome on the outer circumference of the tire body element engaging a mating depression in the inner wall of the tread.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising selecting an elastomer from the set of urethane, Two Component Polyurethane Cast Elastomer Systems having Polyether (PTMEG) Polyol Mixture and Polyether or Polyester/MDI Quasi-Prepolymer Isocyanate, natural rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, and polybutadiene rubber.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Chadwick D'Arcy R
• Perron Daniel J
• Rogers Eldon C
• Storvick Darrell M
• Williams Timothy L
• Yee Dennis

Classifications

• B60C2007/107

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B29D30/02 Primary

  Solid tyres {; Moulds therefor} · CPC title

• Y10T152/10

  Tires, resilient · CPC title

• B60C7/18

  disposed radially relative to wheel axis · CPC title

• Y10T29/49538

  Tyre making · CPC title