Non-pneumatic tire having improved riding comfort

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9840113-B2
Application number	US-201514809923-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2015
Priority date	Aug 13, 2014
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A non-pneumatic tire is disclosed herein. The non-pneumatic tire includes a cylindrical tread configured to come into contact with a road surface, an aluminum wheel configured to form a circumference smaller than that of the tread and concentrically disposed inside the tread, and a polyurethane spoke configured to perform a shock absorbing action while connecting the tread with the aluminum wheel. The aluminum wheel includes a plurality of depressed grooves formed at predetermined intervals along the circumferential surface of the aluminum wheel. A plurality of vibration isolators made of vibration isolation material is inserted into the grooves.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-pneumatic tire, comprising:
a cylindrical tread configured to come into contact with a road surface;
an aluminum wheel configured to form a circumference smaller than that of the tread and concentrically disposed inside the tread; and
a polyurethane spoke configured to perform a shock absorbing action while connecting the tread with the aluminum wheel,
wherein the aluminum wheel includes a plurality of depressed grooves formed at predetermined intervals along an outer circumferential surface of the aluminum wheel,
a plurality of vibration isolators made of vibration isolation material is inserted into the grooves, so that the vibration isolators are inserted onto the outer circumferential surface of the aluminum wheel along a circumferential direction of the tire, and
a width w of one of the grooves ranges from 10 to 15% of an overall width of the aluminum wheel,
wherein the depressed grooves are depressed stepped grooves, and the polyurethane spoke directly comes into contact with the vibration isolators for reducing a sliding friction between the aluminum wheel and the polyurethane spoke and improving adhesion between the aluminum wheel and the polyurethane spoke.

2. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 1 , wherein the vibration isolators are made of one or more selected from the group consisting of butyl rubber, natural rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber including a maleic acid or a maleic acid derivative, nitrile butadiene rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, halobutyl rubber, chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubber, chlorinated polyethylene rubber, and brominated polyethylene rubber.

3. A non-pneumatic tire, comprising:
a cylindrical tread configured to come into contact with a road surface;
an aluminum wheel configured to form a circumference smaller than that of the tread and concentrically disposed inside the tread; and
a polyurethane spoke configured to perform a shock absorbing action while connecting the tread with the aluminum wheel,
wherein the aluminum wheel includes a plurality of depressed grooves formed at predetermined intervals along an outer circumferential surface of the aluminum wheel,
a plurality of vibration isolators made of vibration isolation material is inserted into the grooves, so that the vibration isolators are inserted onto the outer circumferential surface of the aluminum wheel along a circumferential direction of the tire, and
an interval d between the neighboring grooves ranges from 30 to 50% of a width w of one of the grooves,
wherein the depressed grooves are depressed stepped grooves, and the polyurethane spoke directly comes into contact with the vibration isolators for reducing a sliding friction between the aluminum wheel and the polyurethane spoke and improving adhesion between the aluminum wheel and the polyurethane spoke.

4. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 3 , wherein the vibration isolators are made of one or more selected from the group consisting of butyl rubber, natural rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber including a maleic acid or a maleic acid derivative, nitrile butadiene rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, halobutyl rubber, chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubber, chlorinated polyethylene rubber, and brominated polyethylene rubber.

5. A non-pneumatic tire, comprising:
a cylindrical tread configured to come into contact with a road surface;
an aluminum wheel configured to form a circumference smaller than that of the tread and concentrically disposed inside the tread; and
a polyurethane spoke configured to perform a shock absorbing action while connecting the tread with the aluminum wheel,
wherein the aluminum wheel includes a plurality of depressed grooves formed at predetermined intervals along an outer circumferential surface of the aluminum wheel,
a plurality of vibration isolators made of vibration isolation material is inserted into the grooves, and
a thickness h of the grooves ranges from 20 to 50% of an overall thickness H of a widthwise part of the aluminum wheel,
wherein the depressed grooves are depressed stepped grooves, and the polyurethane spoke directly comes into contact with the vibration isolators for reducing a sliding friction between the aluminum wheel and the polyurethane spoke and improving adhesion between the aluminum wheel and the polyurethane spoke.

6. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 5 , wherein the vibration isolators are made of one or more selected from the group consisting of butyl rubber, natural rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber including a maleic acid or a maleic acid derivative, nitrile butadiene rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, halobutyl rubber, chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubber, chlorinated polyethylene rubber, and brominated polyethylene rubber.

7. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 5 , wherein the vibration isolators are inserted onto the outer circumferential surface of the aluminum wheel along a tire width direction.

8. A non-pneumatic tire, comprising:
a cylindrical tread configured to come into contact with a road surface;
an aluminum wheel configured to form a circumference smaller than that of the tread and concentrically disposed inside the tread; and
a polyurethane spoke configured to perform a shock absorbing action while connecting the tread with the aluminum wheel,
wherein the aluminum wheel includes a plurality of depressed grooves formed at predetermined intervals along an outer circumferential surface of the aluminum wheel,
a plurality of vibration isolators made of vibration isolation material is inserted into the grooves, and
a modulus of elasticity of the vibration isolators is equal to or less than 20% of a modulus of elasticity of polyurethane,
wherein the depressed grooves are depressed stepped grooves, and the polyurethane spoke directly comes into contact with the vibration isolators for reducing a sliding friction between the aluminum wheel and the polyurethane spoke and improving adhesion between the aluminum wheel and the polyurethane spoke.

9. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 8 , wherein the vibration isolators are made of one or more selected from the group consisting of butyl rubber, natural rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber including a maleic acid or a maleic acid derivative, nitrile butadiene rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, halobutyl rubber, chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubber, chlorinated polyethylene rubber, and brominated polyethylene rubber.

10. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 8 , wherein the vibration isolators are inserted onto the outer circumferential surface of the aluminum wheel along a tire width direction.

11. A non-pneumatic tire, comprising:
a cylindrical tread configured to come into contact with a road surface;
an aluminum wheel configured to form a circumference smaller than that of the tread and concentrically disposed inside the tread; and
a polyurethane spoke configured to perform a shock absorbing action while connecting the tread with the aluminum wheel,
wherein the aluminum wheel includes a plurality of depressed grooves formed at predetermined intervals along an outer circumferential surface of the aluminum wheel,
a plurality of vibration isolators made of vibration isolation material is inserted into the grooves, and
an overall surface area of the vibration isolators is 50% of a circumferential surface area of the aluminum wheel,
wherein the depressed grooves are depressed stepped grooves, and the polyurethane spoke directly comes into contact with the vibration isolators for reducing a sliding friction between the aluminum wheel and the polyurethane spoke and improving adhesion between the alum

Assignees

• Hankook Tire Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Yong Hun

Classifications

• B60B9/26

  comprising resilient spokes · CPC title

• B60C7/18

  disposed radially relative to wheel axis · CPC title

• B60C7/14 Primary

  using springs · CPC title

• B60C2007/146

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60C7/146

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