Superelastic tire

• US 10,449,804 B1
• Filed: 12/06/2016
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
• Original Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture
• Inventors: Padula, II, Santo A., Benzing, James, Asnani, Vivake M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano, S. Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Charleston, Jean W
• Application Number:
  US15/370,322
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 152 14, 152 17, 152 25, 152 32, 152 33, 152 87, 152 88, 152 97
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 15/0216 the bead being pierced by bolts, rivets, clips or other elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 7/06 made of metal
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 7/20 disposed circumferentially relative to wheel axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 7/26 using bolts
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 9/0007 Reinforcements made of metallic elements, e.g. cords, yarns, filaments or fibres made from metal
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/80 Other vehicles not covered by groups B60Y2200/10 - B60Y2200/60
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 13/00 Alloys based on tin
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 18/02 with copper as the next major constituent
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 19/03 based on nickel
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 20/00 Alloys based on cadmium
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 27/02 Alloys based on vanadium, niobium, or tantalum
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 30/00 Alloys containing less than 50% by weight of each constituent
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 30/02 containing copper
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 5/02 Alloys based on gold
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 5/04 Alloys based on a platinum group metal
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 9/05 with manganese as the next major constituent
• CPC Class Codes: C22F 1/006 Resulting in heat recoverable alloys with a memory effect

Abstract

A tire includes a plurality of SMA springs. Each SMA spring includes a first end portion, a second end portion, and an arching middle portion. Each SMA spring is interlaced with at least one other SMA spring thereby forming a laced toroidal structure extending about an entire circumference of the tire.

Claims

1. A tire comprising:

a plurality of wires having a first end portion, a second end portion, and an arching middle portion;

each wire interlaced with at least one other wire thereby forming a laced toroidal structure extending about an entire circumference of the tire; and

a selected number of wires comprising a shape memory alloy (SMA) having an austenite crystal structure in an ambient condition, and during the application of an externally applied force upon the SMA, the austenite crystal structure of the SMA reorients to a martensitic crystal structure to minimize internal strain energy and decrease local stiffness to accommodate load and large deflection of the SMA.

2. The tire as set forth in claim 1, wherein the SMA is one of NiTi, Ag—

Cd, Au—

Cd, Cu—

Al—

Ni, Cu—

Sn, Cu—

Zn, Fe—

Pt, Mn—

Cu, Fe—

Mn—

Si, Co—

Ni—

Al, Co—

Ni—

Ga, Ni—

Fe—

Ga, Ti—

Nb, β

-Ti alloys, or ternary alloys or quaternary alloys of the SMA material.

3. The tire as set forth in claim 1, wherein the SMA comprises a composition of materials designed for superelasticity, shape memory effect (SME) behavior, or both.

4. The tire as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tire can withstand more than 1 percent strain before permanently deforming.

5. The tire as set forth in claim 1, wherein a subset of the wires are secured to a first annular rim of a wheel and a second annular rim of the wheel.

6. The tire as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a wheel with an annular rim at each axial side of the tire for securing the tire to the wheel.

7. The tire as set forth in claim 1, wherein the toroidal structure defines a first ply for the tire.

8. The tire as set forth in claim 7, further comprising a second ply, the second ply radially overlapping the first ply.

9. The tire as set forth in claim 8, wherein the second ply comprises a laced toroidal structure having a plurality of SMA wires.

10. The tire as set forth in claim 9, wherein each SMA wire of the second ply comprises:

a first end portion, a second end portion, and an arching middle portion, each SMA wire being interlaced with at least one other SMA wire thereby forming a laced toroidal structure extending about an entire circumference of the tire.

11. A tire comprising:

a plurality of wires having a first end portion, a second end portion, and an arching middle portion interconnecting the first end portion and the second end portion;

each wire extending radially outward from the first end portion to the middle portion and radially inward from the middle portion to the second end portion;

a plurality of wires interlaced with an adjacent wire on a first side of the wire and further being interlaced with an adjacent SMA spring on a second opposite side of the SMA spring thereby forming a toroidal structure extending about an entire circumference of the tire; and

a selected number of wires comprising a shape memory alloy (SMA) having an austenite crystal structure in an ambient condition, and during the application of an externally applied force upon the SMA, the austenite crystal structure of the SMA reorients to a martensitic crystal structure to minimize internal strain energy and decrease local stiffness to accommodate load and large deflection of the SMA.

12. The tire as set forth in claim 11, wherein the SMA is one of NiTi, Ag—

Cd, Au—

Cd, Cu—

Al—

Ni, Cu—

Sn, Cu—

Zn, Fe—

Pt, Mn—

Cu, Fe—

Mn—

Si, Co—

Ni—

Al, Co—

Ni—

Ga, Ni—

Fe—

Ga, Ti—

Nb, or β

-Ti alloys, or ternary or quaternary alloys of the materials.

13. The tire as set forth in claim 11, wherein the SMA comprises a composition of materials for pseudoelasticity, superelasticity, or shape memory effect (SME).

14. The tire as set forth in claim 11, wherein the first end portion of each SMA wire is secured to a first annular rim of a wheel and the second end portion of each SMA wire is secured to a second annular rim of the wheel.

15. The tire as set forth in claim 11, wherein each SMA wire forms an arch extending radially outward from a wheel.

16. The tire as set forth in claim 11, further comprising a wheel with an annular rim at each axial side of the tire for securing the SMA wires to the wheel.

17. The tire as set forth in claim 11, wherein the toroidal structure defines a first ply for the tire.

18. The tire as set forth in claim 17, further comprising a second ply, the second ply radially overlapping the first ply.

19. The tire as set forth in claim 18, wherein the second ply comprises a toroidal structure having a plurality of SMA wires.

20. The tire as set forth in claim 19, wherein each SMA wire of the second ply comprises:

a first end portion, a second end portion, and an arching middle portion interconnecting the first end portion and the second end portion, each SMA wire of the second ply extending radially outward from the first end portion to the middle portion and radially inward from the middle portion to the second end portion,

a plurality of SMA wires of the second ply being interlaced with an adjacent SMA wire on a first side of the SMA wire and further being interlaced with an adjacent SMA wire on a second opposite side of the SMA wire thereby forming a toroidal structure extending about an entire circumference of the tire.