AIRLESS TIRE

• US 20140000777A1
• Filed: 06/19/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hankook Tire Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Hankook Tire Company Limited
• Inventors: CHOI, Seok Ju, KIM, Hak Joo, KIM, Man Seop, KO, Kil Ju, KANG, Ki Ho, CHOI, Yoon Jin
• Granted Patent: US 9,387,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 152/246
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 7/107 comprising lateral openings
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 7/146 extending substantially radially, e.g. like spokes
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 7/18 disposed radially relative to wheel axis

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.

Claims

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 the outside; and

first and second connecting members that connect the spokes disposed side by side and disperse a load applied to the spokes,

wherein the spoke includes a first member that protrudes from the first band toward the second band in a curved shape, and a second member that is formed so as to connect the first member to the second band and is formed in a curved shape opposite to the first member.

2. The airless tire according to claim 1,

wherein the first connecting member is positioned at a portion where the first and second members are connected to each other and connects the adjacent spokes to form one spoke cell, and the second connecting member is positioned between the adjacent second members to connect the adjacent spoke cells.

3. The airless tire according to claim 2,

wherein the first and second connecting members are disposed in a zigzag pattern.

4. 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.

5. The airless tire according to claim 4,

wherein the reinforcing layer is one selected from a group consisting of a steel wire, a steel belt, a fiber cord, a composite, a hollow tube, and the combination thereof.

6. The airless tire according to claim 5,

wherein the reinforcing layer is one selected from a group consisting of basalt fiber, filaments based on basalt fiber, and the combination thereof.

7. The airless tire according to claim 1,

wherein each of the first and second bands is one selected from a group consisting of basalt fiber, filaments based on basalt fiber, and the combination thereof.

8. The airless tire according to claim 1,

wherein the radius (R1) of curvature of the first member is 40 mm or more and smaller than 50 mm, and the radius (R2) of curvature of the second member is 30 mm or more and smaller than 40 mm.

9. 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.

10. The airless tire according to claim 1,

wherein the length of the second member is longer than the length of the first member.