AIRLESS TIRE CONSTRUCTION HAVING MULTIPLE LAYERS

• US 20160200145A1
• Filed: 03/23/2016
• Published: 07/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: ASPER, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,440,494 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/02 Solid tyres ; Moulds therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2900/311 Rigidity or stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 9/12 in the form of sleeves or rings concentric with the wheel axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 7/107 comprising lateral openings
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 7/14 using springs
• 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

An airless tire has a wheel portion and a webbing extending from the wheel portion towards an axis of rotation of the airless tire. The diameter of an annular outer surface of the wheel portion varies along an axial direction of the airless tire.

Claims

1. An airless tire, comprising:

a plurality of spoke rings, including a first spoke ring adjacent to a second spoke ring,

wherein each of the plurality of spoke rings includes an annular outer surface, an annular inner surface, and a plurality of spokes extending between the outer and inner annular surfaces,

wherein the first spoke ring has a first outer diameter and the second spoke ring has a second outer diameter different from the first outer diameter; and

a tread layer extending circumferentially around the annular outer surfaces of the plurality of spoke rings.

2. The airless tire of claim 1, wherein the spoke rings are attached to a hub, and wherein when a load is applied to the hub, the spokes positioned below the hub are compressed and the spokes positioned above the hub are tensioned.

3. The airless tire of claim 2, wherein the tension and compression forces are approximately equal in magnitude.

4. The airless tire of claim 1, further comprising a shear band disposed about the outer annular surfaces of the spoke rings.

5. The airless tire of claim 1, wherein the tire forms a contact patch shape with a rounded leading edge when a load is applied to the tire.

6. The airless tire of claim 1, wherein the first spoke ring has a first stiffness and the second spoke ring has a second stiffness different from the first stiffness.

7. The airless tire of claim 1, further comprising a third spoke ring,

wherein the third spoke ring includes a plurality of spokes, and

wherein the spokes of the third spoke ring are not aligned with the spokes of the first spoke ring along an axis of rotation of the airless tire.

8. The airless tire of claim 1, wherein the spoke rings are made from a material selected from the group consisting of corded carbon-filled rubber, nylon, polyester, glass or aramid fibers with resin, thermoplastic, and urethane.

9. A tire, comprising:

a wheel portion having an axis of rotation,

wherein the wheel portion includes an annular outer surface, and

wherein a distance between the axis of rotation and the annular outer surface varies along an axial direction; and

a webbing extending from an annular inner surface of the wheel portion towards the axis of rotation.

10. The tire of claim 9, further comprising a shear band attached to the outer annular surface of the wheel portion, and wherein the webbing in a lower region of wheel portion is compressed and the webbing in an upper region of the wheel portion is tensioned by the shear band when a load is placed on the tire.

11. The tire of claim 9, wherein a stiffness of the webbing varies along the axial direction.

12. The tire of claim 9, wherein the webbing is attached to a hub in the center of the tire.

13. The tire of claim 9, wherein the wheel portion and webbing comprise a plurality of spoke rings.

14. The tire of claim 9, wherein the tire forms a contact patch shape with a rounded leading edge.

15. The tire of claim 9, wherein the webbing is formed by an additive manufacturing process.

16. A non-pneumatic tire, comprising:

a plurality of spoke rings, including a first spoke ring disposed between a second spoke ring and a third spoke ring,

wherein each of the plurality of spoke rings includes an annular outer surface, an annular inner surface, and a plurality of spokes extending between the outer and inner annular surfaces,

wherein the first spoke ring has a first outer diameter, the second spoke ring has a second outer diameter different from the first outer diameter, and the third spoke ring has a third outer diameter approximately equal to the second outer diameter; and

a tread portion covering an outer surface of the plurality of spoke rings.

17. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 16, wherein the first spoke ring has a first spoke region having a first thickness and a second spoke region having a second thickness, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness,

wherein the second spoke ring has a third spoke region with a third thickness and a fourth spoke region with a fourth thickness, the third thickness being greater than the fourth thickness,

wherein the first spoke region abuts the fourth spoke region, and

wherein the second spoke region abuts the third spoke region.

18. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 16, wherein the first spoke ring has a first stiffness, the second spoke ring has a second stiffness different from the first stiffness, and the third spoke ring has a third stiffness that is approximately equal to the second stiffness.

19. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 16, further comprising a shear band attached to the outer annular surfaces of the spoke rings, wherein spokes in lower regions of spoke rings compress and spokes in upper regions of spoke rings are tensioned by the shear band when a load is placed on the non-pneumatic tire.

20. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 19, wherein the compression and tension forces are approximately equal in magnitude.

21. A non-pneumatic tire comprising:

a hub configured to be coupled to a machine, the hub having a rotational axis about which the tire is configured to roll;

a support structure including an inner circumferential portion associated with the hub and an outer circumferential portion radially spaced from the inner circumferential portion, the support structure extending between opposed, axially-spaced side edges of the tire, wherein the support structure includes a plurality of cavities; and

a tread portion associated with the outer circumferential portion, wherein the support structure includes a plurality of layers of elastomeric material each having opposing faces lying in opposing planes substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis,

wherein at least some of the layers include apertures corresponding to the cavities, and

wherein the layers are chemically bonded to one another.

22. The tire of claim 21, wherein at least some of the layers are annular layers having a centrally located aperture through which the hub is received.

23. The tire of claim 21, wherein at least two adjacent layers each include respective cavity forming apertures, and wherein the cavity forming apertures correspond to at least a portion of a cavity.

24. The tire of claim 21, wherein an interface is present between adjacent layers of elastomeric material, and the interface includes a chemical bond between the adjacent layers.

25. The tire of claim 21, wherein the layers are adhesively bonded to one another.