Wheel or endless track
First Claim
1. A non-pneumatic, composite tire for a wheel having a wheel rim, a circumference and a rotation axis, said composite tire comprising multiple, ventilated, one-piece, resilient ground-engaging tire elements assemblable around said wheel circumference in interlocking relationship, each said tire element having:
- a) a tubular, hollow body to extend axially across said wheel and having ends positionable in parallel alignment with said wheel rotation axis, said tubular body being configured with a circumferentially displaced formation intermediate said ends such that the circumferentially displaced formation of one element can be accommodated between said ends of a neighboring element whereby neighboring elements can interfit and interengage one with another;
b) having a radially inner, rim-engaging portion;
c) having a radially outer, ground-engageable pad; and
d) having resiliently deformable side walls supporting said outer ground-engageable pad under a ground-engaging load;
wherein said tire elements are each compressible under ground-engaging loads with radial, inward movement of said pad, and with deformation of said side walls to shed said ground-engaging load laterally to adjacent said tire elements.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A ground engaging tire assembly in the form of a wheel for a vehicle, comprising a rim (11) and a plurality of ground engaging elements (13) mounted on the rim. Each ground engaging element (13) comprises a hollow body (31) having an inner face (32) in engagement against the rim and an outer face (33) for contacting the ground. The hollow body (31) also has side faces (34) extending between the inner and outer faces. The side faces (34) are constructed to be resiliently flexible for deflection under normal load conditions thereby to provide cushioning for the vehicle. The ground engaging elements are so positioned on the rim that confronting side faces of neighboring elements provide lateral support for each other when deflecting under load.
24 Citations
6 Claims
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1. A non-pneumatic, composite tire for a wheel having a wheel rim, a circumference and a rotation axis, said composite tire comprising multiple, ventilated, one-piece, resilient ground-engaging tire elements assemblable around said wheel circumference in interlocking relationship, each said tire element having:
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a) a tubular, hollow body to extend axially across said wheel and having ends positionable in parallel alignment with said wheel rotation axis, said tubular body being configured with a circumferentially displaced formation intermediate said ends such that the circumferentially displaced formation of one element can be accommodated between said ends of a neighboring element whereby neighboring elements can interfit and interengage one with another; b) having a radially inner, rim-engaging portion; c) having a radially outer, ground-engageable pad; and d) having resiliently deformable side walls supporting said outer ground-engageable pad under a ground-engaging load; wherein said tire elements are each compressible under ground-engaging loads with radial, inward movement of said pad, and with deformation of said side walls to shed said ground-engaging load laterally to adjacent said tire elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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Specification