Semi-hollow tire with specified profile and rolling member equipped with plurality of such tires

• US 10,207,543 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2013
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otico
• Original Assignee: Otico
• Inventors: Phely, Olivier, Piou, Denis
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnstone, Adrienne C.
• Application Number:
  US14/073,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20140124112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,931 Days
• Field of Search: 172519, 172537, 172538, 152155-157, 152159-166, 152192-195, 152323, 152325, 152327, 152452-454, 152457, 152514-516, 152522, 152523, 152393-395, 152328, 152329, 152324, 152326, 152376, 152300, 152301
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 29/043 Tire-packers
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/068 Furrow packing devices, e.g. press wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/0311 Patterns comprising tread lugs arranged parallel or oblique to the axis of rotation
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 13/003 characterised by sidewall curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 13/02 Arrangement of grooves or ribs
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 17/009 comprising annular protrusions projecting into the tyre cavity
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2200/08 for agricultural vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 3/00 Tyres characterised by the transverse section
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 3/02 Closed, e.g. toroidal, tyres
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 5/12 without separate inflatable inserts, e.g. tubeless tyres with transverse section open to the rim B60C5/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 7/143 having a lateral extension disposed in a plane parallel to the wheel axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 7/24 characterised by means for securing tyres on rim or wheel body
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10495 Pneumatic tire or inner tube

Abstract

Pneumatic tire 1 for an agricultural machine, having an axis of revolution XX and comprising a tread 7, a sole 11 situated opposite the tread 7, and two sidewalls 13, 15 connecting the tread 7 to the sole 11. The tread 7, the sole 11 and the two sidewalls 13, 15 together form a casing 17 defining a chamber 19 inside the pneumatic tire 1. At least one of the sidewalls 13, 15 comprises, in this order and in succession in a direction oriented radially from the axis of revolution XX to the outside, a proximal portion 131, an intermediate portion 133 and a distal portion 135. In the unloaded state, the intermediate portion 133 projects into the chamber 19 in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of revolution XX.

Claims

1. A tire for an agricultural machine, said tire having an axis of revolution and comprising:

a tread,

a sole situated opposite the tread, and

two sidewalls connecting the tread to the sole, wherein the tread, the sole and the two sidewalls together forming a casing defining a chamber inside the tire, wherein the chamber is in communication with the exterior of the tire via an orifice in said sole, said orifice preventing said chamber from maintaining an inflated state,

wherein

at least one of the sidewalls comprises, in this order and in succession in a direction oriented radially from the axis of revolution to the outside, a proximal portion connected to said sole at a radially inner boundary, an intermediate portion and a distal portion connected to said tread at a radially outer boundary, wherein in cross-section according to a plane including the axis of revolution of the tire in the unloaded state, said at least one of the sidewalls has a profile such that the intermediate portion is an axially inwardly projecting curved portion and the distal portion is an axially outwardly projecting curved portion directly connected to the axially inwardly projecting curved portion, said at least one of the sidewalls presenting an inflection point that delimitates the intermediate portion and the distal portion from each other,

the intermediate portion projecting into the chamber in a direction parallel to the axis of revolution in the unloaded state,

in the unloaded state of the tire in directions parallel to the axis of revolution of the tire, the minimum distance between the outer surface of the intermediate portion and the tire median plane is strictly less than the distance between the axis end surface of the sole and the tire median plane, and

in the unloaded state of the tire in directions parallel to the axis of revolution of the tire, the minimum distance between the inner surface of the intermediate portion and the tire median plane is strictly less than the maximum distance between inner surface of the distal portion and the tire median plane.

2. The tire as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate portion and the distal portion are of identical and homogeneous thickness.

3. The tire as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one reinforcement housed in the sole.

4. The tire as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in a direction parallel to the axis of revolution, the sole has a width dimension that is strictly greater than the maximum distance separating the two sidewalls, in the unloaded state.

5. The tire as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said two sidewalls comprises said proximal portion, said intermediate portion and said distal portion and is structured such that the intermediate portion extends towards the chamber under the effect of a radial compression, the distal portion extending away from the chamber under the effect of said radial compression.

6. The tire as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said two sidewalls comprises said proximal portion, said intermediate portion and said distal portion and each intermediate portion forms an annular collar extending over an inner circumference of said tire.

7. A rolling member for an agricultural machine, comprising a cylindrical support capable of rotating about an axis and at least one tire as claimed in claim 1 mounted around the support.

8. The rolling member as claimed in claim 7, wherein said rolling member is an agricultural roller and said at least one tire as claimed in claim 1 is at least two tires as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one spacer mounted around the support, adjacent to and in contact with neighboring ones of said tires, in such a manner that said tires are kept at a distance from one another.

9. The rolling member as claimed in claim 7, wherein said rolling member is an agricultural wheel and the support is in the form of a wheel rim around which the at least one tire is mounted.

10. The rolling member as claimed in claim 7, wherein said rolling member is an agricultural wheel, said at least one tire as claimed in claim 1 is at least two tires as claimed in claim 1, and the support comprises an assembly of wheel rims, each said tire being mounted around a corresponding one of the wheel rims.

11. A tire for an agricultural machine, said tire having an axis of revolution and comprising:

a tread,

a sole situated opposite the tread, and

two sidewalls connecting the tread to the sole, wherein the tread, the sole and the two sidewalls together forming a casing defining a chamber inside the tire, wherein the chamber is in communication with the exterior of the tire via an orifice in said sole, said orifice preventing said chamber from maintaining an inflated state,

wherein

at least one of the sidewalls comprises, in this order and in succession in a direction oriented radially from the axis of revolution to the outside, a proximal portion connected to said sole at a radially inner boundary, an intermediate portion and a distal portion connected to said tread at a radially outer boundary,

the intermediate portion projecting into the chamber in a direction parallel to the axis of revolution in the unloaded state, and,

wherein the sole and the distal portion of said sidewall are aligned radially, in the unloaded state.

12. The tire as claimed in claim 11, wherein the intermediate portion and the distal portion are of identical and homogeneous thickness.

13. The tire as claimed in claim 11, wherein said sidewall has, in cross-section according to a plane including the axis of revolution of the tire in the unloaded state, a profile with a radially inner axially inwardly projecting curved portion connected directly to a radially outer axially outwardly projecting curved portion.

14. The tire as claimed in claim 11, further comprising at least one reinforcement housed in the sole.

15. The tire as claimed in claim 11, wherein, in a direction parallel to the axis of revolution, the sole has a width dimension that is strictly greater than the maximum distance separating the two sidewalls, in the unloaded state.

16. The tire as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one sidewall is structured such that the intermediate portion extends towards the chamber under the effect of a radial compression, the distal portion extending away from the chamber under the effect of said radial compression.