Non-pneumatic tire

• US 7,950,428 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Endo, Kenichiro, Kuramochi, Izumi, Hanada, Ryoji, Seto, Hideki, Hashimura, Yoshiaki, Matsuda, Jun, Kitazaki, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bellinger; Jason R
• Application Number:
  US11/893,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20080053586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 301/86, 301/13.1, 152/5, 152/7, 152/17, 152/246, 152251-252, 152300-302, 152/310, 152323-329, 152/40, 152/69, 152/80
• US Class Current: 152/326
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 7/08 built-up from a plurality of arcuate parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 7/102 Tyres built-up with separate rubber parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 7/143 having a lateral extension disposed in a plane parallel to the wheel axis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10378 Casing enclosed core

Abstract

A non-pneumatic tire includes a spoke structure that can be easily mounted on a rim of a wheel. Durability is improved by suppressing the buckling of a spoke structure. A non-pneumatic tire includes a spoke structure (5) and a tread ring (11). The spoke structure (5) includes a cylindrical outer member (2) and a cylindrical inner member (3) which are concentrically arranged, and which are connected to each other with a plurality of fins (4, 4′) arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction. The tread ring (11) fits onto the outer periphery of the spoke structure (5). The spoke structure (5) is divided in the tire circumferential direction into at least two circumferential-direction separate structures (511, 521, 531).

Claims

1. A non-pneumatic tire comprising:

a spoke structure including a cylindrical outer member and a cylindrical inner member which are concentrically arranged, and which are connected to each other with a plurality of fins arranged in between at intervals in the circumferential direction; and

a tread ring fitted onto the outer periphery of the spoke structure,

wherein the spoke structure is divided in the tire circumferential direction into at least two circumferential-direction separate structures;

wherein the spoke structure is divided in the tire width direction into three width-direction separate structures, which are independent and discrete structures,

wherein the fins extend across the tire width in the tire width direction and a width of each fin is the same as a width of the width-direction separate structure, such that all of said fins within a single one of said width-direction separate structures are configured and arranged in the same manner; and

wherein the fins of one of each adjacent two of the width-direction separate structures are displaced in the circumferential direction relative to the fins of the other one.

2. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the number of the circumferential-direction separate structures is two to eight.

3. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein:

the fins of each adjacent two of the width-direction separate structures have the same arrangement pitch in the circumferential direction, and

the amount of displacement of the fins between each adjacent two of the width-direction separate structures is 0.4 to 0.6 times the arrangement pitch.

4. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein among the three width-direction separate structures, the arrangement pitch of the fins of the width-direction separate structure in the center is made smaller than that of the fins of the width-direction separate structures on both sides.

5. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein among the three width-direction separate structures, which each include a plurality of said fins, the width of the width-direction separate structure in the center is smaller than that of each of the width-direction separate structures on both sides.

6. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein among the three width-direction separate structures, which each include a plurality of said fins, the thickness of each fin of the width-direction separate structure in the center is smaller than that of each fin of each of the width-direction separate structures on both sides.

7. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 5, wherein among the three width-direction separate structures, the thickness of each fin of the width-direction separate structure in the center is smaller than that of each fin of each of the width-direction separate structures on both sides.