Non-pneumatic tire

• US 9,511,631 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2013
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Inventors: Fudemoto, Hiroyuki, Izumoto, Ryuji, Kotsubo, Hidefumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Restifo, Jeffrey J
• Application Number:
  US14/431,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20150251492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 152/75, 152/80, 152/271, 152/323
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 9/04 in leaf form
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 7/24 characterised by means for securing tyres on rim or wheel body

Abstract

A non-pneumatic tire includes an attachment body (11) attached to an axle, a ring member (14) including an inner rim (12) fitted onto the attachment body (11) and an outer rim (13) configured to surround the inner rim (12) from the outside in a tire radial direction, and a plurality of connecting members (15) disposed between the inner rim (12) and the outer rim (13) in a tire circumferential direction and configured to connect the rims (12) and (13) to each other, wherein at least a portion of the ring member (14) and the plurality of connecting members (15) are integrally formed of a synthetic resin material having a bending modulus of elasticity obtained through a 3-point bending test pursuant to ISO 178 of 300 MPa or more and a melting point of 120° C. or more and 350° C. or less.

Claims

1. A non-pneumatic tire comprising:

an attachment body attached to an axle;

a ring member including an inner rim fitted onto the attachment body and an outer rim configured to surround the inner rim from the outside in a tire radial direction; and

a plurality of connecting members disposed between the inner rim and the outer rim in a tire circumferential direction and configured to connect the rims to each other,

wherein at least a portion of the ring member and the plurality of connecting members are integrally formed of a synthetic resin material having a bending modulus of elasticity obtained through a 3-point bending test pursuant to ISO 178 (2010) of 300 MPa or more and a melting point of 120°

C. or more and 350°

C. or less,

wherein the connecting members are not crossed from one another, and are oriented in the same direction,

wherein the connecting members comprise first elastic connecting plates and second elastic connecting plates configured to connect the rims to each other, and

wherein the first elastic connecting plates and the second elastic connecting plates neighboring in the tire circumferential direction do not come in contact with each other.

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

one end sections of the first elastic connecting plates connected to the outer rim are disposed closer to one side in the tire circumferential direction than the other end sections connected to the inner rim,

one end sections of the second elastic connecting plates connected to the outer rim are disposed closer to the other side in the tire circumferential direction than the other end sections connected to the inner rim, and

the plurality of first elastic connecting plates are disposed in the tire circumferential direction at one positions in the tire width direction, and the plurality of second elastic connecting plates are disposed in the tire circumferential direction at other positions in the tire width direction different from the one positions in the tire width direction.

3. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 2, wherein the ring member is divided into one split ring member disposed at one side in the tire width direction and the other split ring member disposed at the other side in the tire width direction,

the one split ring member is integrally formed with the first elastic connecting plates, and

the other split ring member is integrally formed with the second elastic connecting plates.

4. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 3, wherein the one split ring member and the first elastic connecting plates, and the other split ring member and the second elastic connecting plates are integrally formed through injection molding.

5. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 4, wherein one end sections of a first elastic connecting plate and a second elastic connecting plate of one of the connecting members are disposed at different positions in the tire width direction and connected at the same position in the tire circumferential direction in an inner circumferential surface of the outer rim, and

the connecting member is line-symmetrically formed with respect to an imaginary line passing through each of the one end sections and extending in the tire radial direction when the tire is seen in a side view of the tire from the tire width direction.

6. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 3, wherein one end sections of a first elastic connecting plate and a second elastic connecting plate of one of the connecting members are disposed at different positions in the tire width direction and connected at the same position in the tire circumferential direction in an inner circumferential surface of the outer rim, and

the connecting member is line-symmetrically formed with respect to an imaginary line passing through each of the one end sections and extending in the tire radial direction when the tire is seen in a side view of the tire from the tire width direction.

7. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 2, wherein one end sections of a first elastic connecting plate and a second elastic connecting plate of one of the connecting members are disposed at different positions in the tire width direction and connected at the same position in the tire circumferential direction in an inner circumferential surface of the outer rim, and

the connecting member is line-symmetrically formed with respect to an imaginary line passing through each of the one end sections and extending in the tire radial direction when the tire is seen in a side view of the tire from the tire width direction.