Spoke fabrication for a non-pneumatic wheel
AssigneeCompagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin
InventorsAntonio Delfino, Philippe Berguerand, Pascal Schroeter, Maeike Blanc
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An exemplary spoke for a non-pneumatic wheel. The spoke can be manufactured with a reinforcement structure having reinforcement elements and one or more layers of material. The spoke can also be provided in various shapes and configurations. The spoke includes anchors that allow the spoke to be more readily incorporated into, or removed from, a non-pneumatic wheel. More particularly, the anchors also allow the spoke to be joined as one-piece with the non-pneumatic wheel or releasably connected on one or both ends with the non-pneumatic wheel.
Claims14
A spoke for a non-pneumatic wheel defining radial, axial, and circumferential directions, the spoke comprising:
- a web-like body extending along the radial direction between a radially-outer end and a radially inner end and extending along an axial direction between opposing edges of the web-like body, the web like body comprising a reinforcement structure extending along the radial direction and forming an outer fold at the radially-outer end and an inner fold at the radially-inner end;
- an outer anchor positioned at the radially outer end and comprising an outer pair of arms extending in an opposing manner along the circumferential direction away from the web-like body;
- and
- an inner anchor positioned at the radially inner end and comprising an inner pair of arms extending in an opposing manner along the circumferential direction away from the web-like body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.