Back to results
US 11,535,064 B2Granted
Airless flexible tire with Z-tread track pattern
AssigneeLindsay Corporation
InventorsMichael Fredenburg, Thomas J. Korus
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An airless flexible tire including traction lug pairs each having a forward facing traction lug and a rearward facing traction lug cooperatively forming a divided Z or reverse divided Z shape. Each traction lug includes a lateral section and a central section. The central section extends from an end of the lateral section so as to straddle a centerline of the airless flexible tire and includes a number of discrete sidewalls. The discrete sidewalls are different sizes and angled relative to each other. The central sections of paired traction lugs form a space dividing portions of the Z or reverse Z shape. The central sections of nearest traction lugs of adjacent traction lug pairs form a space dividing the adjacent traction lug pairs.
Claims23
An airless flexible wheel covering comprising:
- opposing inner and outer surfaces having side edges;
- opposing sidewalls extending from the side edges of the inner surface to the side edges of the outer surface;
- a plurality of mounting elements on the inner surface, the mounting elements being configured to engage mounting components of a rigid wheel;
- and
- a plurality of traction lugs on the outer surface, each traction lug having:
- a lateral section extending from one of the sidewalls of the airless flexible wheel covering towards a centerline of the airless flexible wheel covering, the lateral section having opposing sidewalls;
- and
- a central section extending from an end of the lateral section so as to straddle the centerline of the airless flexible wheel covering, the central section having a plurality of discrete sidewalls angled from each other, at least one of the discrete sidewalls being angled from an adjacent one of the opposing sidewalls of the lateral section,
- the traction lugs being paired such that each traction lug pair includes a forward facing traction lug and a rearward facing traction lug so that the traction lugs form a non-directional lug pattern, the central sections of paired traction lugs extending towards each other,
- a first set of the plurality of traction lugs being positioned circumferentially near the plurality of mounting elements,
- a second set of the plurality of traction lugs being positioned circumferentially between traction lugs of the first set of the plurality of traction lugs,
- the traction lugs of the second set of the plurality of traction lugs having a maximum height greater than a maximum height of the traction lugs of the first set of the plurality of traction lugs thereby forming a torque reduction profile.
9 more elements
A wheel assembly for traversing a path along a ground surface having a layer of son, the wheel assembly comprising:
- a central support having a plurality of mounting components;
- and
- an airless flexible wheel covering mounted on the mounting components of the central support, the airless flexible wheel covering comprising:
- opposing inner and outer surfaces having side edges;
- opposing sidewalls extending from the side edges of the inner surface to the side edges of the outer surface;
- a plurality of mounting elements on the inner surface, the mounting elements being configured to engage the mounting components of the central support;
- and
- a plurality of traction lugs on the outer surface, each traction lug having:
- a lateral section extending from one of the sidewalls of the airless flexible wheel covering towards a centerline of the airless flexible wheel covering, the lateral section having opposing sidewalls;
- and
- a central section extending from an end of the lateral section so as to straddle the centerline of the airless flexible wheel covering, the central section having a plurality of discrete sidewalls angled from each other, at least one of the discrete sidewalls being angled from an adjacent one of the opposing sidewalls of the lateral section,
- the traction lugs being paired such that each traction lug pair includes a forward facing traction lug and a rearward facing traction lug so that the traction lugs form a non-directional lug pattern, the central sections of paired traction lugs extending towards each other,
- a first set of the plurality of traction lugs being positioned circumferentially near the plurality of mounting elements,
- a second set of the plurality of traction lugs being positioned circumferentially between traction lugs of the first set of the plurality of traction lugs,
- the traction lugs of the second set of the plurality of traction lugs having a maximum height greater than a maximum height of the traction lugs of the first set of the plurality of traction lugs thereby forming a torque reduction profile.
12 more elements
A wheel assembly for traversing a path along a ground surface having a layer of son, the wheel assembly comprising:
- a central support having a plurality of mounting components;
- and
- an airless flexible wheel covering mounted on the central support, the airless flexible wheel covering comprising:
- opposing inner and outer surfaces having side edges;
- opposing sidewalls extending from the side edges of the inner surface to the side edges of the outer surface;
- a plurality of mounting elements on the inner surface, the mounting elements being configured to engage the mounting components of the central support;
- and
- a plurality of traction lugs on the outer surface, each traction lug having:
- a lateral section extending from one of the sidewalls of the airless flexible wheel covering towards a centerline of the airless flexible wheel covering, the lateral section having opposing sidewalls;
- and
- a central section extending from an end of the lateral section so as to straddle the centerline of the airless flexible wheel covering, the central section having a plurality of discrete sidewalls angled from each other, at least one of the discrete sidewalls being angled from an adjacent one of the opposing sidewalls of the lateral section,
- the traction lugs being paired such that each traction lug pair includes a forward facing traction lug and a rearward facing traction lug so that the traction lugs form a non-directional lug pattern of divided Z or reverse divided Z shapes, the central sections of paired traction lugs extending towards each other, at least one of the discrete sidewalls of each traction lug extending parallel to a discrete sidewall of the other traction lug in the pair so as to form a space of uniform width between paired traction lugs, the parallel extending discrete sidewalls extending at an angle from a transverse axis of the airless flexible wheel covering,
- the traction lugs being taller near the centerline and shorter near the sidewalls of the airless flexible wheel covering,
- a first set of the plurality of traction lugs being positioned circumferentially near the plurality of mounting elements,
- a second set of the plurality of traction lugs being positioned circumferentially between traction lugs of the first set of the plurality of traction lugs,
- the traction lugs of the second set of the plurality of traction lugs having a maximum height greater than a maximum height of the traction lugs of the first set of the plurality of traction lugs thereby forming a torque reduction profile.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.