Tools for manufacturing non-pneumatic tires
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsJanice Lisa Tardiff, Adam Wirth, Wesley Grant Morris, Cindy Sofia Barrera-Martinez
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A molding tool for forming a non-pneumatic tire includes a wheel portion cavity, a tread ring portion cavity, and a plurality of spoke cavities extending between the wheel portion cavity and the tread ring portion cavity. At least a subset spoke cavities within the plurality of spoke cavities include at least one of a non-uniform thickness, a non-uniform width, and a non-uniform surface. Also, the molding tool can include a conformal thermal control channel, e.g., a conformal cooling channel and/or a conformal heating channel, proximate to at least one mold cavity.
Claims17
A mold for forming a non-pneumatic tire, the mold comprising:
- a wheel portion cavity and a tread ring portion cavity;
- and
- a plurality of spoke cavities extending between the wheel portion cavity and the tread ring portion cavity in an XY plane, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of spoke cavities have thick section cavities configured to form spokes with at least one of a non-uniform thickness and a non-uniform width, the thick section cavities extend uniformly in a Z-direction that is perpendicular to the XY plane,
- wherein a thermal control channel conforms to and extends adjacent a respective thick section cavity of the subset of spoke cavities.
An additive manufactured mold for forming a non-pneumatic tire, the mold comprising:
- a wheel portion cavity and a tread ring portion cavity;
- and
- a plurality of spoke cavities extending between the wheel portion cavity and the tread ring portion cavity in an XY plane, wherein at least a subset of spoke cavities within the plurality of spoke cavities comprise at least one of a non-uniform thickness, a non-uniform width, and a non-uniform surface,
- wherein the subset of spoke cavities each comprise at least one thick section cavity and a thermal control channel conforms to and extends adjacent a respective thick section cavity of the subset of spoke cavities, the at least one thick section cavity extends uniformly in a Z-direction that is perpendicular to the XY plane.
An additive manufactured mold for forming a non-pneumatic tire, the additive manufactured mold comprising:
- a wheel portion cavity and a tread ring portion cavity;
- a plurality of spoke cavities extending between the wheel portion cavity and the tread ring portion cavity in an XY plane, wherein at least a subset of spoke cavities within the plurality of spoke cavities comprise at least one of a non-uniform thickness, a non-uniform width, and a non-uniform surface;
- and
- a thermal control channel extending adjacent at least one of the wheel portion cavity, the tread ring portion cavity, and the subset of spoke cavities,
- wherein the subset of spoke cavities each comprise at least one thick section cavity and the thermal control channel conforms to and extends adjacent a respective thick section cavity of the subset of spoke cavities, the at least one thick section cavity extends uniformly in a Z-direction that is perpendicular to the XY plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.