Tires and wheels comprising adjustable stiffening lines, and machines having same
AssigneeAGCO International GmbH
InventorErich Freytag
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tire has a carcass with a tread, a bead, a shoulder, and a sidewall. The bead, shoulder, and sidewall partially define a first internal cavity. At least one stiffening line for a pressurized fluid with a second cavity is within the carcass. The second cavity is aligned in an approximately transverse direction relative to the periphery of the tire. The second cavity is connectable to pressurized fluid supply system and can be inflated or deflated to adjust the stiffness of the tire. The stiffening lines may be inflated using a hydraulic fluid to increase the stiffness of the tire. Related wheels, vehicles, and methods are also disclosed.
Claims20
A tire comprising:
- a carcass having a bead, a shoulder, and a sidewall, which together partially define a first cavity;
- a tread carried by the carcass;
- a plurality of stiffening lines spaced apart in a circumferential direction of the tire, each stiffening line attached to an inner surface of the carcass along the sidewall and the tread and defining a second cavity within the carcass and adjacent the first cavity, wherein the second cavity is aligned in an approximately transverse direction relative to a periphery of the tire, and wherein the second cavity is configured to be fluidly connected to a pressurized fluid supply system to adjust the stiffness of the tire in use, and wherein the rigidity of each of the plurality of stiffening lines is dependent on a fluid pressure within the second cavity.
A machine comprising:
- a chassis;
- a pressurized fluid supply system;
- at least one wheel supporting the chassis, the at least one wheel comprising:
- a hub;
- a tire mounted to the hub, the tire comprising:
- a carcass having a bead, a shoulder, and a sidewall, wherein the bead, shoulder, sidewall and hub together define a first cavity;
- a tread carried by the carcass;
- a plurality of stiffening lines spaced apart in a circumferential direction of the tire, each stiffening line attached to an inner surface of the carcass along the sidewall and the tread and defining a second cavity within the carcass and adjacent the first cavity, wherein the second cavity is aligned in an approximately transverse direction relative to a periphery of the tire, and wherein the second cavity is fluidly connected to the pressurized fluid supply system, and wherein the rigidity of each of the plurality of stiffening lines is dependent on a fluid pressure within the second cavity.
A wheel comprising:
- a hub;
- a tire mounted to the hub, the tire comprising:
- a carcass having a bead, a shoulder, and a sidewall, wherein the bead, shoulder, sidewall and hub together define a first cavity;
- a tread carried by the carcass;
- a plurality of stiffening lines spaced apart in a circumferential direction of the tire, each stiffening line attached to an inner surface of the carcass along the sidewall and the tread and defining a second cavity within the carcass and adjacent the first cavity, wherein the second cavity is aligned in an approximately transverse direction relative to a periphery of the tire, and wherein the second cavity is configured to be fluidly connected to a pressurized fluid supply system to adjust the stiffness of the tire in use, and wherein the rigidity of each of the plurality of stiffening lines is dependent on a fluid pressure within the second cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.