Non-pneumatic tire having multilayer spokes
AssigneeBridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
InventorRoss W. Widenor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A non-pneumatic tire includes an annular inner ring, an annular outer ring, and a support structure extending from the annular inner ring to the annular outer ring. The support structure includes a multilayer structure. The multilayer structure includes a skim layer, a plurality of cords embedded in the skim layer, and an outer protective layer covering at least a portion of a surface of the skim layer. The outer protective layer has greater resistance to ozone exposure than the skim layer. Methods of making a non-pneumatic tire include forming a multilayer structure by applying an outer protective layer to at least a portion of a surface of a skim layer having a plurality of cords embedded in the skim layer.
Claims6
A non-pneumatic tire comprising:
- an annular inner ring;
- an annular outer ring;
- a support structure extending from the annular inner ring to the annular outer ring, wherein the support structure includes a multilayer structure including:
- a skim layer formed from a rubber compound including cobalt,
- a plurality of steel cords embedded in the skim layer, and
- an outer protective layer covering at least a portion of a surface of the skim layer, wherein the outer protective layer has greater resistance to ozone exposure than the skim layer,
- wherein the support structure includes a plurality of coupled support elements each of which extends from the annular inner ring to the annular outer ring,
- wherein the plurality of coupled support elements are arranged circumferentially relative to a rotational axis of the tire with adjacent coupled support elements abutting at an interface,
- wherein the multilayer structure defines at least a portion of the interface, and
- wherein the interface is a continuous interface defined by abutting skim layers of the adjacent coupled support elements.
A non-pneumatic tire comprising:
- an annular inner ring;
- an annular outer ring;
- a support structure extending from the annular inner ring to the annular outer ring, wherein the support structure includes:
- a first support element including a first skim layer formed from a first rubber compound including cobalt, a first plurality of steel cords embedded in the first skim layer, and a first outer protective layer covering at least a portion of a surface of the first skim layer, wherein the first outer protective layer has a greater resistance to ozone exposure than the first skim layer, and
- a second support element including a second skim layer formed from a second rubber compound including cobalt, a second plurality of steel cords embedded in the second skim layer, and a second outer protective layer covering at least a portion of a surface of the second skim layer, wherein the first and second support elements are coupled at an interface, wherein the interface is a continuous interface defined by abutting first and second skim layers, and wherein the second outer protective layer has a greater resistance to ozone exposure than the second skim layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.