Tire band with filaments having a non-circular cross section
AssigneeBridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
InventorBenjamin E. Rimai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A non-pneumatic tire includes a lower ring having a first diameter and an upper ring having a second diameter greater than the first diameter. The upper ring is substantially coaxial with the lower ring. Support structure connects the lower ring to the upper ring. A circumferential tread is attached to the upper ring. The circumferential tread includes a tread layer and a tread band. The tread band includes a filament assembly that includes a plurality of individual filaments having a non-circular cross section. The filaments are configured and arranged such that the filaments have a packing density of at least 92% within the filament assembly.
Claims19
A non-pneumatic tire comprising:
- a lower ring having a first diameter;
- an upper ring having a second diameter greater than the first diameter, the upper ring being substantially coaxial with the lower ring;
- support structure connecting the lower ring to the upper ring;
- and
- a circumferential tread attached to the upper ring, the circumferential tread including a tread layer and a tread band, the tread band including a single filament assembly that includes a plurality of individual filaments having a non-circular cross section, the filaments being configured and arranged such that the filaments have a packing density of at least 92% within the single filament assembly, the packing density being a ratio of the volume occupied by the filaments to the total volume of the single filament assembly, the single filament assembly making up the entire tread band.
A method of manufacturing a non-pneumatic tire comprising the steps of:
- providing a lower ring having a first diameter and an upper ring having a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter;
- connecting the lower ring to the upper ring with support structure;
- forming a plurality of individual filaments having a non-circular cross section;
- assembling the plurality of individual filaments into a single filament assembly that makes up the entire tread band, the single filament assembly having a packing density of at least 92%, the packing density being a ratio of the volume occupied by the filaments to the total volume of the single filament assembly;
- applying a tread layer to the tread band to form a circumferential tread;
- and
- attaching the circumferential tread to the upper ring.
A non-pneumatic tire comprising:
- a lower ring having a first diameter;
- an upper ring having a second diameter greater than the first diameter, the upper ring being substantially coaxial with the lower ring;
- support structure connecting the lower ring to the upper ring;
- and
- a circumferential tread attached to the upper ring, the circumferential tread including a tread layer, at least one inextensible layer, and at least one extensible layer, the at least one inextensible layer and the at least one extensible layer being disposed between the tread layer and the upper ring along a radial direction of the non-pneumatic tire, the at least one inextensible layer including a single filament assembly that includes a plurality of individual filaments having a non-circular cross section, a circle circumscribing each of the filaments having a diameter of 0.1-25 mm, each of the filaments having a coating with a thickness of 0-10 mm;
- wherein the filaments are configured and arranged such that the filaments have a packing density of at least 92% within the single filament assembly, the packing density being a ratio of the volume occupied by the filaments to the total volume of the single filament assembly, the single filament assembly making up the entire tread band.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.