Structurally supported tire
AssigneeThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
InventorsJames Alfred BENZING, II, Daniel Ray DOWNING, Joseph Carmine LETTIERI
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A structurally supported tire includes a ground contacting annular tread portion, an annular hoop structure for supporting a load on the tire, a means for attachment to a vehicle rim, and a ply structure secured to a first axial limit and extending radially outward and between the hoop structure and the tread portion and further extending radially inward from between the hoop structure and tread portion to a second axial limit. The ply structure is secured to both the first axial limit and the second axial limit. The tread portion is secured to a radially outer surface of the ply structure. The hoop structure is secured to a radially inner surface of the ply structure.
Claims6
1-16. (canceled)
A method for non-pneumatically supporting a load comprising the steps of:
- securing a single ply structure to a vehicle rim;
- clamping the single ply structure to the vehicle rim;
- extending the single ply structure from the vehicle rim to a radially outer surface of a hoop structure;
- further extending the single ply structure from the radially outer surface of the hoop structure to the vehicle rim;
- securing the single ply structure to the vehicle rim;
- and
- supporting the load by a compressive hoop strength of the hoop structure and a tensile strength of part of the ply structure.
The method as set forth in claim 16 further including the step of stretching the ply structure up over the hoop structure.
The method as set forth in claim 16 further including the step of decreasing an axial distance between a first part of the vehicle rim and a second part of the vehicle rim such that the axial distance is less than an axial width of the tread portion.
The method as set forth in claim 16 further including the step of attaching the ply structure to a radially outer surface of the hoop structure.
The method as set forth in claim 16 further including the step of attaching a tread portion to a radially outer surface of the ply structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.