Non-pneumatic tire fabricated in one-step molding
AssigneeCamso Inc.
InventorRonald Hobart THOMPSON
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wheel for a vehicle is non-pneumatic (i.e., airless), may be designed to enhance its use and performance and/or use and performance of the vehicle, and may be manufactured efficiently, including by a single non-pneumatic tire molding operation that can allow rigid rim incorporation and complex tread implementation.
Claims49
A wheel comprising:
- a non-pneumatic tire that comprises an elastomeric annular body comprising an elastomeric material;
- and
- a rigid rim extending radially inwardly from the elastomeric annular body and comprising a rigid material stiffer than the elastomeric material;
- wherein the elastomeric annular body is molded onto the rigid rim in a mold by rotation of the mold about a horizontal axis of rotation of the mold.
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A non-pneumatic tire comprising an elastomeric annular body, the elastomeric annular body comprising a tread including tread recesses disposed between tread projections in a lateral direction of the non-pneumatic tire, wherein the elastomeric annular body is molded in a mold by rotation of the mold about an horizontal axis of rotation of the mold.
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A wheel comprising:
- a non-pneumatic tire that comprises an elastomeric annular body comprising an elastomeric material, the elastomeric annular body comprising:
- an annular beam configured to deflect at a contact patch of the non-pneumatic tire with a ground surface;
- and
- an annular support extending radially inwardly from the annular beam and configured such that, when the non-pneumatic tire is loaded, an upper portion of the annular support above an axis of rotation of the non-pneumatic tire is in tension;
- and
- a rigid rim extending radially inwardly from the elastomeric annular body and comprising a rigid material stiffer than the elastomeric material;
- wherein:
- the elastomeric annular body is molded onto the rigid rim in a mold;
- and the rigid rim comprises a void configured to admit the elastomeric material during molding of the elastomeric annular body onto the rigid rim in the mold;
- wherein the elastomeric annular body is molded onto the rigid rim in the mold by rotation of the mold about an axis of rotation of the mold;
- wherein the axis of rotation of the mold is horizontal.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.