Vehicle wheel with run-flat support

Abstract

A vehicle wheel on which can be mounted a pneumatic tire, with the wheel being suitable for use during emergency operation of the tire. The tire is essentially made of rubber or rubber-like synthetic material, and has a carcass which is anchored in beads of the tire by being looped around bead cores. The inside of the tire is provided with an air-impermeable layer. The tire can also be reinforced with a belt. The wheel is provided with a rigid rim, including a rim ring, and with an emergency-operation element upon which the inner surface of the tire is supported during emergency operation of the latter. The emergency-operation element can be formed by the rim ring itself, or by a separate support element secured to the rim. In order to guarantee that emergency operation can be undertaken over a longer period of time without damaging the inner surface of the tire, at least one friction strip is disposed on the radially outer side of the emergency-operation element. This friction strip extends further radially outwardly than do any parts of the rim and emergency-operation element, so that during emergency operation of the tire, the latter is supported by the friction strip. Each friction strip is rotatably supported on the emergency-operation element.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.