Non pneumatic tires
AssigneeDaimlerChrysler AG
InventorHorst Otto Herbert IMS
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A new class of non-pneumatic tires is proposed, comprising an exterior torus and an interior torus and in the space between them a waveform undulating ribbon like structure having a constant wavelength and the undulating direction being perpendicular to the plane of rotation of the tire, an example of this class of non-pneumatic tires being where the undulations are in the form of a succesion of semicircular modules alternating one after another in the space between the two toruses;the new class of non-pneumatic tires has a superior capability for fatigue and load compared with the prior art.
Claims17
A non-pneumatic tire for mounting upon a wheel hub, wherein the tire has an axis of rotation and a central plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation and wherein the tire is comprised of:
- (a) an exterior torus which
- 1) has an outside diameter and has a constant inside diameter and
- 2) is symmetric about the axis of rotation;
- (b) an interior torus which
- 1) is mountable upon the wheel hub,
- 2) has an inside diameter and a constant outside diameter,
- 3) is symmetric about the axis of rotation and
- 4) is positioned between the exterior torus inside diameter and the axis of rotation;
- (c) wherein the interior torus outside diameter is less than the exterior torus inside diameter thereby defining a space between the exterior torus and the interior torus;
- (d) a flexing structure comprised of a wall with two parallel sides extending within the space between and connecting to the exterior torus at the inside diameter and the interior torus at the outside diameter;
- (e) wherein the two sides of the wall are centered about an undulating curved line projected from the interior torus at the outside diameter upon the exterior torus at the inside diameter;
- (f) wherein the curved line intersects with and oscillates about the central plane;
- (g) wherein the sides of the wall have a constant radial length between the outside diameter of the inner torus and the inside diameter of the outside torus;
- and
- (h) wherein the sides of the wall are parallel to the central plane at the portions of the wall furthest from the central plane.
A wheel having an axis of rotation and a central plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation comprised of a hub and a non-pneumatic tire secured to the hub, wherein the tire is comprised of:
- a) an exterior torus which
- 1) has an outside diameter and has a constant inside diameter and
- 2) is symmetric about the axis of rotation;
- b) an interior torus which
- 1) is mounted upon the wheel hub,
- 2) has an inside diameter and a constant outside diameter,
- 3) is symmetric about the axis of rotation and
- 4) is positioned between the exterior torus inside diameter and the axis of rotation;
- c) wherein the interior torus outside diameter is less than the exterior torus inside diameter thereby defining a space between the exterior torus and the interior torus;
- d) a flexing structure comprised of a wall with two parallel sides extending within the space between and connecting to the exterior torus at the inside diameter and the interior torus at the outside diameter;
- e) wherein the two sides of the wall are centered about an undulating curved line projected from the interior torus at the outside diameter upon the exterior torus at the inside diameter;
- f) wherein the curved line intersects with and oscillates about the central plane;
- g) wherein the sides of the wall have a constant radial length between the outside diameter of the inner torus and the inside diameter of the outer torus;
- and
- h) wherein the sides of the wall are parallel to the central plane at the portions of the wall furthest from the central plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.