Non-pneumatic spare tire

#This invention relates to an improved non-pneumatic tire that can be used primarily as a temporary spare tire. The improved tire is designed to replace the conventional pneumatic spare tire.

#Non-pneumatic tires are old in the art. Non-pneumatic solid rubber tires were in use prior to pneumatic tires. As vehicle speeds increased and ride characteristics became more important the need for a better tire structure emerged. The invention of the pneumatic tire provided a solution to the problems and limitations of solid tires.

#The pneumatic tire is an efficient structure that has endured as a solution to conventional vehicle requirements. A pneumatic tire is a “tensile structure”. Tensile structures always contain a compression member for providing a tensile preload in the tensile member. The tensile member can usually accept no compression and the compression member no tension. In pneumatic tires the cords are the tensile members and the compressed air is the compression member.

#The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

#FIG. 1 illustrates an annular non-pneumatic tire of the invention without rim;

#FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the tire of FIG. 1 attached to or bonded to a rim;

#With reference to FIGS. 1-3, a tire 10 has an annular body 12, which includes first and second sides 14, 16 respectively. Each side 14, 16 is equidistant from the equatorial plane and extends radially inwardly from the tread 18 and radially outward from the base 20. Between the tread 18 and the base 20 are a plurality of arches 22 forming a series of repeating primary openings 24 and a series of secondary openings 26 radially and circumferentially offset from the primary openings 24. In the illustrated tire 10, there are twenty-four primary openings 24 and twenty-four secondary openings 26.

#A circumferential rib 28 is integrally molded into the body 12 and extends radially inwardly of the base 20 of the annular body 12. The rib 28 assists in fixing the annular body 12 to a rim 30.

#In FIG. 2 a side view of the tire 10, including a rim 30, is illustrated. FIG. 2 further illustrates the arches 22 forming the primary openings 24 and the secondary openings 26. The arches 22 extend from one side 14 of the tire to the other side 16, so that the openings 24, 26 extend through the thickness of the width of the tire 10. The primary openings 24 have a height, relative to either side 14, 16 of the tire 10, of at least one-half the tire side 14, 16 height. As illustrated, the height of the primary openings 24 is approximately three-fourths of the side height. If the opening 24 is too small, the tire 10 fails to provide enough resiliency during use; conversely, if the opening 24 is too large, than there may be insufficient material to permit the tire 10 to operate as desired.