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US 7,814,952 B2Granted
Run-flat support body and tire/wheel assembly
AssigneeThe Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
InventorsMitsuru Naito, Takumi Sekiguchi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a run-flat support body and a tire/wheel assembly whose weights can be respectively reduced. The run-flat support body includes an annular shell and elastic rings, the annular shell having an outer peripheral side as a support surface and an inner peripheral side formed in fork-shaped open legs, the elastic rings being attached respectively to the legs portions of the annular shell, and the elastic rings being designed to be mounted on a rim of a wheel. The annular shell is formed of a porous structural material having fine voids. The run-flat support body is attached to an inside of a pneumatic tire mounted on the rim of the wheel.
Claims11
A run-flat support body comprising:
- an annular shell having an outer peripheral side as a support surface and an inner peripheral side formed in fork-shaped open legs;
- and
- elastic rings attached respectively to the open leg portions of the annular shell, with the elastic rings being designed to be mounted on a rim of a wheel,
- wherein the annular shell is formed of a porous structural material having fine voids, and
- further wherein a porosity of the porous structural material changes in a thickness direction of the annular shell such that the porosity is higher on an outer peripheral surface in a given region as compared to the porosity on an inner peripheral surface in the same given region.
2 more elements
A run-flat support body comprising:
- an annular shell having an outer peripheral side as a support surface and an inner peripheral side formed in a fork-shaped open legs;
- and
- elastic rings attached respectively to the open leg portions of the annular shell, with elastic rings being designed to be mounted on a rim of a wheel,
- wherein the annular shell is formed of a porous structural material having fine voids, and
- further wherein the annular shell comprises a laminated structure that includes a plurality of the porous structural materials of which porosities are different from one another.
2 more elements
A run-flat support body comprising:
- an annular shell having an outer peripheral side as a support surface and an inner peripheral side formed in a fork-shaped open legs;
- and
- elastic rings attached respectively to the open leg portions of the annular shell, with the elastic rings being designed to be mounted on a rim of a wheel,
- wherein the annular shell is formed of a porous structural material having fine voids,
- wherein a porosity of the porous structural material changes in the thickness direction of the annular shell such that the porosity is higher on an outer peripheral surface in a given region as compared to the porosity on an inner peripheral surface in the same region, and
- further wherein a lubricant is impregnated into the voids of the porous structural material.
3 more elements
A tire/wheel assembly comprising:
- a wheel including a rim;
- a pneumatic tire mounted on said rim;
- and
- a run-flat support body positioned within said pneumatic tire,
- wherein said run-flat support body includes:
- an annular shell having an outer peripheral side as a support surface and an inner peripheral side formed in fork-shaped open legs;
- and
- elastic rings attached respectively to the open leg portions of the annular shell, with the elastic rings being mounted on said rim of said wheel,
- wherein the annular shell is formed of a porous structural material having fine voids, and
- further wherein a porosity of the porous structural material changes in a thickness direction of the annular shell such that the porosity is higher on an outer peripheral surface in a given region as compared to the porosity on an inner peripheral surface in the same given region.
7 more elements
A run-flat support body comprising:
- an annular shell having an outer peripheral side as a support surface and an inner peripheral side formed in fork-shaped open legs;
- and
- elastic rings attached respectively to the open leg portions of the annular shell, and the elastic rings being designed to be mounted on a rim of a wheel,
- wherein the annular shell is formed of a porous structural material having fine voids, and
- further wherein the porous structural material is a sintered material made of a metal, a metal oxide, or an inorganic compound.
2 more elements
A tire/wheel assembly comprising:
- a wheel including a rim;
- a pneumatic tire mounted on said rim;
- and
- a run-flat support body positioned within said pneumatic tire,
- wherein said run-flat support body includes:
- an annular shell having an outer peripheral side as a support surface and an inner peripheral side formed in fork-shaped open legs;
- and
- elastic rings attached respectively to the open leg portions of the annular shell, with the elastic rings being mounted on said rim of said wheel,
- wherein the annular shell is formed of a porous structural material having fine voids, and
- further wherein the annular shell comprises a laminated structure that includes a plurality of the porous structural materials of which porosities are different from one another.
7 more elements
A tire/wheel assembly comprising:
- a wheel including a rim;
- a pneumatic tire mounted on said rim;
- and
- a run-flat support body positioned within said pneumatic tire,
- wherein said run-flat support body includes;
- an annular shell having an outer peripheral side as a support surface and an inner peripheral side formed in fork-shaped open legs;
- and
- elastic rings attached respectively to the open leg portions of the annular shell, with the elastic rings being mounted on said rim of said wheel,
- wherein the annular shell is formed of a porous structural material having fine voids, and
- wherein the porous structural material is a sintered material made of a metal, a metal oxide, or an inorganic compound.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.