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US 8,091,596 B2Granted
Non-pneumatic tyre assembly
AssigneeBig Tyre Pty Ltd
InventorBruce Louden
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A non-pneumatic wheel assembly (10) which has an outer rim assembly (26), an inner vehicle hub connection member (11), a compartment located between the outer rim assembly (26) and the inner hub connection member (11) which has a plurality of spring elements (21, 22) wherein at least some of the spring elements (21, 22) are attached to the outer rim assembly (26) and/or the inner hub connection member (11) characterised in that the spring elements (21, 22) are oriented in opposed or counteracting orientations.
Claims26
A non-pneumatic wheel assembly which has
- (i) an outer rim assembly (26, 26A);
- (ii) an inner vehicle hub connection member (11, 11A);
- (iii) a compartment (9) located between the outer rim assembly (26, 26A) and the inner hub connection member (11, 11A);
- (iv) at least one pair of arrays of spring elements (21);
- (v) at least one other array of spring elements (22,22A);
- and
- (vi) at least some of the spring elements (21, 22) of both the at least one pair of arrays of spring elements and the at least one other array of spring elements attached to the outer rim assembly (26) and to the inner vehicle hub connection member (11), wherein:
- the spring elements (21, 22) of both the at least one pair of arrays of spring elements and the at least one other array of spring elements are arcuate and the spring elements (21) of the at least one pair of arrays of spring elements are arranged in an opposing or counteracting orientation being convexly curved in a first circumferential direction of the wheel assembly, to the spring elements of the at least one other array (22, 22A) being convexly curved in a second circumferential direction of the wheel assembly opposite to the first circumferential direction;
- and
- each of the respective arrays of the at least one pair of arrays (21) of spring elements and the at least one other array (22, 22A) of spring elements is located in a plane that is different from the planes in which the other arrays are located.
7 more elements
A non-pneumatic wheel assembly which has
- (i) an outer rim assembly (26, 26A);
- (ii) an inner vehicle hub connection member (11, 11A);
- (iii) a compartment (9) located between the outer rim assembly (26, 26A) and the inner hub connection member (11, 11A);
- (iv) at least one pair of arrays of spring elements (21);
- (v) at least one other array of spring elements (22,22A);
- and
- (vi) at least some of the spring elements (21, 22) of both the at least one pair of arrays of spring elements and the at least one other array of spring elements attached to the outer rim assembly (26) and to the inner vehicle hub connection member (11);
- wherein
- the spring elements (21, 22) of both the at least one pair of arrays of spring elements and the at least one other array of spring elements are arcuate and the spring elements (21) of the at least one pair of arrays of spring elements are arranged in an opposing or counteracting orientation being convexly curved in a first circumferential direction of the wheel assembly, to the spring elements of the at least one other array (22, 22A) being convexly curved in a second circumferential direction of the wheel assembly opposite to the first circumferential direction,
- the assembly includes one pair of arrays of spring elements (21) and one other array of spring elements (22,22A), and
- the other array of spring elements (22A) has a width that is approximately twice that of the spring elements (21) of the one pair of arrays.
8 more elements
A non-pneumatic wheel assembly which has
- (i) an outer rim assembly (26, 26A);
- (ii) an inner vehicle hub connection member (11, 11A):
- (iii) a compartment (9) located between the outer rim assembly (26, 26A) and the inner hub connection member (11, 11A);
- (iv) at least one pair of arrays of spring elements (21);
- (v) at least one other array of spring elements (22, 22A);
- and
- (vi) at least some of the spring elements (21, 22) of both the at least one pair of arrays of spring elements and the at least one other array of spring elements attached to the outer rim assembly (26) and to the inner vehicle hub connection member (11), wherein
- the spring elements (21, 22) of both the at least one pair of arrays of spring elements and the at least one other array of spring elements are arcuate and the spring elements (21) of the at least one pair of arrays of spring elements are arranged in an opposing or counteracting orientation being convexly curved in a first circumferential direction of the wheel assembly, to the spring elements of the at least one other array (22, 22A) being convexly curved in a second circumferential direction of the wheel assembly opposite to the first circumferential direction, and
- a first array of spring elements (21) of the at least one pair of arrays of spring elements and a corresponding second array of spring elements (21) of the at least one pair of arrays of spring elements are located laterally and symmetrically to each other in relation to a central vertical plane (29a) extending through the outer rim assembly (26A) and the inner vehicle hub connection member (11A).
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.