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US 9,751,270 B2Granted
Annular ring and non-pneumatic tire
AssigneeAdvancing Mobility, LLC
InventorRonald H. Thompson
Life of this patent
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AssigneeAdvancing Mobility, LLC
InventorRonald H. Thompson
Estimating the term…
The present invention provides an annular beam of monolithic construction of one homogeneous material and a related efficient, low-cost non-pneumatic tire. Specific geometric design, combined with nonlinear elastomer physical properties, enable the suppression of all reinforcing belts, continuous fibers, or other strengthening layers in the annular beam. The annular beam consists of at least two bands that are continuous in the circumferential direction and connected by a web geometry. The non-pneumatic tire consists of the annular beam, a ground contacting portion, a central wheel, and a plurality of web spokes that connect the wheel and beam. When the tire is loaded to a design load against a flat surface over a design contact length, a contact area of essentially uniform pressure is produced, while the load is transmitted from the beam to the hub via tension in the web spokes. The tire can be economically manufactured.
An integrally formed annular beam for use in a wheel intended to carry a load while rolling, wherein a ratio of a transverse beam deflection of the annular beam due to shear to a transverse beam deflection of the annular beam due to bending at a center of a design contact length is at least 1.2:1, when an outermost radial extent of the annular beam is loaded against a substantially flat surface over the design contact length, wherein the ratio of the transverse beam deflection of the annular beam due to shear to the transverse beam deflection of the annular beam due to bending at the center of the design contact length is determined by using the following equation:
An annular beam for use in a wheel intended to carry a load while rolling, the annular beam comprising:
An annular beam for use in a wheel intended to carry a load, wherein a ratio of a transverse beam deflection of the annular beam due to shear to a transverse beam deflection of the annular beam due to bending at a center of a design contact length of the annular beam is at least 1.2:1, when an outermost radial extent of the annular beam is loaded against a substantially flat surface over the design contact length, the annular beam being free of a circumferentially extending substantially inextensible reinforcing layer, wherein the ratio of the transverse beam deflection of the annular beam due to shear to the transverse beam deflection of the annular beam due to bending at the center of the design contact length is determined by using the following equation:
An annular beam for use in a wheel intended to carry a load while rolling, wherein a ratio of a transverse beam deflection of the annular beam due to shear to a transverse beam deflection of the annular beam due to bending at a center of a design contact length is at least 1.2:1, when an outermost radial extent of the annular beam is loaded against a substantially flat surface over the design contact length, the annular beam being formed as an integral piece in a single molding operation, wherein the ratio of the transverse beam deflection of the annular beam due to shear to the transverse beam deflection of the annular beam due to bending at the center of the design contact length is determined by using the following equation:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.