Non-pneumatic tire

摘要

A non-pneumatic tire is disclosed where a resilient wheel is mounted on a rim and the wheel has an inner ring, an outer ring and a plurality of flexible webs interconnected between the inner and outer rings. The flexible webs define openings in through the resilient wheel. The stiffness of the inner wheel at a position adjacent to the inner face is different than the stiffness of the inner wheel at a position adjacent to the outer face. This stiffness difference can be accomplished by providing inflated membranes in at least some of the openings or by molding the wheel with an asymmetric parting line. In addition, the wheels could be dynamically controlled by providing magnetically actuable membranes in some of the openings.

主权项

1. A non-pneumatic wheel for contacting a ground surface, comprising:
a rim having an axial centerline defining a wheel rotational axis; a resilient web positioned on the rim, the web comprising a radially inner ring, a radially outer ring and a plurality of flexible web elements interconnected between the radially inner and outer rings, the interconnected plurality of flexible web elements including a plurality of internal connections radially spaced apart from the radially inner ring and the radially outer ring and the resilient web having an axially inner face along the wheel rotational axis and an axially outer face along the wheel rotational axis; and a tread layer positioned on the radially outer ring and defining a contact surface of the wheel adapted to contact the ground surface, wherein the plurality of flexible web elements define a plurality of openings, and the flexible web elements are stiffened at a position intermediate the radially inner ring and radially outer ring to vary the stiffness of the resilient web at one of a position adjacent to the axially inner face and a position adjacent to the axially outer face, and the resilient web is radially spaced apart from the contact surface.