Patent Application
20090173421
The present disclosure relates to a tire and in particular to a flatless hybrid tire.
The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Many tires include a hollow rubber ring disposed around a metal or plastic inner rim. The hollow rubber tube is typically filled with air to provide elasticity. These air-filled tires are vulnerable to punctures or leaks, which allow air to escape from the hollow rubber ring, rendering the tire unsuitable for its intended purpose.
Other tires known in the art may include a continuous, solid cross-section formed from a single polymeric material. If formed from a relatively elastic polymer, these tires may lack the rigidity required for high performance applications. However, if these tires are formed from a relatively rigid polymer, these tires may transmit unacceptable levels of vibration to a bearing or axle, thus reducing the user ride comfort.
A tire includes a rigid outer ring, a rigid inner ring, and an intermediate ring interconnecting the rigid outer ring and the rigid inner ring. The intermediate ring is biasingly compressible in a first direction and rigid in a second direction. The intermediate ring may include a plurality of lattice members and a resiliently compliant elastomer. The plurality of lattice members may be disposed within the resiliently compliant elastomer. The rigid outer ring and the rigid inner ring may include a solid cross-section.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.
The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.
Referring to
The outer ring 12 may include a solid cross-section 22, with an arced outer diameter 24 (or other shape), sidewalls 26, and an inner diameter 28, as shown in
It should be appreciated that the outer ring 12 could include one or more thin elastomeric layers (not shown) laminated around the solid cross-section 22. The arced outer diameter 24 could include one or more tread features (known in the art; not shown) to further facilitate grip with a ground or road surface.
The inner ring 14 may be concentrically disposed within the inner diameter 28 of the outer ring 12, as shown in
The inner ring 14 may be adapted to receive a bearing assembly 37 (shown in
The intermediate ring 16 may be concentrically disposed between the outer ring 12 and the inner ring 14. The intermediate ring 16 is fixed to the inner diameter 28 of the outer ring 12 and the outer diameter 32 of the inner ring 14, thereby fixedly interconnecting the outer ring 12 and the inner ring 14. The intermediate ring 16 is a spring element operable to damp impact forces, and allow deflection of the outer ring 12 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis X, while preventing deflection of the outer ring 12 in a thrust direction, as will be subsequently described.
The intermediate ring 16 may include a plurality of lattice members 38. The lattice members 38 may extend radially between the inner diameter 28 of the outer ring 12 and the outer diameter 32 of the inner ring 14. The plurality of lattice members 38 may be formed from a rigid elastomer, preferably polyurethane or natural rubber. As shown in
The intermediate ring 16 may also include a resiliently compressible isolation member 42. The isolation member 42 may be a resiliently compliant elastomer, such as micro-cellular urethane (MCU), or equivalents. The isolation member 42 may be disposed around and between the lattice members 38, as shown in
With continued reference to
As shown in
The isolation member 42 disposed between the outer ring 12 and the inner ring 14 resiliently compresses to dampen impact forces and vibration transferred through the outer ring 12, reducing the transfer of energy from the impact forces and/or vibration to the inner ring 14 and thus to the roller ski 18, skate, or cart, for example.
It should be appreciated that an alternative embodiment of the intermediate ring 16 may include only one continuous lattice member 38 having the X-shaped cross-section, as described above, and extending continuously 360 degrees around the rotational axis X.
It should also be appreciated that the cross-sectional shape of the lattice members 38 are not limited to the X-shape shown in
As shown in
As shown in
There are multiple advantages to the teachings of the present disclosure. First, the rigid elastomeric construction of the outer ring 12 facilitates low rolling resistance, while providing sufficient traction to prevent the tire 10 from slipping laterally during use. The relatively hard, rigid construction of the outer ring 12 also minimizes wear, increasing the functional life of the tire 10. As described above, the outer ring 12 may include a solid cross-section 22; thereby increasing the reliability of the tire 10 relative to air-filled tires known in the art, since, unlike the tire 10, a puncture may flatten an air-filled tire, rendering the air-filled tire unsuitable for its intended purpose.
As described above, the intermediate ring 16 provides a means for absorbing shock and vibration, which facilitates a smooth ride over uneven terrain. The isolation member 42 reduces stress to riders' joints by damping vibration and high impact loads. The elastic properties of the isolation member 42 may be tuned for a particular rider, based on the rider's mass or the rider's expected performance requirements. For example, a rider with higher mass may desire the isolation member 42 to be formed from a stiffer elastomer to optimize damping and deflection properties. Similarly, a more aggressive rider utilizing the tire 10 for a high performance, competitive athletic application, for example, may desire the isolation member 42 to be formed from a stiffer elastomer relative to the softer isolation member 42 which may be more suitable for a recreational rider.
The stiffness and angle of the lattice members 38, 138, 238, 338, 438 relative to the sidewalls 26, 36 may also be tuned according to the preferences and mass of a given rider. The orientation of the lattice members 38,138, 238, 338, 438 may be optimized according to the rider's expected thrust angle Θ; i.e., the structural members 40, 140, 240, 340, 440 may be oriented substantially inline with the rider's expected thrust angle Θ to prevent deflection in the direction of the thrust angle Θ. This will allow a rider to realize greater thrust propulsion.
The description of the present disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
