JP2016120879A - Re filler and method for manufacturing same, tire, and wheel chair - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tire filler which can be easily mounted and also can be stored and transported.SOLUTION: A tire filler 1 is accommodated in an annular space portion 7 which is formed by an annular rim 4 and an annular tire shell 5 mounted onto the rim 4. The tire filler 1 is formed into a rod-like shape having a cross section of a substantially circular form from a foam thermoplastic elastomer, and has an engaging part 11 formed on one end surface thereof and an engaged part 12 formed on the other end surface thereof. Plural tire fillers 1 are combined with one another in a lengthwise direction in such a manner that the engaging part 11 is engaged with the engaged part 12 of an adjacent tire filler 1, and are located in annular form so as to substantially fill the annular space portion 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a so-called no-punctured tire in which an annular space formed by a tire and a rim is filled with a filler instead of air.

  As a conventional no-puncture tire, as described in Patent Document 1 below, an annular space formed by a tire outer shell (tire shell) and a rim is molded from an elastomer, and both end faces are perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. A straight tube formed in the above is pushed in, and both end faces of the tube are butted so as to push in opposite directions.

  In addition, there exists what was described in the following patent document 2 as what used foamed thermoplastic polyurethane for the sole for athletic shoes.

Japanese Patent No. 4392555 JP 2013-220354 A

  However, the conventional non-punctured tire is configured by bending a long straight tube such as 1 to 1.03 times the circumference of the center of the annular space formed by the tire shell and the rim into an annular shape, Since the tube is pushed into the annular space and the tube is long, it has a problem that it is heavy and difficult to handle, and it is difficult to mount the tube, and it is difficult to store and transport the tube.

  The present invention solves the above-described problems, is easily mounted in an annular space formed by a tire shell and a rim, and is easily stored and transported, a tire filler, a method for manufacturing the same, and An object of the present invention is to provide a tire and a wheelchair using such a tire filler.

  The tire filler of the present invention is a tire filler accommodated in an annular space formed by an annular rim and an annular tire shell attached to the rim. Formed in a circular rod shape, a fitting portion is formed on one end surface, a fitted portion is formed on the other end surface, and a plurality of the tire filling bodies are adjacent to the fitting portion. By being fitted to the fitted parts, the ring-shaped parts are combined in the length direction so as to substantially fill the annular space part.

  According to this, a plurality of tire fillers are combined in the length direction and arranged annularly so as to substantially fill the annular space formed by the tire shell and the rim. The length of the tire filler is considerably shorter than the circumferential length of the annular space. Thus, since the length of each of the filling bodies for tires of the present invention is short, each of the filling bodies is light and easy to handle, and the filling to be accommodated next in the fitted portion of the previously accommodated filling body. By fitting the fitting parts of the body, the fillers are combined and the end surfaces are not easily displaced, so that mounting to the annular space part is easy. Also, when storing and transporting a large number of tire fillers, they can be collected in a compact manner, so that they can be stored and transported easily.

  Here, the foamed thermoplastic elastomer is preferably a foamed thermoplastic polyurethane.

  Thermoplastic polyurethane (hereinafter referred to as “TPU”) has excellent rebound resilience, abrasion resistance, flex resistance and strength, so that it is comfortable to ride and can withstand long-term use. Can be provided. Further, by using the foamed TPU, the tire is reduced in weight, and it is possible to realize the same riding comfort as when a pneumatic tube is used by the air in the bubbles.

  Further, the fitting portion has a substantially conical convex shape whose diameter decreases toward the tip portion and the tip portion is rounded, and the fitted portion has a concave shape with an inner peripheral surface being a tapered surface. It is preferable.

  When the last tire filler is pushed into the annular space, the last tire filler must be compressed in order to fit into the adjacent tire filler. If the shape of the mated portion, the mating portion slips and easily enters the mated portion, and can be fitted without strongly compressing the tire filler. Becomes easier.

  Moreover, it is preferable that many small protrusions are formed on the peripheral wall portion.

  According to this, since the friction between the inner surface of the tire shell and the tire filler increases, it is possible to prevent displacement and twisting of the tire filler in the annular space, and prevent deformation of the tire and deterioration of riding comfort. Is possible.

  The method for manufacturing a tire filling body according to the present invention includes a filling step of filling foam TPU particles into a mold, a compression step of compressing the particles filled into the mold, and the compressed particles. A heating process in which steam is supplied to the inside of the mold through a large number of small holes formed on the surface corresponding to the peripheral wall portion of the mold and fused together, and after the mold is cooled, from the mold And a cooling / removing step of taking out a tire filler formed by fusing the particles.

  According to this, since the melted TPU enters the small holes for supplying the steam, a large number of small protrusions are formed on the peripheral wall portion of the tire filler. That is, since the small protrusions for the peripheral wall are formed by the small holes for supplying steam in the heating process, it is not necessary to separately provide the small protrusion forming holes in the mold, and it is not necessary to separately provide the small protrusion forming process. . Therefore, the manufacturing cost can be suppressed. In addition, by adjusting the expansion ratio of the raw material TPU particles, the amount of particles to be put into the mold, the compression ratio, etc., it is possible to achieve the same riding comfort as when using pneumatic tubes for tires of various sizes. The body can be manufactured.

  The tire of the present invention is a tire including an annular rim, an annular tire shell, and the tire filler of the present invention, wherein a plurality of the tire fillers adjoin the fitting portion. By fitting into the fitted portion of the tire filler, it is combined in the length direction so as to substantially fill the annular space formed by the rim and the tire shell attached to the rim. It is arranged in an annular shape.

  Since the tire according to the present invention is easily mounted in the annular space of the filler, it is easy to manufacture and there is no risk of puncture.

  Since the wheelchair of the present invention includes the tire of the present invention, the wheelchair is easy to manufacture and there is no risk of puncture.

It is a perspective view of the filler for tires (a) concerning one embodiment of the present invention, and a spacer (b). It is sectional drawing (a) along the length direction which abbreviate | omitted the small protrusion of the filler for tires concerning the embodiment, and sectional drawing (b) along radial direction. It is a figure for demonstrating the combination of the filler for tires concerning the embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the manufacturing method of the filler for tires concerning the embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the heating process of the manufacturing method which concerns on the same embodiment. It is a schematic sectional drawing along the radial direction of the tire concerning the embodiment. It is a schematic sectional drawing along the circumferential direction of the tire concerning the embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the mounting process of the filler for tires concerning the embodiment. It is a continuation of FIG. It is a continuation of FIG. It is a perspective view of the wheelchair concerning the embodiment.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1. Description of Tire Filler 1 First, a tire filler (hereinafter abbreviated as “filler”) 1 according to an embodiment will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and 2 (a) and 2 (b), the filler 1 is made of a closed-cell foamed thermoplastic elastomer, specifically, a closed-cell foamed TPU. The fitting portion 11 is formed on one end face, and the fitted portion 12 is formed on the other end face. In general, the state in which each bubble is confined by the resin without communicating with the adjacent bubble and its diaphragm is referred to as a closed cell.Here, the `` closed cell type '' refers to those mainly having closed cells, It does not necessarily mean that all are closed cells. That is, for example, a partition wall or the like may be damaged by physical compression or the like, and a plurality of communicated bubbles may be included.

  The fitting portion 11 has a substantially conical convex shape with a diameter decreasing toward the tip portion 11a and rounding the tip portion 11a. The to-be-fitted portion 12 has a concave shape in which the inner peripheral surface 12 a is a tapered surface that fits the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion 11. The protrusion height from the base end surface 11b of the fitting part 11 and the dent depth from the base end surface 12b of the to-be-fitted part 12 are made equivalent.

  A large number of small protrusions 13 are formed on the peripheral wall portion 14 of the filler 1. The small protrusions 13 are formed substantially evenly on the entire surface of the peripheral wall portion 14. In addition, the small protrusion 13 is abbreviate | omitted in each sectional drawing of the filling body 1. FIG.

  The length L from the base end face 11b to the base end face 12b of the filler 1 is about ¼ of the center circumference (hereinafter referred to as “center circumference”) of the annular space 7 to be described later. Is slightly longer than ¼ of the center circumference, and more specifically, more than 1 time of ¼ of the center circumference and 1.1 times or less. The length L can be said to be a length excluding the length absorbed by the adjacent filler 1 when the filler 1 is combined with the adjacent filler 1. As described above, since the protrusion height from the base end surface 11b of the fitting portion 11 and the depth of the recess from the base end surface 12b of the fitted portion 12 are the same, the length of the center of the filler 1 is the same. (In other words, the length from the bottom 12c of the fitted portion 12 to the distal end portion 11a of the fitted portion 11) is also equal to the length L. As shown in FIG. 3, four fillers 1 are combined in the length direction by fitting the fitting part 11 into the fitted part 12 of the adjacent filler 1, and will be described later. It is accommodated in the annular space 7.

2. Description of Method for Producing Filler 1 Next, a method for producing the filler 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

(1) Filling process First, as shown in FIG. 4A, the mold 2 composed of the movable mold 21 and the fixed mold 22 is expanded with the movable mold 21 lightly aligned with the fixed mold 22. Particles (foamed TPU beads) B are fed into the mold 2 from a filling hole (not shown) provided in the mold 2 by compressed air and filled. The expanded TPU particles B have a particle diameter of about 3 to 4 mm, but are not limited to this size. In addition, since the expansion ratio is adjusted in the state of particle pellets before the filling step, the particle diameter may be different depending on the adjustment ratio.

(2) Compression step Next, as shown in FIG. 4 (b), the foamed TPU particles B are clamped until the inside of the mold 2 reaches the size of the filler 1 to be finally obtained. Compress. In this compressed state, there is still a gap remaining between the particles B.

(3) Heating process A heating process is performed after a compression process. In the movable mold 21 and the fixed mold 22, a large number of small holes 23 penetrating the mold 2 are formed on the surface corresponding to the peripheral wall portion 14 of the filler 1 to be finally obtained. Steam is supplied from the steam supply device to the inside of the mold 2 through each small hole 23, and each particle B is heated by this steam.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 (c), first, from each small hole 23 of one of the movable mold 21 and the fixed mold 22 (movable mold 21 in FIG. 4 (c)) to the inside of the mold 2. Supply steam. The steam passes between the particles B to heat the particles B and escapes from the other small holes 23 (the fixed mold 22 in FIG. 4C). The particles B are softened by heat, and the particles B Fusion starts and the gaps between the particles B begin to fill.

  By supplying steam from one side shown in FIG. 4C, the inlet side of steam (the movable mold 21 side in FIG. 4C) and the outlet side (fixed mold 22 side in FIG. 4C). Then, there is a difference in the degree of fusion of the particles B. Therefore, steam is supplied from the opposite side to make the fusion even. That is, as shown in FIG. 4D, steam is supplied from each small hole 23 of the other (the fixed mold 22 in FIG. 4D). Thereby, the fusion of the particles B becomes uniform.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 4E, steam is supplied from the small holes 23 of both the movable mold 21 and the fixed mold 22. Note that the steam is not supplied from both the movable mold 21 and the fixed mold 22 from the beginning of the heating process because the steam from both sides collides with the central portion of the mold 2 where the temperature has not risen yet. This is to avoid the occurrence. By supplying steam from both sides, the temperature of the mold 2 is further increased, and fusion of the portion that becomes the surface of the filler 1 is promoted and smoothed.

  Further, the heating process will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The movable mold 21 and the fixed mold 22 are provided with passages 211 and 221 through which steam passes, respectively, and the passage 211 has a valve 212 at the inlet and a valve 213 at the outlet. The passage 221 is provided with a valve 222 at the inlet and a valve 223 at the outlet.

  First, in the heating step, as shown in FIG. 5 (a), the valves 212, 213, 222, and 223 are all opened and steam is supplied from the inlets of the passages 211 and 221 to perform preheating. Do. This is because the mold 2 is cooled in the cooling / removal process described later, so that low-temperature air and drain existing in the passages 211 and 221 are discharged to warm the mold 2 as a whole.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, the valves 212 and 223 are opened, the valves 222 and 213 are closed, and steam is supplied from the inlet portion of the passage 211. Then, steam is supplied from the movable mold 21 side to the inside of the mold 2, escapes to the fixed mold 22 side, and is discharged from the outlet portion of the passage 221. It is a heating process from one side shown in (c) of FIG. In addition, illustration of the small hole 23 is abbreviate | omitted in FIG.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5C, the valves 222 and 213 are opened, the valves 212 and 223 are closed, and steam is supplied from the inlet portion of the passage 221. Then, steam is supplied from the fixed mold 22 side to the inside of the mold 2, escapes to the movable mold 21 side, and is discharged from the outlet of the passage 211. It is a heating process from the other shown in (d) of FIG.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 5D, the valves 222 and 212 are opened, the valves 213 and 223 are closed, and steam is supplied from the inlet portions of the passages 211 and 221. Then, steam is supplied into the mold 2 from both the movable mold 21 and the fixed mold 22. It is the heating process from both shown in (e) of FIG.

(4) Cooling / removing step After stopping the supply of steam and finishing the heating step, the mold 2 is cooled with water. Thereby, the melted portion of the particles B is cooled and solidified, and the filler 1 is formed. After the mold 2 is cooled, the mold 2 is opened and the filler 1 is taken out as shown in FIG.

  In the taken out packed body 1, a large number of small protrusions 13 are formed on the peripheral wall portion 14, and this is because the particles B are softened by steam heating, and the gaps between the particles B are filled and the small holes 23 are filled. It is formed by entering.

In order to provide a tire with good ride comfort, the foamed TPU particles B having a bulk specific gravity in the range of 100 to 600 g / L are used, and the density of the filler 1 is 0.2 to 0.6 g / cm ³ . A range may be used.

3. Description of Tire T Next, the tire T of the embodiment will be described. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the tire T includes an annular rim 4, an annular tire shell 5, and four fillers 1, and the tire shell 5 is attached to bead portions 51 and 51 on both sides of the rim 4. The rim 4 and the tire shell 5 form an annular space 7.

  The tire T is an existing tire in which a conventional inner tube filled with air can be accommodated in the annular space 7, and the nipple 9 for attaching the spoke 80 (see FIG. 8A) is provided inside the rim 4. Since it protrudes (on the annular space portion 7 side), a concave groove 41 is provided over the entire circumference of the rim 4 so that the nipple 9 does not contact the inner tube.

  Moreover, although the through-hole through which the valve | bulb of the conventional inner tube mentioned above is penetrated is formed in the bottom wall part of the ditch | groove 41, in the tire T, this through-hole is waterproof so that water etc. may not enter. It is blocked by a seal.

  In the annular space 7, the four fillers 1 are combined in the length direction by fitting the fitting part 11 with the fitted part 12 of the adjacent filler 1 and arranged in an annular shape. Has been. When the filling body 1 is accommodated in the annular space portion 7, the filling body 1 is elastically deformed along the inner surface shape of the annular space portion 7. The cross-sectional area along the radial direction of the filler 1 is an area that substantially fills the annular space 7 when elastically deformed in this way. Therefore, the annular space 7 is substantially filled with the four fillers 1. Here, “substantially satisfy” is not completely satisfied because, as shown in FIG. 6, the filler 1 does not enter in the vicinity of the bead portion 51, the concave groove 41, or the like, and a space remains. Because.

  In addition, when the filling body 1 is not formed into a circular cross section and is formed in a cross-sectional shape that substantially fills the concave groove 41 in advance, the portion disposed in the concave groove 41 of the filling body 1 is annular toward the concave groove 41 side It must be inserted into the space 7, that is, the direction when the filler 1 is inserted into the annular space 7 is limited, and the mounting of the filler 1 is not easy. For this reason, in the tire T, the filling body 1 has a circular cross section, and a separate spacer 3 is disposed in the groove 41 to reduce the space in the groove 41.

  The spacer 3 is formed of a foamed thermoplastic elastomer (specifically, foamed TPU) and has a rod-like shape (that is, an elongated rectangular parallelepiped) having a rectangular cross section as shown in FIG. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of (here, three) spacers 3 are connected to each other by a stapler or the like, so that they are formed in an annular shape having substantially the same circumferential length as that of the groove 41. The groove 41 is disposed in the groove 41. The spacer 3 is used by cutting appropriately according to the length of the concave groove 41. The number of the spacers 3 arranged in the concave groove 41 is not limited to three, and combinations of different lengths are also used. Sometimes used.

  Next, based on FIGS. 8-10, the mounting | wearing process of the filling body 1 to the annular space part 7 is demonstrated. 8 to 10, in order to distinguish the filler 1 arranged in the annular space portion 7, the fillers 1 a, 1 b, 1 c, and 1 d are also written in order from the one arranged in the first. First, although not shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the annular spacer 3 as described above is elastically deformed so as to get over the edge of the rim 4 and is fitted into the concave groove 41 of the rim 4. Then, one bead portion 51 of the tire shell 5 is attached to the rim 4 and the other bead portion 51 is not attached, and one side of the annular space portion 7 is opened.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8A, the first filler 1 a is inserted into the annular space portion 7 from the opened portion of the annular space portion 7. It should be noted that soap water is generally added to each filler 1 so that the tire shell 5 can slide, and then inserted. When the water in the soapy water evaporates, the frictional force of the small protrusions 13 against the inner surface of the tire shell 5 is exerted, so that the displacement and twisting of the filler 1 are prevented. A lubricant other than soapy water may be used as long as it evaporates at room temperature.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8 (b), the second filler 1b is opened from the opened portion of the annular space 7, and the fitting portion 11 is fitted to the first filler 1a. 12 is inserted into the annular space 7. Then, the fillers 1a and 1b are combined in the length direction in a state where the base end face 12b of the filler 1a and the base end face 11b of the filler 1b are combined. Similarly, the third filler 1c is inserted into the annular space 7 so that the fitting portion 11 is fitted to the fitted portion 12 of the second filler 1b.

  As shown in FIG. 9 (a), the fourth filling body 1d fits its fitting portion 11 to the fitted portion 12 of the third filling body 1c, and in FIG. 9 (b). As shown, the fitted portion 12 is inserted into the annular space portion 7 so as to be fitted to the fitting portion 11 of the first filler 1a. As described above, the length L of each filler 1 is slightly longer than ¼ of the center circumferential length of the annular space portion 7, and the first to third fillers 1 a, 1 b, 1 c are pressed against each other. Since it is not a state, about the 4th filler 1d, length will be compressed and inserted. When the fourth filler 1d is compressed and inserted, it tends to return to its original length due to its elasticity, and therefore the four fillers 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d are pressed against each other. It will be combined firmly. The four fillers 1 a, 1 b, 1 c, 1 d are arranged in an annular shape so as to substantially fill the annular space 7.

  After the four fillers 1 are accommodated in the annular space 7, as shown in FIG. 10 (a), the bead 51 that is not attached to the rim 4 is appropriately attached to the rim 4 and the filler using the tool D. 1 is attached to the rim 4. When the bead portion 51 is attached, the tire T is completed as shown in FIG.

  In addition, the expansion ratio of the TPU particles used as the raw material of the filler 1, the amount of the expanded TPU particles to be put into the mold 2, and the compression ratio in the mold 2 are the same type of tire as the tire T, and a normal pneumatic tire with appropriate air pressure. The tire and the tire T are determined so as to have the same amount of deflection when a predetermined load is applied. As a result, it is possible to realize a riding comfort equivalent to that of a tire with appropriate air pressure.

4). Explanation of wheelchair W Next, the wheelchair W which concerns on embodiment is demonstrated based on FIG. The wheelchair W includes the tire T described above on the rear wheel (drive wheel) 100.

  The wheelchair W includes a seat frame 101, a leg frame 102 extending forward and downward from the front end of the seat frame 101, an arm frame 103 disposed above the seat frame 101, and an arm frame 103 on the left and right sides, respectively. A front frame 104 extending downward from the front end, a lower frame 105 disposed below the seat frame 101, and a back frame 106 are provided.

  Between the left and right seat frames 101, 101, a seat sheet 107 is disposed with left and right sides mounted on a seat seat support rod 115 supported by the seat frame 101. Below the seat seat 107, crossbars 113, 113 for folding the wheelchair W in the vehicle width direction are rotatably connected to the lower frame 105 and the upper end portion to the seat seat support rod 115. , Are arranged side by side.

  Arm supports 111 are mounted on the upper surfaces of the left and right arm frames 103, 103, respectively, and foot supports 112 are mounted on the lower ends of the left and right leg frames 102, 102, respectively. Front wheels 114 are attached to the lower ends of the left and right front frames 104, 104, respectively.

  The left and right back frames 106, 106 are connected to the rear portion of the lower frame 105, the rear end portion of the seat frame 101, and the rear end portion of the arm frame 103 on the corresponding side, respectively, and extend in the vertical direction. Is equipped with a handle 110 for a caregiver to operate the wheelchair W. Back seats 108 are attached to the left and right back frames 106, 106.

  Each of the left and right rear wheels 100, 100 includes a tire T, a plurality of spokes 80 having one end attached to the rim 4 of the tire T, a hub 81 having an axle 82 and the other end of each spoke 80 attached thereto. The axle 82 is connected to the lower part of the back frame 106. In FIG. 11, the spokes 80 are omitted as appropriate for easy viewing. Further, on the outer sides of the rims 4 of the left and right rear wheels 100, 100, self-propelled hand rims 83 that are concentric with the rim 4 are attached. Since the hand rim 83 is attached to the outer wall of the rim 4 and independent of the annular space portion 7, the attachment structure of the hand rim 83 does not affect the annular space portion 7.

5. Effect of Embodiment As described above, the length of one filler 1 is considerably shorter than the circumferential length of the center of the annular space 7 and is about 1/4. Thus, since the length of one filling body 1 is short, it is easy to handle lightly, and the filling body 1 accommodated next in the to-be-fitted part 12 or the fitting part 11 of the filling body 1 accommodated previously. By fitting the fitting part 11 or the fitted part 12, the fillers 1 are combined with each other and the end faces are not easily displaced from each other, so that the mounting to the annular space part 7 is easy. Also, when storing and transporting a large number of books, they can be collected in a compact manner, so that they can be stored and transported easily. Furthermore, even when the filling body 1 is twisted during use, the restoring force of the twisted portion is relatively large compared to the length of the filling body 1 to be restored, so that the restoration is easy. Therefore, there is little risk of damage to the filler 1 or deformation of the tire T due to twisting.

  Further, since the filler 1 has a large number of small protrusions 13 on the peripheral wall portion 14, the friction with the inner surface of the tire shell 5 is large. For this reason, it is hard to produce the position shift and the twist of the filling body 1 in the annular space 7, and it is possible to prevent the deformation of the tire T and the deterioration of the riding comfort.

  Further, the filling body 1 has a substantially conical convex shape with the fitting portion 11 having a rounded tip, and the fitting portion 12 has a tapered surface on the inner peripheral surface. Therefore, the filling body 1 can be easily inserted without being strongly compressed, and in particular, the insertion of the filling body 1 that is finally inserted into the annular space portion 7 is easy. Become. Moreover, since the direction along the radial direction of the filling body 1 when the filling body 1 is inserted into the annular space portion 7 is not limited by the fitting portion 11 and the fitted portion 12, the insertion of the filling body 1 also from this point Is easy.

  Moreover, since the filling body 1 is manufactured by filling the mold 2 with the foamed TPU particles and compressing and heating, the expansion ratio of the raw TPU particles, the amount of the particles to be put into the mold 2, the compression ratio, etc. are adjusted. This makes it possible to achieve the same riding comfort for tires T of various sizes as when a pneumatic tube is used. And as above-mentioned, since the filling body 1 is short, manufacturing facilities, such as the metal mold | die 2, can be reduced in size, and the distance from the filling hole when filling the mold | die 2 with foaming TPU particle | grains is short. Therefore, the foamed TPU particles are easily filled into the mold 2 evenly, and the compression is unlikely to be uneven. For this reason, properties such as elasticity and strength can be made uniform throughout the filler 1.

  Moreover, when manufacturing the filler 1 by extrusion molding, a cutting process is required, but according to said manufacturing method, since a cutting process is unnecessary, manufacturing cost can be suppressed.

  Further, when the filling body 1 is manufactured, foam is a raw material of the filling body 1 because steam is supplied from a large number of small holes 23 formed on the surface corresponding to the peripheral wall portion 14 of the filling body 1 of the mold 2. The TPU is uniformly heated, and a large number of small protrusions 13 are formed on the peripheral wall portion 14 by the small holes 23. That is, since a separate hole or a separate process for forming the small protrusion 13 is not required, the manufacturing cost can be suppressed.

  The tire T, which is a combination of four fillers 1 instead of pneumatic tubes, substantially fills the annular space 7, so that even if a nail or the like is stuck in the tire T, Only a small amount of air escapes and there is no risk of puncture. Moreover, since the mounting of the filler 1 on the annular space 7 is easy, the tire T is easy to manufacture. Further, the filler 1 is made of foamed TPU, and the TPU has excellent rebound resilience, abrasion resistance, flex resistance and strength, so that it is comfortable to ride and can withstand long-term use. The tire T can be provided. Furthermore, since the filler 1 is made of foamed TPU having a low density, the tire T can be reduced in weight.

  Since the wheelchair W uses the tire T for the rear wheel 100, there is no risk of puncture, and the ride comfort can be the same as when a pneumatic tube is used. In addition, since the tire T is easy to manufacture, the wheelchair W is also easy to manufacture, and the maintenance of the air in the tire T is unnecessary, so maintenance is easy.

5. Modifications (1) The filler 1 may be used for a tire of a vehicle (for example, a bicycle) other than the wheelchair W. In particular, in business bicycles used for home delivery, the puncture causes a stagnation of business, and therefore, the filling body 1 that is a no puncture is useful.

  (2) The number of fillers 1 accommodated in the annular space 7 is not limited to four, but may be two or three, or may be five or more. When the number of the filling bodies 1 accommodated in the annular space portion 7 is n (n is an integer of 2 or more), the length L of the filling body 1 is about 1 / n of the center circumferential length of the annular space portion 7. However, the length is preferably slightly longer than 1 / n of the center circumference of the annular space 7. This is because the possibility of displacement and twisting of the filler 1 during use can be reduced by pressing the fillers 1 accommodated in the annular space 7 together. More specifically, when the filler 1 is used for the tire T having a tire width of about 40 mm or less, which is normally used for the wheelchair W, the length L is more than 1 times 1 / n of the center circumferential length of the annular space portion 1. Within a range of 1 or less, it is determined so that no gap is generated between the fillers 1 in the portion of the annular space 7 opposite to the rim 4 side. If it exceeds 1.1 times, the degree of compression must be increased in the portion of the annular space 7 on the rim 4 side, which makes mounting difficult.

  (3) A thermoplastic elastomer other than TPU may be used as a raw material for the filler 1. For example, a thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE) or a thermoplastic polyamide elastomer (TPAE) may be used. This is because they are excellent in impact resilience and strength.

  (4) The shape of the filler 1 is not limited to that described above, the shape of the fitting portion 11 and the fitted portion 12, the presence or absence of the small protrusions 13 and the formation range thereof (not the entire surface of the peripheral wall portion 14, but a part thereof) Etc.) is also optional. Moreover, you may use combining the filler 1 of different length L with respect to one tire T. FIG.

  (5) The raw material of the spacer 3 may be different from the filler 1 and is not limited to the thermoplastic elastomer. For example, vulcanized rubber may be used. However, the use of foamed TPU is advantageous because it is lightweight and tough and difficult to lose, and since TPU is also excellent in tear resistance, it is less likely to be broken even when connected with a stapler as described above.

  (6) The configuration of the wheelchair W described above is representative, and of course, the configuration of the wheelchair W is not limited to that described above.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tire filling body 2 Mold 4 Rim 5 Tire shell 7 Annular space part 11 Fitting part 11a Tip part 12 Part to be fitted 12a Inner peripheral surface 13 Small protrusion 14 Peripheral wall part 21 Movable type 22 Fixed type 23 Small hole B Foaming TPU particle T tire W wheelchair

Claims (7)

A tire filler housed in an annular space formed by an annular rim and an annular tire shell attached to the rim,
It is formed into a rod shape with a substantially circular cross section by a foamed thermoplastic elastomer,
A fitting portion is formed on one end surface, and a fitted portion is formed on the other end surface,
The plurality of tire fillers are combined in the lengthwise direction by fitting the fitting portions into the fitted portions of the tire filler adjacent to each other, so that the annular space portion is substantially omitted. A tire filler characterized by being arranged in an annular shape so as to fill.   The tire filler according to claim 1, wherein the foamed thermoplastic elastomer is a foamed thermoplastic polyurethane. The fitting portion has a substantially conical convex shape in which the diameter is reduced toward the tip portion and the tip portion is rounded,
The tire filler according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fitted portion has a concave shape with an inner peripheral surface being a tapered surface.   The tire filler according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein a plurality of small protrusions are formed on the peripheral wall portion. It is a manufacturing method of the filler for tires according to claim 4,
A filling step of filling the inside of the mold with expanded thermoplastic polyurethane particles;
A compressing step of compressing the particles filled in the mold;
A heating step of heating the compressed particles by supplying steam into the mold from a large number of small holes formed on a surface corresponding to the peripheral wall portion of the mold, and fusing them together;
After cooling the mold, a cooling / removing step of taking out the tire filler formed by fusing the particles from the mold;
The manufacturing method characterized by having. A tire comprising an annular rim, an annular tire shell, and the tire filler according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A plurality of tire fillers are attached to the rim and the rim by being combined in the length direction by fitting the fitting part to the fitted part of the adjacent tire filler. A tire characterized by being arranged in an annular shape so as to substantially fill an annular space formed by the formed tire shell.   A wheelchair comprising the tire according to claim 6.

Images