JPH0211443B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to tire and wheel assemblies for vehicles, and more particularly to tire and wheel assemblies for vehicles, and more particularly to tire and wheel assemblies for vehicles, and more particularly to tire and wheel assemblies for vehicles, and more particularly to tire and wheel assemblies for vehicles, and more particularly to
pneumatic tire and wheel assembly.

Although commonly used pneumatic tires for vehicles provide good riding characteristics and are light in weight, they have the disadvantage that they become undriveable when deflated. Such loss of drivability is not only undesirable from a safety standpoint, but it is also necessary to carry spare tires on the vehicle as a precaution in case the tires lose air during operation. Spare tires, however, add weight and reduce available space, making it difficult to reduce vehicle size and weight to meet even more pressing government requirements for vehicle fuel economy as well as safety requirements. This is highly undesirable for today's automotive manufacturers.

The ideal solution to undrivable problems based on deflation of a pneumatic tire is to make the tire drivable for at least a reasonable period of time after deflation (deflated driving). )
It is to give the tire the ability. A common approach to giving pneumatic tires the ability to run deflated is to make the tire's tread walls sufficiently resilient to prevent complete collapse due to deflation. The idea is to provide an internal annular member of some kind inside the tire. Therefore, an annular projection on the tire rim, made of metal or other hard material, for example, is proposed, which projects a certain distance into the air chamber of the tire, but
In order to maintain good riding performance of pneumatic tires, the vehicle stops without reaching the tire tread wall. The metal protrusions typically act to support the walls of the tread and sometimes also act to hold the tire beads in place when the tire is deflated. Metallic protrusions, however, add considerable weight to the wheel assembly and exhibit poor ride characteristics in deflated driving conditions due to the rigidity of the protrusions themselves. Also, such protrusions typically require special rim designs, such as those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,844,180 to Omeron. More recent advances in this field are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,571 to Kraft and U.S. Pat. In order to achieve this, the cross section is C-shaped.
-center tire rim). Inner annular members made of less rigid materials than metal, such as foamed polymer inserts, have also been proposed in the art. Although such inserts improve ride characteristics when driving deflated, they generally lack adequate dimensional stability and suffer from high heat build-up; These are particularly important considerations when tires are driven under deflated conditions over long distances and/or at the relatively high speeds required for modern highway travel. Also, due to the large volume occupied by typical foamed polymer inserts, sufficient space must be left within the tire recess for mounting the tire, so such materials cannot be used on one-piece conventional rims. The use of is restricted. One example of a foamed polymer insert that can reportedly be attached to a regular one-piece tire rim is Ryder.
No. 3,814,158. The foamed polyurethane insert shown in this patent has a pair of annularly projecting bead wires for added structural stability and support;
It also has a central annular space that allows the insert to collapse during tire installation on a conventional one-piece drop center rim. More recently issued patents in the field of deflated inserts for pneumatic tires include Henning et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,641 and Gardner et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,894. They utilize an insert that generally includes an internal pneumatic member of smaller diameter than the tire that supports the tire when the tire is operating in a deflated running condition.

My U.S. Patents No. 3568286, No. 3730244 and No.
No. 3730794 uses an essentially continuous elastomeric binder so that the coated fibers interlock substantially only at their contact points and open voids are left in the finished product.
A novel elastic volume compressible product made by winding multiple layers of coated fibers onto a core is described. As described in these patents, the product is useful in the construction of printing rollers or in the puncture protection construction of vehicle tires, in which the fibers are wound in successive layers over the rim of the tire, The body is made by coating with a compound or wrapped on a mandrel and wound from the mandrel.
It is made by removing the body) and inserting it into a regular tire. Non-pneumatic vehicle tires made in accordance with these patents provide excellent ride and structural integrity even at high speeds.
Tests have shown that this is a vehicle tire with excellent structural integrity. I believe that a rolled, volumetrically compressible member of the type described in the above-mentioned U.S. patent may be inserted into a conventional pneumatic tire to give it the characteristic of running deflated. I discovered that it is ideally suited to be used as an object. In particular, I have found that such a member in the form of a rolled, compressible, flexible ring has properties that make it ideally suited for such applications. The insert wheels that make up the tire assembly of the present invention can be made equally balanced and have excellent structural strength, thermal conductivity, and load distribution capabilities at an acceptably low weight. , yet resilient and sufficiently compressible to provide good ride characteristics in deflated driving conditions. The flexibility of the wheel is sufficiently temporary to allow it to be inserted inside a normal pneumatic tire, for example during initial tire construction and assembly, or during subsequent handling at a service station. It allows for things to be distorted. The insert wheel constituting the tire assembly of the present invention is "integral";
It can be ideally used in conjunction with any type of conventional tire rim, including "drop center" automobile tire rims. Due to its method of manufacture, its capabilities such as weight and compressibility can be easily varied within wide ranges depending on the required embodiment. The ring is furthermore compressible both horizontally and vertically and has very good load distribution capabilities, making it ideally fixed on cantilevered beams.
It can be used in conjunction with other materials to reduce the overall weight added to the tire as discussed below. The hoop may also be able to reduce, for example, half of its thickness under partial impact, such as hitting a stone, without damage or high impact, which occurs when metal or hard plastic inserts are the primary means of absorbing such impacts. It can be made to shrink up to. How the present invention takes advantage of such valuable capabilities will become apparent from the detailed discussion below.

As previously discussed, a ring-shaped, volume-compressible, void-containing, resilient material having the form described in my above-mentioned patent and removed from the core or mandrel on which it is wound. Binder-coated fibrous products are known to have a number of advantageous properties that make them useful as deflated running inserts in conventional pneumatic vehicle tires.

In my experience and developmental work on designs that can run practically deflated using such compressible members as inserts to be included inside normal vehicle tires, I found that several factors were important. The insert design should be as small as possible to minimize weight added to the tire and to minimize heat buildup. Additionally, the most practical deflated insert design is one that can be used in conjunction with current conventional "one-piece" or "drop-center" automobile tire rims. The rim has an annular recess into which the bead of a typical automobile tire fits during tire installation.

comprising a continuously wound mass of fibrous material coated and bonded with an elastomeric material of the type shown in my earlier patent, and having an inner diameter that allows it to simply rest on the rim of a tire. It has been found that an annular insert that is short of the tire tread wall but high enough to operate under deflated conditions is an undesirable design from several practical standpoints. . The bodies of such rolls are heavy and bulky and tend to promote heat build-up within the tire during driving. Also, such an insert placed directly on and supported by the rim would, from a practical point of view, have a radius sufficiently large to allow the insert to pass over the outer flange of the rim of a typical automobile tire. It was discovered that it does not stretch in any direction. A two-part "separate" rim design was necessary as a practical matter in such a design. Although not sufficiently stretchable to be practically mounted over the flange of a rim, testing of such early insert designs showed that such an insert could further revealed that the method of manufacture results in radial elongation and separation from the rim.

Attempts to reduce the overall weight of the insert, an annular elastomer coated and bonded fiber hoop, may result in the elastic material-fiber hoop itself losing its desirable weight distribution ability under load. A spacer support member configured such that the design weight of the overall ring and spacer support member can be reduced compared to a design in which the compressible ring is simply extended and supported by the rim without led to the unexpected discovery that the rim can be placed and supported away from the rim. Furthermore, by using as such a spacer support member or as a part thereof a member which does not itself extend radially or at least less radially than the ring itself, and which is a ring of elastic material-fibrous material. It has been discovered that by coupling to a radial or circumferential extension of the ring of fibrous material coated with elastic material when rotated in the deformation or circumferential direction, the above-mentioned tendency to stretch radially or circumferentially can be reduced. In certain embodiments discussed below, such an inextensible member, e.g., disposed between the rim and the hoop, comprises a circumferential wrap of one or more fibrous materials having a width narrower than the hoop itself. However, the roll itself does not stretch radially, yet such a roll is resilient so that it can be attached inside the tire. As discussed below, such scrolls are preferably bonded with an elastic material,
Consists of a dense body of inextensible but flexible material wrapped around the circumference.

FIG. 1 shows a wheel 10 which is a component of a tire assembly according to the invention. The wheel is sized to fit entirely inside a typical automobile tire. The hoop is a volumetrically compressible material made by winding the elastomer-coated fibers in continuous circumferential layers in a predetermined pattern over a core and bonding the elastomers at the points of contact. Comprising a porous substance or object. 14 inches (approx.
In the embodiment shown, the compressible porous ring is designed for use in conjunction with a 35.6 cm) automotive pneumatic tire (i.e., mounted on a 14 inch rim). has a width "W" across its outer surface of about 3 1/4 inches (about 8.26 cm) and a height "h" of about 2 1/4 inches (about 5.72 cm). The circumference of the ring is approximately 20.5 inches (approximately 52.1 cm). The wheel is therefore dimensioned so that it passes over the outer flange of a typical 14-inch rim and does not touch the tire when it is in its normal, well-inflated condition.

Compressible porous ring 10 is made in accordance with the technology of my US patent described above. Therefore, porous ring 1
0 comprises a plurality of formed layers of continuous fibrous material 11 coated with an elastic binder 12 (see cross-section in FIG. 2). The porous ring further includes a plurality of voids 13 within it. As disclosed in my aforementioned U.S. patent and explained above, such porous compressible rings are carefully placed over the core to leave voids between the fibers. It can be made by winding a fibrous material coated with an elastic material in successive layers. When a load is applied to the hoop, the elastic binder-coated fibers flow into the void 13, so that the hoop occupies less space than at no load, so that the porous compressible hoop 10 is truly volumetrically compressible. It is gender. Due to the stability provided by the fiber material 11, the hoop has good resistance to lateral distortion. Furthermore, the hoop has an unexpectedly good uniform load distribution ability, as will be discussed below.

Compressible porous hoop 10 is generally made by winding the fibrous material at an angle to a horizontal axis onto a collapsible or removable core or winding drum. The outer surface of the core or drum is cylindrical, giving the porous ring 10 an overall regular cylindrical or annular shape as illustrated. Each successive winding within a layer does not directly meet the underlying parallel fibers within the same layer; rather, it
The adjacent fibers within the same layer do not touch each other. Generally in accordance with the teachings of my previously mentioned U.S. Pat. Cut and roll. The disclosures thereof are incorporated herein by reference.

The number of layers of fibrous material depends on the winding pattern used, the diameter of the fibers, the tension at which the fibers are wound and the angle of the windings. The angle of winding onto the winding drum or core is approximately perpendicular to about 30° to the horizontal axis of the drum (as measured between the wound fiber and the horizontal axis of the drum, i.e. vice versa). is ~60° when measured between the wound fiber and perpendicular to the horizontal axis of the drum). As used herein, the term "substantially perpendicular" is intended to indicate an angle away from 90° relative to the horizontal axis of the drum, and is intended to exclude angles of 90°. If the fibers are wound at an angle perpendicular to the axis of the core, i.e. at a 90° angle, then successive wound fibers overlap directly on top of other fibers and the wound fibers are wrapped around the core or winding drum. will not proceed across the surface of the It is important that the fibers are arranged at angles such that there is no contact between adjacent fibers within a layer. The preferred winding angle, when measured between the wound fiber and the horizontal axis of the drum, is approximately
between 30° and about 60°, for example at 45°.

The closer the fibers are to each other, the smaller the voids and the less compressible. In preferred embodiments, the empty volume is at least 10%. However, less than 10% empty volume may be used for low compressibility operation. The upper limit of the void volume is determined by the non-uniformity of the pressure pattern that can be tolerated for the amount of deflection desired for the particular use or end use of the ring.

Generally, any of the methods or patterns described or shown in my above-mentioned U.S. patents can be used to produce the porous ring 10 of the accompanying drawings. For example, coated fibrous materials may be used in the first patent of each of my U.S. Pat.
My U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,794 and No.
3568286, each of which is wound as shown in FIG. In this method, the coated fibers are first wound circumferentially in the form of a loop many times at an angle around the axis of a typically elongated, narrow diameter core (e.g. a long cylindrical tube), and again repeated. However, the winding pattern shown in FIG. 6 of my U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,794 and FIG. 1 of my U.S. Pat. A preferred winding pattern for producing porous ring 10. Compared to the winding patterns shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 of my U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,730,794 and 3,568,286 mentioned above, In such a preferred winding pattern, as shown in Figure 6 and Figure 6, the coated fibers wrap around the core rather than initially making and repeating a series of complete circumferential loops around the axis of the small diameter core. Rather, it zigzags across the core many times at an angle until a complete circumferential loop is formed. By winding this zigzag pattern many times in the circumferential direction, a plurality of diamond shapes can be created as shown. Considering the initial diameter of the rim or core on which the scroll is to be wound, a zigzag winding pattern is pre-calculated to give an identical number of diamonds of equal size in the circumferential direction of the rim or core. has been done. And it importantly distributes the weight of the roll more evenly around the rim or core. Once equal "diamonds" are achieved, any required thickness of the diamond layer can be applied over the underlying diamond fiber pattern as shown in FIG. 5 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,244. It can be formed by winding it directly on the In any case, all of the winding methods and patterns shown in my earlier U.S. patents mentioned above cover a resilient material with voids in which the fibers substantially contact each other only at their points of contact. The fibers are then formed into a volumetrically compressible ring 10.

Instead of winding a single strand of fiber material, multiple fibers may be fed to the core at the same time. For example, two fibers may be started either on opposite sides of the core or in the middle and wound in opposite directions at the same speed.

Binders for elastic materials can be prepared by applying the binder, for example, by passing the fiber material through a solution or emulsion containing the binder or binder composition, or by extruding a layer of binder onto the fibers using conventional extrusion techniques. The coated fibers are fed into the fiber material prior to winding by passing them through a die. Extrusion coating through a die is preferred since a uniform coating is applied in this method.

Any elastic material binder is suitable for use in binding the fibrous materials. Preferably, the binder is a curable or vulcanizable natural or synthetic rubber, for example a curable or vulcanizable natural or synthetic rubber. After rolling, the uncured binder may be cured or Vulcanized. Examples of such elastic materials include nitrile rubber, neorene, natural rubber, and synthetic rubbers such as butadiene/styrene rubber. Vulcanizing or hardening agents, antioxidants,
Minor amounts of conventional additives such as adhesion promoters, softeners, organic promoters, etc. can be included in the elastomeric binder composition.

At least enough binder material should be present to allow flow of binder into the voids and to obtain the required deflection within the annulus. An elastic binder with a weight of at least about 75% of the weight of the fibers is used in the porous ring 10. Preferably at least 3 parts by weight, such as 10 parts by weight or more, of the elastic binder each by weight of the fibrous material in the hoop constituting the deflated running tire assembly of the present invention. It is used for the part of

As used herein, the terms "fiber" and "fibrous material" refer to an individual continuous fiber or a plurality of fibers formed into continuous strands, yarns, and threads. Preferably, the porous ring 1
The fibrous materials used in 0 minimize friction on the strands and/or increase adhesion to the binder during the manufacture of rings with polymer coatings, such as polyvinyl chloride, plastisol or neoprene. Consists of strands treated by means known to the art.

Fibers that can be used for the porous ring 10 include:
Both natural and synthetic fibers such as glass, DYNEL, polyester (DACRON), polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylidene chloride, fluorocarbons, rayon, polyamides such as nylon and aramides, acrylic, cotton, wool, graphite, boron, etc. including. The particular fibers used in porous hoop 10 are selected with the end use of the hoop in mind. For example, glass is a preferred fiber material requiring full elastic recovery under nearly all loads and temperatures. Other materials can be used if relatively low loads are used or if elastic recovery is not a major factor in the use of the hoop. For example, 2
DYNEL, which has 100% elastic recovery when stretched, could be selected for relatively low load operation. The preferred glass fibers are continuous fiber glass yarns made by twisting and/or plying multiple glass fibers. A polymeric coating is applied to the yarn to protect the glass from cracking and improve adhesion to the coating.

Another preferred fibrous material for use in compressible porous hoop 10 is made from aromatic polyamide or aramid. KEVLAR (EIDuPont de
Nemours, & Co. trademark) is the preferred fiber material when such performance is required.

The use of fibrous materials that shrink upon heating may also be desirable in the compressible porous ring 10 in some cases. By wrapping the porous element in the manner described above using a shrinkable nylon cord (DuPont 1260/5/3) coated with a resilient material with high modulus, the compressive modulus of the ring can be adjusted using a non-shrinkable nylon cord such as Kevlar. This is greatly increased compared to wrapped hoops made using textile materials. This occurs by compacting the fibers and compacting the rings.

The fibers 11 should be substantially covered by the binder 12 or should have sufficient uniformity of the pattern of deposited binder to provide a uniform pressure distribution under load.

For example, to provide special clothing,
The resilient binder material 12 can be foamed using conventional methods. Any of the well-known blowing agents, such as 4,4'-oxybisbenzenesulfonyl hydrazide, are used in elastic binders to ensure foaming of the elastic material.
The extent to which the elastic material is foamed can be varied. For example, foaming can be carried out to the extent that the voids between the fibers of the wound section are filled with substantially cellular elastic material and the fibers are connected by a network of elastic material-elastic material bonds. In such cases, the voids within the elastic binder of the cytoplasm allow volumetric compressibility of the material, and the elastic material-elastic material bonding of the cytoplasmic network provides a high degree of cushioning to the annulus. Smaller areas of foaming mean that the voids defined by the wound fibers are not completely filled by the wound cellular elastic material, and a thin layer of expanded elastic material gives cushioning to the finished hoop as well. Gives a porous ring in which the fibers are covered with layers.

The core around which the fibers 11 are wound may be made of steel, rubber, gypsum, or the like. The wick is removed after the fiber winding stage is completed. Cured elastic material - fibrous object is
As explained above, it is simply removed from the core and inserted into a normal vehicle tire or separated from the core by melting the core using a non-solvent material of the fiber or elastic binder. be done. A wick that can be broken can also be used. A preferred core is the thirteenth core described in detail below.
It is equipped with a winding drum as shown in the figure.

In FIG. 3, the ring 10 in FIG. 1 is further replaced by a ring 10.
A reinforcing member 14 is provided within the inner diameter of the ring 10, the function of which is to prevent the ring 10 from being stretched in the radial or circumferential direction. In the structure shown in FIG. 2, the reinforcing member 14 does not extend beyond the wheel 10 in the radial or circumferential direction and at least partially supports the wheel 10 at a distance from the tire rim (see FIG. 11). Operate. In the structure of FIG. 3, reinforcing member 14 is shown as a single enlavgement or "bead" connected to hoop 10. In the construction of FIG. The reinforcing member 14 as shown in FIG. 3 has a width that is substantially less than the width "W" of the compressible porous ring 10, for example about 20-35%. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, reinforcing member 14 is comprised of a plurality of circumferentially wound fibrous materials 15 substantially embedded in a matrix of binder material 16. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. In contrast to the compressible porous hoop 10, the fibrous material 15 of the reinforcement member is tightly wound, i.e. the hoop 10
The scrolls in
There are almost no

By being used as a reinforcing member, the reinforcing member 14 does not extend radially or circumferentially, or at least less radially or circumferentially than the hoop 10, as explained in the previous section, so that the reinforcing member 14 By bonding to the porous ring 10, the tendency of the ring 10 to be rapidly stretched by rotation is reduced as noted above.

Optionally or additionally, by placing one or more wraps (17 in FIGS. 6 and 8) of flexible, non-stretchable fibrous material around the outside perimeter of the porous hoop 10. The extent to which the porous ring 10 stretches or expands as the tire rotates during operation can be reduced. Individual, spaced, binder-coated circumferential rolls (15
and 16) can be used for such purposes. Alternatively, a continuous layer formed by spirally wrapping a single fibrous material (binder coated or uncoated) around hoop 10 can be used (not shown). .

Binders 12 and 16 are highly compatible and can be cured or vulcanized so that they can be melted, bonded, and cured to form a combined, unitary object. It is preferable and advantageous. I have had good results when using vulcanizable natural rubber compositions as the binder component for 12 and 16, which are vulcanized or cured after being applied and rolled to form a well-bonded monolith. It can be done. Instead of this,
Reinforcement member 14 can be formed separately and then adhered to porous ring 10 using a suitable adhesive. The reinforcing member 14 may also be a hoop made of non-fibrous material, such as plastic or metal.

A plurality of inextensible reinforcing members 14 may be used as shown in any of the various wheel designs making up the tire assembly according to the present invention shown in FIGS. 5, 7, and 8. It should be noted that in these figures the reinforcing member 14 serves to space the wheel 10 from the rim of the tire.

FIG. 13 shows a winding drum for producing the wheels of FIGS. 1 and 2. A hollow metal drum 18 with a rounded outer surface is rotated by an axis 19. Reinforcement member 14 integrally formed therewith
A ring without a ring can be wound directly onto the smooth rounded surface of this drum. However, to create the reinforcing element 14, two removable circular flanges 20 are provided on the surface of the winding drum 18 to create a recess in which the coated fibrous material 15 of the reinforcing element 14 can be wound. Bolts are tightened via bolts 21. Fiber material 1 coated with a partially cured elastic material
5 is first tightly and tightly wound in the recess formed by the flange 20 up to the height of the flange 20. The coated fibrous material 15 is then rolled up as previously described to form a porous ring 10 with an integral reinforcing member 14 on top of the flange 20. The bolts 21 are then removed, allowing the flange 20 to be removed, so that the porous ring 10 with the reinforcing member 14 attached to it can be removed, and the entire composite is solidified in one piece by curing. Can be combined. Similar drums could be constructed for the hoop and reinforcing member embodiments shown in FIGS. 5-9.

The spacer support member placed between the wheel 10 and the rim consists of a thin, strong tube formed to fit tightly against the "drop center" or well portion of the rim of a conventional "one-piece" automobile tire. The tube can then be expanded in volume. Such tubes further have a "neck" configured to extend through a hole or other opening in the valve stem of the rim. A tire with wheels 10 is suitably mounted on the rim. When the ring 10 is properly positioned, a liquid curable polymer may be introduced into the tube through the "neck" under high pressure, for example, and suitably cured. The cured polymer can be sufficiently stiff or rigid to hold wheel 10 in place during driving conditions. The tube can be made of polyethylene terephthalate (“Mylar”) or other strong materials;
The thickness of the wall is only 2 or 3 thousandths of an inch (approximately 0.0508~
0.0762mm). Liquid curable polymers are, for example, polyurethanes, epoxies or other hard-curing polymers.

In another specific example shown in FIG.
The spacer support member consists of a thin stretchable rubber tube 41 and is connected to the inner periphery of the hoop 10, designed to fit tightly inside the well of the rim. Referring therefore to FIG. 9, a first circumferentially annular layer or strip of uncured rubber 4
3 is superimposed with similar circumferential layers or strips 42, with successive circumferential annular layers or strips of non-stick material 44 sandwiched therebetween. The material 44 is spaced from the edges of the strips 42 and 43, such as a layer of uncured rubber (not shown) extending out and beyond the edges of the strips 42 and 43 a distance from the layer of fabric. It is completely encapsulated between the edges of strips 42 and 43, except for a small hollow inlet tube or "neck", such as a tube.
The material 44 is non-adhesive to the rubber layers 42 and 43 after being cured or vulcanized; for example, a strip of Holland cloth is made of material 44.
It can be used as The next step, curing or vulcanization of the rubber layers 42 and 43 is carried out in strip 4.
2 except for the area separated by 4 and the inlet pipe.
The two are joined together to form a rubber tube or envelope that can be expanded by introducing material into its interior via the inlet tube. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the cross-sectional width of the strip 44 is made to approximately match the cross-sectional width of the conventional "drop-center" rim well or recess shown in FIG. ing.

A rubber tube or canopy 41, if desired, can be adhered to the inner periphery of hoop 10 as shown, for example using a suitable adhesive.
Preferably, the structure shown in FIG. 9 consists of a continuous flat strip 43 of uncured rubber compound.
is wound around a winding drum (as shown in FIG. 13, but with flange 20 removed), placing a continuous circumferential strip of Dutch cloth 44 in contact around strip 43. 9 (after insertion of the previously described inlet tube, but not shown) by overlapping strips of uncured rubber 42. Thereafter, the resilient material coated fiber 11 is applied to the layer 42 in the manner described above to form a loop 10 on a winding drum.
wrapped on top. The material wrapped along tube 41 is then removed and allowed to harden, forming the material between the edges of strips 42 and 43 as well as strip 42.
A firm adhesion occurs at the point of contact between the upper surface of the ring 10 and the inner circumference of the ring 10.

After placing the wheel shown in Figure 9 inside a normal tire and attaching it to the rim, tube 4
1 is a curable liquid or semi-liquid polymer 45;
For example, of the type previously described, it is filled via the inlet tube described above to substantially inflate the tube 41 within the well portion of the rim as shown in FIG. Polymer 45 is then cured or otherwise solidified.

Any elastic material in addition to rubber can be
It will be clear to those skilled in the art that it can be used for strips 42 and 43 forming one wall.
Furthermore, the strips 42 and 43 can be of different materials, for example different elastic materials. It is clear that only the strip 43 needs to be elastic so that the tube 41 is expanded; the strip 42 could be of non-elastic material. However, it is desirable and preferred that the tube 41 be flexible to enable it to be mounted inside the tire.

It will further be apparent to those skilled in the art that fluid materials other than liquid curable polymer 45 can be used to inflate tube 41 after installation within the tire and onto the rim.

Preferably, some means is provided to reduce the friction between the porous ring 10 and the interior of the tire containing it when the tire is deflated and the wheel is running deflated. . Means for imparting lubricity known for this purpose may be included, such as glycol, graphite and stearic acid lubricants;
Alternatively, the outside of the wheel 10 (or the inside of the tire) can be coated with a material having a low coefficient of friction, such as Dupont trademark Teflon.

Figure 14 shows, in cross-section, a two-part or "separate" ring for attaching the ring of Figure 2.
The rim design is shown. The first half 22 is bolted to the second half 24 via a nut and bolt arrangement 23. Each portion has an integral raised flange 25 which, when met, forms a recess 26 into which the reinforcing member 14 of the hoop 10 fits. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the bead of a typical tire is held in place in the space between bead 27 and flange 28 of halves 22 and 24.

The following is a detailed example of producing a hoop as shown in Figure 2 on the winding drum shown in Figure 13.

Example A rubber composition was manufactured according to the following formulation.

Part by weight Uncured natural rubber 100 Antioxidant (AgeriteD) 1.5 (FlexzoneZ) 1.5 Zinc oxide 5 Carbon black (cabot351C.B.) 60 Pine resin 5 Sulfur 1.2 Stearic acid 2.0 Curing agent (SantocureMOR) 1.8 Curing retardant (PVI) 0.4 Curing agent (Sulfan®) 1.5 The ring constituting the tire assembly of the present invention shown in FIG. 2 can be manufactured from the above rubber composition as follows. The rubber composition was coated onto continuous fibers (Dupont 1000 5/3 KEVLER) by extrusion through a Brabender crosshead extruder equipped with a 0.220 inch diameter nozzle. . The coated fibers are tightly wound (using a Mclean-Anderson W-1 winder) to fill the space on the winding drum shown in FIG. 13 defined by flange 20. A bead, which is the reinforcing member 14 of FIG. 2, is produced by filling a space [approximately 1 inch deep and 1 inch wide].

Continuous lengths of nylon fiber (Dupont 1260 5/3T728) were then coated with the same rubber composition described above using the same crosshead extruder and nozzle (0.220 inch diameter). Using a McLean-Anderson W-1 winding machine, the continuous rubber coated nylon fibers were then wound into porous rings 1 as shown in FIGS.
13 on the winding drum shown in FIG. 13 to create a diamond shape of 0. The common winding method used is that a number of traverses are zigzag back and forth across the winding drum before one complete circumferential winding or "loop" is made around the winding drum. , the preferred "zig-zag" method discussed above. Figure 15 and 1
Figure 6 schematically refers to such windings pre-calculated to form arbitrarily 50 equally shaped diamonds around the winding drum (and correspondingly around the porous ring 10). Illustrate the pattern and its width (i.e. the width “W” shown in Figures 1 and 2).
It has four (more precisely about 3 1/2) rhombuses across it.

Referring to FIG. 16, the first winding of the rubber coated nylon fiber produced as described above is carried out on a winding drum [40 inches circumference (approximately 101.6
cm)] at point "a", ie, the start of the first ply. The winding progresses in a zigzag manner at an angle to the axis of the winding drum. After 5 1/2 strokes back and forth (i.e., going to the right and back to the left counts as one stroke), the fiber winder's guides must move 0.4 inches (approx.
1.02cm) and ends on the opposite side of the winding drum from the side where the winding starts. (See winding "a" in the upper right corner of Figure 16).
The winding is at a constant angle (approximately 45°) to the axis of the winding drum. Winding "b" is then 0.8 inches from the starting point after the same 5 1/2 strokes (and one rotation of the winding drum)
It ends up not being enough, but it's on the same side as when you started rolling. Second
Such a winding "a" as shown in FIG.
~0.8 inches after the “i” progression
A rhombus of length (circumferential length) will be formed. This would correspond to 50 "strokes" of the winding guide. In this respect, Figure 15 and 1
The pattern shown in Figure 6 on a 40-inch drum is such that the completed 51st stroke falls directly but does not touch the start point "a" of winding. . This completed winding pattern results in a "ply" of equally sized diamonds. By "equally dimensioned" it should be understood that the diamonds are "equally dimensioned" within the tolerances of the winding device, and that the diamonds are mechanically Limits inherent in the winding device determine the extent to which all of the rhombuses are perfectly equal.

If the diamonds shown in Figures 15 and 16 are wrapped into a single "ply" as shown, the required height ("h" in Figure 1) is achieved. The same number of plies in the same pattern can be formed by winding directly over the underlying fibers until the plies are wrapped. The cross-sectional view of the ring 10 shown in FIG. A "ply" is formed on the winding drum, and the coated fibers in the second through fourth plies lie directly on the underlying fibers in the adjacent ply or layer and are formed in the same pattern. It is assumed that As a result, the diamond-shaped aperture 13 extends over the entire height "h" of the hoop 10. The porous wheel, which is a component of the tire assembly of the present invention, has very good load distribution capabilities, even though it is only supported by a narrow reinforcing member 14 in the deflated running condition. It is known that the weight of the vehicle is distributed over the entire surface of the porous ring 10. this is,
This was demonstrated by the inventor in tests using an Instron compression device applying a 1000 lb. load to produce a ring "footprint" of the type shown in Figure 3 in contact with carbon paper. It was done. The "footprint" obtained with the insert is essentially equivalent to that obtained by testing the porous ring 10, with the entire width of the porous ring (the first
"W" in the figure) was supported by a solid metal rim, as opposed to simply being supported by a reinforcing member 14.

The ability of the porous rings 10 made by my novel method to exhibit good load distribution capabilities even when spaced and supported by e.g. simply narrow reinforcing members 14 is surprising. It is believed that this is due to the ingenuity of the network of spaces in the fibrous elastic body as rings that allow it to travel in deflated conditions. This unexpectedly good load distribution ability is due to the fact that the structure of the insert for deflated running as in any of the attached figures shows that the combined weight of the wheel 10 and the spacer support member Allows for lighter weight than found in comparative constructions that are tapered to the rim. The result is that the deflated driving design minimizes the total weight added to the tire and also reduces the amount of heat build-up in the tire.
This can be reduced by using such spacer support members with smaller cross-sectional areas per unit volume. "The spacer support member has a smaller cross-sectional area per unit volume than the ring 10" means that the spacer support member is determined as follows:
It means lighter than a wheel. That is, if we take a cross section through the design of the entire insert (wheel 10 plus the spacer support between the wheel and the tire rim) having a constant thickness in the circumferential direction, then The weight per unit area of the "total support space" (are asubtended from) is less than the weight per unit area of the ring.

A somewhat similar mounting arrangement involving a one-piece automobile tire rim is shown in Figures 10, 11 and 1.
This is shown in Figure 2. 11 and 12, a conventional one-piece "deep-well" automobile tire rim 29 is shown integrally with the rim 29, although the ribs 30 are simply welded to the rim 29 in FIG. It has been modified to include the raised continuous ribs 30 shown. The rib 30 has a pair of bosses 31 integral therewith. Although not shown, the rib 30
has four pairs of such bosses equally spaced around the circumference of the rib 30. A shoe 32, generally T-shaped, having a platform 33 and a foot 34 is adapted to receive the hoop 10. Reinforcement member 14
The bead is placed on the platform 33. Upright side 3 of platform 33
5 forms a groove containing the reinforcing member 14. Side part 3
The elongated portion 36 of 5 provides additional support to the porous ring 10 and also prevents the side surface 35 from cutting into the porous ring when the tire is running deflated. The foot part 34 at the bottom of the shoe 32 is formed by the rib 3
It's on top of 0. The lower foot portion 34 is the first
In Figure 2 it has an elongated or oval opening 37 through which a threaded bolt 38 slides. A metal arm 39 knurled to receive the boss 31 works in conjunction with a similar metal arm member 40 to secure the T-shaped shoe 32 in place. The member 40 has a threaded opening within which a bolt 38 can be threaded to retain the foot 34 of the shoe 32.

As is clear from Figure 12, T-shaped shoes 32
is spaced from three other similar shoes (not shown), all of which are connected to metal members 39 and 4.
It has a threaded bolt 38 connected thereto in the same manner as shown in FIGS. 0 and 11.

The metal "T" shaped member (in cross-section) is shown at ring 10 in FIGS. 11, 12 and 14.
The rings 10 are shown to support spaced apart
can be spaced apart and supported by members having other cross-sectional shapes having a cross-sectional shape smaller than the cross-sectional weight per unit volume of the wheel 10 in order to reduce the overall weight added to the tire. (or can be "cantilevered"). For example, a member having a cross-sectional shape such as "", "X", or "O" may be used to support the wheel 10 on the rim of the tire. Furthermore, such members can be made of materials other than metal, such as, for example, polymeric materials, or even foamed polymeric materials to reduce weight.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hoop made according to the winding pattern shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, which is a component of a tire assembly of the invention capable of running deflated; FIG. It is a diagram. FIG. 2 is a partial perspective cross-sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. FIG. 3 shows the first component of the tire assembly of the present invention.
It is a perspective view of a different ring from the figure. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. Figures 5 to 8
The figure is a cross-sectional view showing the design of the component hoop of the tire assembly of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an integral wheel and spacer support member, which are components of the tire assembly of the present invention. Figure 10 shows
10 is a cross-sectional view of the wheel and spacer support member shown in FIG. 9 mounted on a support rim for a conventional "one-piece" tire and mounted inside a conventional pneumatic tire; FIG. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the hoop shown in FIG. 2 on a metal spacer member. 12th
The figure is a cross-sectional view taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 11. FIG. 13 is a sectional view of a winding drum on which the hoops of FIGS. 1-9, and in particular the hoops of FIG. 2, can be made. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a "separate rim" for mounting the ring of FIG. 2; 1st
FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the schematic diagram of the winding pattern shown in FIG. 16 that may be implemented to create the loops of FIGS. 1-11; Figure 16 shows the first
11 is a detailed schematic diagram of one pattern of windings that can be implemented to make the loop shown in FIG. 11; FIG. 10... Ring, 11... Fiber material, 12, 16...
...Binder of elastic material, 13...Empty, 14...
... Reinforcement member, 15 ... Fiber material, 17 ... Non-stretchable winding wire, 18 ... Drum, 19 ... Shaft, 20,
28...flange, 27...bead, 29...rim, 30...rib, 41...rubber tube, 4
2,43...Rubber layer, 45...Liquid polymerizable polymer.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A vehicle tire assembly capable of running in a deflated state, comprising: (a) a pneumatic vehicle tire; (b) a support rim for the tire; (c) an interior of the tire. a flexible, compressible hoop located at the hoop, where the hoop consists of a plurality of continuously wound circumferential layers of fibrous material coated with an elastic material; and (d) a tube located between the rim and the wheel and when the tire is running deflated. a spacer support member operative to separate and support the wheel from the rim; the tube being expanded in volume by being filled with a fluid after insertion into the tire;
A tire assembly comprising: the fluid material being placed in a tube and then being cured into a solid material. 2. The wheel has additional means cooperating with the wheel to reduce the circumferential extension of the wheel when the tire is in rotational operation.
Assemblies described in section. 3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein said additional means does not extend circumferentially beyond said ring. 4. An assembly according to claim 2, wherein said additional means comprises a reinforcing member circumferentially extending less than said hoop and extending around the inner or outer circumference of said hoop. 5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein said reinforcing member is coupled to said hoop. 6. The assembly of claim 4, wherein said reinforcing member extends around the inner circumference of said ring. 7. The assembly of claim 4, wherein said reinforcing member extends around the outer circumference of said hoop. 8. The assembly of claim 4, wherein said reinforcing member comprises at least one circumferential annular member made of fibrous material. 9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the fibrous material constituting the annular member is coated with an elastic material. 10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein said reinforcing member comprises a plurality of said annular members joined together as a single piece in the form of a continuous bead. 11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein two annular members are used, each annular member being spaced apart from the other annular member, and each annular member being located at the outer edge of the hoop. 12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein at least an inner circumferential surface of said ring has a contour suitable for engaging said spacer support member. 13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the inner circumferential surface of the ring includes at least one ridge in the form of a continuous circumferential bead. 14. The assembly of claim 4, wherein said reinforcing member extends around the inner peripheral surface of said ring and comprises a flexible, unstretched material suitable for engaging said spacer support member. . 15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein said reinforcing member includes a fibrous material for reinforcing it. 16 The fiber material included in the reinforcing member is
16. An assembly according to claim 15, comprising a number of close circumferential windings of fibrous material coated with an elastic material. 17 The elastic material covering the fibrous material constituting the ring is an elastic binder, and the winding direction of the fibrous material is at a constant angle with respect to the tangential direction of the periphery of the ring. The assembly according to item 1. 18. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the elastomeric binder is a curable material and is cured. 19 The elastic material covering the fibrous material constituting the ring is an elastic binder, the winding direction of the fibrous material is at a constant angle with respect to the tangential direction of the periphery of the ring, and the fibrous material is 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said voids are formed in a predetermined pattern, and each of said plurality of layers has substantially the same void pattern. 20. The assembly of claim 19, wherein said pattern comprises a plurality of circumferential diamond-shaped voids of substantially equal size. 21. Claim 17, wherein the fiber material constituting the ring is glass yarn or nylon.
Assemblies described in section. 22 the covered and wound constituting the ring;
18. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the fibrous materials bonded to each other contact only at points of contact of the fibrous materials. 23. Claim 17, wherein the angle of the winding of the fibrous material constituting the ring with respect to a tangential direction around the ring is an angle between substantially parallel and 60° with respect to the tangential direction. assembly. 24. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the elastomeric binder is at least 75% by weight of the fibrous material forming the hoop. 25. A set according to claim 17, wherein the fixed angle of the winding of the fibrous material constituting the ring with respect to the tangential direction of the circumference of the ring is an angle between 30° and 60° with respect to the tangential direction. Three-dimensional. 26. Claim 4, wherein the reinforcing member comprises at least one circumferential wrap of fibrous material coated with an elastic material and is arranged around and bonded to the inner circumference of the hoop. Assembly as described. 27. The assembly of claim 26, wherein said reinforcement member comprises a plurality of said rolls and provides an inner periphery of said rolls with a surface profile suitable for conforming to said spacer support member. 28. The assembly of claim 27, wherein the surface feature is in the form of one or more flexible ridges. 29. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the rim is a split rim consisting of a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion that are separable from each other. 30. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the rim is a unitary rim having a recess therein. 31. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said rim has a recess therein in which said tube is positioned. 32. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the fluid is a liquid or semi-liquid curable polymer. 33. The assembly of claim 32, wherein said polymer comprises a polyurethane or epoxy material. 34. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said tube is flexible and of resilient material. 35. The assembly of claim 34, wherein the elastic material forming the tube is rubber.