US20070051446A1 - Tire/wheel assembly and run-flat support member - Google Patents
Tire/wheel assembly and run-flat support member Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20070051446A1 US20070051446A1 US11/591,557 US59155706A US2007051446A1 US 20070051446 A1 US20070051446 A1 US 20070051446A1 US 59155706 A US59155706 A US 59155706A US 2007051446 A1 US2007051446 A1 US 2007051446A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- run
- support member
- flat support
- member according
- annular shell
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- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
- B60C17/00—Tyres characterised by means enabling restricted operation in damaged or deflated condition; Accessories therefor
- B60C17/04—Tyres characterised by means enabling restricted operation in damaged or deflated condition; Accessories therefor utilising additional non-inflatable supports which become load-supporting in emergency
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
- B60C17/00—Tyres characterised by means enabling restricted operation in damaged or deflated condition; Accessories therefor
- B60C17/04—Tyres characterised by means enabling restricted operation in damaged or deflated condition; Accessories therefor utilising additional non-inflatable supports which become load-supporting in emergency
- B60C17/06—Tyres characterised by means enabling restricted operation in damaged or deflated condition; Accessories therefor utilising additional non-inflatable supports which become load-supporting in emergency resilient
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
- B60C17/00—Tyres characterised by means enabling restricted operation in damaged or deflated condition; Accessories therefor
- B60C17/04—Tyres characterised by means enabling restricted operation in damaged or deflated condition; Accessories therefor utilising additional non-inflatable supports which become load-supporting in emergency
- B60C17/043—Tyres characterised by means enabling restricted operation in damaged or deflated condition; Accessories therefor utilising additional non-inflatable supports which become load-supporting in emergency made-up of an annular metallic shell
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T152/00—Resilient tires and wheels
- Y10T152/10—Tires, resilient
- Y10T152/10036—Cushion and pneumatic combined
- Y10T152/10045—Metallic spring cushion
Definitions
- the present invention relates to tire/wheel assemblies and run-flat support members, and more particularly, to a tire/wheel assembly and a run-flat support member used therefor, in which the run-flat support member can be repaired, and manufacturing efficiency thereof can be improved.
- the above run-flat support member comprises an annular shell having a support surface located radially outward and two leg portions formed radially inward, and elastic rings attached thereto, and is supported on the rim via the elastic rings.
- the run-flat support member allows existing wheels and rims to be used without any specific modification, and can therefore be advantageously adopted without causing confusions in the market.
- the annular shell of the above-mentioned run-flat member is attached to the elastic rings thereof by bonding to the elastic rings the leg portions of the annular shell which are embedded therein when the elastic rings are formed by heating, and the annular shell and the elastic rings are unitarily structured so that they are not detachable. Therefore, in the case where either the annular shell or the elastic ring is damaged into an unusable state by run-flat traveling at 0 pressure after the tire is punctured, a problem arises such that a new run-flat support member must be purchased even if the other is still usable.
- wheels to mount a tire having the same size have different rim shapes, and the same sized tires have different shapes of the inner faces of the tire beads with which the elastic rings come into contact, whereby respective run-flat support members having an annular shell and elastic rings corresponding thereto need to be manufactured.
- Various types of run-flat support members therefore, have to be manufactured, and there is a problem of very low manufacturing efficiency.
- An object of the present invention is to provide a tire/wheel assembly and a run-flat support member, in which the run-flat support member can be repaired by replacement of a damaged annular shell or elastic ring, and the manufacturing efficiency of the run-flat support member can be improved.
- a tire/wheel assembly according to the present invention comprises:
- run-flat support member disposed in the cavity of the pneumatic tire, the run-flat support member having an annular shell and elastic rings, the annular shell comprising a support surface located radially outward and two leg portions formed radially inward, the elastic rings supporting the leg portions on the rim,
- leg portions of the annular shell are detachably attached to the elastic rings.
- a run-flat support member according to the present invention comprises:
- annular shell having a support surface located radially outward and two leg portions formed radially inward;
- leg portions of the annular shell are detachably attached to the elastic rings.
- the leg portions of the annular shell is detachably attached to the elastic rings, and therefore, in the case where either the annular shell or the elastic ring is damaged into an unusable state, it can be removed to replace it. Accordingly, the run-flat support member can be repaired.
- Respective annular shells and elastic rings matching such conditions as rim shapes are manufactured, and when used (sold), a run-flat support member can be fabricated by assembling the annular shell and elastic rings. Therefore, it is not necessary to conventionally manufacture various types of run-flat support members having a unitary structure of an annular shell and elastic rings, thus allowing manufacturing efficiency to be improved.
- FIG. 1 is a meridian cross-sectional view showing a main part of a tire/wheel assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an example of an attachment construction of the leg portion of the annular shell to the elastic ring.
- FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an alternative example of an attachment construction of the leg portion of the annular shell to the elastic ring.
- FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing another alternative example of an attachment construction of the leg portion of the annular shell to the elastic ring.
- FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing still another alternative example of an attachment construction of the leg portion of the annular shell to the elastic ring.
- FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing still another alternative example of an attachment construction of the leg portion of the annular shell to the elastic ring.
- FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an example of an attachment construction of the leg portion of the annular shell to an elastic ring having a shape fitting to the rim having a different shape.
- FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an example of the run-flat support member that enables a position of the elastic ring to be fine adjusted.
- a run-flat support member is formed as an annular member to be inserted into the cavity of a pneumatic tire.
- This run-flat member is formed to have an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the cavity of a pneumatic tire so as to maintain a constant distance from the inner surface of the cavity, and is formed to have an inner diameter which is approximately equal in size to the inner diameter of the beads of a pneumatic tire.
- the run-flat support member is inserted into a pneumatic tire, and assembled to the rim of a wheel together with the pneumatic tire to thereby form a tire/wheel assembly.
- the tire/wheel assembly is attached to a vehicle, and when the pneumatic tire is punctured during traveling, the punctured tire is supported by the radially outer surface of the run-flat support member to thereby allow run-flat traveling.
- the above-mentioned run-flat support member includes an annular sell and elastic rings as main parts.
- the annular shell is formed to have a continuous support surface for supporting a punctured tire on the radially outer side thereof, and is shaped to have two leg portions which consist of left and right sidewalls in a straddled state on the radially inner side thereof.
- the radially outer side support surface is formed such that the cross-sectional shape taken along a plane orthogonal to the circumferential direction thereof has radially outwardly convexed and curved surface sections.
- the number of the convexly curved surface sections which are aligned in an axial direction of the tire may be one, but preferably, two or more.
- Formation of the support surface in such a way as to align two or more convexly curved surface sections provides the support surf ace with two or more dispersed contact points with respect to the inner surface of the tire to thereby reduce localized wear on the tire inner surface, and therefore, a run-flat traveling distance can be extended.
- the elastic rings are attached to the ends of the two leg portions formed in the radially inner side of the annular shell, respectively, and come into engagement with left and right rim seats to thereby support the annular shell.
- the elastic rings are formed of rubber or elastic resin, and not only mitigate the vibration and impact of the annular shell receiving from a punctured tire, but also prevent slipping with respect to the rim seats to thereby stably support the annular shell.
- the annular shell is formed of a rigid material due to the fact that the run-flat support member has to support a vehicle weight through a punctured tire.
- the constituent materials thereof include metal, resin and the like.
- the metal materials may include, for example, steel and aluminum.
- the resins may be thermoplastic resins or thermosetting resins.
- the thermoplastic resins may include nylon, polyester and the like, and the thermosetting resins may include epoxy resins, unsaturated polyester resins, etc.
- the resins may be used alone or mixed with reinforcing fibers as fiber-reinforced resins.
- the elastic rings may be formed of any kind of rubber or elastic rein if the annular shell can stably be supported, and the rubber materials may include, for example, natural rubber, isoprene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, butadiene rubber, butyl rubber.
- run-flat support member used for the tire/wheel assembly of the present invention is premised on the structure described above.
- FIG. 1 is a meridian cross-sectional view illustrating a main part of a tire/wheel assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which reference numeral 1 denotes a rim in the outer periphery of a wheel, reference numeral 2 denotes a pneumatic tire, and reference numeral 3 denotes a run-flat support member.
- the rim 1 , pneumatic tire 2 , and run-flat support member 3 are in coaxial alignment with each other around the axis (not shown) of rotation of the wheel to be in the form of an annulus, which has an arrangement such that the run-flat support member 3 is placed in the cavity 2 A of the pneumatic tire 2 mounted on the rim 1 .
- the run-flat support member 3 comprises an annular shell 4 formed of a rigid material such as metal or rein, and left and right elastic rings 5 formed of an elastic material such as rubber or elastic resin.
- the annular shell 4 has a support surface 6 formed on the radially outer side thereof, which consists of two convexly curved surface sections 6 a with a radius of curvature aligned in the shell width direction, and the support surface 6 is spaced apart from the inner surface 2 a of the pneumatic tire 2 when the pneumatic tire 2 is under a normal condition, and when punctured, the support surface 6 supports the punctured tire.
- the annular shell 4 also has two side walls formed as leg portions 7 on the radially inner side thereof, and the elastic rings 5 are detachably attached to the radially inner sides of the leg portions 7 .
- the leg portion 7 formed in an L-shaped cross section is releasably fixed at an attachment section 7 a thereof by bolts 8 to the radially outer surface 5 a of the elastic ring 5 which is in the shape of a parallelogram in cross section.
- the attachment section 7 a is formed in a ring shape having a width extending in a direction of the rotation axis of the wheel, and has insert-through holes m for inserting the bolts 8 therethrough in a predetermined interval along its circumferential direction.
- the attachment section 7 a is directly fixed to the radially outer surface 5 a of the elastic ring 5 which is parallel to the wheel rotation axis by the bolts 8 each having a bolt axis b which extends in a radius direction of the wheel perpendicular to the wheel rotation axis.
- Each bolt 8 may be directly screwed into without any fabrication in the radially outer surface 5 a of the elastic ring 5 , or may be screwed into a preformed hole for indicating a fixed position of the bolt, the diameter of which is smaller than that of the bolt.
- the bolts 8 may be threaded into threaded screw holes which are formed in the radially outer surface 5 a of the elastic ring 5 in such a manner that the bolts can be threadedly engaged.
- a ring-shaped fixing component 9 formed of metal or synthetic rein, for threading the bolts 8 is disposed on the radially outer surface 5 a of the elastic ring 5 which is in the shape of a parallelogram in cross section.
- the fixing component 9 is integrally attached to the elastic ring 5 by integral bonding of the fixing component to the elastic ring during formation of the elastic ring.
- the attachment section 7 a of the leg portion 7 is releasably fixed to the elastic ring 5 by the bolts 8 which are threaded into the threaded screw holes n through insert-through holes m formed in the attachment section 7 a of the leg portion 7 .
- Provision of the fixing component 9 on the elastic ring 5 described above allows the annular shell 4 to be more firmly fixed to the elastic rings 5 than in the case of FIG. 2 .
- the fixing component 9 may be composed of a plurality of plate pieces which are integrally bonded to the radially outer surface 5 a at respective locations corresponding to the fixing positions.
- the elastic ring 5 which is in the shape of a parallelogram in cross section has an insert slot s, circularly extending along a circumferential direction of the ring, in an inner surface 5 b thereof for inserting the attachment section 7 a of the leg portion 7 extending in a direction of the wheel rotation axis.
- the leg portion 7 is fixed to the elastic ring 5 by the bolts 8 , which are threaded into the elastic ring 5 from the radially outer surface 5 a of the elastic ring 5 and inserted through the insert-through holes m of the attachment section 7 a put into the insert slot s.
- the insert slot s is wider in width, and the fixing component 9 is attached into the insert slot s by integral bonding during formation of the elastic ring.
- the fixing component 9 includes a radially outer ring portion 9 a , a radially inner portion 9 b , and a ring-shaped slot 9 c formed between the radially outer ring portion 9 a and the radially inner portion 9 b , and the radially outer ring portion 9 a has threaded screw holes n for threading the bolts 8 which are formed therethrough in a predetermined interval along the ring circumferential direction.
- the radially inner portion 9 b has insert-through holes x formed at locations corresponding to the above threaded screw holes n in a predetermined interval along the ring circumferential direction.
- the attachment section 7 a of the leg portion 7 is put into the ring-shaped slot 9 c , and the leg portion 7 is fixed to the elastic ring 5 by the bolts 8 , which are threaded into the elastic ring 5 from the radially outer surface 5 a of the elastic ring 5 to thread the bolts 8 into the threaded screw holes n, and are inserted through the insert-through holes m of the attachment section 7 a and the insert-through holes x of the radially inner ring portion 9 b.
- the attachment section 7 a of the leg portion 7 is not bent in an L shape in cross section, but has a shape which extends along the inner surface 5 b of the elastic ring 5 , and the attachment section 7 a is releasably fixed to the inner surface 5 b of the elastic ring 5 by the bolts 8 .
- FIG. 7 an example is shown of the case where the leg portion 7 of the annular shell 4 is coupled to the elastic ring 5 having a shape fitting to the rim or the like having a different shape, and as in FIG. 2 , the attachment section 7 a of the leg portion 7 is directly releasably fixed to the radially outer surface 5 a of the elastic ring 5 by the bolts 8 .
- the elastic ring has a shape corresponding to the hump shape of a fitting rim and to the inner shape of the bead of a fitting tire.
- the run-flat support member 3 constructed as described above is inserted into the pneumatic tire 2 when assembled to the rim, and the elastic rings 5 are then fitted onto the rim seats is of the rim 1 together with the beads 2 b of the pneumatic tire 2 simultaneously.
- the leg portions 7 of the annular shell 4 is detachably attached to the elastic rings 5 , and therefore, in the case where either the annular shell 4 or the elastic ring 5 is damaged into an unusable state, it can be removed to replace it.
- the run-flat support member 3 can be repaired.
- Respective annular shells 4 and elastic rings 5 matching such conditions as rim shapes are prepared, and when used (sold), a run-flat support member can be fabricated by assembling the annular shell and elastic rings. Therefore, it is not necessary to conventionally manufacture various types of run-flat support members having a unitary structure of an annular shell and elastic rings, thus allowing manufacturing efficiency to be improved.
- FIG. 8 shows an example of the run-flat support member 3 that allows a position of the elastic ring 5 to be fine adjusted.
- Prepared are a plurality of (two in the drawing) elastic rings 5 A and 5 B having threaded screw holes n for threading the bolts 8 in the radially outer surface 5 a , the threaded screw holes n of the respective elastic rings being displaced in a direction of the wheel rotation axis, and the leg portion 7 of the annular shell is fixed to one properly selected from the plurality of the elastic rings 5 A and 5 B by the bolts 8 as in FIG. 2 .
- This allows a fine adjustment of a distance between the left and right elastic rings 5 in correspondence with a tire/wheel assembly to which the elastic rings are to be fitted, using the same annular shell 4 .
- the foregoing bolts 8 may be formed of metal or synthetic resin.
- the metal materials may include, for example, steel and aluminum.
- the synthetic resins may be thermoplastic resins or thermosetting resins.
- the thermoplastic resins may include, for example, nylon and polyester, and the thermosetting resins may include, for example, epoxy resins and unsaturated polyester resins.
- the bolts 8 are preferably formed of synthetic resin in terms of weight saving since a great shearing force (a force acting in a direction orthogonal to the bolt axis b) is not applied to the bolts 8 by the fixed attachment section 7 a .
- the bolts 8 are preferably formed of metal in the case of the example shown in FIG. 6 .
- the metals and synthetic resins used for the fixing component 9 may be the same as those of the bolts 8 .
- the metal materials may include steel, aluminum and the like, the thermoplastic resins may include nylon, polyester, etc., and the thermosetting resins may include epoxy resins, unsaturated polyester resins and so on.
- the attachment section 7 a of the leg portion 7 extends from the leg body section 7 A thereof towards the outer side of the width direction of the run-flat support member 3 in the above embodiments (except FIG. 6 ), but may be arranged so as to extend inwardly from the outer side of the width direction.
- the attachment sections 7 a of the left and right portions 7 may be symmetrical or asymmetrical in shape with respect to the center line of the annular shell.
- the leg portion 7 on the outer side of a vehicle when attached thereto is bent axially inwardly (inwardly in a width direction of the run-flat support member 3 ) to form the attachment section 7 a
- the leg portion 7 on the inner side of a vehicle when attached thereto is axially outwardly bent to form the attachment portion 7 a , as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 , 7 and 8 .
- the annular shell is attached to be offset towards the outer side of a vehicle to which a greater load is applied, thus improving durability.
- the leg portions 7 may also be formed, for example, to have different tilt angles.
- the foregoing embodiments exemplify the cases where the support surface 6 of the annular shell 4 has two convexly curved surface sections 6 a and 6 a .
- the number of the convexly curved surface sections is not limited to two, but may be one, or three or more.
- the attachment of the annular shell 4 to the elastic rings 5 is preferably performed by the bolts 8 , as described above, since the annular shell 4 can strongly be fixed to the elastic rings 5 .
- other fixing members may be employed to fix it.
- the annular shell is detachably attached at the leg portions thereof to the elastic rings, and therefore, the annular shell or the elastic ring can be replaced when broken to thereby repair the run-flat support member, as well as the manufacturing efficiency of the run-flat support members can be improved.
- the present invention having the aforementioned excellent effects is very effectively applicable to a tire/wheel assembly which is to be attached to a vehicle and allows run-flat traveling, and to a run-flat support member used therefor.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
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Abstract
A tire/wheel assembly comprising a wheel having a rim, a pneumatic tire fitted to the rim and a run-flat support member. The pneumatic tire includes a cavity, and the run-flat support member is disposed in the cavity of the pneumatic tire. The run-flat support member includes an annular shell and elastic rings. The annular shell has a support surface located radially outward and two leg portions formed radially inward. The elastic rings support the leg portions on the rim. The leg portions of the annular shell are detachably attached to the elastic rings.
Description
- This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 10/515,326, filed Nov. 23, 2004, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
- The present application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-252976, filed Aug. 30, 2002, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
- The present invention relates to tire/wheel assemblies and run-flat support members, and more particularly, to a tire/wheel assembly and a run-flat support member used therefor, in which the run-flat support member can be repaired, and manufacturing efficiency thereof can be improved.
- In response to demands in the market, there have been proposed many technologies which allow a vehicle to urgently travel when a pneumatic tire thereof is punctured during traveling. These many proposals include such a technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-297226 and Published Japanese Translation of a PCT Application No. 2001-519279 that a support member is fitted onto a rim in the cavity of a pneumatic tire which is assembled to the rim, and supports the tire when punctured to thereby enable run-flat traveling.
- The above run-flat support member comprises an annular shell having a support surface located radially outward and two leg portions formed radially inward, and elastic rings attached thereto, and is supported on the rim via the elastic rings. The run-flat support member allows existing wheels and rims to be used without any specific modification, and can therefore be advantageously adopted without causing confusions in the market.
- In general, the annular shell of the above-mentioned run-flat member is attached to the elastic rings thereof by bonding to the elastic rings the leg portions of the annular shell which are embedded therein when the elastic rings are formed by heating, and the annular shell and the elastic rings are unitarily structured so that they are not detachable. Therefore, in the case where either the annular shell or the elastic ring is damaged into an unusable state by run-flat traveling at 0 pressure after the tire is punctured, a problem arises such that a new run-flat support member must be purchased even if the other is still usable.
- Also, wheels to mount a tire having the same size have different rim shapes, and the same sized tires have different shapes of the inner faces of the tire beads with which the elastic rings come into contact, whereby respective run-flat support members having an annular shell and elastic rings corresponding thereto need to be manufactured. Various types of run-flat support members, therefore, have to be manufactured, and there is a problem of very low manufacturing efficiency.
- An object of the present invention is to provide a tire/wheel assembly and a run-flat support member, in which the run-flat support member can be repaired by replacement of a damaged annular shell or elastic ring, and the manufacturing efficiency of the run-flat support member can be improved.
- In order to achieve the above object, a tire/wheel assembly according to the present invention comprises:
- a wheel having a rim;
- a pneumatic tire fitted to the rim of the wheel, the pneumatic tire having a cavity; and
- a run-flat support member disposed in the cavity of the pneumatic tire, the run-flat support member having an annular shell and elastic rings, the annular shell comprising a support surface located radially outward and two leg portions formed radially inward, the elastic rings supporting the leg portions on the rim,
- wherein the leg portions of the annular shell are detachably attached to the elastic rings.
- A run-flat support member according to the present invention comprises:
- an annular shell having a support surface located radially outward and two leg portions formed radially inward; and
- elastic rings supporting the leg portions on a rim,
- wherein the leg portions of the annular shell are detachably attached to the elastic rings.
- As mentioned above, the leg portions of the annular shell is detachably attached to the elastic rings, and therefore, in the case where either the annular shell or the elastic ring is damaged into an unusable state, it can be removed to replace it. Accordingly, the run-flat support member can be repaired.
- Respective annular shells and elastic rings matching such conditions as rim shapes are manufactured, and when used (sold), a run-flat support member can be fabricated by assembling the annular shell and elastic rings. Therefore, it is not necessary to conventionally manufacture various types of run-flat support members having a unitary structure of an annular shell and elastic rings, thus allowing manufacturing efficiency to be improved.
-
FIG. 1 is a meridian cross-sectional view showing a main part of a tire/wheel assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an example of an attachment construction of the leg portion of the annular shell to the elastic ring. -
FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an alternative example of an attachment construction of the leg portion of the annular shell to the elastic ring. -
FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing another alternative example of an attachment construction of the leg portion of the annular shell to the elastic ring. -
FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing still another alternative example of an attachment construction of the leg portion of the annular shell to the elastic ring. -
FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing still another alternative example of an attachment construction of the leg portion of the annular shell to the elastic ring. -
FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an example of an attachment construction of the leg portion of the annular shell to an elastic ring having a shape fitting to the rim having a different shape. -
FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an example of the run-flat support member that enables a position of the elastic ring to be fine adjusted. - According to the present invention, a run-flat support member is formed as an annular member to be inserted into the cavity of a pneumatic tire. This run-flat member is formed to have an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the cavity of a pneumatic tire so as to maintain a constant distance from the inner surface of the cavity, and is formed to have an inner diameter which is approximately equal in size to the inner diameter of the beads of a pneumatic tire. The run-flat support member is inserted into a pneumatic tire, and assembled to the rim of a wheel together with the pneumatic tire to thereby form a tire/wheel assembly. The tire/wheel assembly is attached to a vehicle, and when the pneumatic tire is punctured during traveling, the punctured tire is supported by the radially outer surface of the run-flat support member to thereby allow run-flat traveling.
- The above-mentioned run-flat support member includes an annular sell and elastic rings as main parts.
- The annular shell is formed to have a continuous support surface for supporting a punctured tire on the radially outer side thereof, and is shaped to have two leg portions which consist of left and right sidewalls in a straddled state on the radially inner side thereof. The radially outer side support surface is formed such that the cross-sectional shape taken along a plane orthogonal to the circumferential direction thereof has radially outwardly convexed and curved surface sections. The number of the convexly curved surface sections which are aligned in an axial direction of the tire may be one, but preferably, two or more. Formation of the support surface in such a way as to align two or more convexly curved surface sections provides the support surf ace with two or more dispersed contact points with respect to the inner surface of the tire to thereby reduce localized wear on the tire inner surface, and therefore, a run-flat traveling distance can be extended.
- The elastic rings are attached to the ends of the two leg portions formed in the radially inner side of the annular shell, respectively, and come into engagement with left and right rim seats to thereby support the annular shell. The elastic rings are formed of rubber or elastic resin, and not only mitigate the vibration and impact of the annular shell receiving from a punctured tire, but also prevent slipping with respect to the rim seats to thereby stably support the annular shell.
- The annular shell is formed of a rigid material due to the fact that the run-flat support member has to support a vehicle weight through a punctured tire. The constituent materials thereof include metal, resin and the like. The metal materials may include, for example, steel and aluminum. The resins may be thermoplastic resins or thermosetting resins. The thermoplastic resins may include nylon, polyester and the like, and the thermosetting resins may include epoxy resins, unsaturated polyester resins, etc. The resins may be used alone or mixed with reinforcing fibers as fiber-reinforced resins.
- The elastic rings may be formed of any kind of rubber or elastic rein if the annular shell can stably be supported, and the rubber materials may include, for example, natural rubber, isoprene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, butadiene rubber, butyl rubber.
- The run-flat support member used for the tire/wheel assembly of the present invention is premised on the structure described above.
- The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is a meridian cross-sectional view illustrating a main part of a tire/wheel assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which reference numeral 1 denotes a rim in the outer periphery of a wheel,reference numeral 2 denotes a pneumatic tire, andreference numeral 3 denotes a run-flat support member. The rim 1,pneumatic tire 2, and run-flat support member 3 are in coaxial alignment with each other around the axis (not shown) of rotation of the wheel to be in the form of an annulus, which has an arrangement such that the run-flat support member 3 is placed in thecavity 2A of thepneumatic tire 2 mounted on the rim 1. - The run-
flat support member 3 comprises an annular shell 4 formed of a rigid material such as metal or rein, and left and rightelastic rings 5 formed of an elastic material such as rubber or elastic resin. - The annular shell 4 has a
support surface 6 formed on the radially outer side thereof, which consists of two convexlycurved surface sections 6 a with a radius of curvature aligned in the shell width direction, and thesupport surface 6 is spaced apart from theinner surface 2 a of thepneumatic tire 2 when thepneumatic tire 2 is under a normal condition, and when punctured, thesupport surface 6 supports the punctured tire. The annular shell 4 also has two side walls formed asleg portions 7 on the radially inner side thereof, and theelastic rings 5 are detachably attached to the radially inner sides of theleg portions 7. - The attachment constructions of the
leg portions 7 to theelastic rings 5 shown in, for example, FIGS. 2 to 7 may be employed. - Referring to
FIG. 2 , theleg portion 7 formed in an L-shaped cross section is releasably fixed at anattachment section 7 a thereof bybolts 8 to the radiallyouter surface 5 a of theelastic ring 5 which is in the shape of a parallelogram in cross section. Theattachment section 7 a is formed in a ring shape having a width extending in a direction of the rotation axis of the wheel, and has insert-through holes m for inserting thebolts 8 therethrough in a predetermined interval along its circumferential direction. Theattachment section 7 a is directly fixed to the radiallyouter surface 5 a of theelastic ring 5 which is parallel to the wheel rotation axis by thebolts 8 each having a bolt axis b which extends in a radius direction of the wheel perpendicular to the wheel rotation axis. - Each
bolt 8 may be directly screwed into without any fabrication in the radiallyouter surface 5 a of theelastic ring 5, or may be screwed into a preformed hole for indicating a fixed position of the bolt, the diameter of which is smaller than that of the bolt. Alternatively, thebolts 8 may be threaded into threaded screw holes which are formed in the radiallyouter surface 5 a of theelastic ring 5 in such a manner that the bolts can be threadedly engaged. - Referring to
FIG. 3 , a ring-shapedfixing component 9, formed of metal or synthetic rein, for threading thebolts 8 is disposed on the radiallyouter surface 5 a of theelastic ring 5 which is in the shape of a parallelogram in cross section. The fixingcomponent 9 is integrally attached to theelastic ring 5 by integral bonding of the fixing component to the elastic ring during formation of the elastic ring. Formed through the fixingcomponent 9 in a predetermined interval along its circumferential direction are threaded screw holes n into which thebolts 8 can be threaded. - The
attachment section 7 a of theleg portion 7 is releasably fixed to theelastic ring 5 by thebolts 8 which are threaded into the threaded screw holes n through insert-through holes m formed in theattachment section 7 a of theleg portion 7. Provision of thefixing component 9 on theelastic ring 5 described above allows the annular shell 4 to be more firmly fixed to theelastic rings 5 than in the case ofFIG. 2 . - In the alternative of the above-mentioned ring-shaped component, the fixing
component 9 may be composed of a plurality of plate pieces which are integrally bonded to the radiallyouter surface 5 a at respective locations corresponding to the fixing positions. - Referring to
FIG. 4 , theelastic ring 5 which is in the shape of a parallelogram in cross section has an insert slot s, circularly extending along a circumferential direction of the ring, in aninner surface 5 b thereof for inserting theattachment section 7 a of theleg portion 7 extending in a direction of the wheel rotation axis. Theleg portion 7 is fixed to theelastic ring 5 by thebolts 8, which are threaded into theelastic ring 5 from the radiallyouter surface 5 a of theelastic ring 5 and inserted through the insert-through holes m of theattachment section 7 a put into the insert slot s. - Referring to
FIG. 5 , in the construction ofFIG. 4 , the insert slot s is wider in width, and thefixing component 9 is attached into the insert slot s by integral bonding during formation of the elastic ring. The fixingcomponent 9 includes a radiallyouter ring portion 9 a, a radiallyinner portion 9 b, and a ring-shaped slot 9 c formed between the radiallyouter ring portion 9 a and the radiallyinner portion 9 b, and the radiallyouter ring portion 9 a has threaded screw holes n for threading thebolts 8 which are formed therethrough in a predetermined interval along the ring circumferential direction. The radiallyinner portion 9 b has insert-through holes x formed at locations corresponding to the above threaded screw holes n in a predetermined interval along the ring circumferential direction. - The
attachment section 7 a of theleg portion 7 is put into the ring-shaped slot 9 c, and theleg portion 7 is fixed to theelastic ring 5 by thebolts 8, which are threaded into theelastic ring 5 from the radiallyouter surface 5 a of theelastic ring 5 to thread thebolts 8 into the threaded screw holes n, and are inserted through the insert-through holes m of theattachment section 7 a and the insert-through holes x of the radiallyinner ring portion 9 b. - Referring to
FIG. 6 , theattachment section 7 a of theleg portion 7 is not bent in an L shape in cross section, but has a shape which extends along theinner surface 5 b of theelastic ring 5, and theattachment section 7 a is releasably fixed to theinner surface 5 b of theelastic ring 5 by thebolts 8. - Referring to
FIG. 7 , an example is shown of the case where theleg portion 7 of the annular shell 4 is coupled to theelastic ring 5 having a shape fitting to the rim or the like having a different shape, and as inFIG. 2 , theattachment section 7 a of theleg portion 7 is directly releasably fixed to the radiallyouter surface 5 a of theelastic ring 5 by thebolts 8. The elastic ring has a shape corresponding to the hump shape of a fitting rim and to the inner shape of the bead of a fitting tire. - The run-
flat support member 3 constructed as described above is inserted into thepneumatic tire 2 when assembled to the rim, and theelastic rings 5 are then fitted onto the rim seats is of the rim 1 together with thebeads 2 b of thepneumatic tire 2 simultaneously. - According to the present invention mentioned above, the
leg portions 7 of the annular shell 4 is detachably attached to theelastic rings 5, and therefore, in the case where either the annular shell 4 or theelastic ring 5 is damaged into an unusable state, it can be removed to replace it. Thus, the run-flat support member 3 can be repaired. - Respective annular shells 4 and
elastic rings 5 matching such conditions as rim shapes are prepared, and when used (sold), a run-flat support member can be fabricated by assembling the annular shell and elastic rings. Therefore, it is not necessary to conventionally manufacture various types of run-flat support members having a unitary structure of an annular shell and elastic rings, thus allowing manufacturing efficiency to be improved. -
FIG. 8 shows an example of the run-flat support member 3 that allows a position of theelastic ring 5 to be fine adjusted. Prepared are a plurality of (two in the drawing)elastic rings bolts 8 in the radiallyouter surface 5 a, the threaded screw holes n of the respective elastic rings being displaced in a direction of the wheel rotation axis, and theleg portion 7 of the annular shell is fixed to one properly selected from the plurality of theelastic rings bolts 8 as inFIG. 2 . This allows a fine adjustment of a distance between the left and rightelastic rings 5 in correspondence with a tire/wheel assembly to which the elastic rings are to be fitted, using the same annular shell 4. - In the present invention, the foregoing
bolts 8 may be formed of metal or synthetic resin. The metal materials may include, for example, steel and aluminum. The synthetic resins may be thermoplastic resins or thermosetting resins. The thermoplastic resins may include, for example, nylon and polyester, and the thermosetting resins may include, for example, epoxy resins and unsaturated polyester resins. - As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, 7 and 8, in the case where the
attachment section 7 a of theleg portion 7 extending in the wheel rotation axis direction is fixed to theelastic ring 5 by thebolts 8 which have a bolt axis b (seeFIG. 2 ) extending in a radial direction of the wheel, thebolts 8 are preferably formed of synthetic resin in terms of weight saving since a great shearing force (a force acting in a direction orthogonal to the bolt axis b) is not applied to thebolts 8 by the fixedattachment section 7 a. Thebolts 8 are preferably formed of metal in the case of the example shown inFIG. 6 . - The metals and synthetic resins used for the
fixing component 9 may be the same as those of thebolts 8. The metal materials may include steel, aluminum and the like, the thermoplastic resins may include nylon, polyester, etc., and the thermosetting resins may include epoxy resins, unsaturated polyester resins and so on. - The
attachment section 7 a of theleg portion 7 extends from theleg body section 7A thereof towards the outer side of the width direction of the run-flat support member 3 in the above embodiments (exceptFIG. 6 ), but may be arranged so as to extend inwardly from the outer side of the width direction. - The
attachment sections 7 a of the left andright portions 7 may be symmetrical or asymmetrical in shape with respect to the center line of the annular shell. In the case of shaping asymmetrically, for example, theleg portion 7 on the outer side of a vehicle when attached thereto is bent axially inwardly (inwardly in a width direction of the run-flat support member 3) to form theattachment section 7 a, while theleg portion 7 on the inner side of a vehicle when attached thereto is axially outwardly bent to form theattachment portion 7 a, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, 7 and 8. In this case, the annular shell is attached to be offset towards the outer side of a vehicle to which a greater load is applied, thus improving durability. Theleg portions 7 may also be formed, for example, to have different tilt angles. - The foregoing embodiments exemplify the cases where the
support surface 6 of the annular shell 4 has two convexlycurved surface sections - The attachment of the annular shell 4 to the
elastic rings 5 is preferably performed by thebolts 8, as described above, since the annular shell 4 can strongly be fixed to the elastic rings 5. However, other fixing members may be employed to fix it. - As illustrated above, according to the present invention, the annular shell is detachably attached at the leg portions thereof to the elastic rings, and therefore, the annular shell or the elastic ring can be replaced when broken to thereby repair the run-flat support member, as well as the manufacturing efficiency of the run-flat support members can be improved.
- The present invention having the aforementioned excellent effects is very effectively applicable to a tire/wheel assembly which is to be attached to a vehicle and allows run-flat traveling, and to a run-flat support member used therefor.
Claims (13)
1. A run-flat support member comprising:
an annular shell including a support surface attached to at least one leg portion, an attachment section of the leg portion having an insert-through hole;
at least one elastic ring having a screw hole therein; and
a bolt having a shaft, the shaft being adapted to extend through the insert-through hole and into the screw hole.
2. A run-flat support member according to claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the screw hole is smaller than the diameter of the shaft.
3. A run-flat support member according to claim 1 , wherein the screw hole is threaded.
4. A run-flat support member according to claim 1 , wherein the shaft extends in a radius direction through the insert-through hole and into the screw hole.
5. A run-flat support member according to claim 1 , wherein the shaft extends in a direction of a rotation axis through the insert-through hole and into the screw hole.
6. A run-flat support member according to claim 1 , wherein the attachment section extends in a direction of a rotation axis of the wheel, the attachment section being fixed to the elastic ring by the bolt having a bolt axis extending in a radial direction of the wheel.
7. A run-flat support member according to claim 1 , wherein a fixing component is disposed between the attachment section and the elastic ring.
8. A run-flat support member according to claim 7 , wherein the fixing component being formed of metal or synthetic resin.
9. A run-flat support member according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic ring has an insert slot, the insert slot being adapted to receive the attachment section.
10. A run-flat support member according to claim 9 , wherein a ring-shaped slot is disposed between the attachment section and the elastic ring.
11. A run-flat support member according to claim 1 , wherein the bolt is adapted to releasably fix the leg portion to the elastic ring.
12. A run-flat support member according to claim 1 , wherein the bolt is formed of synthetic resin.
13. A run-flat support member according to claim 1 , wherein a pneumatic tire is fitted onto the rim of a wheel.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/591,557 US20070051446A1 (en) | 2002-08-30 | 2006-11-02 | Tire/wheel assembly and run-flat support member |
Applications Claiming Priority (5)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JPJP2002-252976 | 2002-08-30 | ||
JP2002252976A JP4248823B2 (en) | 2002-08-30 | 2002-08-30 | Tire / wheel assembly and run-flat support |
PCT/JP2003/010441 WO2004020227A1 (en) | 2002-08-30 | 2003-08-19 | Tire/wheel assembly, and runflat support body |
US10/515,326 US7188648B2 (en) | 2002-08-30 | 2003-08-19 | Tire/wheel assembly and run-flat support member |
US11/591,557 US20070051446A1 (en) | 2002-08-30 | 2006-11-02 | Tire/wheel assembly and run-flat support member |
Related Parent Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/515,326 Division US7188648B2 (en) | 2002-08-30 | 2003-08-19 | Tire/wheel assembly and run-flat support member |
PCT/JP2003/010441 Division WO2004020227A1 (en) | 2002-08-30 | 2003-08-19 | Tire/wheel assembly, and runflat support body |
Related Child Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/032,940 Continuation US8626150B2 (en) | 2004-03-02 | 2011-02-23 | Method and arrangement for detecting a radio coverage |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20070051446A1 true US20070051446A1 (en) | 2007-03-08 |
Family
ID=31972773
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/515,326 Expired - Fee Related US7188648B2 (en) | 2002-08-30 | 2003-08-19 | Tire/wheel assembly and run-flat support member |
US11/591,557 Abandoned US20070051446A1 (en) | 2002-08-30 | 2006-11-02 | Tire/wheel assembly and run-flat support member |
Family Applications Before (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/515,326 Expired - Fee Related US7188648B2 (en) | 2002-08-30 | 2003-08-19 | Tire/wheel assembly and run-flat support member |
Country Status (6)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (2) | US7188648B2 (en) |
JP (1) | JP4248823B2 (en) |
KR (1) | KR20050033561A (en) |
CN (1) | CN100352679C (en) |
DE (1) | DE10392982T8 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2004020227A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP4248823B2 (en) * | 2002-08-30 | 2009-04-02 | 横浜ゴム株式会社 | Tire / wheel assembly and run-flat support |
JP4513746B2 (en) * | 2003-07-22 | 2010-07-28 | 横浜ゴム株式会社 | Run-flat support manufacturing equipment |
Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6463976B1 (en) * | 1997-10-15 | 2002-10-15 | Continental Aktiengesellschaft | Vehicle wheel with emergency running support body |
US6463974B1 (en) * | 1998-06-05 | 2002-10-15 | Continental Aktiengesellschaft | Vehicle wheel with an emergency running support body |
US6843289B2 (en) * | 2002-07-26 | 2005-01-18 | The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. | Tire/wheel assembly and run-flat support member |
US6901980B2 (en) * | 2002-08-23 | 2005-06-07 | The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. | Tire/wheel assembly and run-flat support member |
US7188648B2 (en) * | 2002-08-30 | 2007-03-13 | The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. | Tire/wheel assembly and run-flat support member |
Family Cites Families (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPS4922603U (en) * | 1972-05-30 | 1974-02-26 | ||
JPS5827843Y2 (en) * | 1977-07-14 | 1983-06-17 | 本田技研工業株式会社 | Wheel |
JPS6068808A (en) * | 1983-09-26 | 1985-04-19 | 松下電器産業株式会社 | Cooker |
JP3472398B2 (en) | 1995-12-13 | 2003-12-02 | 住友ゴム工業株式会社 | No flat tire |
DE19707090A1 (en) | 1997-02-24 | 1998-08-27 | Continental Ag | Pneumatic vehicle wheel |
CN1058232C (en) * | 1997-06-16 | 2000-11-08 | 张东顺 | Safety tyre device for vehicle running |
JP4259010B2 (en) | 2001-11-01 | 2009-04-30 | 東洋ゴム工業株式会社 | Rim integrated run flat tire |
DE10208613C1 (en) | 2002-02-27 | 2003-06-18 | Continental Ag | Run-flat tire has internal, annular support body terminating at its outer edges in annular casings bonded to corresponding supports |
-
2002
- 2002-08-30 JP JP2002252976A patent/JP4248823B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2003
- 2003-08-19 CN CNB038147904A patent/CN100352679C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2003-08-19 US US10/515,326 patent/US7188648B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2003-08-19 WO PCT/JP2003/010441 patent/WO2004020227A1/en active Application Filing
- 2003-08-19 DE DE2003192982 patent/DE10392982T8/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2003-08-19 KR KR1020047021218A patent/KR20050033561A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
-
2006
- 2006-11-02 US US11/591,557 patent/US20070051446A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6463976B1 (en) * | 1997-10-15 | 2002-10-15 | Continental Aktiengesellschaft | Vehicle wheel with emergency running support body |
US6463974B1 (en) * | 1998-06-05 | 2002-10-15 | Continental Aktiengesellschaft | Vehicle wheel with an emergency running support body |
US6843289B2 (en) * | 2002-07-26 | 2005-01-18 | The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. | Tire/wheel assembly and run-flat support member |
US6901980B2 (en) * | 2002-08-23 | 2005-06-07 | The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. | Tire/wheel assembly and run-flat support member |
US7188648B2 (en) * | 2002-08-30 | 2007-03-13 | The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. | Tire/wheel assembly and run-flat support member |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
DE10392982T8 (en) | 2006-01-12 |
WO2004020227A1 (en) | 2004-03-11 |
JP2004090738A (en) | 2004-03-25 |
KR20050033561A (en) | 2005-04-12 |
CN100352679C (en) | 2007-12-05 |
CN1662398A (en) | 2005-08-31 |
DE10392982T5 (en) | 2005-08-11 |
JP4248823B2 (en) | 2009-04-02 |
US20050199326A1 (en) | 2005-09-15 |
US7188648B2 (en) | 2007-03-13 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |