279results about "Wheels with spade lugs" patented technology

A powered wheel assembly, and method and ground-engaging vehicle (e.g., a robotic vehicle) using the same, are provided. The vehicle incorporates at least one of the wheel assemblies on its chassis body. In addition to its ability to propel the vehicle across a surface, the wheel assembly is reconfigurable between a retracted configuration, wherein the wheel assembly has a first rolling diameter, and an expanded configuration, wherein the wheel assembly has a second rolling diameter greater than the first rolling diameter. A drive motor assembly may both rotate the wheel assembly, e.g., propel the vehicle across a surface, and selectively actuate the wheel assembly from the first rolling diameter to the second rolling diameter, or to any intermediate rolling diameter.

A non-pneumatic tire for supporting a load by working in tension comprising a generally annular inner ring, a generally annular outer ring, and an interconnected web having a plurality of web elements and comprising a plurality of generally polygonal openings. Web elements are sized, curved, oriented, and comprised of varying thicknesses of material which facilitates buckling when subjected to a compressive load. By buckling, those elements in a deformed portion of the tire between a wheel and a footprint region where the tire contacts a surface can assume a significantly reduced portion of the load, if any. This causes web elements in other portions of the interconnected web to operate in tension to support the load.

A non-pneumatic tire for supporting a load by working in tension comprising a generally annular inner surface, a generally annular outer ring, and an interconnected web having a plurality of web elements and comprising a plurality of generally polygonal openings. Web elements are sized, oriented and comprised of a material that facilitates buckling when subjected to a compressive load. By buckling, those elements in a deformed portion of the tire between a hub and a footprint region where the tire contacts a surface may assume a significantly reduced portion of the load, if any. This causes web elements in other portions of the interconnected web to operate in tension to support the load. Since the tire is non-pneumatic, it may be easier to maintain and may have a longer life than standard pneumatic tires since it eliminates the possibility of blowouts, flat tires, or tires operating with low air pressure. By virtue of the portion of the tire in the footprint region not bearing a significant portion of the load, non-pneumatic tire may also exhibit a more comfortable ride subject to less noise and vibration and improved handling capabilities.

A non-pneumatic tire for supporting a load by working in tension comprising a generally annular inner ring, a generally annular outer ring, and an interconnected web having a plurality of web elements and comprising a plurality of generally polygonal openings. Web elements are sized, oriented and comprised of a material that facilitates buckling when subjected to a compressive load. By buckling, those elements in a deformed portion of the tire between a wheel and a footprint region where the tire contacts a surface can assume a significantly reduced portion of the load, if any. This causes web elements in other portions of the interconnected web to operate in tension to support the load.

A structurally supported tire includes an outer annular band, and a plurality of web spokes extending transversely across and radially inward from the annular band and anchored in a wheel or hub. The annular band may further comprise a shear layer, at least a first membrane adhered to the radially inward extent of the shear layer, and at least a second membrane adhered to the radially outward extent of the shear layer. A preferred web spoke has a cutaway section transverse to the annular band. The cutaway section has a profile formed by straight line segments joined by a blending radius. The profile of the cutaway comprises a height and a maximum depth greater than five percent of the height and less than thirty percent of the maximum width. The profile has an angle alpha formed by a line tangent to the profile relative to the horizontal at least equal to ten degrees at the radially outermost and radially innermost extent of said profile. The minimum radius of curvature of the profile is at least equal to twenty percent of the height of the cutaway section.

A structurally supported tire includes a ground contacting tread portion, a reinforced annular band disposed radially inward of the tread portion, and a plurality of web spokes extending transversely across and radially inward from the reinforced annular band and anchored in a wheel or hub. The reinforced annular band comprises an elastomeric shear layer, at least a first membrane adhered to the radially inward extent of the elastomeric shear layer and at least a second membrane adhered to the radially outward extent of the elastomeric shear layer. Each of the membranes has a longitudinal tensile modulus sufficiently greater than the shear modulus of the shear layer, and a longitudinal compression modulus of a second membrane is at least equal to the longitudinal tensile modulus of a first membrane so that when under load the ground contacting portion of the tire deforms to a flat contact region through shear strain in the shear layer while maintaining constant the length of the membranes. The web spokes transmit load forces between the annular band and the hub through tension in the web spokes not connected to the ground contacting portion of the tire.

This invention pertains to a tire which supports load by means of compressing the tire's elastomeric structure and requires no internal inflation pressure. The preferred embodiments utilize circumferential ribs or radially oriented ribs of elastomer to support the load.

The invention provides a non-pneumatic tire which can improve a riding quality, a noise performance and the like while improving a durability, and can further sufficiently suppress a buckling of a ground portion between spokes, because a circumferential fluctuation of a tire rigidity is hard to be generated due to a positional relationship between a spoke position and a center position of the ground surface, and a strain can be dispersed into each of portions of a support structure body. In a non-pneumatic tire T comprising a support structure body SS supporting a load from a vehicle, the support structure body SS includes an inner annular portion 1, an intermediate annular portion 2 concentrically provided in an outer side of the inner annular portion 1, an outer annular portion 3 concentrically provided in an outer side of the intermediate annular portion 2, a plurality of inner coupling portions 4 coupling the inner annular portion 1 and the intermediate annular portion 2, and a plurality of outer coupling portions 5 coupling the outer annular portion 3 and the intermediate annular portion 2, and the number of the outer coupling portions 5 is larger than the number of the inner coupling portions 4.

A tire rim for a non-pneumatic tire. The tire rim has an outer hoop that slideably engages a mounting ring disposed on the non-pneumatic tire. The mounting ring is slideably engaged in a lateral direction on the outer hoop. The rim and mounting ring can be secured using one or more mounting plates. The rim allows for the non-pneumatic tire to be easily mounted and removed.

A non-pneumatic resilient tire which derives its capacity to bear a load from laminated elements capable of supporting bending moments. The laminated elements include a stack of resilient sheets superposed and separated by a layer of rubber adhering to the latter, forming a beam capable of undergoing bending stress.

A non-pneumatic tire comprising side cavities that are staggered with respect to laterally opposing side cavities, and laterally extending tread grooves that are in substantial radial alignment with the cavities. In another embodiment, the invention is to a tire comprising side ribs that are staggered with respect to laterally opposing side ribs, and laterally extending tread grooves that are substantially offset relative to the side ribs. Also provided are processes for making such tires and to off-the-road (OTR) vehicles employing such tires.