A disconnecting inner tube and tire

Abstract

The present invention provides a disconnectable inner tube, comprising: a long inner tube carcass, with a first joint and a second joint respectively arranged at both ends; the free ends of the first joint and the second joint respectively have a first closed surface and a second closed surface, and the free end of the first joint or the second joint also extends a sleeve along the length direction of the inner tube carcass; the first joint and the second joint are butt-jointed by the sleeve to splice the long carcass into an inner tube connected end to end. The present invention also provides a tire using the disconnectable inner tube, and the time for replacing the inner tube can be greatly shortened by using the disconnectable inner tube and the tire.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of tires, in particular to inner tubes. Background Art

[0002] A tire generally consists of an inner tube and an outer tube. The traditional inner tube is a continuous circle. When a tire is damaged and needs to be replaced or repaired, the inner tube needs to be completely removed from the outer tube and then repaired or a new inner tube needs to be inserted back into the outer tube. This process takes a long time to remove or install the inner tube, and the efficiency of replacing the inner tube is very low.

[0003] In order to overcome this problem, disconnected inner tubes have appeared on the market. This type of inner tube relies on two joints to form a closed loop. When deflated, the two joints can be easily disconnected, making the inner tube into a long strip, so that it can be pulled out of the outer tube, which greatly simplifies the time required to replace the inner tube. However, despite the obvious advantages of disconnected inner tubes, they still have not formed a stable market share in the market, because this type of inner tube also has several disadvantages:

[0004] 1. The traditional disconnection type has a rubber piece that is clipped together at the ends of the two joints. The rubber piece itself is not inflated. The clipping is completely dependent on the shape of the rubber piece itself. The connection strength of this structure is very limited, and the inner tube is easy to be detached during driving. In addition, the part where the two rubber pieces are clipped together is easy to form a gap, so the air pressure in the gap is significantly lower than the air pressure inside the inner tube. During driving, once this part touches the ground, the deformation of the tire body will increase, making the entire driving process full of bumps.

[0005] 2. The connection relationship relying on the snap-fit ​​fit is difficult to maintain in the snap-fit ​​state when the inner tube is not inflated, so when the inner tube is installed into the outer tube, it is difficult to ensure the continuity of the inner tube. Summary of the invention

[0006] The main technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a disconnectable inner tube and tire, which can greatly shorten the time for replacing the inner tube.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a disconnectable inner tube, comprising: a long inner tube carcass, with a first joint and a second joint respectively arranged at both ends; the free ends of the first joint and the second joint respectively have a first closed surface and a second closed surface, and the free end of the first joint or the second joint further extends a sleeve along the length direction of the inner tube carcass;

[0008] The first joint and the second joint are butt-jointed via sleeves to splice the long carcass into an inner tube connected end to end.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment: when the inner tube carcass is in an uninflated state, the first closed surface, the second closed surface and the inner wall of the sleeve are in a fit or a non-fit fit; when the inner tube carcass is in an inflated state, the first closed surface, the second closed surface and the inner wall of the sleeve are in a fit.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the non-fitting fit refers to that the first closed surface, the second closed surface and the inner wall of the sleeve are completely separated or partially fit together.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the second closed surface is a slot, and the free end of the second joint extends out of the sleeve along the length direction of the inner tube carcass.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment: the first closed surface connects the first plug and the second plug along the length of the inner tube carcass. When the first plug is inserted into the slot, the second plug is placed in the sleeve to splice the long strip carcass into an inner tube connected end to end.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment: the first plug and the second plug have a first air cavity and a second air cavity which are interconnected, and a third air cavity is radially provided between the groove wall of the slot and the inner wall of the second joint; the first air cavity, the second air cavity and the third air cavity are respectively connected to the inflation cavity of the inner tube carcass.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment: the groove wall of the slot and the tube wall of the sleeve are connected via a limiting surface.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment: the first plug and the second plug are connected via a first limiting mating surface, and the second plug and the side wall of the first connector are connected via a second limiting mating surface;

[0016] When the first plug and the slot form a plug-in fit, the limit surface and the first limit fitting surface abut against each other along the plug-in direction to limit the position, and the second limit fitting surface abuts against the end surface of the sleeve wall along the plug-in direction to limit the position.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment: the slot is an arc-shaped slot, and the slot, the limiting surface, and the sleeve wall are transitioned by an arc angle;

[0018] The first plug is correspondingly an arc-shaped plug, and the first plug, the first limiting matching surface, the second plug, the second limiting matching surface, and the side wall of the first connector are transitioned through arc angles.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment: the first closed surface is a first plug, and the free end of the first connector extends out of the sleeve along the length direction of the inner tube carcass, and the first plug is located in the sleeve.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment: the second closed surface is a slot and a second plug, and the slot is located at the end of the second plug; when the first plug is inserted into the slot, the second plug is placed in the sleeve to splice the long carcass into an inner tube connected end to end.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment: the first plug has a first air cavity, and a second air cavity is radially provided between the groove wall of the slot and the inner wall of the second plug; the first air cavity and the second air cavity are respectively connected to the inflation cavity of the inner tube carcass.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment: the first plug is connected to the wall of the sleeve via a limiting surface.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment: the slot and the second plug are connected via a first limiting mating surface, and the second plug and the side wall of the second connector are connected via a second limiting mating surface;

[0024] When the first plug and the slot form a plug-in fit, the limit surface and the first limit fitting surface abut against each other along the plug-in direction to limit the position, and the second limit fitting surface abuts against the end surface of the sleeve wall along the plug-in direction to limit the position.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment: the slot is an arc-shaped slot, and the slot, the first limit matching surface, the second plug, the second limit matching surface, and the side wall of the first connector are transitioned through arc angles;

[0026] The first plug is correspondingly an arc-shaped plug, and the first plug, the limiting surface, and the sleeve wall are transitioned through an arc angle.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, the side wall thickness of the sleeve is 50%-70% of the side wall thickness of the inner tube carcass.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the length of the sleeve is 5-10 mm greater than the cross-sectional width of the inner tube carcass.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the cross section of the slot along the axial direction is an arc-shaped surface, and the ratio of the arc length to the cross-sectional circumference of the inner tube carcass is greater than the expansion ratio of the inner tube carcass after inflation.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, the cross section of the slot along the axial direction is an arc-shaped surface, and the arc length is more than 120% of the cross-sectional circumference of the inner tube carcass.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment: the cross-section of the slot along the axial direction is one or a combination of a circular arc surface, a conical arc surface, and a long arc surface.

[0032] The present invention also provides a tire, comprising an inner tube, an outer tube and a rim; the inner tube is the disconnectable inner tube as described above.

[0033] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0034] 1. The present invention provides an inner tube structure, wherein a sleeve is provided so that a joint of the inner tube is sleeved in the sleeve, so that the entire inner tube carcass forms a closed loop. Due to the guiding effect of the sleeve, the connection and removal of the two joints have obvious guiding properties, and the assembly and removal are very convenient. Due to the limiting effect of the sleeve, the joint is not easy to fall out of the sleeve even in a non-inflated state.

[0035] 2. The present invention provides an inner tube structure, in which the two joints are also inflated during the inflation process, while the sleeve itself will not be inflated, but will only be stretched out during the expansion of the joints due to its own material. Therefore, as the inflation process progresses, the clamping force between the inner wall of the sleeve and the joints becomes greater and greater. This ensures that the joints cannot fall out of the sleeve after inflation.

[0036] 3. The present invention provides an inner tube structure. Since the joint expands after being inflated, the closed surfaces of the two joints are tightly fitted together after inflation, and there is no gap between the joints, which effectively avoids the occurrence of bumps.

[0037] 4. The present invention provides an inner tube structure, wherein the upper and lower sides of the groove are provided with air cavities respectively, and during the inflation process, the two air cavities expand and squeeze the groove, so that the groove and the plug are clamped more tightly.

[0038] 5. The present invention provides an inner tube structure, in which the transition parts are all designed with rounded corners to effectively avoid the problem of stress concentration, and the inner tube structure can be used for a long time without bursting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the first joint in the preferred embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the second joint in the preferred embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 3-Figure 8 This is an example diagram of the first joint and the second joint in the preferred embodiment 1 of the present invention having other shapes;

[0042] Fig. 9 It is a cross-sectional view of the inner tube body in the uninflated state in the preferred embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0043] Fig.10 for Fig. 9 The comparison of the parts before and after inflation, the dotted part is before inflation;

[0044] Fig.11 is a cross-sectional view of the first joint in the preferred embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0045] Fig.12 is a cross-sectional view of the second joint in the preferred embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 13-Figure 18 This is an example diagram of the first joint and the second joint in other shapes in the preferred embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 19-21 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the first joint and the second joint in the non-inflated state in the preferred embodiment 3 of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] The present invention is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0049] This embodiment provides a disconnectable inner tube, comprising: a long inner tube carcass, with a first closed surface and a second closed surface at both ends, and a sleeve extending from one end along the length direction of the inner tube carcass, the first closed surface and the second closed surface are butted together through the sleeve to splice the long inner tube carcass into an inner tube connected end to end;

[0050] After the inner tube carcass is inflated, the first closed surface and the second closed surface expand radially and are limited and embraced in the sleeve.

[0051] This disconnected inner tube is very simple to install. Just insert the end of the inner tube carcass without the sleeve into the sleeve to splice the inner tube carcass to form a continuous inner tube. During the process of inflating the inner tube carcass, the first closed surface and the second closed surface at both ends of the inner tube carcass expand radially respectively, so that the first closed surface and the second closed surface are finally tightly pressed together in the circumferential direction and are clamped and limited by the sleeve in the radial direction, thereby greatly enhancing the splicing strength of the inner tube and preventing it from loosening easily.

[0052] Since the first closed surface and the second closed surface are tightly pressed together after inflation, there is no gap in the entire inner tube, and the air pressure of each part can be roughly the same, so there will be no bumpy feeling during the driving of the tire.

[0053] In order to realize this disconnected structure, several specific implementation methods are provided in this embodiment:

[0054] Example 1

[0055] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2A disconnectable inner tube comprises: a long inner tube carcass, with a first joint 11 and a second joint 12 respectively arranged at both ends; the free ends of the first joint 11 and the second joint 12 respectively have a first closed surface 111 and a second closed surface 121, and the free end of the second joint 12 also extends a sleeve 122 along the length direction of the inner tube carcass;

[0056] The first joint 11 and the second joint 12 are butted together through a sleeve 112 to splice the long inner tube carcass into an inner tube connected end to end.

[0057] In this embodiment, the first closed surface 111 and the second closed surface 121 are in a plug-in connection relationship in the uninflated state. As a simple replacement, the first closed surface 111 and the second closed surface 121 can be directly abutted without an insertion relationship. This is a simple replacement of this embodiment and will not be described in detail.

[0058] In order to realize the plug-in relationship between the first closed surface 111 and the second closed surface 121, the second closed surface 121 is a slot. The first closed surface 111 is connected with the first plug 1111 and the second plug 1112 along the length direction of the inner tube carcass. When the first plug 1112 is inserted into the slot, the second plug 1112 is placed in the sleeve 122 to splice the long inner tube carcass into an inner tube connected end to end.

[0059] Specifically, the first plug 1111 and the second plug 1112 have a first air cavity 1113 and a second air cavity 1114 that are interconnected, and a third air cavity 123 is provided between the groove wall of the slot and the inner wall of the second joint 12 along the radial direction; the first air cavity 1113, the second air cavity 1114, and the third air cavity 123 are respectively connected to the inflation cavity of the inner tube carcass. In this way, it can be ensured that when the inner tube carcass is inflated, the first plug 1111, the second plug 1112, and the slot can expand along the radial direction, and the first plug 1111 and the slot are closely matched after expansion, and the second plug 1112 is closely matched with the inner wall of the sleeve 122 after expansion. Since the sleeve 122 does not actively expand during the inflation process, the sleeve will hold the second plug 1112 and the first plug 1111 in the sleeve 122 as the second plug 1112 expands at any time. The presence of the third air cavity 123 allows the slot to be squeezed along the upper and lower sides of the radial direction during the expansion process, so that the slot and the first plug 1111 can be fully embraced. Fig. 9 and 10 shown.

[0060] More specifically, the slot wall of the slot is connected to the barrel wall of the sleeve 122 via a limiting surface 124. The first plug 1111 and the second plug 1112 are connected via a first limiting mating surface 1115, and the second plug 1112 is connected to the side wall of the first connector 11 via a second limiting mating surface 1116.

[0061] When the first plug 1111 and the slot form a plug-in fit, the limit surface 124 and the first limit matching surface 1115 are pressed against each other along the plug-in direction, and the second limit matching surface 1116 and the end surface of the sleeve wall 122 are pressed against each other along the plug-in direction. These two limit matching relationships can provide clear prompts for the plug-in process to prevent the user from inserting too shallowly or too deeply during the plug-in process.

[0062] In this embodiment, in order to reduce the problem of stress concentration, the slot is an arc-shaped slot, and the slot, the limiting surface 124, and the wall of the sleeve 122 are transitioned by an arc angle; in this embodiment, the cross-section of the slot along the axial direction is a conical arc surface. As a simple replacement in this embodiment, the cross-section of the slot along the axial direction can also be a circular arc surface, a long strip arc surface, or a combination of the above various arc sections. Figure 3-Figure 8 shown.

[0063] The first plug 1111 is correspondingly an arc-shaped plug, and the first plug 1111, the first limiting mating surface 1115, the second plug 1112, the second limiting mating surface 1116, and the side wall of the first connector 11 are also transitioned through arc angles.

[0064] In this embodiment, the following preferred design is also provided: the side wall of the sleeve 122 is 50%-70% of the side wall thickness of the inner tube carcass. Here, the side wall thickness of the sleeve 122 and the side wall thickness of the inner tube carcass are both the widths in the uninflated state. The purpose of such a setting is to make the sleeve 122 have the same thickness as the side wall thickness of the inner tube carcass after the thickness of the second plug 1112 is superimposed, thereby avoiding the bumpy feeling during driving caused by uneven thickness.

[0065] The length of the sleeve 122 is greater than the cross-sectional width of the inner tube carcass by 5-10 mm. This ensures that the sleeve 122 has a certain depth so that the second plug 1112 is not easy to loosen and slide off from the sleeve 122.

[0066] The cross section of the slot along the axial direction is an arc-shaped surface, and the ratio of the arc length to the cross-sectional circumference of the inner tube carcass is greater than the expansion ratio of the inner tube carcass after inflation.

[0067] Specifically, the slot is an arc-shaped surface along the axial section, and its arc length is more than 120% of the cross-sectional circumference of the inner tube carcass. The purpose of being arranged like this is to make the slot have a certain length so that it is not easy to break after expansion and stretching.

[0068] In this embodiment, the outer walls of the first plug 1111 and the second plug 1112 and the inner wall of the sleeve 122 are respectively frosted, which can increase the friction of the plug-in part. At the same time, the inner tube has convex points or patterns on the outer wall to increase the friction, and the positions of the convex points and patterns correspond to the holding positions of the user when plugging the inner tube.

[0069] This embodiment also provides a tire, including an inner tube, an outer tube and a rim; the inner tube is a disconnectable inner tube as described above. After using this inner tube, the time for replacing the inner tube can be shortened from the traditional half an hour to five minutes, which greatly improves the efficiency of replacing the inner tube, and the tire using this inner tube does not feel bumpy during driving, and the comfort is very high. Because this inner tube overcomes the problem of stress concentration, it is not easy to have a bulging tire or a blowout after a long period of driving.

[0070] Example 2

[0071] refer to Fig.11 and Fig.12 In Example 1, the sleeve is arranged on one side of the slot. In this embodiment, the sleeve is arranged on one side of the plug. Specifically, the first closed surface 111 is the first plug, and the free end of the first joint extends out of the sleeve 112 along the length direction of the inner tube carcass, and the first plug is located in the sleeve 112.

[0072] The second closed surface 121 is a slot 1211 and a second plug 1212, wherein the slot 1211 is located at the end of the second plug 1212; when the first plug is inserted into the slot 1211, the second plug 1212 is placed in the sleeve 112 to splice the long inner tube carcass into an inner tube connected end to end.

[0073] Similarly, the first plug has a first air cavity, and a second air cavity is radially provided between the groove wall of the slot 1211 and the inner wall of the second plug 1212; the first air cavity and the second air cavity are respectively connected to the inflation cavity of the inner tube carcass.

[0074] The first plug is connected to the wall of the sleeve 112 via a limiting surface 113. The slot 1211 and the second plug 1212 are connected via a first limiting mating surface 1213, and the second plug 1212 is connected to the side wall of the second connector 12 via a second limiting mating surface 1214.

[0075] When the first plug and the socket 1211 are plugged in, the limiting surface 113 and the first limiting matching surface 1213 are pressed against each other along the plugging direction, and the second limiting matching surface 1214 and the end surface of the sleeve wall 112 are pressed against each other along the plugging direction.

[0076] The slot 1211 is an arc-shaped slot. As a simple replacement in this embodiment, the cross-section of the slot 1211 along the axial direction can also be a circular arc surface, a long arc surface, or a combination of the above various arc-shaped cross-sections. Figure 13-Figure 18 shown.

[0077] The slot 1211, the first position-limiting mating surface 1213, the second plug 1212, the second position-limiting mating surface 1214, and the side wall of the second connector 12 are transitioned through arc angles;

[0078] The first plug is correspondingly an arc-shaped plug, and the first plug, the limiting surface 113 and the side wall of the sleeve 112 are transitioned through an arc angle.

[0079] The rest is the same as that of Example 1 and will not be described in detail.

[0080] Example 3

[0081] refer to Figure 19-21 In embodiments 1 and 2, the first plug and the slot, the second plug and the inner wall of the sleeve are in a completely fitted state in the uninflated state. In fact, in the uninflated state, the first closed surface, the second closed surface and the inner wall of the sleeve may not be in a fitted state; as long as the first closed surface, the second closed surface and the inner wall of the sleeve are in a fitted state when the inner tube carcass is inflated.

[0082] The non-fitting fit refers to that the first closed surface, the second closed surface and the inner wall of the sleeve are completely separated or partially fit together.

[0083] Example 4

[0084] In the above embodiment, in the uninflated state, the first joint and the second joint are both in the plug-in state of the groove and the joint. In fact, it can also be changed to the state of two joints abutting each other, as long as one of the joints is inserted into the sleeve of the other joint.

[0085] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art can easily think of the changes or technical scope disclosed in the present invention. Alternative solutions are intended to be included in the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A disconnectable inner tube, characterized in that include: A long inner tube carcass, with a first joint and a second joint respectively disposed at both ends; the free ends of the first joint and the second joint respectively have a first closed surface and a second closed surface, and a sleeve is further extended from the free end of the first joint or the second joint along the length direction of the inner tube carcass; The first joint and the second joint are butt-jointed by sleeves to splice the inner tube carcasses into an inner tube connected end to end; The second closed surface is a slot, and the slot wall is connected to the sleeve wall through a limiting surface, and the slot is an arc-shaped slot, and the slot, the limiting surface, and the sleeve wall are transitioned through an arc angle; the first closed surface is connected to the first plug and the second plug along the length of the inner tube carcass, the first plug and the second plug are connected through a first limiting matching surface, and the second plug and the side wall of the first joint are connected through a second limiting matching surface; and the first plug is correspondingly an arc-shaped plug, and the first plug, the first limiting matching surface, the second plug, the second limiting matching surface, and the side wall of the first joint are transitioned through an arc angle; and when the inner tube body is filled with air, the first closed surface and the second closed surface are radially expanded and covered by the sleeve portion, and their positions are limited by the sleeve portion; the second closed surface and the inner wall of the inner tube carcass are transitioned through an arc angle; The first plug and the second plug have a first air cavity and a second air cavity connected to each other, and a third air cavity is radially provided between the groove wall of the slot and the inner wall of the second joint; the first air cavity, the second air cavity and the third air cavity are respectively connected to the inflation cavity of the inner tube carcass.

2. A disconnectable inner tube according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the inner tube carcass is in an uninflated state, the first closed surface, the second closed surface and the inner wall of the sleeve are in a fit or non-fitting fit; when the inner tube carcass is in an inflated state, the first closed surface, the second closed surface and the inner wall of the sleeve are in a fit.

3. A disconnectable inner tube according to claim 2, characterized in that: The non-fitting fit refers to that the first closed surface, the second closed surface and the inner wall of the sleeve are completely separated or partially fit together.

4. A disconnectable inner tube according to claim 1, characterized in that: The free end of the second joint extends out of the sleeve along the length direction of the inner tube carcass.

5. A disconnectable inner tube according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the first plug is inserted into the slot, the second plug is placed in the sleeve to splice the long inner tube carcasses into inner tubes connected end to end.

6. A disconnectable inner tube according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The side wall thickness of the sleeve is 50%-70% of the side wall thickness of the inner tube carcass.

7. A disconnectable inner tube according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The length of the sleeve is 5-10 mm greater than the cross-sectional width of the inner tube carcass.

8. A disconnectable inner tube according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The cross section of the slot along the axial direction is an arc-shaped surface, and the ratio of the arc length to the cross-sectional circumference of the inner tube carcass is greater than the expansion ratio of the inner tube carcass after inflation.

9. A disconnectable inner tube according to claim 8, characterized in that: The cross section of the slot along the axial direction is an arc-shaped surface, and the arc length is more than 120% of the cross-sectional circumference of the inner tube carcass.

10. A disconnectable inner tube according to claim 9, characterized in that: The cross section of the slot along the axial direction is one or a combination of a circular arc surface, a conical arc surface, and a long strip arc surface.

11. A tire, comprising an inner tube, an outer tube and a rim; characterized in that The inner tube is a disconnectable inner tube as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10.

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