Spoke for a non-pneumatic tire having a protruding nose reinforcement

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a wheel spoke for a non-pneumatic tire having a nose portion that engages a first plate and a second plate extending from the nose portion. An extended nose reinforcement engages the first plate, the second plate, the first leg, and the second leg. In addition, the extended nose reinforcement is located between the first plate and the first leg, and between the second plate and the second leg.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The subject matter of the present invention relates to a wheel spoke for a non-pneumatic tire, characterized by an extended nose reinforcement. More specifically, the present application relates to an extended nose reinforcement extending along the plates of the wheel spoke so as to be located between these plates and the foot of the wheel spoke. Background Art

[0002] A non-pneumatic tire may be made of a series of spokes attached to a hub at one end and to a shear band at the other end. The tread of the tire is located on the outer surface of the shear band. The plurality of spokes may be V-shaped, having two legs, two feet, and a nose approximately in the middle. In order to strengthen the nose, it has been proposed to place a reinforcing layer on the nose. The first reinforcing layer has cords oriented at 45 degrees to the radial direction of the tire. The second reinforcing layer is placed on the first reinforcing layer and also includes cords oriented at 45 degrees to the radial direction of the tire, so that the tissue used is a double-layer tissue, wherein each layer has a woven fabric oriented at + / -45 degrees to the radial direction. This design is robust from the perspective of product durability and is not difficult to manufacture, but it affects the performance of the tire. In this regard, the pair of reinforcing layers is inefficient for transferring radial loads between the two legs. The pair of layers increases the mass of the spokes in this area, and in turn increases the rolling resistance of the tire. In addition, the inclusion of cords oriented at plus or minus 45 degrees to the radial direction increases the axial stiffness of the spokes to more than the desired level.

[0003] The construction of the spokes of the non-pneumatic tire may include a nose reinforcement layer that joins the two legs and extends only a short distance along the legs toward the nose. The nose reinforcement layer does not extend to the foot, but only extends at the nose so as not to increase the weight of the spoke. Although it can increase the strength of the spoke, the end creates a high stress concentration at its location, which may cause cracking and limit the durability of the spoke. Therefore, there is still room for change and improvement in the art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] A complete and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, to one of ordinary skill in the art is set forth in the specification with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0005] Figure 1 is a side view of a non-pneumatic tire.

[0006] Figure 2 is a side view of a spoke of a non-pneumatic tire, a portion of a hub, and a portion of a shear band.

[0007] Figure 3 It is along Figure 2 A cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3.

[0008] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A front view of a spoke of a wheel also showing a cross-sectional view through the tread and shear band and a portion of the hub.

[0009] Figure 5 is a side view of a spoke, a portion of a hub, and a portion of a shear band of a non-pneumatic tire according to another embodiment.

[0010] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a spoke of a non-pneumatic tire according to yet another embodiment.

[0011] The use of the same or similar reference numbers in different drawings indicates the same or similar features. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Each example is provided to illustrate the present invention and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. For example, a feature shown or described as part of one embodiment may be used with another embodiment to yield a third embodiment. The present invention is intended to include these and other modifications and variations.

[0013] The present invention provides a spoke 12 of a non-pneumatic tire 10 that includes an extended nose reinforcement 14 that is configured to avoid introducing stress concentrations at its radial ends. In this regard, the spoke 12 has a first plate and a second plate that rest on a nose 28, and legs 20, 22 on the ends of the first and second plates. The extended nose reinforcement 14 reinforces the spoke 12 at the nose 28 and extends from the first leg 20 across the two plates 16, 18 to the second leg 22. The extended nose reinforcement 14 terminates at a location between the first plate 16 and the first leg 20, and terminates at a location between the second plate 18 and the second leg 22. These locations of the ends 72, 74 are low stress areas in the operation of the spoke 12, and stress concentration cracks and failures at the ends 72, 74 of the extended nose reinforcement 14 are reduced or eliminated.

[0014] Figure 1A non-pneumatic tire 10 is shown. The non-pneumatic tire 10 has an axis 34 at its center about which it rotates, and radial directions 30 extend from the axis 34. A tread 70 is located outside of a shear band 38 and extends all the way around the non-pneumatic tire 10 in a circumferential direction 40. The shear band 38 is located inwardly from the tread 70 along the radial direction 30 and also extends 360 degrees around the axis 34 along the circumferential direction 40. A series of spokes 12 engage the shear band 38 and extend inwardly from the shear band 38 along the radial direction 30 to a hub 36 of the non-pneumatic tire 10. The hub 36 features a metal cage 66 around its outer surface, and the ends of the spokes 12 fit into the metal cage 66 to attach the spokes 12 to the hub 36. There may be any number of spokes 12, and their cross-sectional shapes may differ from those shown. In some cases, there are 64-80 spokes 12 in the non-pneumatic tire 10. The hub 36 is located inwardly from the spokes 12 in the radial direction 30 and can be mounted on a wheel of a vehicle. When the non-pneumatic tire 10 rests on the ground and when the non-pneumatic tire 10 rotates in normal operation of the vehicle, the spokes 12 at the top of the non-pneumatic tire 10 are in tension and the spokes 12 at the bottom are in compression.

[0015] One embodiment of the spoke 12 is Figure 2 It is shown in Figure 2 3 is a side view of one of the spokes 12 and a portion of the hub 36 and a portion of the shear band 38. The spoke 12 is made of multiple parts attached to each other, and these parts can be made of rubber and other materials. The spoke 12 has a V-shaped configuration and extends from the hub 36 to the shear band 38 in the radial direction 30. The spoke 12 includes a pair of legs, which are referred to herein as the first plate 16 and the second plate 18. The plates 16 and 18 may or may not be joined to each other, and in some embodiments, the plates 16 and 18 may be a single continuous piece with different sections of the continuous piece designated as the first plate 16 and the second plate 18, or may be as Figure 2 The spoke 12 is a separate piece in the web. The first leg 20 and the second leg 22 are located at the ends of the plates 16, 18. The nose 28 is located at the central body of the spoke 12 and has a generally triangular shaped cross-section. The spoke 12 can be assembled by taking uncured multiple parts and assembling them together and then curing them by heat and pressure so that the parts are attached to each other. Each of these parts can contain different materials, or can have different or the same amounts of the same material. Rubber, fiberglass, urethane, polyurethane and other materials can be present in the parts used to assemble the spoke 12.

[0016] The components of the spoke 12 include a first plate 16 and a second plate 18 that form the legs of the spoke 12. The first plate 16 has a first foot 20 located at an end that engages the first plate 16 and extends further in a radial direction 30 than the end of the first plate 16. The second plate 18 has a second foot 22 located at an end that engages the second plate 18 and extends further inwardly in a radial direction 30 than the end of the second plate 18. A nose 28 is present on one side of the spoke 12 in a circumferential direction 40 and engages the first plate 16 and the second plate 18. In order to reinforce the spoke 12 in a central section, a protruding nose reinforcement 14 is provided that engages both the first plate 16 and the second plate 18. The protruding nose reinforcement 14 is located on the side of the plates 16, 18 opposite to the nose 28 in the circumferential direction 40. The extended nose reinforcement 14 engages the body 28 and the plates 16, 18, but in other embodiments, the extended nose reinforcement 14 does not engage (contact) the body 28. It should be understood that the shape and size of the spokes 12 can vary according to different exemplary embodiments, and a variety of spoke 12 configurations are possible.

[0017] The extended nose reinforcement 14 is a single continuous piece extending from the first leg 20 all the way to the second leg 22. The tip 72 is located at the outer end of the extended nose reinforcement 14 in the radial direction 30, and the tip 74 is located at the inner end in the radial direction 30. The tip 72 is located between the first leg 20 and the first plate 16 so that when extending from the center of the spoke 12, the tip is located below the first leg 20. The extended nose reinforcement 14 does not reach all the way to the radial end of the first plate 16, but stops before reaching the radial end of the first plate 16 so that the first leg 20 engages the first plate 16. The positioning of the tip 72 can allow the first leg 20 to engage the first plate 16 for a longer length than the first leg 20 engages the extended nose reinforcement 14. The area of ​​the tip 72 in the spoke 12 is a low stress area in the spoke 12 during operation. Thus, cracks and other failures of the spokes 12 at the ends 72 of the extended nose reinforcements 14 will be reduced or minimized because the ends 72 are no longer located at a high stress location in the spokes 12. The placement of the ends 72, 74 below the feet 20, 22 increases the durability of the design. The placement of the ends 72, 74 below the feet 20, 22 positions them in a low stress area compared to being located on the plates 16, 18 but not engaging the feet 20, 22 closer to the nose 28.

[0018] The tip 74 is located between the second leg 22 and the second plate 18 so that the tip is located below the second leg 22 when extending from the center of the spoke 12. The extended nose reinforcement 14 does not reach all the way to the radial end of the second plate 18 closest to the hub 36, but stops before reaching the radial end of the second plate 18 so that the second leg 22 engages the second plate 18. The positioning of the tip 74 can allow the second leg 22 to engage the second plate 18 for a longer length than the engagement length of the second leg 22 with the extended nose reinforcement 14. The area of ​​the tip 74 in the spoke 12 is a low stress area in the spoke 12 during operation. In this way, cracks and other failures of the spoke 12 at the tip 74 of the extended nose reinforcement 14 will be reduced or minimized because the tip 74 is no longer located at a high stress location in the spoke 12.

[0019] According to various exemplary embodiments, the first leg 20 may have various shapes. Figure 2 In the embodiment presented, the first leg 20 has a first leg adhesive surface 54 that engages the radial inner surface of the shear band 38 and can be attached to the radial inner surface of the shear band by using an adhesive. A first leg first concave surface 56 is present on a circumferential end of the first leg 20 and can be at least partially defined by a lip that also defines a portion of the first leg adhesive surface 54. The first leg first concave surface 56 can extend all the way to the first plate 16, or can stop before reaching the surface of the first leg 20 that engages the first plate 16. The first leg 20 also has a first leg second concave surface 58 that is located on the end of the first leg 20 opposite the first leg first concave surface 56 in the circumferential direction 40. The first leg second concave surface 58 can extend all the way to the extended nose reinforcement 14, or can stop before reaching the surface of the first leg 20 that engages the extended nose reinforcement 14. The radius of curvature of the first leg second concave surface 58 may be different from the radius of curvature of the first leg first concave surface 56. As Figure 2 As shown, the first leg second concave surface 58 may extend all the way to the shear band 38 or may stop before reaching the shear band 38. The two concave surfaces 56, 58 may extend different lengths in the radial direction 30, such that the first leg first concave surface 56 extends a shorter length in the radial direction 30 than the first leg second concave surface 58 extends in the radial direction.

[0020] The second leg 22 may be arranged in the same manner as the first leg 20, or may be arranged in a different shape in other embodiments. Figure 2In the embodiment of the present invention, the second leg 22 is generally formed in the same manner as the first leg 20. The second leg 22 has a concave second leg rubber surface 60 opposite the convex first leg rubber surface 54, which engages the convex radially outer end of the hub 36. An adhesive may be used to attach the second leg rubber surface 60 to the hub 36. The second leg first concave surface 62 exists on the circumferential end of the second leg 22 and may be at least partially defined by a lip that also defines a portion of the second leg rubber surface 60. The second leg first concave surface 62 may extend all the way to the second plate 18, or may stop before reaching the surface of the second leg 22 that engages the second plate 18. The second leg 22 also has a second leg second concave surface 64 that is located on the end of the second leg 22 opposite the second leg first concave surface 62 in the circumferential direction 40. The second leg second concave surface 64 may extend all the way to the extended nose reinforcement 14, or may stop before reaching the surface of the second leg 22 that engages the extended nose reinforcement 14. The radius of curvature of the second concave surface 64 of the second leg may be different from the radius of curvature of the first concave surface 62 of the second leg. Figure 2 As shown, the second leg second concave surface 64 may extend all the way to the hub 36 or may stop before reaching the hub 36. The two concave surfaces 62, 64 may extend different lengths in the radial direction 30, such that the second leg first concave surface 62 extends a shorter length in the radial direction 30 than the second leg second concave surface 64 extends in the radial direction.

[0021] The spokes 12 will deform during normal operation of the tire 10, but can maintain a generally V-shape at all points in operation. In this regard, the plates 16, 18 are arranged in a generally V-shape with the feet 20, 22 at either end. The first plate 16 has a first plate first surface 46 and an oppositely disposed first plate second surface 48. The first plate first surface 46 engages the extended nose reinforcement 14 and the first foot 20 and does not contact the nose 28, and the first plate second surface 48 engages the nose 28 and does not contact the first foot 20 and the extended nose reinforcement 14. The second plate 18 has a second plate first surface 50 and an oppositely disposed second plate second surface 52. The second plate first surface 50 engages the extended nose reinforcement 14 and the second foot 22 and does not engage the nose 28, and the second plate second surface 52 does not engage the extended nose reinforcement 14 and the second foot 22, but engages the nose 28. The first plate second surface 48 faces the second plate second surface 52 in the V-shaped configuration, and the first plate first surface 46 and the second plate first surface 50 face away from each other in the V-shaped configuration. As shown, the extended nose reinforcement 14 engages the entire first plate first surface 46 and the second plate first surface 50, except for the portions of these surfaces 46, 50 that engage the feet 20 and 22.

[0022] Figure 3 is along Figure 23-3 of the cross-sectional view, which shows the extended nose reinforcement 14, which includes a plurality of cords 42 parallel to each other. The cords 42 may be joined to each other or may be spaced apart from each other. The cords 42 may be embedded in the rubber of the extended nose reinforcement 14, which constitutes the rest of the extended nose reinforcement 14, so that the cords 42 are not present on the outer surface of the extended nose reinforcement 14. The rubber of the extended nose reinforcement 14 may constitute the entire outer surface of the extended nose reinforcement 14. The cords 42 may be made of nylon or polyester. The cords 42 are used to strengthen the extended nose reinforcement 14, and may be present in any number in other embodiments, and may not be present in other embodiments of the spoke 12. The plate 18 also has cords 68 that are parallel to each other, spaced apart from each other, and not joined to each other. The cords 68 may also be made of nylon, polyester, or fiberglass (CVR), and may be embedded in the rubber that makes up the rest of the second plate 18, so that no cords 68 form any part of the outer surface of the second plate 18. The cords 68 are used to increase the strength of the second plate 18, but need not be present in other embodiments. Although not shown, the first plate 16 may also have parallel cords therein for added strength.

[0023] The spoke 12 has an axial direction 32 that is perpendicular to the radial direction 30. Components of the spoke 12, such as the first leg 20, the second leg 22, the first plate 16, the second plate 18, the nose 28, and the extended nose reinforcement 14, may extend in the axial direction 32 along the entire axial length of the spoke 12. In this regard, the extended nose reinforcement 14 has the same length in the axial direction 32 as the legs 20, 22 and the plates 16, 18, such that a large attachment surface exists between the extended nose reinforcement 14 and these components.

[0024] Figure 4 1 is a front view of the spoke 12 and a cross-sectional view of the hub 36, the shear band 38 and the tread 70. The shear band 38 has a plurality of reinforcing elements extending in the circumferential direction 40 and embedded in the rubber of the shear band 38. The tread 70 rests on the radially outer surface of the shear band 38. The protruding nose reinforcement 14 and the feet 20, 22 of the spoke 12 are Figure 4 The only part of the spoke 12 visible in the view of FIG. The cord 42 is also Figure 4, and these cords 42 also have a zero angle with respect to the radial direction 30 and therefore extend in a direction parallel to the radial direction 30. The cords 42 extend from the second leg 22 to the first leg 20 in the extended nose reinforcement 14. This extension is in the radial direction 30, also in the circumferential direction 40, but not in the axial direction 32. With respect to the radial direction 30, the cords 42 are parallel to the radial direction 30, so that the angle 44 between the extension direction of the cords 42 and the radial direction 30 is zero. The cords 42 may all be parallel to each other, so that their angles 44 are all zero.

[0025] The arrangement of the cords 42 having an angle 44 of zero degrees (and therefore parallel to the radial direction 30) will not adversely affect the lateral stiffness of the spoke 12 beyond a desired level. This is because the stiffness of the cords 42 will be directed in the radial direction 30 rather than the axial direction 32, since there is no extension component of the cords 42 in the axial direction 32. The spoke 12 can be arranged so that there is only a single protruding nose reinforcement 14, rather than two or more nose reinforcements. Using only a single protruding nose reinforcement 14 will reduce the mass of the spoke 12 and will improve rolling resistance performance.

[0026] Figure 5 is an alternative exemplary embodiment of the spoke 12, which includes Figure 2All components of the embodiment of the present invention are provided, but arranged in a slightly different manner. The first leg first concave surface 56 and the first leg second concave surface 58 both extend from the extended nose reinforcement 14 to the first leg rubber surface 54. Similarly, the second leg first concave surface 62 and the second leg second concave surface 64 extend from the extended nose reinforcement 14 to the second leg rubber surface 60. The legs 20, 22 do not have a lip associated with the rubber surface 54, 60. Moreover, the first plate 16 and the second plate 18 are engaged with each other, and the nose 28 is not engaged with the extended nose reinforcement 14. The extended nose reinforcement 14 extends all the way to the ends of the first plate 16 and the second plate 18, so that the ends 72 and 74 are visible and are not hidden by the legs 20, 22. The extended nose reinforcement 14 extends along the entire length of the plates 16, 18, so that the entire first plate first surface 46 and the entire second plate first surface 50 are engaged by the extended nose reinforcement 14. The extended nose reinforcement 14 extends along and engages the feet 20, 22 such that the foot 20 does not engage with either of the plates 16 or 18, and such that the foot 22 does not engage with either plate 16 or plate 18. In this embodiment, the component of the spoke 12 that the feet 20, 22 engage is the extended nose reinforcement 14. In other embodiments, the extended nose reinforcement 14 may wrap around the ends of the first plate 16 and the second plate 18 so that the ends 72, 74 are located at the inwardly facing surfaces of the plates 16, 18. If wrapped around the ends of the first plate 16 and the second plate 18, the extended nose reinforcement 14 may stop before contacting the nose 28, or the ends 72, 74 may actually engage the nose 28.

[0027] Another arrangement of the spokes 12 is Figure 6 2 and 3. The nose reinforcement 14 of the embodiment of the present invention is shown in perspective view. The extended nose reinforcement 14 engages the plates 16 and 18 together with the feet 20 and 22, but does not engage the nose 28. The plates 16 and 18 are shown as a single continuous plate, wherein the first plate 16 and the second plate 18 are defined as a portion of the single continuous plate. Therefore, it should be understood that the plates 16 and 18 can be separate components in some embodiments, and can be parts or regions of a single component in other embodiments. As shown, the extended nose reinforcement 14 has ends 72, 74 that engage with the feet 20, 22 so that the feet 20, 22 can engage with the plates 16 and 18. The ends 72, 74 are arranged so that there is a longer engagement between the plates 16, 18 and the feet 20, 22 compared to the engagement between the extended nose reinforcement 14 and the feet 20, 22.

[0028] Figure 6The spoke 12 in FIG. 1 includes two additional components, namely a first foot layer 24 and a second foot layer 26. The layers 24, 26 may be made of rubber and may have the same material composition as the other components of the spoke 12, or may have a unique blend of materials from the rest of the spoke 12. The first foot layer 24 engages the first plate second surface 48 and wraps around the end of the first plate 16 and a portion of the first foot 20 and engages with the first foot 20. The first foot layer 24 does not wrap around the entire first foot 20, but only a portion thereof. The first foot layer 24 is used to increase the strength of the spoke 12 at its end, and the first foot layer 24 may engage and be attached to the shear tie 38, while none of the first foot 20 or some of the first foot 20 may also be engaged and attached to the shear tie 38 along with the first foot layer 24 in some cases. The second foot layer 26 engages the second plate second surface 52 and wraps and engages the second foot 22, but does not completely wrap around the second foot 22, so that some of the second foot 22 remains exposed. The second foot layer 26 increases the strength of the end of the spoke 12 and can engage and be attached to the radially outer surface of the hub 36. In this case, some of the second feet 22 will also be attached to the hub 36 or none of them will be attached to the hub.

[0029] Although the subject matter of the present invention has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments and methods thereof, it should be understood that, after understanding the foregoing, those skilled in the art may easily conceive of modifications, variations, and equivalents of such embodiments. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is by way of example rather than by way of limitation, and the present disclosure does not exclude the inclusion of such obvious modifications, variations, and / or additions to the subject matter.

Claims

1. A wheel spoke for a non-pneumatic tire, the wheel spoke comprising: Nose; a first plate engaging the nose and extending from the nose; a second plate engaging the nose and extending from the nose, wherein the first plate and the second plate are separate pieces; First kick; Second leg; and An extended nose reinforcement, the extended nose reinforcement is a single continuous piece, the extended nose reinforcement engages the first plate, the second plate, the first leg and the second leg, wherein the extended nose reinforcement stops before reaching the radial end of the first plate so that the first leg engages the first plate, whereby the first end of the extended nose reinforcement is located between the first plate and the first leg, wherein the extended nose reinforcement stops before reaching the radial end of the second plate so that the second leg engages the second plate, whereby the second end of the extended nose reinforcement is located between the second plate and the second leg.

2. The spoke of claim 1, wherein the protruding nose reinforcement has a plurality of cords oriented at a zero degree angle to the radial direction.

3. The spoke of claim 2, wherein the plurality of cords are made of nylon.

4. The spoke of claim 2, wherein the plurality of cords are made of polyester.

5. The spoke according to claim 1, further comprising: a first foot layer, the first foot layer joining the first plate and the first foot; and A second foot layer joins the second plate and the second foot.

6. The spoke of claim 1, wherein the first plate has a first plate first surface and a first plate second surface, wherein the second plate has a second plate first surface and a second plate second surface, wherein the first plate and the second plate are oriented in a V-shape, wherein the first plate first surface and the second plate first surface are oriented away from each other, wherein the first plate second surface and the second plate second surface are oriented facing each other, and wherein the protruding nose reinforcement engages the first plate first surface and the second plate first surface.

7. The spoke of claim 6, wherein the nose portion engages the first plate second surface and the second plate second surface.

8. The wheel spoke of claim 1, wherein the first leg has a first leg rubber surface, a first leg first concave surface, and a first leg second concave surface, wherein the first leg second concave surface terminates at the extended nose reinforcement; The second leg has a second leg rubber surface, a second leg first concave surface and a second leg second concave surface, wherein the second leg second concave surface terminates at the protruding nose reinforcement.

9. The spoke of claim 1, wherein the first leg engages the first plate and does not engage the second plate, and wherein the second leg engages the second plate and does not engage the first plate.

10. The spoke of claim 1, wherein the extended nose reinforcement member is a continuous member extending uninterruptedly from the first leg to the second leg.

11. The spoke of claim 1 wherein said protruding nose reinforcement engages said nose.

12. A wheel spoke for a non-pneumatic tire, the wheel spoke comprising: Nose; a first plate engaging the nose and extending from the nose; a second plate engaging the nose and extending from the nose; First kick; Second leg; and an extended nose reinforcement, the extended nose reinforcement engaging the first plate, the second plate, the first leg, and the second leg, wherein the extended nose reinforcement stops before reaching a radial end of the first plate such that the first leg engages the first plate whereby a first end of the extended nose reinforcement is located between the first plate and the first leg, wherein the extended nose reinforcement stops before reaching a radial end of the second plate such that the second leg engages the second plate whereby a second end of the extended nose reinforcement is located between the second plate and the second leg; wherein the first leg has a first leg rubber surface, a first leg first concave surface, and a first leg second concave surface, wherein the first leg second concave surface terminates at the extended nose reinforcement; The second leg has a second leg rubber surface, a second leg first concave surface and a second leg second concave surface, wherein the second leg second concave surface terminates at the protruding nose reinforcement.

13. A wheel spoke for a non-pneumatic tire, the wheel spoke comprising: Nose; a first plate engaging the nose and extending from the nose; a second plate engaging the nose and extending from the nose; First kick; Second leg; and an extended nose reinforcement, the extended nose reinforcement engaging the first plate, the second plate, the first leg, and the second leg, wherein the extended nose reinforcement stops before reaching a radial end of the first plate such that the first leg engages the first plate whereby a first end of the extended nose reinforcement is located between the first plate and the first leg, wherein the extended nose reinforcement stops before reaching a radial end of the second plate such that the second leg engages the second plate whereby a second end of the extended nose reinforcement is located between the second plate and the second leg; Wherein the first leg engages the first plate without engaging the second plate, and wherein the second leg engages the second plate without engaging the first plate.

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