A biomimetic structure, an airless explosion-proof safety tire and its preparation method

Abstract

This invention discloses a biomimetic structure for a pneumatic, explosion-proof safety tire and its manufacturing method. The safety tire includes a rim, elastic support mechanisms evenly distributed around the rim circumference, vibration damping units, a filling portion for absorbing vibration energy, a retaining ring, and a tire rubber surface. The retaining ring is attached and fixed to the tire rubber surface. The support mechanisms and vibration damping units are spaced apart, and the filling portion fills the cavity between the rim and the retaining ring. Each support mechanism includes several elastic sleeves, and each elastic sleeve contains an elastic support body. The safety tire provided by this invention uses an elastic support body instead of an inflatable inner tube to achieve load-bearing and cushioning capabilities. It possesses both the good elasticity of ordinary pneumatic tires and the bulletproof, explosion-proof, and airless performance, resulting in higher safety. Compared with ordinary airless solid tires, this structure has good driving stability, balances strength and elasticity, significantly reduces unsprung mass, facilitates vibration damping and increases vehicle speed, making the vehicle more suitable for off-road driving.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive parts technology, specifically to a biomimetic structure, an airless, explosion-proof safety tire, and its manufacturing method. Background Technology

[0002] Tires are a crucial factor affecting a vehicle's passability, ride comfort, handling stability, and reliability. Therefore, tire puncture resistance and safe driving performance after puncture are of paramount importance to a vehicle.

[0003] Vehicle tires are divided into pneumatic tires and non-pneumatic tires. Pneumatic tires gain load-bearing and cushioning capabilities due to the elasticity of their inner tubes, but they require high air pressure. Low-pressure tires typically have an air pressure of 500-700 kPa, while high-pressure tires can reach as high as 900 kPa. Therefore, they lack puncture resistance, provide poor road feel, and have weak lateral resistance when cornering. Pneumatic tires have high pressure requirements, which vary depending on summer, winter, and whether they are unloaded, partially loaded, or fully loaded. When driving with low air pressure, the tire sinks significantly, resulting in intense friction with the ground and a rapid rise in tire temperature, making it prone to bursting. Currently available non-pneumatic tires are generally solid tires, which are heavy, rigid, lack flexibility, have poor comfort, and are prone to separation due to standing waves.

[0004] The published patent "A Tire Explosion-Proof Device" (Publication No.: CN108859618B) provides a tire structure with a spring. In the event of a tire blowout during high-speed driving, the explosive device severs the steel cable binding the spring, causing the spring to push the guide post outward, supporting the inner wall of the tire and forming a spring-loaded tire for continued vehicle movement. This structure provides a theoretical solution for temporarily maintaining the overall tire structure during a blowout. However, during normal driving, due to road surface irregularities and vehicle cornering, it is impossible to guarantee the balance of the left and right sides of the tire. The guide post can easily tilt, and the curved foot plate loses its fixation after the steel cable breaks, making the tire deformable even under slight pressure.

[0005] The published patent "A Safe Explosion-Proof and Vibration-Damping Tire" (Publication No.: CN215435843U) includes an elastic sleeve and a compression spring elastic element. Even after the tire is punctured, it can still provide shock absorption, ensuring the tire can continue to travel within a certain distance, protecting the wheel rim and ensuring driving safety. This structure features a mounting shell, with a sliding rod pressed into the shell. The air inside the shell is used to cushion the impact, further improving the damping effect against bumps and vibrations. To ensure the effective use of the air inside the mounting shell, a good seal is essential; otherwise, the sliding rod can easily shift.

[0006] The above techniques are all temporary emergency solutions for ordinary vehicles using pneumatic tires in the event of a tire blowout. They are not applicable to off-road vehicles. This is because off-road vehicles bear significantly greater loads than ordinary vehicles, and ordinary emergency tires cannot withstand the pressure. Furthermore, the complex road conditions on off-road vehicles make it easy for pneumatic tires to puncture and become immobile. Additionally, pneumatic tires have poor shock absorption on uneven surfaces, especially gravel roads; while conventional solid tires are heavy, have poor elasticity, and exhibit standing wave phenomena, resulting in poor driving comfort and safety.

[0007] It is evident that, for off-road vehicles, the problem of how to provide a tire that is both puncture-proof and has good elasticity, suitable for driving on uneven terrain, especially gravel roads, remains to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and address the problems of heavy loads, complex road conditions, and harsh working environments faced by off-road vehicles, this invention provides a novel safety tire with high elasticity and explosion-proof, airless performance, along with its manufacturing method, thereby improving vehicle safety in complex environments. This tire possesses the puncture resistance, wear resistance, high load-bearing capacity, and airless operation characteristics of solid tires, while also having the advantages of pneumatic tires, such as elasticity and comfort.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the safety tire provided by this invention uses an elastic support body instead of a pneumatic tire to obtain load-bearing and cushioning capabilities. It possesses the good elasticity of a regular pneumatic tire while also offering bulletproof, explosion-proof, and airless performance, resulting in higher safety. One or more embodiments of this invention provide the following technical solutions:

[0010] As a first aspect of the present invention, a biomimetic structure is provided for an airless explosion-proof safety tire, including a rim, a plurality of elastic support mechanisms evenly distributed around the circumference of the rim, a plurality of damping units, a filling part, a fixing ring and a tire rubber surface, wherein the fixing ring is attached and fixed to the tire rubber surface, and each set of elastic support mechanisms and damping units is spaced apart, and the filling part fills the cavity between the rim and the fixing ring.

[0011] Each set of elastic support mechanisms includes several elastic sleeves, and each elastic sleeve is provided with an elastic support body. The elastic sleeve includes an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve. The inner sleeve is formed in one piece with the wheel rim. One end of the outer sleeve is fitted around the outer periphery of the inner sleeve, and the other end is welded and fixed to the fixing ring.

[0012] It also includes a first limiting mechanism disposed on the outer periphery of the inner sleeve and located between the wheel rim and the outer sleeve;

[0013] The first limiting mechanism is selected from a limiting rubber ring or a secondary spring. The secondary spring is directly supported to the lower edge of the outer sleeve.

[0014] The rim, elastic sleeve, and retaining ring are all made of lightweight aluminum alloy.

[0015] Furthermore, the outer sleeve extends outward at one end located around the inner sleeve to ensure a large contact area with the limiting rubber ring outside the inner sleeve.

[0016] Preferably, the elastic support is a compression spring, with its two ends fixed to the rim and the fixing ring, respectively; in this structure, because a damping spring needs to pass through the middle, the top of the inner sleeve is open.

[0017] In another embodiment, the elastic support is a rubber column, which includes soft rubber columns and hard rubber columns; the top of the inner sleeve is closed, and the rubber column is located above the top of the inner sleeve and inside the cavity of the outer sleeve.

[0018] Preferably, each set of elastic support mechanisms is provided with a limiting mechanism on the front and rear sides along the axial direction of the wheel rim. The limiting mechanism includes a groove fixed to the wheel rim at the bottom, a slide plate fixed to the fixed ring at the top, and a slide key fixed to the slide plate. The top of the groove and the bottom of the slide plate overlap. The groove has an opening along the radial direction of the wheel rim. The slide key is provided on the side of the slide plate facing the groove. The slide key is embedded in the opening of the groove. The groove and the slide plate slide relative to each other with the slide key as a guide.

[0019] Furthermore, a reinforcing block is provided between two adjacent limiting mechanisms. The reinforcing block is fixed to the sliding plate of the limiting mechanism on both sides and fixed to the fixing ring at the top, providing support and reinforcement for the sliding plate.

[0020] Between two adjacent limiting mechanisms, a sealing plate fixed to the rim is welded to the inner side of the slide groove, and a sealing plate fixed to the rim is welded to the outer side of the slide plate. The edges of the two sealing plates overlap and can slide relative to each other. In an embodiment of the present invention, the sealing plate is a fan-shaped thin plate.

[0021] Preferably, the vibration damping unit includes a biomimetic ellipsoidal shell with a cavity, a hollow rubber support, and a collar. The collar, inner sleeve, and rim are manufactured in one piece. The hollow rubber support is placed in the collar, and the ellipsoidal shell is bonded and fixed to the hollow rubber support. The cavity wall of the ellipsoidal shell is made of alumina ceramic material.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a biomimetic mechanism is employed, wherein the ellipsoidal shell is eggshell-shaped, simulating the cavity of an eggshell. The egg-shaped structure is resistant to compression and deformation, with one end having a larger diameter and the other a smaller diameter. The larger diameter end is suitable for falling into the hollow rubber column of the base. The egg-shaped cavity disperses the tire's natural vibration frequency, improving the tire's vibration characteristics. The egg shape is a type of ellipse, and it is the least deformable type of ellipse.

[0023] Preferably, the filling part uses polyethylene as the filling material and an ellipsoidal shell support structure as the skeleton. The filling part is prepared by filling polyethylene using a supercritical fluid extrusion foaming method, and injecting the melt containing air bubbles into the tire cavity for cooling and solidification.

[0024] Preferably, the outer surface of the retaining ring has shell-shaped protrusions to better adhere to the outer rubber coating and provide good grip.

[0025] As a second aspect of the present invention, a method for preparing the biomimetic structure-free, explosion-proof safety tire is provided, comprising the following steps:

[0026] Step 1: The inner sleeve of the elastic support body, the ring of the ellipsoidal shell, and the rim are formed in one piece; then, the limiting rubber ring is fitted onto the end of the inner sleeve that contacts the rim, and the limiting rubber ring is fixedly connected to the rim. The limiting rubber ring is covered with glass fiber cloth, whose Young's modulus of elasticity is much higher than that of rubber and its strength, which improves the service life of rubber and is lighter than aluminum alloy, thus reducing the weight of the wheel.

[0027] Step 2, install the ellipsoidal shell vibration damping unit: insert the hollow rubber support of the eggshell into the collar, and then glue and fix the ellipsoidal shell vibration damping unit to the hollow rubber support; the ellipsoidal shell structure material is alumina ceramic pre-prepared; two empty eggshells are placed in a group at each radiation angle, located in the middle of the elastic sleeve group, and the axial position is in the middle of the three sleeves of each group of sleeves, as the skeleton of the filling material, so that the filling material exhibits a negative Poisson's ratio when compressed.

[0028] Step 3: Assemble the outer sleeve and inner sleeve, then put the retaining ring with the pre-drilled mounting holes on each outer sleeve, and weld the outer sleeve and retaining ring together;

[0029] In one implementation, the spring is first installed in the inner sleeve, and then the outer sleeve is fitted onto the inner sleeve and the spring. When the spring acts as a support, the top of the inner sleeve is open, and the spring extends all the way to the bottom of the inner sleeve, pressing against the rim to ensure that the spring has sufficient length and compression.

[0030] In another implementation, when the rubber column is used as an elastic support, it is first inserted into the outer sleeve, and then the rubber column and outer sleeve are fitted onto the inner sleeve as a single unit. At this time, the top of the inner sleeve is closed, and the entire surface of the inner sleeve is compressed against the rubber column. Then, the retaining rings with pre-drilled mounting holes for the outer sleeves are fitted onto each outer sleeve, and the outer sleeves and retaining rings are welded together. After welding, the retaining rings are continuous polygonal plates. When the rubber column is used as an elastic support, the top of the inner sleeve is closed, and the entire end face of the inner sleeve is compressed against the rubber column to ensure uniform stress distribution and long service life.

[0031] In this way, the outer sleeve is integrated with the fixing ring, and the root is closed, which allows load pressure to be applied to the spring or rubber.

[0032] The inner wall of the tire is covered with a fiber cloth.

[0033] Then, the slide plate with the sliding key is welded to the left and right sides of the fixing ring, and the thin sealing plate is welded to the non-stressed blank area with the lower edge being fan-shaped. Finally, after the slide groove and the sliding key are properly matched, the slide groove is welded to the rim, and the thin sealing plate is welded to the non-stressed blank area with the upper edge being fan-shaped, overlapping with the aforementioned fan-shaped edge. The rim, fixing ring, and sealing plate form a closed cavity filled with foamed polyethylene.

[0034] Step 4, filling with polyethylene material: Polyethylene is filled using supercritical fluid extrusion foaming method. The melt containing a large number of air bubbles is injected from the reserved filling hole into the internal cavity of the tire formed by the rim, retaining ring and sidewall plate, and then cooled and solidified. The combination of foamed polyethylene and eggshell cavity can effectively absorb impact energy, so that the tire exhibits excellent vibration reduction performance.

[0035] Step 5: After the main body of the tire is prepared, rubber with added glass fiber powder is attached to the outer surface of the retaining ring and the sealing plate connected to the retaining ring to improve its strength, wear resistance and crack resistance. During the cooling process, double swallow-shaped tire treads are rolled out with a mold to complete the preparation of the safety tire.

[0036] Preferably, in step 3, before assembling the retaining ring, a shell-shaped protrusion is pre-formed on the outer surface of the retaining ring in one step to form various deformation-resistant and impact-resistant structures. Then, the outer sleeve is welded to the pre-drilled holes on the retaining ring containing the shell-shaped protrusions. After welding, the retaining ring is a continuous polygonal plate.

[0037] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0038] 1. The airless safety tire provided by the present invention uses an elastic support body instead of an inflatable tire inner tube to obtain load-bearing and buffering capacity, and is provided with a filling part that can absorb vibration energy. It has both the good elasticity of ordinary inflatable tires and the bulletproof, explosion-proof, airless performance, making it safer.

[0039] 2. Compared with ordinary airless solid tires, this safety tire has good driving stability, balances strength and elasticity, reduces unsprung mass, avoids the standing wave phenomenon of solid tires, has better adaptability to road surface, is conducive to vibration reduction and increased vehicle speed, makes the vehicle more suitable for off-road driving, and makes the handling more stable.

[0040] 3. The safety and explosion-proof tire provided by this invention ensures tire flexibility through an elastic support body. The elastic support body, limiting rubber ring, and filler achieve multi-level variable stiffness. Employing an eggshell and seashell biomimetic structure instead of a honeycomb biomimetic structure, the eggshell-shaped cavity outer gap filler achieves a small negative Poisson's ratio and does not have high air pressure, thus preventing tire bulging. The filler and eggshell cavity are integrated, providing damping for the tire, controlling tire deformation, and giving the tire excellent overall vibration reduction characteristics.

[0041] 4. This invention employs an eggshell-shaped cavity and an outer gap filler. Because the filler is concave where it conforms to the eggshell, it prevents bulging during compression due to its concavity and the eggshell's constraint. Furthermore, the ellipsoidal cavity disperses the tire's natural vibration frequency, attenuating and absorbing vibrational impact energy of various frequencies, thus improving vehicle safety at high speeds on uneven surfaces such as gravel. It is particularly suitable for field armored personnel carriers, military jeeps, and various SUVs. Attached Figure Description

[0042] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the invention.

[0043] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a portion of a biomimetic, airless, explosion-proof safety tire provided by the present invention;

[0044] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an elastic support structure;

[0045] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a rubber column structure;

[0046] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the limiting structure;

[0047] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the vibration damping unit structure;

[0048] Figure 6 This is an exploded view of the vibration damping unit structure.

[0049] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the fixed ring structure;

[0050] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the overall external structure of the tire;

[0051] Among them, 1-rim, 2-inner sleeve, 3-outer sleeve, 4-limiting rubber ring, 5-fixing ring, 6-damping spring, 7-rubber column, 8-limiting mechanism, 9-damping unit, 10-filling part, 11-shell-shaped protrusion, 12-tire rubber surface;

[0052] 71 - Soft rubber column, 72 - Hard rubber column;

[0053] 81-Slide groove, 82-Slide plate, 83-Slide key, 84-Reinforcing block, 85-Fan-shaped thin plate;

[0054] 91-Egg-shaped shell, 92-Hollow rubber support, 93-Ring. Detailed Implementation

[0055] It should be noted that the following detailed descriptions are exemplary and intended to provide further illustration of the invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0056] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of exemplary embodiments according to the invention. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0057] Example 1: A biomimetic structure for a pneumatic, explosion-proof safety tire

[0058] like Figure 1 and Figure 8 As shown, it includes a rim 1, a tire rubber surface, and components disposed on the rim 1 and the tire rubber surface (to illustrate other structures). Figure 1 The tire (not shown) consists of an elastic sleeve, an elastic support, a limiting rubber ring 4, and a filler 10 between the tire rubber surfaces. The elastic sleeve includes an inner sleeve 2 and an outer sleeve 3. The inner sleeve 2 is integrally formed with the rim 1, and the limiting rubber ring 4 is disposed on the outer periphery of the inner sleeve and fixedly connected to the rim 1. One end of the outer sleeve 3 is fitted around the outer periphery of the inner sleeve 2, and the other end is welded and fixed to a fixing ring 5. The rim, elastic sleeve, and fixing ring are all made of lightweight aluminum alloy. Alternatively, a secondary spring can be installed at the position of the limiting rubber ring 4 to directly support the lower edge of the outer sleeve 3 instead of the limiting rubber ring.

[0059] The outer sleeve 3 extends outward from one end of the inner sleeve 2 to ensure a large contact area with the limiting rubber ring 4 outside the inner sleeve.

[0060] like Figure 2As shown, the elastic support is a damping spring 6, which is a helical spring, located inside the inner sleeve 2 and outer sleeve 3 of the elastic sleeve, with both ends fixed to the rim 1 and the fixing ring 5, respectively. In this structure, because the damping spring needs to pass through the middle, the top of the inner sleeve is open. The helical spring is a compression spring made of high-toughness alloy spring steel containing Si, Mn, Cr, Mo, and V. The spring steel materials include 55Si2MnB, 50CrVA, 60Si2CrA, 60Si2CrVA, and 60CrMnMoA. Among them, 60Si2CrVA has high strength, high hardenability, and good heat treatment process performance; the manufacturer is Tangshan Hengtong Spring Vibration Damper Co., Ltd.

[0061] When bearing a large load, the outer sleeve descends and begins to compress upon contact with the limiting rubber ring. At this point, the limiting rubber ring 4 and the spring stiffness are superimposed in parallel to achieve a two-stage variable stiffness. To reinforce the limiting rubber ring, its circumference is covered with alkali-free glass fiber mesh. The glass fiber has a Young's modulus of elasticity of 76 GPa, a melting point of 680℃, and a density of 2.5 g / cm³. 3 .

[0062] As another implementation method, such as Figure 3 As shown, the elastic support is a rubber column 7, which includes a soft rubber column 71 and a hard rubber column 72. The inner sleeve 2 is closed at the top. The inner sleeve can be a solid cylinder or have an internal cavity to reduce weight. The rubber columns are located above the top of the inner sleeve 2 and inside the cavity of the outer sleeve 3. The Shore hardness of the softer rubber column 71 is 25 / ±5HD at 20°C, and the Shore hardness of the harder rubber column 72 is 70 / ±5HD at 20°C.

[0063] The rubber column sleeve vibration damping structure consists of two or more layers of soft and hard rubber columns with different elastic moduli. When using two layers, a 60mm high-hardness rubber block and a 30mm low-hardness rubber block are placed within a 90mm cavity to achieve good flexibility and minimal deformation, thus enabling multi-level variable stiffness. Rubber has high elongation, good resilience, and a density of approximately 1g / cm³. 3 Poisson's ratio is 0.5.

[0064] The combination of soft and hard rubber in the rubber column vibration damping sleeve can be flexibly selected according to needs. The rubber column vibration damping structure has a closed top of the inner sleeve, which results in a large compression surface, greater rigidity, and greater durability.

[0065] The elastic sleeve, elastic support body, and limiting rubber ring constitute an elastic support element. Several elastic support elements are arranged side-by-side along the rim axis, thus forming a set of elastic support mechanisms. As a typical embodiment, for example... Figure 1As shown, each set of elastic support mechanisms includes three elastic support elements; several sets of elastic support mechanisms are evenly arranged circumferentially around the outer periphery of the rim, with the rim axis as the center. This is a typical embodiment. Figure 1 The included angle between adjacent groups of elastic support mechanisms is 30°, that is, 12 groups of elastic support mechanisms are arranged radially at 30° intervals with the tire rolling axis as the center, and each group consists of three elastic sleeves.

[0066] like Figure 4 As shown, each set of support mechanisms is provided with a limiting mechanism 8 on both the front and rear sides along the axial direction of the wheel rim. The limiting mechanism 8 includes a groove 81 with its bottom end fixed to the wheel rim, a slide plate 82 with its top end fixed to the fixing ring 5, and a sliding key 83 fixed to the slide plate 82. The top of the groove 81 and the bottom of the slide plate 82 overlap. The groove 81 has an opening along the radial direction of the wheel rim. The sliding key 83 is located on the side of the slide plate 82 facing the groove and is embedded in the opening of the groove. During tire travel, the groove 81 and the slide plate 82 in the limiting mechanism at the top of the tire slide in opposite directions, while the groove 81 and the slide plate 82 in the limiting mechanism at the bottom of the tire slide relative to each other.

[0067] A reinforcing block 84 is provided between two adjacent limiting mechanisms. The reinforcing block is fixed to the sliding plate 82 of the limiting mechanism on both sides and fixed to the fixing ring 5 at the top, so as to provide support and reinforcement for the sliding plate 82.

[0068] like Figure 7 As shown, on the inner side 81 of the slide groove and the outer side of the slide plate 82, a fan-shaped thin plate 85 is respectively welded and fixed to the rim and the fixing ring. The fan-shaped thin plate 85 is fixed between two adjacent slide grooves 81 or between two adjacent slide plates 82. When there is no force, the edges of the two fan-shaped thin plates 85 have an overlap of about 15mm and can slide relative to each other.

[0069] The limiting rubber ring 4 is fitted onto the outer circumference of the inner sleeve at one end of the rim. When the spring or rubber column is compressed beyond 50mm, it begins to bear pressure, achieving multi-stage variable stiffness. This ensures both flexibility and high load-bearing capacity. When the limiting rubber ring is compressed significantly, the sliding plate 82 on the tire retaining ring contacts the bottom of the groove 81 on the rim, providing radial restraint for tire overload. Another important function of the engagement structure between the sliding plate 82 on the retaining ring 5 and the groove 81 on the rim is to maintain circumferential displacement consistency between the retaining ring and the rim, enabling the tire to bear greater driving and braking forces and improving the vehicle's acceleration and braking performance.

[0070] like Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, an egg-shaped vibration damping unit 9 is respectively arranged around the periphery of the rim 1 and between adjacent support units. The egg-shaped support structure 9 includes an egg-shaped shell 91 with a cavity, a hollow rubber support 92, and a collar 93. The collar 93, the inner sleeve 2, and the rim 1 are formed in one piece. The hollow rubber support 92 is placed in the collar 93, and the egg-shaped shell 91 is bonded and fixed to the hollow rubber support 92. The egg-shaped shell 91 is made of thin-walled alumina ceramic, manufactured by Zibo Bohang Electronic Ceramics Co., Ltd.

[0071] This structure also includes a filling part 10 located inside the tire. The filling part 10 uses polyethylene as the filling material and a shock-absorbing unit 9 with an egg-shaped shell as its framework, filling the internal space of the tire's rubber surface. In this embodiment, the polyethylene material used has a Young's modulus of 0.6 GPa, a melting point of 85°C, and a density of 0.95 g / cm³. 3 The density of closed-cell polyethylene foam formed by supercritical fluid extrusion foaming is 0.05 g / cm³. 3 It has a compressive strength ≥ 0.15 MPa and a tensile strength ≥ 0.15 MPa. It is lightweight, highly tough, and has good impact resistance. Its embrittlement temperature is below -70℃, exhibiting good low-temperature resistance and corrosion resistance.

[0072] The specific filling process involves first fixing an alumina thin-walled ceramic egg-shaped shell into the tire's inner cavity. Two egg-shaped shells are placed at each radial angle, positioned in the middle of the elastic sleeve group, with their axial position in the middle of the three sleeves in each group. This serves as the skeleton of the filler, providing both support and improving tire vibration performance. The biomimetic eggshell structure not only has excellent deformation resistance but also allows the filler between the shells to exhibit a negative Poisson's ratio, effectively improving the overall vibration characteristics of the tire. Then, fan-shaped thin plates 85 are welded between the rim grooves and between the fixed ring's sliding plates. These fan-shaped thin plates 85 are welded between adjacent grooves or sliding plates, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the edges of the two fan-shaped thin plates 85 overlap, thus forming a closed filling space within the tire cavity (during filling, steel plates are inserted into each groove opening, with the inside of the steel plates flush with the inside of the grooves; these steel plates are removed after filling). Then, polyethylene is injected using a supercritical fluid extrusion foaming method. The melt containing a large number of air bubbles is injected into the tire cavity and cooled to solidify. The manufacturer of the supercritical foaming equipment for filling is Taian Shili Machinery Equipment Co., Ltd. The total foamed polyethylene filling weight of the tire is only a few kilograms. It integrates with the eggshell cavity, effectively absorbing impact energy and giving the tire excellent vibration damping performance. A shell-shaped protrusion 11 is pressed onto the outer surface of the retaining ring 5 using a one-time thermoforming process. Figure 7 As shown, various deformation-resistant and impact-resistant structures are formed, and then rubber is attached to the outside. During the cooling process, the shape is pressed out using a mold to form a shape as shown. Figure 8 Tire 12 is shown.

[0073] Shell-shaped protrusions 11 structure Figure 7 As shown, the driving state accounts for a much larger proportion of the time than the braking state. Therefore, the small end of the shell faces backward when it rotates to the grounding point, at which time the driving and braking forces are more ideal.

[0074] Existing tires have irregular tread patterns, which, combined with high air pressure, can easily cause the tire to veer off course. The tread pattern on the outer surface of the tire rubber tread 12 in this invention is designed as follows: Figure 8 As shown, the low-diameter, high-height double herringbone pattern, also known as the double swallow pattern, has an equal coefficient of friction in both the left and right directions. This ensures that the tread pattern is essentially symmetrical during acceleration and braking, resulting in a higher coefficient of friction due to the greater braking acceleration. Furthermore, the symmetrical pattern prevents tire slippage and facilitates water drainage. The low-diameter, high-height herringbone pattern (meaning a smaller triangle height and a larger apex angle) reduces tire cornering resistance.

[0075] Furthermore, the fixing ring 5 is not a smooth circular shape, but a continuous multi-planar structure, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the contact position between the outer sleeve 3 and the fixing ring 5 is a plane, and the shell-shaped protrusion 11 is provided on the adjacent plane. The fixing ring fixes the outer sleeve and has a continuous multi-plane structure. It forms multiple trapezoidal structures with adjacent sleeves and the rim to reduce tire deformation under load (the two adjacent sleeves form the waist, the fixing ring forms the bottom, and the inner rim forms the top, forming a total of 12 trapezoids). Because the plane of the fixing ring is straight, it avoids the situation where the tops of the two adjacent spring sleeves sink due to load and tend to become flat, resulting in greater stress at the root of the spring sleeve, as is the case with the traditional round surface.

[0076] Traditional pneumatic tires, such as radial tires, use all-steel wires to withstand enormous air pressure, leaving no room for weight reduction. They are also very stiff, making them sensitive to even minor road imperfections and offering poor shock absorption. They are prone to bouncing off bumps at high speeds, resulting in poor safety. They are not suitable for driving on rough roads and require avoidance of ruts, curbs, stones, and other sharp objects. Maintaining the correct tire pressure is crucial, and adjustments should be made based on season, speed, load, and tire condition. Even so, tire blowouts still occur frequently in the hot summer months.

[0077] This invention provides a non-pneumatic tire. Because it does not need to withstand enormous air pressure, the rubber tread 12 of the outer tire only serves for wear resistance and providing ground adhesion. The rubber layer is significantly thinner than that of a conventional pneumatic tire, and the rubber coverage height of the two outer side plates is also smaller, only reaching the lower edge of the two outer side plates of the retaining ring. The amount of rubber used is minimal. The retaining ring is thermoformed in one step, creating numerous shell-shaped protrusions. These protrusions enhance adhesion and can redirect the force applied by sharp objects such as stones or shrapnel to protect the tire. Rubber is attached to the retaining ring and the two outer side plates, and as the temperature decreases, it is rolled on a mold to form a predetermined tire surface pattern. Therefore, the mass of this non-pneumatic tire is much less than that of a traditional pneumatic tire, reducing unsprung mass.

[0078] Example 2: A method for preparing a biomimetic, airless, explosion-proof safety tire.

[0079] Step 1: The inner sleeve of the elastic support body, the ring of the egg-shaped support structure, and the rim are formed in one piece; the limiting rubber ring is fitted onto the root of the inner sleeve and fixedly connected to the rim. The limiting rubber ring is covered with glass fiber cloth, whose Young's modulus of elasticity is much higher than that of rubber and its strength, which improves the service life of rubber and is lighter than aluminum alloy, thus reducing the weight of the wheel.

[0080] Step 2, install the vibration damping unit of the egg-shaped support structure: insert the hollow rubber support of the eggshell into the collar, and then bond and fix the thin-walled hollow structure of the eggshell to the hollow rubber support; the material of the thin-walled hollow structure of the eggshell is alumina ceramic pre-prepared; two empty eggshells are placed in a group at each radiation angle, located in the middle of the elastic sleeve group, and the axial position is in the middle of the three sleeves of each group of sleeves, as the skeleton of the filling material, so that the filling material exhibits a negative Poisson's ratio when compressed.

[0081] Step 3: Assemble the outer and inner sleeves. First, install the spring into the inner sleeve, then slip the outer sleeve onto the inner sleeve and spring. The retaining ring is pre-heat-formed to create shell-shaped protrusions, forming numerous deformation-resistant and impact-resistant structures. Then, slip the retaining rings with pre-drilled mounting holes onto each outer sleeve, and weld the outer sleeve and retaining ring together to seal the joint. After welding, the retaining ring is a continuous polygonal plate. When the spring acts as a support, the top of the inner sleeve is open, and the spring extends all the way to the bottom of the inner sleeve, pressing against the rim to ensure sufficient length and compression.

[0082] When the rubber column is used as an elastic support, it is first inserted into the outer sleeve, and then the rubber column and the outer sleeve are fitted onto the inner sleeve as a single unit. Next, the retaining rings with pre-drilled mounting holes for the outer sleeves are fitted onto each outer sleeve. The outer sleeves and retaining rings are then welded together, resulting in a continuous polygonal plate. When the rubber column is used as an elastic support, the top of the inner sleeve is closed, and the entire end face is compressed against the rubber column to ensure uniform stress distribution and long service life.

[0083] In this way, the outer sleeve is integrated with the fixing ring, and the root is closed, which allows load pressure to be applied to the spring or rubber.

[0084] Fiber cloth is covered on the inner wall of the tire; then the sliding key and slide plate are welded to the left and right sides of the fixed ring, and thin plate sealing plates are welded to the non-stressed blank areas with a fan-shaped lower edge; finally, after the sliding groove and sliding key are properly matched, the sliding groove is welded to the rim, and thin plate sealing plates are welded to the non-stressed blank areas with a fan-shaped upper edge that overlaps with the aforementioned fan-shaped edge sealing plate to form a closed cavity filled with foamed polyethylene.

[0085] Step 4, filling with polyethylene material: Using the cavity formed by sealing the outside of the fiber cloth in Step 3 with a hard thin plate as the mold cavity, polyethylene is filled by supercritical fluid extrusion foaming method. The melt containing a large number of air bubbles is injected from the reserved filling hole into the inner cavity of the tire formed by the rim, fixing ring and sealing plate, and then cooled and solidified. The combination of foamed polyethylene and eggshell cavity can effectively absorb impact energy, so that the tire exhibits excellent vibration reduction performance.

[0086] Step 5: After the main body of the tire is prepared, rubber with added glass fiber powder is attached to the outer surface of the retaining ring and the sealing plate connected to the retaining ring to improve its strength, wear resistance, and crack resistance. During the cooling process, a double swallow shape is rolled out using a mold to form the finished airless tire as shown in the figure. The tire rubber surface covers both sides of the skateboard and does not interfere with the rim when the load is applied downwards.

[0087] The eggshell-filled foamed polyethylene structure resembles reinforced concrete, exhibiting exceptional toughness and elasticity while providing damping for tire vibrations. The combination of the eggshell cavity and the foamed microcavities primarily functions to resist impacts, disperse the tire's natural vibration frequencies, and attenuate and absorb vibrational impact energy at various frequencies, thus improving vehicle safety at high speeds on uneven surfaces such as gravel. It is particularly suitable for field armored personnel carriers, military jeeps, and various SUVs, and with advancements in materials science, its applications will expand even further.

[0088] The novel safety tire provided by this invention possesses excellent elasticity and offers more flexible type selection. The parameters of the damping springs, damping rubber pillars, and limiting rubber rings can be combined according to load requirements. For tires used in special environments, the shell-shaped biomimetic protrusions on the retaining ring provide puncture resistance, bulletproof protection, and protection against explosive impacts. They also integrate well with the outer rubber coating, increasing ground friction. Bus tires can all adopt a spring-sleeve structure to ensure good ride comfort. The rubber pillar-sleeve structure is ideally suited for truck transportation, as it is simpler and the tire itself is lighter.

[0089] Traditional pneumatic tires typically have a tire pressure between 500-790 kPa, with high-pressure tires reaching as high as 900 kPa. In actual use, they are very stiff, especially in passenger vehicle transport, where the ride comfort of traditional pneumatic tires is unsatisfactory. Because they need to withstand such high pressure, the outer tires are usually made entirely of steel wire, making them extremely heavy with no room for weight reduction. Furthermore, punctures or insufficient pressure are very dangerous. Moreover, the high tire pressure makes it extremely dangerous for vehicles traveling at high speeds to encounter gravel or other rough terrain, and in summer, it can easily lead to high-temperature tire blowouts.

[0090] The ceramic shell of this non-pneumatic tire is bonded to the outer foamed polyethylene to form cavities of different sizes, giving the tire excellent shock absorption, avoiding such dangers, and ensuring safe high-speed driving on uneven roads in the wild.

[0091] This safety tire, by virtue of not requiring high tire pressure, achieves an overall weight reduction of over 20% compared to traditional pneumatic tires. Non-pneumatic tires with vibration-damping rubber pillars, where rubber is much lighter than springs, exhibit even more significant weight reduction. The novel safety tire provided by this invention utilizes an eggshell cavity filled with polyethylene foam to form a broad-spectrum vibration-absorbing structure. Furthermore, the material within the cavity exhibits a negative Poisson's ratio when subjected to radial pressure, thus reducing weight and optimizing the tire's inherent vibration characteristics. With the development of new materials, it demonstrates even superior performance, achieving further weight reduction. It can be widely applied in complex driving environments with high safety requirements, including small and medium-sized passenger and freight vehicles, off-road vehicles, and special-purpose vehicles (instrument vehicles, armored personnel carriers, racing cars, etc.).

[0092] The non-pneumatic tire provided by this invention has a tire width of 265mm. The parameters, quantity, tire width, and radius of the elastic support can be flexibly adjusted according to the load to adapt to different vehicle uses. It can be used to assemble 1.5-ton jeeps, 3.5-ton command vehicles, 5-ton troop carriers, 10-ton and 15-ton light off-road vehicles, and 30-ton, 35-ton, and 40-ton medium off-road vehicles. This non-pneumatic tire can be widely used in medium and small passenger and freight vehicles, off-road vehicles, and special vehicles (instrument vehicles, armored troop carriers, racing cars) in complex driving environments with high safety requirements.

[0093] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A biomimetic, airless, explosion-proof safety tire, characterized in that, It includes a rim, several sets of elastic support mechanisms evenly distributed around the rim circumference, several sets of vibration damping units, a filling part, a fixing ring, and a tire rubber surface. The fixing ring is attached and fixed to the tire rubber surface. Each set of elastic support mechanisms and vibration damping units is spaced apart. The filling part fills the cavity between the rim and the fixing ring. Each set of elastic support mechanisms includes several elastic sleeves, and each elastic sleeve is provided with an elastic support body. The elastic sleeve includes an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve. The inner sleeve is formed in one piece with the wheel rim. One end of the outer sleeve is fitted around the outer periphery of the inner sleeve, and the other end is welded and fixed to the fixing ring. It also includes a first limiting mechanism disposed on the outer periphery of the inner sleeve and located between the wheel rim and the outer sleeve; The first limiting mechanism is selected from a limiting rubber ring or a secondary spring; Each set of elastic support mechanisms is provided with a limiting mechanism on both the front and rear sides along the axial direction of the wheel rim. The limiting mechanism includes a groove fixed to the wheel rim at the bottom, a slide plate fixed to the fixed ring at the top, and a slide key fixed to the slide plate. The top of the groove and the bottom of the slide plate overlap. The groove has an opening along the radial direction of the wheel rim. The slide key is provided on the side of the slide plate facing the groove. The slide key is embedded in the opening of the groove. The groove and the slide plate slide relative to each other with the slide key as a guide.

2. The biomimetic structure of the airless explosion-proof safety tire according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic support is a compression spring, with its two ends fixed to the rim and the retaining ring, respectively; the inner sleeve has an opening at the top.

3. The biomimetic structure of the airless explosion-proof safety tire according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic support is a rubber column, which includes soft rubber columns and hard rubber columns; the top of the inner sleeve is closed, and the rubber column is located above the top of the inner sleeve and inside the cavity of the outer sleeve.

4. The biomimetic structure of the airless explosion-proof safety tire according to claim 1, characterized in that, A reinforcing block is provided between two adjacent limiting mechanisms. The reinforcing block is fixed to the sliding plate of the limiting mechanism on both sides and fixed to the fixing ring at the top. Between two adjacent limiting mechanisms, a sealing plate fixed to the rim is welded to the inner side of the slide groove and a sealing plate fixed to the rim is welded to the outer side of the sliding plate. The edges of the two sealing plates overlap and can slide relative to each other.

5. The biomimetic structure of the airless explosion-proof safety tire according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vibration damping unit includes an ellipsoidal shell with a cavity, a hollow rubber support, and a collar. The collar, inner sleeve, and rim are manufactured in one piece. The hollow rubber support is placed in the collar, and the ellipsoidal shell is bonded and fixed to the hollow rubber support. The cavity wall of the ellipsoidal shell is made of alumina ceramic.

6. The biomimetic structure of the airless explosion-proof safety tire according to claim 5, characterized in that, The filling part uses polyethylene as the filling material and the outer wall of the ellipsoidal shell as the skeleton. The filling part is prepared by filling polyethylene with supercritical fluid extrusion foaming method, and injecting the melt containing air bubbles into the tire cavity for cooling and solidification.

7. The biomimetic structure of the airless explosion-proof safety tire according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer surface of the retaining ring has shell-shaped protrusions.

8. The method for preparing the biomimetic structure-free, explosion-proof safety tire according to claim 5, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: The inner sleeve of the elastic sleeve, the ring of the vibration damping unit, and the rim are formed in one piece; Then, the limiting rubber ring is put on the end of the inner sleeve that contacts the wheel rim, and the limiting rubber ring is fixedly connected to the wheel rim. The limiting rubber ring is covered with fiberglass cloth. Step 2, Install the ellipsoidal spherical shell vibration damping unit: Insert a hollow rubber support into the collar, and then bond and fix the outer wall of the ellipsoidal spherical shell to the hollow rubber support; the ellipsoidal spherical shell structure material is alumina ceramic pre-prepared; Step 3: Assemble the outer sleeve and inner sleeve, then put the retaining ring with the pre-drilled mounting holes on each outer sleeve, and weld the outer sleeve and retaining ring together; When the rubber column is used as an elastic support, first insert the rubber column into the outer sleeve, and then fit the rubber column and the outer sleeve together onto the inner sleeve as a whole. When the spring is used as an elastic support, first install the spring into the inner sleeve, with the spring extending all the way to the bottom of the inner sleeve, and then put the outer sleeve onto the inner sleeve and the spring. Cover the inner wall of the tire with a fiber cloth; Then, the slide plate with the sliding key is welded to the left and right sides of the fixing ring, and the non-stressed blank area is welded with a sealing plate; After the slide groove and slide key are fitted together, the slide groove is welded to the rim, and the non-stressed blank area is welded with a sealing plate, which overlaps with the edge of the sealing plate at the slide plate. The rim, the fixing ring, and the sealing plate form a closed cavity filled with foamed polyethylene. Step 4, filling with polyethylene material: The specific filling process is to inject polyethylene using the supercritical fluid extrusion foaming method. The melt containing air bubbles is injected into the tire cavity formed by the rim, retaining ring, and sealing plate, and then cooled and solidified. Step 5: Attach a rubber layer to the outer surface of the retaining ring and the sealing plate connected to the retaining ring. During the cooling process of the rubber, use a mold to press out a double swallow-shaped tire tread to complete the preparation of the safety tire.

9. The method for preparing the biomimetic structure-free, explosion-proof safety tire according to claim 8, characterized in that, In step 3, before assembling the retaining ring, a shell-shaped protrusion is pre-formed on the outer surface of the retaining ring in one step to form various deformation-resistant and impact-resistant structures. Then, the outer sleeve is welded to the pre-drilled holes on the retaining ring containing the shell-shaped protrusions. After welding, the retaining ring is a continuous polygonal plate.

Images