Spoke of non-pneumatic tire and wheel comprising same

Abstract

The utility model discloses a spoke of a non-pneumatic tire and a wheel comprising the same. The spoke of the non-pneumatic tire comprises a spoke body, the spoke body is an elastic piece and is provided with a plurality of through holes, and the through holes are distributed around the central axis of the spoke body in a circumferential array mode. A plurality of groups of through holes are formed, and the diameters of the through holes in each group are gradually increased in the radial direction of the spoke body from inside to outside; wherein two adjacent groups of through holes are arranged in a staggered manner and form a negative Poisson's ratio structure, and walls with equal or similar wall thicknesses are arranged between any two through holes. The inner diameters of the through holes are gradually increased from the inner side of the spoke body to the outer side of the spoke body, the wall thicknesses of the through holes are adjusted by arranging the adjacent two sets of through holes in a staggered mode, it is guaranteed that the wall thicknesses of all positions are equal or similar while the spoke forms an overall negative Poisson's ratio elastic structure, and therefore the stress concentration degree when the spoke is pressed is reduced, and the service life of the spoke is prolonged. Therefore, the loading capacity of the spoke is improved, the service life of the spoke is prolonged, and the requirement for shock absorption of the wheel is met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of wheels, in particular to a wheel spoke of a pneumatic-free tire and a wheel comprising the same. Background Art

[0002] Tires are the ground-contacting components of a vehicle and are connected to the vehicle through the matching rim. Currently, traditional pneumatic tires are widely used on vehicles. These tires form a cavity with the rim, and when inflated, they provide load-bearing, torque transmission, and vibration damping. Because pneumatic tires rely on air pressure to maintain their load-bearing function, they lose their functionality if the tire structure is damaged, or if it explodes or loses air, posing a potential safety risk to both drivers and vehicles.

[0003] In order to solve the problems of tire blowout, air leakage and other possible driving safety problems, airless tires are now available on the market. They use elastic spoke structure for support, transmit wheel torque and play a role in buffering and vibration reduction. The tires do not need to be inflated and will not blow out, thereby improving driving safety.

[0004] These airless tires typically feature hollow structures in the spokes to enhance their elasticity. When the tire is under pressure, evenly distributing the pressure to each hollow structure is crucial. If a portion of the tire's hollow structure is subjected to excessive force for extended periods, it can easily deform and collapse, compromising driving safety. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention provides a spoke for a pneumatic tire that can evenly transfer the pressure exerted on the tire to all parts of the spoke, so that the spoke is evenly stressed.

[0006] The present invention also provides a wheel having the spokes of the pneumatic-free tire.

[0007] The spoke of the pneumatic tire according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a spoke body;

[0008] The spoke body is an elastic member and is provided with a plurality of through holes extending through the spoke body along its thickness direction. The through holes are distributed in a circular array around the central axis of the spoke body. The through holes are provided in multiple groups. The through holes in the same group are equidistant from the central axis of the spoke body. The diameters of the through holes in each group gradually increase along the radial direction from the inside to the outside of the spoke body.

[0009] Two adjacent groups of through holes are staggered to form a negative Poisson's ratio structure. Among all the through holes, a wall is provided between any two of the through holes, and the thickness of the wall is equal or similar.

[0010] The spokes of the airless tire according to the embodiment of the present invention have at least the following beneficial effects: the inner diameter of the through hole gradually increases from the inner side to the outer side of the spoke body, and the two adjacent groups of through holes are staggered to adjust the wall thickness of the through hole, so that the spoke forms an overall negative Poisson's ratio elastic structure while ensuring that the wall thickness at all locations is equal or similar, thereby reducing the stress concentration when the spoke is compressed, reducing the stress peak of the entire spoke structure, making the force on all locations of the spoke more uniform, improving the load capacity and service life of the spoke, and taking into account the shock absorption requirements of the wheel.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the difference in wall thickness between the walls is less than 30% of the average wall thickness.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the through hole is specifically a circular through hole.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the through hole is specifically an elliptical through hole.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the group of through holes located at the outermost side and / or the group of through holes located at the innermost side are in the shape of non-integer circular holes or non-integer elliptical holes.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the wall has a thickness of 1 to 10 mm.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the material of the spoke body includes but is not limited to rubber, polyurethane, polyester elastomer or nylon elastomer, and the elastic spoke body and the negative Poisson's ratio structure composed of each through hole together form an elastic structure.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of second grooves are formed on the outer wall surface of the spoke body for engaging with the crown of the tire to improve the bonding strength with the crown.

[0018] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the wheel comprises a rim and the spokes of the above-mentioned airless tire, wherein the inner wall surface of the spoke body is provided with a first boss, the spoke body is sleeved on the outside of the rim, and the outer side surface of the rim is provided with a groove for engaging with the first boss.

[0019] The wheel according to the embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: the spokes and rim of the airless tire are connected to each other by snap-fitting, which has stronger bonding strength than traditional bonding, thereby preventing the two from loosening when transmitting torque.

[0020] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the spoke body and the rim are interference fit, which makes assembly and disassembly more convenient.

[0021] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description which follows, or may be learned by practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, in which:

[0023] Figure 1 A front view of a spoke of a pneumatic tire according to the first aspect of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0025] Figure 3 A three-dimensional diagram of a spoke of a pneumatic tire according to the first aspect of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the deformation of the spokes of the pneumatic tire under pressure according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Reference numerals: 100 - spoke body, 110 - inner wall surface, 120 - outer wall surface, 130 - wall, 200 - through hole, 300 - first boss, 400 - second groove. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following describes embodiments of the present invention in detail. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended only to explain the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0029] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that descriptions involving orientations, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limitations on the present invention.

[0030] In the description of the present invention, "several" means more than one, "plurality" means more than two, "greater than," "less than," and "exceed" are understood to exclude the number itself, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the number itself. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is solely for the purpose of distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, implicitly specifying the number of the indicated technical features, or implicitly specifying the order of the indicated technical features.

[0031] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as setting, installing, and connecting should be understood in a broad sense, and technicians in the relevant technical field can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0032] In the description of the present invention, reference to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the exemplary expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0033] Tires are the ground-contacting components of a vehicle and are connected to the vehicle through the matching rim. Currently, traditional pneumatic tires are widely used on vehicles. These tires form a cavity with the rim, and when inflated, they provide load-bearing, torque transmission, and vibration damping. Because pneumatic tires rely on air pressure to maintain their load-bearing function, they lose their functionality if the tire structure is damaged, or if it explodes or loses air, posing a potential safety risk to both drivers and vehicles.

[0034] In order to solve the problems of tire blowout, air leakage and other possible driving safety problems, airless tires are now available on the market. They use elastic spoke structure for support, transmit wheel torque and play a role in buffering and vibration reduction. The tires do not need to be inflated and will not blow out, thereby improving driving safety.

[0035] These airless tires typically feature hollow structures in the spokes to enhance their elasticity. When the tire is under pressure, evenly distributing the pressure to each hollow structure is crucial. If a portion of the tire's hollow structure is subjected to excessive force for extended periods, it can easily deform and collapse, compromising driving safety.

[0036] In this regard, the present application proposes a spoke for an airless tire, in which the inner diameter of the through hole 200 gradually increases from the inside to the outside of the spoke body 100, and the two adjacent groups of through holes 200 are staggered to adjust the wall thickness of the through hole 200, so that the spoke forms an overall negative Poisson's ratio elastic structure while ensuring that the wall thickness at each location is equal or similar, thereby reducing the stress concentration when the spoke is under pressure, reducing the stress peak of the entire spoke structure, making the force on each location of the spoke more uniform, improving the load capacity and service life of the spoke, and taking into account the shock absorption needs of the wheel.

[0037] In addition, the present application also proposes a wheel comprising the spokes of the above-mentioned airless tire. The spokes and rim of the airless tire are connected to each other by a snap-fit ​​method, which has a stronger bonding strength than traditional bonding, thereby preventing the two from loosening when transmitting torque.

[0038] Reference Figure 1 The wheel spoke of the airless tire in the first embodiment of the present application comprises a wheel spoke body 100. The wheel spoke body 100 is the main structure of the wheel spoke of the airless tire, is cylindrical and has an inner hole in the center for fitting the rim. The wheel spoke body 100 is formed along its thickness direction (perpendicular to the wheel spoke body 100). Figure 1 The spoke body 100 transitions from one end face to the other end face in the direction of the spoke body 100, and an inner wall surface 110 and an outer wall surface 120 are provided between the two end faces of the spoke body 100. The inner wall surface 110 is used to connect with the outer side face of the rim, and the outer wall surface 120 is used to connect with the crown of the tire.

[0039] The spoke body 100 is an elastic member and is provided with multiple through-holes 200 extending through its thickness. The two ends of the through-holes 200 extend through the two end surfaces of the spoke body 100. The through-holes 200 are arranged in a circular array around the central axis of the spoke body 100. It is worth noting that the through-holes 200 are arranged in multiple groups, with the through-holes 200 in each group being equidistant from the central axis of the spoke body 100. The diameters of the through-holes 200 in each group gradually increase radially from the inside out of the spoke body 100.

[0040] Furthermore, a wall 130 is provided between any two through-holes 200. The thickness of each wall 130 is equal or similar, and the difference in thickness between the walls is less than 30% of the average wall thickness. This prevents the spoke body 100 from breaking at locations where the through-holes 200 are too close together, thus ensuring uniform compression across the spoke body 100. In this application, the thickness of a wall 130 refers to the distance between the centers of two through-holes 200 minus the radius of each through-hole 200. The average wall thickness refers to the average value obtained by summing the thicknesses of the individual walls 130 and dividing the sum by the number of walls 130.

[0041] Furthermore, the staggered arrangement of two adjacent groups of through-holes 200 allows for a closer arrangement, accommodating more through-holes 200 within the limited end surface area of ​​the spoke body 100. Increasing the number of through-holes 200 further reduces material consumption and lowers spoke production costs. Furthermore, when the spoke body 100 is subjected to pressure, the walls between the two through-holes 200 collapse into the through-holes 200, forming a negative Poisson's ratio structure that results in the overall contraction of the spoke body 100. This further enhances the rigidity and load-bearing capacity of the spoke.

[0042] Therefore, from an overall perspective, the wall 130 between each through hole 200 has the same thickness, so that when the tire is subjected to stress, the stress conditions of each wall 130 are similar, avoiding stress concentration in local positions and ensuring that the entire spoke is evenly stressed.

[0043] Optionally, refer to Figure 2 The outer wall 120 of the spoke body 100 is formed with a plurality of second grooves 400 for engaging with the tire's crown. The tire crown refers to the entire area between the two tire shoulders, including the tread, breaker layer (or belt layer), and carcass ply, which is the portion of the tire that directly contacts the ground. The outer wall 120 of the spoke body 100 utilizes multiple second grooves 400 to strengthen the bond with the tire crown, thereby reducing the risk of loosening between the tire and the spoke body 100 and ensuring that the tire and the spoke body 100 rotate at the same angular velocity.

[0044] Furthermore, glue may be provided between the tire crown and the outer wall surface 120 of the spoke body 100 , and the adhesive force of the glue may be utilized to further enhance the bonding strength between the tire crown and the spoke body 100 , thereby preventing the two from becoming loose.

[0045] Specifically, the spoke body 100 may be made of, but not limited to, rubber, polyurethane, polyester elastomer, or nylon elastomer, preferably with an elastic modulus of 30 MPa to 300 MPa. The elastic material ensures that the spoke body 100 itself possesses a certain degree of elasticity, and the elastic spoke body 100 and the negative Poisson's ratio structure formed by the through-holes 200 together form an elastic structure.

[0046] Optionally, the through-holes 200 are circular. This, on the one hand, reduces the difficulty of mold processing, and the spoke body 100 can be injection-molded, cast, or vulcanized using an elastic material, making the product process easier to implement. Furthermore, circular through-holes are less likely to produce stress concentration effects when under pressure, thereby extending the service life of the spoke body 100 and providing more uniform ground contact pressure on the tire, effectively improving tire grip, shortening braking distance, lowering ground contact pressure under the same load, and improving tread wear resistance. It is readily understood that, depending on actual needs, the through-holes 200 may also be square, polygonal, or elliptical, or other shapes, which will not be further described here.

[0047] Optionally, the outermost group of through holes 200 and / or the innermost group of through holes 200 are in the shape of non-circular holes or non-elliptical holes, so that when the surface area of ​​the spoke body 100 is insufficient, at least one of the outermost and innermost groups of through holes 200 can be designed to be an incomplete shape.

[0048] Specifically, the number of groups of through holes in the present application is preferably 3 to 5 groups. On the one hand, the arrangement of the through holes 200 on the spoke body 100 is denser. On the other hand, the increase in the number of through hole groups allows the elasticity and rigidity of the spoke body 100 to have more levels of changes from the inside to the outside of the spoke body 100, thereby avoiding excessive sudden changes in elasticity and rigidity in different parts of the spoke body 100, which may cause uneven force on the spoke body 100.

[0049] Specifically, the wall 130 between any two through-holes 200 has a thickness of 1 to 10 mm, ensuring that the wall thickness is neither too small, resulting in insufficient rigidity of the spoke body 100, nor too large, resulting in excessive consumption of raw materials for producing the spoke body 100. The wall thickness tolerance between any two through-holes 200 is ±0.5 mm, and the maximum difference in wall thickness between any two through-holes 200 does not exceed 1 mm.

[0050] Reference Figure 4 Using simulation software, the spokes of this pneumatic-free tire were subjected to stress analysis. When subjected to pressure, the walls 130 between adjacent through-holes 200 collapse into the through-holes 200, causing the spoke body 100 to contract perpendicular to the pressure, creating a negative Poisson's ratio. This gives the spoke body 100 greater rigidity and load-bearing capacity. Furthermore, because the walls 130 are of equal or similar thickness, stress is evenly distributed across the spoke body 100, preventing partial collapse due to excessive stress.

[0051] A wheel in an embodiment of the second aspect of the present application comprises a rim and the spokes of the above-mentioned airless tire, wherein the spoke body 100 is sleeved on the outside of the rim to achieve sleeve engagement. In this embodiment, in order to make the combination of the spoke body 100 and the rim tighter, the inner wall surface of the spoke body 100 is clamped with the outer side surface of the rim. Figure 3 The inner wall 110 of the spoke body 100 is provided with a first boss 300 for engaging with the outer side of the rim. Correspondingly, the outer side of the rim is also provided with a groove to mate with the inner wall of the spoke body 100. Thus, the first boss 300 and the rim are engaged, increasing the friction between them and preventing them from coming loose during torque transmission, which could lead to safety accidents. It will be readily understood that the inner wall of the spoke body 100 could also have a groove and the outer side of the rim provided with a boss, thereby achieving the same engaging effect.

[0052] As is easy to understand, in order to make the rim and the spokes of the present airless tire more tightly bonded, glue is provided between the outer wall surface of the rim and the inner wall surface 110 of the spoke body 100. Thus, the rim and the spoke body 100 are not only clamped together by the structure of the first boss 300, but also bonded together by the glue, further enhancing the bonding strength between the two and preventing them from loosening when the wheel rotates.

[0053] Furthermore, the spoke body 100 forms an interference fit with the rim. The inner diameter of the spoke body 100 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the rim. Therefore, when the inner diameter of the spoke body 100 is sleeved onto the outer side of the rim, the elastic force of the spoke body 100 causes the inner diameter to contract and fit tightly against the outer side of the rim, thereby enhancing the tightness of the connection between the two.

[0054] While the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications may be made within the scope of knowledge possessed by a person skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention and the features thereof may be combined with one another unless there is a conflict.

Claims

1. A spoke for a pneumatic tire, characterized in that: including a spoke body; The spoke body is an elastic member and is provided with a plurality of through holes extending through the spoke body along its thickness direction. The through holes are distributed in a circular array around the central axis of the spoke body. The through holes are provided in multiple groups. The through holes in the same group are equidistant from the central axis of the spoke body. The diameters of the through holes in each group gradually increase along the radial direction from the inside to the outside of the spoke body. Two adjacent groups of through holes are staggered to form a negative Poisson's ratio structure. Among all the through holes, a wall is provided between any two of the through holes, and the thickness of the wall is equal or similar.

2. The spoke of the pneumatic tire according to claim 1, characterized in that: The difference in wall thickness between the walls is less than 30% of the average wall thickness.

3. The spoke of the pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein: The through hole is specifically a circular through hole.

4. The spoke of the pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein: The through hole is specifically an elliptical through hole.

5. The spoke of the pneumatic tire according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The group of through holes located at the outermost side and / or the group of through holes located at the innermost side are in the shape of non-integer circular holes or non-integer elliptical holes.

6. The spoke of the pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein: The wall thickness is 1 to 10 mm.

7. The spoke of the pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein: The elastic spoke body and the negative Poisson's ratio structure composed of the through holes together form an elastic structure.

8. The spoke of the pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein: The outer wall surface of the spoke body is provided with a plurality of second grooves for clamping with the crown of the tire.

9. A wheel, characterized in that: The invention comprises a wheel rim and a wheel spoke of the airless tire according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the inner wall surface of the wheel spoke body is provided with a first boss, the wheel spoke body is sleeved on the outer side of the wheel rim, and the outer side surface of the wheel rim is provided with a groove for engaging with the first boss.

10. The wheel according to claim 9, characterized in that: The spoke body is interference fit with the rim.

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