Anti-skid device for road vehicles

Abstract

To improve performance of anti-skid devices in terms of safety, and improve ease of attachment to and detachment from a tire.SOLUTION: An anti-skid device (100) for road vehicles suitable for being mounted on a car tire comprises a main band (1) suitable for wrapping at least the entire tread of a vehicle tire. The main band comprises a fabric band and an elastic band on the side facing the vehicle, comprises a net (2) on the side opposite the vehicle, and comprises at least one pair of belts (4). The fabric band, the elastic band and the net are firmly attached to the main band. In the device, the belts are sewn with a "sandwich" structure on the main band, that is, an end of the main band, an end of a belt, an end of the net, and a portion of a closing fabric (3), which is positioned further outside the main band, are sewn together.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an innovative anti-skid device for road vehicles, particularly suitable for attachment to wheels to increase the friction between the road surface and the wheels during winter. [Background technology]

[0002] As is well known, vehicle anti-skid devices, also known as snow socks, are anti-skid devices attached to the drive wheels of a vehicle to improve grip on icy and snowy surfaces. They are an alternative to traditional snow chains and are designed to improve traction on slippery winter surfaces. These socks are made from durable and resilient materials such as nylon and other synthetic fibers and can be adapted to various tire sizes. They are usually placed around the tire as an additional cover to improve grip on snowy and icy surfaces.

[0003] It is important to note that the use of snow socks is regulated by law and may vary from country to country. To ensure maximum safety, it is essential to purchase snow socks that comply with European regulations, i.e. that have the relevant approvals.

[0004] Therefore, there is an increasing demand for such anti-skid devices in the market, and there is a demand for improved safety performance of the anti-skid devices and improved ease of attachment / detachment to / from tires.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need to provide an innovative anti-skid device for road vehicles that minimizes the above inconveniences. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention proposes a way to solve the technical problems highlighted above, and therefore the object of the present invention is to define an anti-skid device for road vehicles.

[0007] According to the present invention, the anti-skid device can be easily attached to and detached from the tire of the vehicle.

[0008] Therefore, according to the invention, an anti-skid device is described having the features set out in the independent claims attached hereto.

[0009] Further, preferred and / or particularly advantageous embodiments of the invention are described having the features set out in the accompanying dependent claims. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a first overall perspective view of an anti-slip device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a second perspective view of the anti-skid device of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a detailed view of a portion of the anti-skid device of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a detail of FIG. [Figure 4a] FIG. 4a is an enlarged detail of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a top view of an anti-skid device attached to a tire. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an anti-skid device applied to a tire. [Figure 6a] FIG. 6a is a cross-sectional view of an anti-skid device applied to a tire. [Figure 6b] FIG. 6b is a detailed view of a portion of the anti-skid device of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show some non-limiting embodiments.

[0012] By way of purely illustrative and non-limiting example, the invention will now be described with reference to the above figures.

[0013] The road vehicle anti-skid device 100 is suitable for attachment to automobile tires to improve road traction in winter. The device comprises a highly wear-resistant main band 1 which encases the entire tread of the tire 7, with sections of fabric sewn in to hold it in a well-defined position around the wheel of the vehicle to prevent it from becoming lost or misplaced during use, which would impair its function.

[0014] Advantageously, the main band 1 is a nylon fabric made from highly abrasion resistant yarns.

[0015] The main band 1 wraps around the entire tread to an extent that it covers at least 10% of the surface on both sides of the vehicle tire 7 .

[0016] As shown in Figure 6, the main band 1 is made of a single fabric strip, the two end edges 50, 51 of which are overlapped and sewn together in an overlapping area 60 between them along the entire cross section of the band. The overlapping area 60 occupies at least an angle α equal to 10° of the circumference of the wheel (see Figure 6b). In particular, the seam that closes the main band 1 is positioned corresponding to the bisector 8 of the first quadrant of the circumference.

[0017] Additionally, a net 2, also made of nylon, is sewn onto the exterior or main band 1 of the device 100 (FIGS. 1 and 2). The net 2 is configured to completely seal the exterior of the wheel (i.e., the side facing away from the vehicle) and limits the entry of solid objects such as snow, mud, and gravel, preventing them from adhering to the vehicle rim. The net 2 also serves to tighten the device to the wheel on the exterior, reducing slippage between the main band 1 and the tread of the tire 7.

[0018] 5, there is at least one set of belts 4, also made of nylon, on the net 2 outside the device 100. Advantageously, there are four sets of belts 4 to increase the strength of the device 100. In particular, the belts 4 are arranged in two sets, at 90° to each other, i.e., perpendicularly, along the y-axis and z-axis passing through the center of the device 100. The belts 4 forming one set are parallel to each other and spaced apart by approximately 3 to 5 cm, preferably 3.9 cm.

[0019] Advantageously, the belt 4 also serves to facilitate centering of the device when mounted on the tire 7 .

[0020] As shown in detail in Figures 4 and 4a, the belt 4 is sewn in a "sandwich" fashion to more securely attach it to the main band 1. This "sandwich" seam includes the end of the main band 1, a portion of the closure fabric 3, the end of the belt 4, and the end of the net 2.

[0021] Advantageously, the device 100 object of the invention has four "sandwich" seams, each corresponding to a portion of the closure cloth 3.

[0022] Advantageously, the overlapping area 60 of the main band 1 is not arranged in correspondence with any of the "sandwich" seams, but is included in the space between two consecutive "sandwich" seams, this choice being driven by the fact that it is not desirable to make one of the "sandwich" seams thicker and therefore weaker than the other seams.

[0023] As shown in the attached drawing, at the ends of the two pairs of belts 4, i.e., at the ends of the four associated seams, there are four closure portions 3 made of the fabric of the main band 1, which are arranged horizontally along the entire main band 1.

[0024] The four closures 3 are also made from abrasion-resistant nylon fabric and are sewn perpendicular to the direction of travel to the main band, increasing grip on the road.

[0025] The inside (vehicle-facing) side of the device (FIG. 2) has a fabric band 5, preferably made of nylon, with one of its first long sides sewn to the outer surface of the main band 1 and a second long side sewn to an elastic band 6. The elastic band 6 serves to keep the device 100 taut inside the tire 7.

[0026] Advantageously, the anti-skid device 100 of the present invention is configured to be easily attached and removed from the tire due to the presence of the elastic band 6.

[0027] Advantageously, the anti-skid device 100 of the present invention is configured to be held securely to the tire due to the presence of the fabric band 5 .

[0028] It should be understood that in addition to the methods of practicing the present invention as described above, there are numerous further variations. It should also be understood that the above-described methods of practicing the present invention are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, its applications, or its possible configurations. On the contrary, the above description will enable one skilled in the art to practice the present invention according to at least one of its exemplary configurations, but it should be understood that numerous variations of the described components are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. An anti-skid device for road vehicles suitable for mounting on a vehicle tyre, comprising at least a main band (1) suitable for enveloping the entire tread of a vehicle tyre (7), The main band (1) comprises a fabric band (5) and an elastic band (6) on the side facing the vehicle, a net (2) on the side opposite the vehicle, and at least one set of belts (4), The fabric band (5), the elastic band (6) and the net (2) are firmly attached to the main band (1); The anti-slip device (100) is characterized in that the belt (4) is sewn to the main band (1) in a "sandwich" structure, i.e., the end of the main band (1), the end of the belt (4), the end of the net (2), and a part of the closure fabric (3) located further outside the main band (1) are sewn together.

2. 2. The anti-slip device (100) of claim 1, wherein the number of sets of the at least one belt (4) is two, and each set is arranged along an axis (y, z) passing through the center of the device (100) and is arranged at an angle of 90° to each other.

3. The anti-skid device (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the belt spacing of at least one set of said belts (4) is about 3 to 5 cm.

4. The anti-skid device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the main band (1) covers at least 10% of each side of the tire (7) of a vehicle.

5. 5. An anti-skid device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the main band (1) comprises two ends firmly connected by an overlapping area (60), the overlapping area (60) occupying an angle (θ) of at least 10° around the circumference of the tire.

6. 6. An anti-skid device (100) according to claim 5, wherein the overlapping area (60) is positioned corresponding to the bisector (8) of a first quadrant of the circumference of the tire (7).

7. 7. The anti-slip device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the main band (1), the belt (4), the net (2) and the closure cloth (3) are made of nylon made of highly abrasion resistant yarn.

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