Non-pneumatic tire and multi-segment support thereof

Abstract

A multi-segment support (10) of a non-pneumatic tire, comprising at least three leg portions (11) connected in sequence and nose portions (12) correspondingly connected between any two adjacent leg portions (11). Each leg portion (11) comprises a framework (1101) and a connecting portion (1102) connected to the framework (1101), and the connecting portion (1102) and the nose portions (12) are both made of a polymer elastic material and are fixedly connected to each other. Since each leg portion (11) comprises the framework (1101), and the framework (1101) provides an effect of supporting and has a lower deformation capability than the elastic material, the amount of the elastic material used of the leg portion (11) can be reduced, and the use of the elastic material at a deformed and stressed portion can be avoided, thereby significantly reducing a rolling resistance. In addition, the nose portions (12) made of polymer elastic materials enable the multi-segment support (10) to have a deformation capability when subjected to a force, can serve as a movable joint connecting two adjacent leg portions (11), and provide effects of buffering and shock absorption. In addition, the connecting portions (1102) and the nose portions (12) are made of polymer elastic materials and are fixedly connected to each other, such that each leg portion (11) and each nose portion (12) can be connected and combined as one piece. Further disclosed is a non-pneumatic tire comprising the multi-segment support.

Description

Non-pneumatic tire and multi-section support body thereof

[0001] Cross-reference to Related Applications

[0002] The present disclosure claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 2024107336905, filed on June 7, 2024, and entitled “Non-pneumatic tire and multi-section support body thereof”, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present application relates to the tire technical field, in particular to a non-pneumatic tire and a multi-section support body thereof. BACKGROUND

[0004] The energy consumption of passenger cars at a speed of 100 km / h due to tire rolling resistance accounts for as high as 25%. Therefore, the rolling resistance performance of the tire is an important indicator for the development and optimization of the industry. The rolling resistance is the mechanical energy converted into heat when the tire rolls over a unit distance on the road. The rolling resistance includes the mechanical energy loss caused by the air resistance related to rolling, the friction between the tire and the road and the tire and the rim, and the energy loss (hysteresis loss) occurring inside the tire structure. In addition, it also includes the bearing loss at the wheel shaft. A considerable part of the energy conversion in the tire occurs inside, resulting in heat dissipation within the tire volume and an increase in tire temperature. The heat dissipation in the tire is the result of the mechanical hysteresis of the material. The energy loss of this part of the material accounts for 85% to 90%. The energy loss equation of the tire can be simply written as the product of the material deformation, the material deformation volume and the material loss characteristics.

[0005] The non-pneumatic tire in the related art uses an elastic support body to replace the tire pressure effect of the pneumatic tire to provide support for the vehicle. The emergence of the non-pneumatic tire breaks the cognitive concept of the traditional tire, and breaks through the original limitations in terms of tire structure design optimization, material selection and production process formulation. The support body in the non-pneumatic tire is usually composed of a single material such as polyurethane, rubber and resin, which are high molecular elastomers with high modulus. The support body mainly relies on the compression stiffness and tensile stiffness of the elastomer to provide tire load. The high molecular elastomer has significant hysteresis loss. During the tire load rolling process, the high molecular material will undergo corresponding high-frequency cyclic deformation, and therefore the tire material generates significant heat, i.e. mechanical energy is converted into internal energy. Therefore, the non-pneumatic tire designed using high molecular elastomer as the main material has a large rolling resistance loss. SUMMARY

[0006] According to various embodiments of the present application, the present application provides a non-pneumatic tire and a multi-section support body thereof.

[0007] A multi-section support body of a non-pneumatic tire for connecting a rim and a shear band of the non-pneumatic tire, the multi-section support body comprising: at least three leg portions connected in sequence and a nose portion connected between two adjacent leg portions, each leg portion comprising a skeleton and a connecting portion connected to the skeleton, and the connecting portion and the nose portion are made of a polymer elastic material and fixedly connected.

[0008] In one embodiment, the connecting portion is wrapped around the outside of the skeleton.

[0009] In one embodiment, the multi-section support body has a radial distance of L1 between two ends, and a path length of L2 in the radial direction, and a residual length Δ=(L2-L1) / L1, wherein 12%≤Δ≤75%.

[0010] In one embodiment, one end of the leg portion near the rim and / or one end of the leg portion near the shear band is provided with a foot portion, and the foot portion is made of a polymer elastic material and fixedly connected to the connecting portion.

[0011] In one embodiment, one end of the leg portion near the rim is provided with a first foot portion, and one end of the leg portion near the shear band is provided with a second foot portion; the at least three leg portions comprise a first leg portion, a second leg portion, and a third leg portion, and the two nose portions are a first nose portion and a second nose portion; wherein the first foot portion is fixedly connected to the outer surface of the rim, the first foot portion is also connected to the first leg portion, the first leg portion is connected to the second leg portion through the first nose portion, the second leg portion is connected to the third leg portion through the second nose portion, and the third leg portion is fixedly connected to the inner surface of the shear band through the second foot portion.

[0012] In one embodiment, the path length of the first leg portion is L 21 , the path length of the second leg portion is L 22 , and the path length of the third leg portion is L 23 ; the first leg portion is arranged at an angle α with respect to the radial direction of the center of mass of the first foot portion, and the third leg portion is arranged at an angle β with respect to the radial direction of the center of mass of the second foot portion; wherein L 21 *sinα≤L 23 *sinβ, and L 21 ≤L 23 .

[0013] In one embodiment, α=β, L 21 =L 22 =L 23 ; or L 21 <L 22 ≤L23 ; or, L 22 < L 21 ≤ L 23 .

[0014] In one of the embodiments, the skeleton comprises a plurality of monomers which are discretely distributed along the transverse direction of the multi-segment support body.

[0015] In one of the embodiments, the ratio of the radial cross-sectional area of the skeleton to the radial cross-sectional area of the multi-segment support body is 25% to 80%.

[0016] In one of the embodiments, when the cross-sectional profile of the monomer along the longitudinal extension direction thereof is circular, the diameter of the circle is ≤2mm; or, when the cross-sectional profile of the monomer along the longitudinal extension direction thereof is rectangular, the thickness t of the rectangle is ≤2mm, and the width W2 of the rectangle is ≤0.2W1, W1 being the width of the multi-segment support body.

[0017] In one of the embodiments, the sum of the path lengths of the longitudinal extension direction of the monomers of each of the skeletons is L3, and the path length of the longitudinal extension direction of the multi-segment support body is L2, L3 / L2≥60%.

[0018] In one of the embodiments, the multi-segment support body of the non-pneumatic tire further comprises a flexible connecting layer, which is connected to the outer side of the nose portion.

[0019] In one of the embodiments, the total path length L4 of the flexible connecting layer along the longitudinal extension direction, and the path length of the longitudinal extension direction of the multi-segment support body is L2, L4≥20%*L2.

[0020] In one of the embodiments, the multi-segment support body of the non-pneumatic tire further comprises a hard reinforcing sheet, which is connected to the inner side of the nose portion.

[0021] A non-pneumatic tire, which comprises at least one of the multi-segment support bodies, further comprises a rim and a shear band; the multi-segment support body is connected between the rim and the shear band.

[0022] In one of the embodiments, the number of the multi-segment support bodies is 40 to 100, and all the multi-segment support bodies are periodically arranged in the circumferential direction of the non-pneumatic tire.

[0023] In one of the embodiments, the shear band comprises an elastic wrapping portion and a plurality of reinforcing layers which are connected to the inside of the elastic wrapping portion in the radial direction R in sequence and at intervals; each of the reinforcing layers comprises a plurality of reinforcing members which are arranged in sequence and at intervals along the width direction W.

[0024] In one embodiment, the thickness of the reinforcing layer in the radial direction R is T2, the thickness of the shear band in the radial direction is Tl, T2≥0.5*Tl; and / or, the distance between the end of the reinforcing layer and the end of the shear band adjacent thereto is W3, the width of the shear band is W4, W3≤0.1*W4.

[0025] The details of one or more embodiments of the application are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the application will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0026] Fig. 1 is a front view of a non-pneumatic tire according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0027] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

[0028] Fig. 3 is a structural view of a multi-segment support according to a first embodiment in the structure shown in Fig. 1.

[0029] Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the path length L2 in the longitudinal extension direction and the radial distance Ll at both ends in the structure shown in Fig. 3.

[0030] Fig. 5 is a schematic view of the path length of each leg in the structure shown in Fig. 3.

[0031] Fig. 6 is a view of the state of each leg of a multi-segment support according to an embodiment of the present application before and after compression of different lengths.

[0032] Fig. 7 is a structural view of the skeleton inside a multi-segment support according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0033] Fig. 8 is a structural view of the structure shown in Fig. 7 from another perspective.

[0034] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional structural view of an embodiment at P-P in Fig. 8.

[0035] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional structural view of another embodiment at P-P in Fig. 8.

[0036] Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional structural view of yet another embodiment at P-P in Fig. 8.

[0037] Fig. 12 is a structural view of a multi-segment support according to a second embodiment of the present application.

[0038] Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the structure shown in Fig. 12.

[0039] Fig. 14 is a structural view of a multi-segment support according to a third embodiment of the present application.

[0040] Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the structure shown in Fig. 14.

[0041] Fig. 16 is a structural diagram of a multi-segment support body according to a fourth embodiment of the present application.

[0042] Fig. 17 is a perspective view of the structure shown in Fig. 16.

[0043] Fig. 18 is a structural diagram of a multi-segment support body according to a fifth embodiment of the present application.

[0044] Fig. 19 is a perspective view of the structure shown in Fig. 18.

[0045] Fig. 20 is a structural diagram of a multi-segment support body according to a sixth embodiment of the present application.

[0046] Fig. 21 is a perspective view of the structure shown in Fig. 20.

[0047] Fig. 22 is a structural diagram of a shear band according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0048] Fig. 23 is a structural diagram of a shear band according to another embodiment of the present application.

[0049] Fig. 24 is a diagram showing the axial stress of each reinforcing layer of a shear band according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0050] 10, multi-segment support body; 11, leg; 1101, skeleton; 1102, connecting portion; 1103, monomer; 111, first leg; 112, second leg; 113, third leg; 12, nose; 121, first nose; 122, second nose; 123, groove; 124, through hole; 13, foot; 131, first foot; 132, second foot; 14, flexible connecting layer; 15, hard reinforcing sheet; 20, rim; 30, shear band; 31, elastic wrapping portion; 32, reinforcing layer; 321, reinforcing member; 40, hub; 50, tread. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] In order to make the above objectives, features and advantages of the present application more apparent, specific embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present application. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present application can be practiced without some or all of these details. In other instances, well known process steps have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present application. Therefore, the specific embodiments described herein are not intended to be limiting, but rather are to serve as examples for the practicing the present application.

[0052] Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, an embodiment of the present application provides a multi-section support body 10 of a non-pneumatic tire, which is used to connect between a rim 20 and a shear band 30 of the non-pneumatic tire, and includes at least three leg portions 11 connected in sequence and a nose portion 12 connected between two adjacent leg portions 11. The leg portion 11 includes a skeleton 1101 and a connecting portion 1102 connected to the skeleton 1101. The connecting portion 1102 and the nose portion 12 are both made of a high polymer elastic material and are fixedly connected. Specifically, the connecting portion 1102 and the nose portion 12 are connected in a manner of, but not limited to, injection molding, bonding, clamping, etc.

[0053] Optionally, the elastic modulus of the skeleton 1101 in the axial direction of the non-pneumatic tire is, for example, not less than 10 GPa. In this way, the elastic modulus in the axial direction is large enough to play a supporting role. In the embodiment, the skeleton 1101 includes, but is not limited to, glass fiber reinforced resin, carbon fiber reinforced resin, aramid fiber reinforced resin, basalt fiber reinforced resin, various hard plastics, low-density metal materials, etc., which can be flexibly selected according to actual needs.

[0054] The multi-section support body 10 of the non-pneumatic tire described above, since the leg portion 11 includes the skeleton 1101, the skeleton 1101 plays a supporting role and has a weak deformation ability, which can reduce the amount of elastic material of the leg portion 11, avoid using elastic material at the deformation stress position, and thus can significantly reduce the rolling resistance. In addition, the nose portion 12 is made of a high polymer elastic material, so that the multi-section support body 10 has a certain deformation ability when stressed, can become a movable joint connecting two adjacent leg portions 11, and plays a role of buffering and shock absorption. In addition, the connecting portion 1102 and the nose portion 12 are made of a high polymer elastic material and are fixedly connected, which can realize the connection and combination of the leg portions 11 and the nose portion 12 to form a whole.

[0055] In some embodiments, the connecting portion 1102 can be completely wrapped on the outside of the skeleton 1101, so that the stress of each part in the circumferential direction is relatively more balanced, and at the same time, the connection and fixation of each skeleton 1101 and the nose portion 12 can be realized. Alternatively, the connecting portion 1102 can be connected to any side of the skeleton 1101, and can also take other various connection forms, as long as it can realize the connection and combination of the leg portions 11 and the nose portion 12 to form a whole. In the embodiment, the connecting portion 1102 is wrapped on the outside of the skeleton 1101.

[0056] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, in an embodiment, the radial distance between the two ends of the multi-segment support body 10 is L1, the path length of the multi-segment support body 10 in the radial direction of extension is L2, and the excess length Δ = (L2-L1) / L1, where 12%≤Δ≤75%. In this way, when the excess length Δ is in the range of 12% to 75%, if the excess length Δ is smaller, the multi-segment support body 10 has greater structural load-bearing capacity but lower cushioning and damping capacity; if the excess length Δ is larger, the multi-segment support body 10 has lower structural load-bearing capacity but better cushioning and damping performance. In addition, when Δ is less than 12%, the multi-segment support body 10 tends to be straight, the leg portion 11 is approximately subjected to pure compression, and buckling instability is likely to occur, resulting in sudden loss of load-bearing capacity during deformation or large deformation after instability, and thus the structure will have unacceptable fatigue characteristics. When Δ exceeds 75%, the leg portion 11 forms a large angle with the compression load direction, and the skeleton 1101 material in the leg portion 11 cannot well exert radial stiffness, so that the multi-segment support body 10 structure is easily deformed and almost has no good load-bearing capacity, and the excess length Δ is too long, resulting in a large structure volume and increased mass.

[0057] It should be noted that the radial distance L1 is measured by specifically selecting the distance between the center points of the two ends of the multi-segment support body 10. In addition, the length L2 is measured by specifically selecting the length of the profile center line.

[0058] Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, in some embodiments, the multi-segment support body 10 has a relatively uniform width W1 in the width direction W, and the change of the width W1 in the radial direction R is less than 10%.

[0059] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, in an embodiment, one end of the leg portion 11 close to the rim 20 and / or one end of the leg portion 11 close to the shear band 30 is provided with a foot portion 13. The foot portion 13 is made of a high polymer elastic material and is fixedly connected to the connecting portion 1102. In this way, since the foot portion 13 is made of a high polymer elastic material, the cushioning and damping performance of the multi-segment support body 10 is improved.

[0060] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, specifically, one end of the leg portion 11 close to the rim 20 is provided with a first foot portion 131, and the first foot portion 131 is made of a high polymer elastic material and is fixedly connected to the connecting portion 1102. In addition, one end of the leg portion 11 close to the shear band 30 is provided with a second foot portion 132, and the second foot portion 132 is made of a high polymer elastic material and is fixedly connected to the connecting portion 1102.

[0061] The first foot 131 can be directly fixed to the rim 20 or indirectly fixed to the rim 20, i.e. an inner buffer layer is arranged between the first foot 131 and the rim 20, the first foot 131 is connected to the inner buffer layer, and the inner buffer layer is fixed to the rim 20. Similarly, the second foot 132 can be directly fixed to the shear belt 30 or indirectly fixed to the shear belt 30, i.e. an outer buffer layer is arranged between the second foot 132 and the shear belt 30, the second foot 132 is connected to the outer buffer layer, and the outer buffer layer is fixed to the shear belt 30.

[0062] Optionally, the connecting portion 1102, the nose portion 12, and the foot portion 13 are made of the same high polymer elastic material, including but not limited to rubber, CPU, TPE, and various high polymer elastic materials. In this way, the process can be integrally formed, and the problem of heterogeneous surface bonding can be avoided.

[0063] It should be noted that the number of the leg portions 11 includes but is not limited to two, three, four, five, or more. In the embodiment, the number of the leg portions 11 is taken as an example of three, and the number of the nose portions 12 is taken as an example of two. Specifically, the three leg portions 11 are respectively a first leg portion 111, a second leg portion 112, and a third leg portion 113 from the inside to the outside in the radial direction. The two nose portions 12 are respectively a first nose portion 121 and a second nose portion 122. The first foot portion 131 is fixed to the outer surface of the rim 20, the first foot portion 131 is connected to the first leg portion 111, the first leg portion 111 is connected to the second leg portion 112 through the first nose portion 121, the second leg portion 112 is connected to the third leg portion 113 through the second nose portion 122, and the third leg portion 113 is fixed to the inner surface of the shear belt 30 through the second foot portion 132.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 5, in an embodiment, the path length of the first leg portion 111 is L 21 , the path length of the second leg portion 112 is L 22 , and the path length of the third leg portion 113 is L 23 . The first leg portion 111 is arranged at an angle α with the radial direction passing through the center of mass of the first foot portion 131. The third leg portion 113 is arranged at an angle β with the radial direction passing through the center of mass of the second foot portion 132. Wherein, L 21 *sinα≤L 23 *sinβ, and L 21 ≤L23, where * is a multiplication sign. In this way, L 21 is not greater than the height projection of L 23 in the circumferential direction, so that the deformation occurring on the outer circumference of the tire is more uniform. Since the space on the outside in the radial direction is always more than the space on the inside in the radial direction at the same angle, the above length requirements can ensure more array numbers of the multi-section support body 10.

[0065] Referring to FIG. 6(a), in some embodiments, the multi-segment support body 10 can be a central symmetric structure or substantially a central symmetric structure with the symmetry point at the centroid of the multi-segment support body 10. That is, a = b, L 21 = L 22 = L 23 , or a ~ b, L 21 ~ L 22 ~ L 23 Thus, when the multi-segment support body 10 is subjected to a compression load, the radial compression deformation is evenly distributed along the entire path length, so as to reduce the stress extreme value and improve the overall fatigue life of the structure. In addition, it can be seen that the upper and lower parts of the structure in FIG. 6(a) deform substantially uniformly, and the deformation is more uniform.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 6(b), in some embodiments, L 21 < L 22 ≤ L 23 Because the wheel system is subjected to bearing deformation and rolling deformation, the structural deformation is concentrated near the tread 50, and the part near the hub 40 mainly serves as a fixing function, so that the path length L 21 of the first leg portion 111 is reduced, which can increase the stiffness of this part and provide more deformation space for the second leg portion 112 and the third leg portion 113 which are prone to large deformation. In this way, it is more suitable for the field with a large aspect ratio of the tire cross section and high requirements for cushioning and damping performance. In addition, this arrangement can arrange more numbers of the multi-segment support body 10 due to the small space occupied by the inner side, and can also be used to improve the bearing performance. In addition, the upper half of the structure in FIG. 6(b) occupies the smallest space.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 6(c), in some embodiments, L 22 < L 21 ≤ L 23 Because the ends of the first leg portion 111 and the third leg portion 113 are fixed on the rim 20 and the shear band 30 respectively, the structure is more stable and has greater stiffness, while the two ends of the second leg portion 112 are connected to the nose portion 12 respectively, and the nose portion 12 is a deformable body with relatively lower stiffness. Thus, it is more suitable for high bearing and high stiffness requirements. In addition, the leg portion 11 in the middle part of the structure in FIG. 6(c) undergoes greater displacement and deformation.

[0068] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, in some embodiments, the framework 1101 includes a plurality of monomers 1103 dispersedly distributed along the transverse direction of the multi-segment support body 10. The transverse direction is the width direction W of the non-pneumatic tire. Thus, the multi-segment support body 10 can have fatigue resistance and cushioning and damping properties.

[0069] In addition, the volume ratio of the skeleton 1101 inside the multi-section support body 10 affects the load bearing and radial stiffness performance of the multi-section support body 10 and the entire tire, and the volume ratio is approximately linearly related to the radial stiffness. Therefore, the ratio of the radial cross-sectional area of the skeleton 1101 to the radial cross-sectional area of the multi-section support body 10 includes but is not limited to 25% to 80%, and specific examples include 25%, 50%, 75%, 80%, and the like. In addition, the projection of the skeleton 1101 of each leg 11 in the radial direction R is arranged along the radial direction R or approximately along the radial direction R. Due to unavoidable errors caused by processing, the skeleton 1101 is allowed to have a deflection angle of, for example, 20° or less relative to the radial direction.

[0070] Referring to FIGS. 9 to 11, in some embodiments, the cross-sectional profile of the monomer 1103 along its longitudinal extension direction includes but is not limited to regular shapes such as a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, and other irregular shapes. The polygon includes but is not limited to a rectangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, and the like.

[0071] Referring to FIG. 9, in some specific embodiments, the cross-sectional profile of the monomer 1103 along its longitudinal extension direction is, for example, a circle. The diameter d of the circle is, for example, ≤2 mm. Specific examples include 1 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.8 mm, or 2 mm, and the like. In this way, the fatigue resistance of the multi-section support body 10 can be improved. When the diameter d of the circle is greater than 2 mm, the larger the size of the skeleton 1101 along the bending direction, the greater the stress generated by deformation under the same amount of sinking, which will significantly reduce the fatigue resistance of the structure.

[0072] Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, in some specific embodiments, the cross-sectional profile of the monomer 1103 along its longitudinal extension direction is, for example, a rectangle. The width W2 of the rectangle is less than 0.2W1, and the thickness t is less than 2 mm. The thickness t and the width W2 are, for example, 1 mm and 2 mm, respectively, or 1 mm and 3 mm, respectively, and the like. Under the same arrangement number, the rectangular cross-section can maximize the radial cross-sectional area ratio to improve the radial stiffness.

[0073] Taking a specific tire model as an example, a 265 / 65N17 non-pneumatic tire, the radial height h of the multi-section support body 10 is 150 mm, the width W1 is 250 mm, and a total of 80 multi-section support bodies 10 are arranged along the circumference, and the spacing S between adjacent monomers 1103 is, for example, 1 mm. When the skeleton 1101 material with a circular cross-section and a rectangular cross-section is used, respectively, the radial stiffness and the lateral characteristics of the multi-section support body 10 are shown in Table 1 below. The thickness t of the rectangular cross-section is, for example, 1 mm, and the width W2 of the rectangular cross-section is, for example, ≤10 mm, to avoid excessive width W2 that causes the structure to twist when bearing lateral stiffness.

[0074] It is noted that the moment of inertia, also known as the area moment of inertia, is commonly used to describe the property of a cross-section to resist bending, and the international unit is (m 4 ). The moment of inertia formula is different for circular cross-section and rectangular cross-section. Specifically, the moment of inertia formula for a circle corresponds to the center of the circle: πd 4 / 32. In addition, the moment of inertia formula for a rectangle corresponds to the center line (the central axis perpendicular to the h side): bh 3 / 12. Wherein, b refers to the width of the skeleton 1101 of each leg 11 along the tire width direction W.

[0075] As can be seen, the circular cross-section has consistency in stiffness when bending in various directions, the bending stiffness has no orientation, and the deformation is more stable. When the rectangular cross-section is bent along the width direction W2 and the thickness direction t, it has different moments of inertia, which means that the bending stiffness is different along the width direction W2 and the thickness direction t. When the rectangular cross-section is used, although the processing difficulty increases and the stiffness along the width direction W2 is significantly greater than the radial stiffness, the volume ratio can be improved, the bending stiffness can be improved, the load bearing performance can be more easily improved, and it is helpful for tire engineers to design different stiffness performances in different directions according to performance requirements, so it has a larger design space.

[0076] Table 1. Influence of cross-sectional shape of skeleton 1101 in multi-section support 10 on stiffness

[0077] In one embodiment, the sum of the path lengths of the longitudinal extension directions of the monomers 1103 of each skeleton 1101 is L3. For example, for the example shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the leg 11 is three, and the skeleton 1101 is three. The lengths of the monomers 1103 of the three skeletons 1101 are L 31 , L 32 , and L 33 , respectively, and L3 = L 31 + L 32 + L 33 . In addition, the path length of the longitudinal extension direction of the multi-section support 10 is L2, and L3 and L2 satisfy the relationship: L3 / L2≥60%. Specifically, L3 / L2 includes but is not limited to 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, etc. In this way, the ratio of L3 / L2 is large, the reinforcing effect of the skeleton 1101 is obvious, and the nose 12 is not easy to deform when the multi-section support 10 bears a load, so as to meet the conventional load bearing requirements.

[0078] Of course, in some embodiments, L3 / L2 can also be any value less than 60%, for example, and the specific size is not limited here, and can be flexibly adjusted and set according to actual needs.

[0079] Please refer to FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, in an embodiment, the multi-section support body 10 of the non-pneumatic tire further comprises a flexible connecting layer 14. The flexible connecting layer 14 is connected to the outer side of the nose portion 12. In addition, the flexible connecting layer 14 is also connected to the outer side of at least one leg portion 11 adjacent to the nose portion 12. In this way, the flexible connecting layer 14 has a large elongation, which can improve the deformation ability of the joint of the nose portion 12, so that the tire has appropriate cushioning and damping characteristics, and can improve the high-cycle fatigue life of the high-molecular elastic material at the joint of the nose portion 12 under high-frequency cyclic stress.

[0080] In some embodiments, the number of the flexible connecting layer 14 is the same as the number of the nose portion 12, both of which are at least two, and each flexible connecting layer 14 is connected to the outer side of each nose portion 12.

[0081] It should be noted that the inner side of the nose portion 12 refers to one side of the nose portion 12 in the area surrounded by the two leg portions 11 connected thereto; on the contrary, the outer side of the nose portion 12 refers to the other side opposite to the inner side.

[0082] In some embodiments, the flexible connecting layer 14 includes, but is not limited to, twisted nylon fibers, twisted polyester cords, twisted nylon fibers, twisted rayon fibers, twisted mixed fibers, fiber mats, and mesh fabrics, which can be arranged in a single direction or in a mesh shape, have a large tensile modulus, and the tensile modulus E L ≥ 500 MPa, the compression modulus E Y ≤ E L / 5, and the tensile elongation at break is ≥ 5%.

[0083] In an embodiment, the total path length L4 of the flexible connecting layer 14 in the longitudinal extension direction is L4≥ 20%*L2, where L2 is the path length of the multi-section support body 10 in the longitudinal extension direction. In this way, L4 is longer, which can play a better reinforcing role, and can effectively prevent the skeleton 1101 inside the multi-section support body 10 from being exposed outward when the multi-section support body 10 is compressed and deformed, thereby preventing the structure from being damaged.

[0084] Please refer to FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, in an embodiment, the multi-section support body 10 of the non-pneumatic tire further comprises a hard reinforcing sheet 15. The hard reinforcing sheet 15 is connected to the inner side of the nose portion 12. In addition, the hard reinforcing sheet 15 is also connected to the inner side of at least one leg portion 11 adjacent to the nose portion 12. In this way, the hard reinforcing sheet 15 has a large compression modulus, and the compression modulus E Y≥200MPa. The hard reinforcing sheet 15 can improve the strength of the nose portion 12 at the weak joint when the nose portion 12 is deformed under pressure, and improve the load capacity. In addition, the volume of the polymer elastic material is significantly reduced, especially the volume of the polymer elastic material of the nose portion 12 in the area of large deformation is reduced, thereby effectively reducing the rolling resistance of the non-pneumatic tire.

[0085] Taking a specific tire model as an example, the radial height h of the multi-section support body 10 is 150 mm, the width W1 is 250 mm, and a total of 80 multi-section support bodies 10 are arranged along the circumference for a non-pneumatic tire of 265 / 65N17. Under the condition that the load capacity of the non-pneumatic tire is unchanged and the radial stiffness is consistent, the influence of the presence or absence of the hard reinforcing sheet 15 on the rubber volume of the multi-section support body 10 and the tire rolling resistance is shown in Table 2 below.

[0086] Table 2 Influence of the presence or absence of the hard reinforcing sheet 15 on the rolling resistance

[0087] Please refer to FIGS. 14 and 15, in some embodiments, the outer side of the nose portion 12 is covered with a flexible connecting layer 14, and the inner side of the nose portion 12 is covered with a hard reinforcing sheet 15. In addition, the inner side of the foot portion 13 is covered with a hard reinforcing sheet 15, and the outer side of the foot portion 13 is covered with a flexible connecting layer 14. In this way, the amount of polymer elastic material used in the foot portion 13 can be further reduced, thereby improving the cushioning and shock-absorbing performance.

[0088] Please refer to FIGS. 16 and 17, in some embodiments, the shape of the nose portion 12 is flexibly adjusted and set according to actual needs, for example, a groove 123 and / or a protrusion is formed on the outer side of the nose portion 12, and the groove 123 and / or the protrusion extends along the width direction W. In this way, the cushioning and shock-absorbing characteristics of the nose portion 12 can be adjusted accordingly.

[0089] Please refer to FIGS. 12, 13, 18 and 19, in some embodiments, the outer side of the nose portion 12 is covered with a flexible connecting layer 14, and the shape of the foot portion 13 is adjusted, for example, the cross-sectional profile in the extending direction along the width direction W is set to various shapes including but not limited to semicircular, fan-shaped, trapezoidal, etc. In addition, the outer side of the foot portion 13 can be covered with a flexible connecting layer 14 (as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13), or can not be covered with a flexible connecting layer 14, i.e., the outer side of the foot portion 13 is exposed (as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19).

[0090] Please refer to FIGS. 18 and 19, in some embodiments, the outer side of the nose portion 12 is covered with a flexible connecting layer 14, and the inner side of the nose portion 12 is exposed without the need for a hard reinforcing sheet 15, while the inner side of the foot portion 13 is covered with a hard reinforcing sheet 15, and the outer side of the foot portion 13 does not need to be covered with a flexible connecting layer 14.

[0091] Referring to FIGS. 20 and 21, compared with the structure shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the joint shape of the nose portion 12 can also be optimized, for example, at least one through hole 124 is provided in the nose portion 12, the through hole 124 penetrates the opposite two end faces of the nose portion 12 along the width direction W. The cross-sectional shape of the through hole 124 along the width direction W includes but is not limited to various regular shapes such as a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a sector shape, a polygonal shape and other irregular shapes.

[0092] Referring to FIG. 1, in one embodiment, a non-pneumatic tire includes at least one multi-segment support body 10, a rim 20 and a shear band 30. The multi-segment support body 10 is connected between the rim 20 and the shear band 30. In addition, the non-pneumatic tire also includes a hub 40 and a tread 50. The hub 40 is arranged inside the rim 20 and is fixedly connected with the rim 20. The tread 50 is arranged outside the shear band 30 and is fixedly connected with the shear band 30.

[0093] The above-mentioned non-pneumatic tire, since the leg portion 11 includes the skeleton 1101 which plays a supporting role and has a weaker deformation capacity than the elastic material, the amount of the elastic material of the leg portion 11 can be reduced, and the use of the elastic material at the deformation stress position can be avoided, thereby significantly reducing the rolling resistance. In addition, the nose portion 12 is made of a high polymer elastic material, so that the multi-segment support body 10 has a certain deformation capacity when stressed, can become a movable joint connecting two adjacent leg portions 11, and plays a buffering and damping role. In addition, the connecting portion 1102 and the nose portion 12 are integrally formed by the high polymer elastic material, and the connection and combination of each leg portion 11 and the nose portion 12 form a whole.

[0094] In one embodiment, the number of multi-segment support bodies 10 is 40 to 100, and all the multi-segment support bodies 10 are periodically arranged along the circumferential direction of the non-pneumatic tire. Among them, according to the size requirements of the multi-segment support body 10 in the above-mentioned embodiment, the number of multi-segment support bodies 10 arranged along the circumferential direction is relatively large. The more the number of multi-segment support bodies 10, the better the rigidity uniformity when the wheel system rolls. The more the number of multi-segment support bodies 10, the greater the load capacity and radial stiffness of the whole tire. Through a large number of test analysis, under the same conditions of the multi-segment support body 10 and the shear band 30, the radial stiffness and load capacity of the whole tire are also increased by 10% when the number of multi-segment support bodies 10 is increased by 10%.

[0095] In one embodiment, the shear band 30 includes an elastic wrapping portion 31 and a plurality of reinforcing layers 32 connected to the inside of the elastic wrapping portion 31 in sequence and at intervals along the radial direction R. The number of reinforcing layers 32 includes but is not limited to 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and the like. In the present embodiment, the reinforcing layer 32 is specifically provided as at least 4.

[0096] Referring to FIG. 22, in one embodiment, the thickness of each reinforcing layer 32 along the radial direction R is T2, the thickness of the shear band 30 along the radial direction is T1, T2≥0.5*T1; and / or, the distance between the end of the reinforcing layer 32 and the end of the shear band 30 adjacent thereto is W3, the width of the shear band 30 is W4, W3≤0.1*W4.

[0097] In addition, each reinforcing layer 32 includes a plurality of reinforcing members 321 arranged in sequence along the width direction W.

[0098] The mechanical properties of each reinforcing member 321 need to satisfy: the compression modulus ≥0.2 times the tensile modulus. The materials can be selected from the following: steel wire and its fibers, glass fibers and its reinforced resins, carbon fibers and its reinforced resins, rayon, nylon fibers, polyester fibers, aramid fibers, basalt fibers and its reinforced resins, etc. In a specific model, such as 265 / 65N17, it is found that the stress conditions of each reinforcing layer 32 in the load deformation are as shown in FIG. 24, where the abscissa is the angular position of the shear band 30 skeleton 1101 material along the circumferential direction, and the ordinate is the axial (i.e. along the fiber extension direction) stress borne by the reinforcing member 321, where the positive value is the tensile stress and the negative value is the compressive stress. The outermost and innermost reinforcing members 321 bear the largest stress, so it can be considered that the outermost and innermost layers are the key to affecting the load performance and need to focus on improving the stiffness of these two layers. In addition, it can be found that the stress state of each layer of reinforcing layer 32 has both tensile and compressive stress, but relatively speaking, the tensile stress is greater, so it is necessary to ensure that the reinforcing layer 32 material has relatively high tensile and compressive stiffness, especially to ensure that the tensile modulus of the innermost layer is greater. This is completely different from the situation of the pneumatic tire, because the air pressure in the natural state and the load state, the reinforcing material inside the structure of the pneumatic tire bears tensile stress, so the design of the reinforcing material of the pneumatic tire basically does not consider the compression performance.

[0099] It should be noted that the cross-sectional profile shape of the reinforcing member 321 along its extension direction includes but is not limited to various regular shapes such as circular, elliptical, rectangular, etc. and other irregular shapes. In the embodiment, the cross-sectional profile shape of the reinforcing member 321 along its extension direction is specifically selected as circular, for example.

[0100] Referring to FIG. 23, in some embodiments, the diameter of the cross-sectional profile of the reinforcing member 321 of the innermost and outermost reinforcing layers 32 is greater than the diameter of the cross-sectional profile of the reinforcing member 321 of the other layers.

[0101] Referring to FIG. 22, in some embodiments, the diameters of the cross-sectional profiles of the reinforcing members 321 of each layer are the same. At the same time, the reinforcing member 321 of the innermost and outermost reinforcing layers 32 is made of a material with greater tensile and compressive modulus, and the reinforcing member 321 of the other layers is made of a material with relatively smaller tensile and compressive modulus.

[0102] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that, if these terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0103] In addition, if these terms "first", "second" appear, these terms are only for the purpose of description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first", "second" can explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present application, if the term "a plurality of" appears, the meaning of "a plurality of" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0104] In the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, if the terms "mounting", "connecting", "connecting", "fixing" and the like appear, these terms should be interpreted broadly. For example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or it can be integrated; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; it can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise explicitly limited. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0105] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on another element or there can be a middle element. If an element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to another element or there can be a middle element. If present, the terms "vertical", "horizontal", "up", "down", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in the present application are only for the purpose of illustration, and do not indicate the only implementation.

[0106] The technical features of the above-described embodiments can be combined in any manner. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described, however, as long as the combination of the technical features does not exist contradictory, it should be considered as the scope of the present application.

[0107] The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of several embodiments of the present application, which are described in more detail and in a more specific and detailed manner, but should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that, for those of ordinary skill in the art, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present application should be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A multi-segment support for a non-pneumatic tire for connecting a rim and a shear band of a non-pneumatic tire, the multi-segment support comprising: The at least three legs and the corresponding connecting nose between the adjacent two legs are sequentially connected, each of the legs comprises a skeleton and a connecting part connected to the skeleton, the connecting part and the nose are made of polymer elastic material and are fixedly connected; the connecting part and the nose are fixedly connected in an integrated manner; the skeleton comprises a plurality of monomers which are discretely distributed along the transverse direction of the multi-section support body; when the cross-sectional profile of the monomer along the longitudinal extension direction thereof is circular, the diameter of the circle is ≤2mm; or when the cross-sectional profile of the monomer along the longitudinal extension direction thereof is rectangular, the thickness t of the rectangle is ≤2mm, and the width W2 of the rectangle is ≤0.2W1, W1 being the width of the multi-section support body; The sum of the path lengths of the monomers of each skeleton in the longitudinal extension direction is L3, the path length of the multi-section support body in the longitudinal extension direction is L2, and 60%≤L3 / L2≤95%.

2. The multi-segment support body of a non-pneumatic tire of claim 1, wherein, The connecting part is wrapped around the outside of the skeleton.

3. The multi-segment support body of a non-pneumatic tire of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The radial distance between the opposite ends of the multi-section support body is L1, the path length of the multi-section support body in the radial extension direction is L2, and the excess length Δ=(L2-L1) / L1, wherein 12%≤Δ≤75%.

4. The multi-segment support body of a non-pneumatic tire of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, One end of the leg close to the rim and / or one end of the leg close to the shear band is provided with a foot, and the foot is made of polymer elastic material and is fixedly connected to the connecting part.

5. The multi-segment support body of a non-pneumatic tire of claim 4 wherein, One end of the leg close to the rim is provided with a first foot, and one end of the leg close to the shear band is provided with a second foot; the at least three legs comprise a first leg, a second leg and a third leg, and the two noses are a first nose and a second nose; wherein the first foot is fixedly connected to the outer surface of the rim, the first foot is also connected to the first leg, the first leg is connected to the second leg through the first nose, the second leg is connected to the third leg through the second nose, and the third leg is fixedly connected to the inner surface of the shear band through the second foot.

6. The multi-segment support body of a non-pneumatic tire of claim 5 wherein, The path length of the first leg is L 21 , the path length of the second leg is L 22 , and the path length of the third leg is L 23 ; the first leg is arranged at an angle α with respect to the radial direction through the center of mass of the first foot; the third leg is arranged at an angle β with respect to the radial direction through the center of mass of the second foot; wherein L 21 *sinα≤L 23 *sinβ, and L 21 ≤L 23 .

7. The multi-segment support body of a non-pneumatic tire of claim 6 wherein, α = β, L 21 = L 22 = L 23 ; or, L 21 < L 22 ≤ L 23 ; or, L 22 < L 21 ≤ L 23 .

8. The multi-segment support body of a non-pneumatic tire of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The skeleton is made of glass fiber reinforced resin, carbon fiber reinforced resin, aramid fiber reinforced resin, basalt fiber reinforced resin, hard plastic or low-density metal material.

9. The multi-segment support body of a non-pneumatic tire of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The ratio of the radial cross-sectional area of the skeleton to the radial cross-sectional area of the multi-section support body is 25% to 80%.

10. The multi-segment support body of a non-pneumatic tire of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The multi-segment support body of the non-pneumatic tire further comprises a flexible connecting layer, which is connected to the outer side of the nose; the tensile modulus E L ≥ 500 MPa, the compressive modulus E Y ≤ E L / 5, the tensile elongation at break ≥ 5%.

11. The multi-segment support body of a non-pneumatic tire of claim 10, wherein, The total path length L4 of the flexible connecting layer in the longitudinal extension direction, the path length of the multi-section support body in the longitudinal extension direction is L2, and L4≥20%*L2.

12. The multi-segment support body of a non-pneumatic tire of claim 10 or 11, wherein, The multi-section support body of the non-pneumatic tire further comprises a hard reinforcing sheet, which is connected to the inner side of the nose portion; the compression modulus E of the hard reinforcing sheet is ≥200 MPa. Y ≥200MPa.

13. A non-pneumatic tire, wherein, The non-pneumatic tire comprises at least one multi-section support body as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, and further comprises a rim and a shear band; the multi-section support body is connected between the rim and the shear band.

14. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 13, wherein, The number of the multi-section support bodies is 40 to 100, and all the multi-section support bodies are periodically arranged in the circumferential direction of the non-pneumatic tire.

15. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 13 or 14, wherein, The shear band comprises an elastic wrapping portion and a plurality of reinforcing layers connected to the inside of the elastic wrapping portion in sequence and at intervals in the radial direction R; each of the reinforcing layers comprises a plurality of reinforcing members arranged in sequence and at intervals in the width direction W.

16. The non-pneumatic tire of claim 15, wherein, The thickness of all the reinforcing layers in the radial direction R is T2, the thickness of the shear band in the radial direction is T1, T2≥0.5*T1; and / or the distance between the end of the reinforcing layer and the end of the shear band adjacent to the reinforcing layer is W3, the width of the shear band is W4, W3≤0.1*W4.

Images