Airless Flexible Tire Assembly for Reduced Ground Penetration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pneumatic tires used in irrigation systems and similar agricultural equipment require frequent maintenance, which is inconvenient due to their location in remote areas, and alternatives like tireless wheels cause excessive ground disturbance.
Innovation Solution
A wheel assembly comprising a rigid wheel with a flexible airless tire that engages circumferentially spaced mounting elements, allowing portions of the tire to flex inwardly under ground pressure, distributing weight and minimizing ground penetration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If pneumatic tires are used, then the wheel assembly provides flexibility and reduced ground penetration, but the tires require frequent maintenance including air pressure adjustment and repair
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel assembly is segmented into a rigid wheel portion and a separate flexible tire portion that can be removably attached or integrated. This segmentation allows the flexible tire to provide ground engagement benefits while the rigid wheel provides structural support, and enables easy replacement of the tire portion without replacing the entire wheel assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the physical parameters of the wheel assembly by using a flexible material for the tire portion with specific durometer values (e.g., 60-90 Shore A) and configuring it to be removable or integrally formed. This parameter change allows the tire to flex under load for better ground contact while eliminating the need for air pressure maintenance associated with traditional pneumatic tires.
2Reliability
If tireless wheels are used, then maintenance and repair needs are eliminated, but the wheels are rigid and cause greater ground penetration and land disturbance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a flexible tire shell or film over the rigid wheel portion. This flexible covering has properties that allow it to conform to ground contours and distribute pressure, thereby reducing ground penetration and disturbance while maintaining the maintenance-free advantage of the rigid wheel structure underneath.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel assembly combines rigid wheel material (providing structural strength and maintenance-free operation) with a flexible tire material (providing ground engagement and reduced ground disturbance). This composite structure integrates the advantages of both rigid and flexible materials to resolve the contradiction between maintenance-free operation and ground protection.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a flexible tire is added to a rigid wheel, then ground penetration is reduced, but the complexity of the wheel assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the rigid wheel and flexible tire into a unified wheel assembly where the tire portion is either removably attached or integrally formed with the wheel. This merging simplifies the overall structure by eliminating the need for separate maintenance of two independent components while still providing the ground protection benefits of the flexible tire.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel assembly is designed with universal applicability where the flexible tire portion can be configured to fit different rigid wheel sizes and shapes. The tire portion serves multiple functions: reducing ground penetration, providing flexibility, and enabling easy replacement, thereby justifying the added complexity through multi-functionality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The flexible airless tire assembly reduces ground penetration and soil disturbance while eliminating the need for air pressure maintenance, offering performance characteristics similar to pneumatic tires without the maintenance challenges.
Implementation Method 1
portions of the tire not engaging the mounting elements are configured to flex inwardly toward the wheel when subject to ground engaging pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A wheel assembly includes a rigid wheel and an airless flexible tire with certain performance characteristics of a pneumatic tire. The rigid wheel includes a central portion and a plurality of circumferentially spaced mounting elements removably attached to a radially outer margin of the central portion. The tire is mounted on the wheel and engages the mounting elements such that portions of the tire not engaging the mounting elements are separated radially from the wheel by a space. The tire is configured such that portions of the tire not engaging the mounting elements flex inwardly toward the wheel when subject to ground engaging pressure, thereby minimizing ground penetration and soil disruption. The tire may include one or more tension elements embedded in the tire to increase the tire's strength and resilience.