Airless Tire Spoke Assembly with Lever-Suspended Pushers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing assembly tools for airless tires are sensitive to friction variations, leading to potential jamming, misalignment, and uneven radial compression forces, resulting in inconsistent assembly quality and durability issues.
Innovation Solution
An assembly device with pressure sub-assemblies featuring sliders and levers that allow individual control of radial movements, ensuring precise and homogeneous clamping forces on each spoke, using a lever as a spring to adjust and distribute compression forces uniformly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If membranes are used to drive pushers for assembling spokes, then simultaneous radial compression of multiple spokes is achieved, but friction variations cause pusher jamming and misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single membrane-driven system into multiple independent lever mechanisms, each controlling a separate pusher. This segmentation allows each pusher to be independently controlled, eliminating the friction-related synchronization issues that affect membrane-driven systems while maintaining simultaneous assembly capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces levers as intermediary elements between the actuation system and the pushers. These levers convert rotational motion into precise radial linear motion, providing better control over pusher movement and force application compared to direct membrane actuation, thereby reducing jamming and misalignment.
2Force
If membranes are used to drive pushers, then radial compression force is applied to spokes, but unequal inflation distribution leads to non-uniform compression forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the force application system into multiple independent lever mechanisms, each capable of independently controlling the compression force on individual spokes. This eliminates the unequal force distribution problem inherent in single membrane systems where inflation gas may not distribute uniformly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the control parameter from gas pressure (which has uneven distribution) to mechanical lever positioning, allowing precise control over the radial displacement and compression force applied to each pusher, thereby ensuring uniformity.
3Reliability
If levers with elastic bending capacity are used, then elastic radial suspension of pushers is achieved, but lever complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material property parameter by selecting lever materials and geometries with specific elastic characteristics. This allows the levers to function as both structural components and spring elements, providing elastic suspension without requiring separate spring components, thus managing complexity while achieving reliability.
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
Enables rapid, reproducible, and reliable assembly of airless tires with a homogeneous structure by minimizing interference and ensuring consistent spoke fixation, improving manufacturing efficiency and product quality.
Implementation Method 1
ensures, like a spring, by the elastic bending capacity of said lever, an elastic radial suspension of the pusher
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~6
Figure 7~8
AI summary
The invention relates to device for assembling a non-pneumatic tyre (2) comprising a hub (3) having a central axis (Z3), a peripheral annular band (4) and a plurality of spokes (5) that connect the hub (3) to the peripheral annular band (4), said assembly device (1) comprising a plurality of pressing sub-assemblies (10) each comprising thrust members (11, 12) for pressing the ends (6, 7) of the spokes (5) against the hub (3) and the peripheral annular band (4), respectively, as well as sliders (13, 14), which are mounted so as to capable of moving radially under the effect of a drive system (20) and each of which supports a lever (15, 16) for transmitting a clamping force (F15, F16) to the thrust member (11, 12) while providing elastic radial suspension of the thrust member (11, 12) with respect to the slider (13, 14), and therefore against the end (6, 7) of the spoke and the hub (3) or the peripheral annular band (4), respectively.