Spring Tire Structure With Tread Shielding Against Sand Ingress

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Solution Overview

Problem

Tires with coil springs suffer from performance deterioration due to sand entering gaps between the springs, causing the tire to bury into sandy ground and potentially affecting the drive mechanism, leading to reduced driving force.

Innovation Solution

A tire design featuring a skeleton portion with rim members, body springs latched to the rim members, and interlink springs interlaced with the body springs, along with a tread member on the outer periphery, which reduces the likelihood of sand ingress and maintains performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If coil springs are used to form the tire structure, then the tire can provide elastic support and adaptability to terrain, but sand enters the gaps between springs causing the tire to bury into sandy ground and reducing running performance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to terrainVSAvoidrunning performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A tread member made of flexible material is disposed on the outer periphery of the skeleton portion, covering the gaps between coil springs. This flexible shell prevents sand from entering the gaps while maintaining the elastic and adaptable nature of the spring structure, thus resolving the contradiction between terrain adaptability and running performance reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Stability of the object's composition

If coil springs are interlaced to form the tire, then the tire structure provides flexibility and deformation capability, but voids between springs allow sand ingress that can affect the drive mechanism

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural flexibilityVSAvoidsand ingress

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The tread member acts as a flexible shell that covers the voids between interlaced springs, preventing sand from entering the center of rotation and affecting the drive mechanism, while preserving the structural flexibility and deformation capability of the spring assembly

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The tread member serves as an intermediary element between the spring structure and the external environment (sand), blocking the harmful interaction while allowing the spring structure to maintain its functional flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 design enhances the tire's ability to prevent sand from entering the wheel center, thereby maintaining desired running performance and preventing drive mechanism abnormalities.

Implementation Method 1

a plurality of body springs latched on the rim member, and a plurality of interlink springs interlaced with the body springs

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS11845309B2Tire

Publication Date: 2023.12.19 BRIDGESTONE CORP

AI summary

A tire includes: a skeleton portion including a rim member, a plurality of body springs latched on the rim member, and a plurality of interlink springs interlaced with the body springs; and a tread member disposed at least on the outer periphery of the skeleton portion.