Wheel Rim Profile for Low-Pressure Tyre Mounting and Grip
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wheel constructions for agricultural and construction vehicles face challenges with tyre slippage at low air pressures and difficulties in fitting stiff tyres due to the lack of effective rim profiles that balance traction and compaction with secure tyre mounting.
Innovation Solution
The wheel construction features a rim with an inner and outer flange, a central well, and side parts with specific profiles, including extended portions on the flanges and concave surfaces on the side parts, which enhance tyre engagement and reduce slippage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If tyres are made stiffer to reduce slippage and improve mounting, then tyre mounting ease is improved, but traction and compaction performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The side part incorporates both convex and concave portions with different structural characteristics, where the concave sub-well portion facilitates tyre bead engagement and mounting while the overall side part structure maintains the rigidity needed for low-pressure operation, thus achieving both easy mounting and good traction performance
2Ease of manufacture
If the rim side part is made simpler in structure, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but tyre engagement and slippage prevention capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The side part is designed with curved convex and concave portions that create sub-wells, providing complex tyre engagement geometry that prevents slippage while remaining manufacturable using standard rim forming processes, thus achieving good tyre engagement without excessive manufacturing complexity
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
A wheel construction (10) including a rim (12), the rim having an inner flange (16) and an outer flange (18), each of the inner flange (16) and the outer flange (18) having a first end (16a, 18a) and a second end (16b, 18b), the first end (16a, 18a) of each of the inner and outer flange (16, 18) being positioned axially outwardly relative to the second end (16b, 18b) of the respective flange (16, 18), the rim (12) further including a central well (20) positioned between the inner flange (16) and the outer flange (18), a pair of bead seats (22, 24), one being positioned adjacent each flange (16, 18), each bead seat (22, 24) having an axially outer end (22a, 24a) which is connected to a second end (16b, 18b) of the respective flange (16, 18) by a flange connecting portion (26, 28), and an axially inner end (22b, 24b) which is connected to one of a pair of side parts (30, 32), each side part (30, 32) being positioned between the central well (20) and one of the inner flange (16) and outer flange (18), and connected to the central well (20) by a well connecting portion (34, 36), the axially outer end (22a, 24a) of each bead seat (22, 24) being positioned radially outwardly relative to the axially inner end (22b, 24b) of the respective bead seat (22, 24), wherein at least one of the inner flange (16) and the outer flange (18) includes an extended portion (17, 19) which extends radially inwardly, such that a free end (17a, 19a) of the extended portion (17, 19) is positioned radially inwardly relative to the first end (16a, 18a) of the respective flange (16, 18), and wherein at least one of the side parts (30, 32) includes a substantially straight portion (38, 40) and a curved portion (42, 44), a first end (38a, 40a) of the straight portion (38, 40) being positioned adjacent the respective bead seat (22, 24), and connected to the respective bead seat (22, 24) by a curved connecting portion (46, 48), and a second end (38b, 40b) of the straight portion (38, 40) being connected to the curved portion (42, 44) of the side part (30, 32) by a first substantially concave surface (50, 52) to provide a first sub-well, and the curved portion (42, 44) of the side part (30, 32) including a second sub-well (54, 56), which is defined by a pair of convex surfaces (58, 60, 62, 64), separated by a second concave surface (66, 68).