The disclosure addresses a series of interactions between wheels and a number of different replaceable tire segments to cover the wheels. The disclosure teaches more than one way to engage the one or more tire segments to wheels and to form seams between ends of the one or more tire segments. The tire segments may be removed and replaced so that the wheels and wheel bearing may be used longer than the useful life of the tire segments.

Provided is a tire that has excellent high-speed durability even though a resin material is used therein. The tire includes a tire frame (10) having an annular shape, a reinforcement layer (20) located outward of the tire frame (10) in a tire radial direction, and tread rubber (30) located outward of the reinforcement layer (20) in the tire radial direction. The reinforcement layer (20) includes a reinforcement member (21) that is coated with a resin composition containing from 50 mass % to 100 mass % of a resin material. The tread rubber (30) has a loss tangent (tan .sub.60 C.) during 1% strain at 60 C. and a storage modulus (E.sub.30 C. (MPa)) during 1% strain at 30 C. that satisfy a relationship in a formula: 27.5tan .sub.60 C.+1.125E.sub.30 C.27.5tan .sub.60 C.+11.25.

The present invention provides a non-pneumatic tire which is provided with an attachment body (11) attached to an axle, a ring-shaped body (13) which surrounds the attachment body (11) from the outside in a tire radial direction, and a coupling member (15) which displaceably couples the attachment body (11) and the ring-shaped body (13), wherein the coupling member (15) is formed of a synthetic resin material and a reinforcing member is embedded in the coupling member (15).

A wheel for a vehicle in which the wheel comprises a non-pneumatic tire that may be designed for robust, long-lasting performance in challenging conditions, including by using a process to make the non-pneumatic tire that may be specified such that a material of the non-pneumatic tire retains most or all of its inherent capabilities. For example, an annular beam and an annular support of the non-pneumatic tire may be injection molded together from elastomeric material flowing first where at least part of the annular beam is before flowing where at least part of the annular support is (e.g., using a molding apparatus that comprises a mold including a mold cavity and outer gating to inject thermoplastic material at an outer part of the mold into the mold cavity adjacent to where the annular beam is to be formed).

The present disclosure is directed to a non-pneumatic tire assembly having a sidewall portion made from a copolyether-ester. The non-pneumatic tire assembly comprises complementary annular inboard and outboard tire casing segments. Each segment comprises: a closed end and an open end, a peripheral band comprising exterior and interior surfaces, and an inner band comprising exterior and interior surfaces, the inner band being coaxially spaced radially inward from the interior surface of the peripheral band, wherein the closed end comprises a resilient and contiguous sidewall extending radially between the interior surface of the peripheral band and the exterior surface of the inner band, the sidewall comprising convex or concave exterior and interior surfaces, wherein the open end comprises a void defined by the interior surfaces of the peripheral band, the exterior surface of the inner band, and the sidewall; wherein the inner band interior surfaces of the inboard and outboard tire casing segments are configured to be disposed on an exterior rim surface of a wheel such that the open ends of each segment do not form a sealed void within the inboard and outboard segments; and wherein the annular inboard and outboard tire casing segments are each made from a composition comprising a copolyether-ester. The present disclosure is also directed to a wheel and non-pneumatic tire assembly.

A wheel for an autonomous cleaning robot that maneuvers the robot on a floor surface includes a tire having first and second opposing outer edges and a middle portion having a tread pattern between the first and second outer edges, the tread pattern comprising a plurality of raised tread having trenches therebetween. Each of the plurality of raised tread includes a first raised tread portion extending from the first outer edge to the middle portion and substantially perpendicular to the first and second outer edges; a second raised tread portion extending at an angle away from the first raised tread portion; and a third raised tread portion extending from the second raised tread portion to the second outer edge and substantially perpendicular to the first and second outer edges, the third raised tread portion being laterally offset from the first raised tread portion.

A disclosed example embodiment of a gauge wheel tire includes a first polyurethane sidewall portion, a second polyurethane sidewall portion, a polyurethane ground-engaging portion, and a polyurethane axial support portion. The first polyurethane sidewall portion is spaced apart from the second polyurethane sidewall portion, and the polyurethane ground-engaging portion extends from the first polyurethane sidewall portion to the second polyurethane sidewall portion and is adapted to contact a ground surface as the gauge wheel tire rotates about an axis of rotation. The polyurethane axial support portion extends from the first polyurethane sidewall portion to the second polyurethane sidewall portion, and is spaced apart from the polyurethane ground-engaging portion to form a gap that allows radial movement of the polyurethane ground-engaging portion relative to the polyurethane axial support portion.

A combination tire and mounting plate are described. The tire portion of the combination is a molded, one-piece, non-pneumatic tire, preferably made by rotational molding. The mounting plate portion of the combination has a central aperture therein and is configured to be coupled to a conventional hub. The combination further includes a fastener dimensioned to attach the mounting plate to the tire so that the central aperture of the mounting plate is coaxial with the central aperture of the tire. This permits the tire/mounting plate combination to be reversibly mounted coaxially on a conventional hub.

The present invention provides an annular beam of monolithic construction of one homogeneous material and a related efficient, low-cost non-pneumatic tire. Specific geometric design, combined with nonlinear elastomer physical properties, enable the suppression of all reinforcing belts, continuous fibers, or other strengthening layers in the annular beam. The annular beam consists of at least two bands that are continuous in the circumferential direction and connected by a web geometry. The non-pneumatic tire consists of the annular beam, a ground contacting portion, a central wheel, and a plurality of web spokes that connect the wheel and beam. When the tire is loaded to a design load against a flat surface over a design contact length, a contact area of essentially uniform pressure is produced, while the load is transmitted from the beam to the hub via tension in the web spokes. The tire can be economically manufactured.

The disclosure addresses a series of interactions between wheel rims and a number of different replaceable tire segments to cover the wheel rims. The disclosure teaches more than one way to engage the one or more tire segments to wheel rims and to form seams between ends of the one or more tire segments. The tire segments may be removed and replaced so that the wheel rim and wheel bearing may be used longer than the useful life of the tire segments.