A wheel assembly comprising a rigid wheel including a radially outer rim wall presenting a polygonal shape with a plurality of outermost vertices connecting a plurality of planar faces, and a flexible tire mounted on the outer rim wall. The tire is supported by the vertices of the rim wall and is separated from the rim faces by a space, portions of the tire located between the vertices being configured to flex inwardly when subject to ground engaging pressure.

A structurally supported tire includes a ground contacting annular tread portion; a shear band, and a connected spoke disk connected to the shear band. The connected spoke disk has two or more circumferential spokes joined together by a connecting web, wherein the spring rate of the connected spoke disk is greater than the spring rate of the shear band.

A structurally supported tire includes a ground contacting annular tread portion; a shear band, and a connected spoke disk connected to the shear band. The connected spoke disk has two or more circumferential spokes joined together by a connecting web, wherein the spring rate of the connected spoke disk is greater than the spring rate of the shear band.

A nonpneumatic tire includes an upper ring and a plurality of spokes extending from the upper ring. At least one reinforcement embedded in each spoke, wherein each reinforcement is constructed of a material that shrinks in length by 0.1% to 10% when subjected to a temperature between 38 C. to 260 C. and a pressure between 0.10 mPa to 0.70 mPa.

A wheel assembly comprising a rigid wheel including a radially outer rim wall presenting a polygonal shape with a plurality of outermost vertices connecting a plurality of planar faces, and a flexible tire mounted on the outer rim wall. The tire is supported by the vertices of the rim wall and is separated from the rim faces by a space, portions of the tire located between the vertices being configured to flex inwardly when subject to ground engaging pressure.

A non-pneumatic tire, including a tread (10), an inner ring (20) and a plurality of groups of bulges (30). The plurality of groups of bulges (30) are radially distributed, each group of bulges (30) is hollowed out inside, and an annular cavity (40) and a depression (50) are formed between the adjacent groups of bulges (30), the depressions (50) form a tightening inner brim (41) corresponding to an inner wall of the annular cavity (40), an inner wall of each group of bulges (30) forms an expanding outer brim (42), and a bulge wall of each group of bulges (30) forms an arc-shaped extension surface (43); and a tire wall (60) connected between the tread (10) and the inner ring (20) is formed between the tightening inner brims (41) and the tops of the outer walls of the bulges (30).

An auxetic wheel according to the invention comprises a line defining an axis of rotation; and a plurality of concentric rings of unit cells surrounding the axis, each unit cell being constructed of a plurality of members defining a Negative Poisson's Ratio (NPR) structure. The outermost ring of unit cells is arranged to facilitate rolling terrain contact, such that the stiffness of the structure in the localized region of loading due to terrain contact increases as the wheel rotates. A layer of material may be disposed between the concentric rings of unit cells which in preferred embodiments comprise a plurality of nested-V shapes. A cover may be provided over the outermost ring of unit cells forming a tire which may, or may not, be inflated.

An auxetic wheel according to the invention comprises a line defining an axis of rotation; and a plurality of concentric rings of unit cells surrounding the axis, each unit cell being constructed of a plurality of members defining a Negative Poisson's Ratio (NPR) structure. The outermost ring of unit cells is arranged to facilitate rolling terrain contact, such that the stiffness of the structure in the localized region of loading due to terrain contact increases as the wheel rotates. A layer of material may be disposed between the concentric rings of unit cells which in preferred embodiments comprise a plurality of nested-V shapes. A cover may be provided over the outermost ring of unit cells forming a tire which may, or may not, be inflated.

A method of assembling spokes into a non-pneumatic tire (10) is provided in which a shear band (16) is located outward from a hub (12) in a radial direction. A segment (20) is present that has a plurality of spokes (22), and both inner and outer radial bonding ends (24, 26). The plurality of spokes (22) engage both of these bonding ends (24, 26). The outer radial bonding end (24) is attached to the shear band (16) using adhesive (28), and the inner radial bonding end (26) is attached to the hub (12) using adhesive (28). This segment (20) extends less than 360 degrees about the central axis (14) in a circumferential direction.

A method of assembling spokes into a non-pneumatic tire (10) is provided in which a shear band (16) is located outward from a hub (12) in a radial direction. A segment (20) is present that has a plurality of spokes (22), and both inner and outer radial bonding ends (24, 26). The plurality of spokes (22) engage both of these bonding ends (24, 26). The outer radial bonding end (24) is attached to the shear band (16) using adhesive (28), and the inner radial bonding end (26) is attached to the hub (12) using adhesive (28). This segment (20) extends less than 360 degrees about the central axis (14) in a circumferential direction.