A wheel assembly incorporating a non-pneumatic tyre, said assembly including first inner web or rib members and one or more second outer web or rib members. The web or rib members comprise flexible or resilient material where the first inner web members are less flexible or substantially more rigid than the second outer web members.

A non-pneumatic tire includes an inner ring having an axis of rotation and an outer ring coaxial with the inner ring. The non-pneumatic tire further includes support structure extending from the inner ring to the outer ring and a circumferential tread extending about the outer ring. The circumferential tread includes a band layer constructed of a single material and a tread rubber layer directly attached to the band layer.

A molding tool for forming a non-pneumatic tire includes a wheel portion cavity, a tread ring portion cavity, and a plurality of spoke cavities extending between the wheel portion cavity and the tread ring portion cavity. At least a subset spoke cavities within the plurality of spoke cavities include at least one of a non-uniform thickness, a non-uniform width, and a non-uniform surface. Also, the molding tool can include a conformal thermal control channel, e.g., a conformal cooling channel and/or a conformal heating channel, proximate to at least one mold cavity.

A non-pneumatic tire includes an inner ring having an axis of rotation and an outer ring coaxial with the inner ring. The non-pneumatic tire further includes support structure extending from the inner ring to the outer ring and a circumferential tread extending about the outer ring. The circumferential tread includes a band layer constructed of a single material and a tread rubber layer directly attached to the band layer. The band layer has a first face and a second face opposite the first face, and a first axial edge and a second axial edge, the first and second axial edges spacing the first face from the second face. At least one of the first edge and the second edge has a geometry that provides the band layer with a nonrectangular cross section.

A non-pneumatic tire includes an inner ring having an axis of rotation and an outer ring coaxial with the inner ring. The non-pneumatic tire further includes support structure extending from the inner ring to the outer ring and a circumferential tread extending about the outer ring. The circumferential tread includes a band layer constructed of a single material and a tread rubber layer directly attached to the band layer. The band layer has a first face and a second face opposite the first face, and a first axial edge and a second axial edge, the first and second axial edges spacing the first face from the second face. At least one of the first edge and the second edge has a geometry that provides the band layer with a nonrectangular cross section.

A wheel assembly for a non-pneumatic tire includes a wheel including an inboard side, an outboard side, and an outer surface, the outer surface including at least one taper extending from the inboard side to the outboard side, and a locking ring configured to abut against at least one of the inboard side and the outboard side of the wheel and to secure the non-pneumatic tire to the wheel.

A shear band that may be used e.g., in a non-pneumatic tire is provided. The shear band uses interlaced reinforcing elements positioned within a shear layer of elastomeric material. A variety of configurations may be used to create the interlaced positioning of the reinforcing elements including e.g., a horizontal diamond or vertical diamond configuration. The shear layer formed from a rubber composition having a very low hysteresis reinforced with silica.

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.

A system for adjusting the compliance of a wheel is provided. In one embodiment, wheel segments are adjusted, causing the stiffness of the wheel to change. Such adjustments can be made while the wheel is rotating, allowing the wheel compliance to be changed while a vehicle is in motion.

A tire comprising a plurality of cavities formed on each of the first and second tire sidewalls. The cavities are extending longitudinally from a cavity opening up to a predetermined distance in the radial middle portion, wherein each cavity comprises a bottom surface and at least one cavity sidewall surface extending from the bottom surface to the cavity opening, said bottom surface and at least one sidewall surface defining an unpressurised cavity space. At least one of the tire cavities comprises at least one structural element extending outwardly from at least one of the cavity surfaces.