A non-pneumatic wheel possessing spokes having a compliant shear block providing spoke tension.

Proposed is a non-pneumatic tire including: a tread part having an outer circumferential surface at which a bent pattern is formed; at least one reinforcing structure part that is positioned between the outer circumferential surface of the tread part and an inner circumferential surface of the tread part so as to be inserted inside the tread part; a spoke part that is formed radially around a center of the tread part and is coupled to an inner surface of the tread part; and a rim part that has a diameter smaller than a diameter of an inner circumferential surface of the spoke part and has an outer circumferential surface which is coupled to the spoke part. The reinforcing structure part has a plain weave shape surrounded by an elastomer and is wound in a circumferential direction of the tread part.

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.

A system manufactures a tire assembly. The system includes a core having a cylindrical hub and radially protruding extensions projecting radially outward from the hub, a plurality of internal arcuate members for positioning a reinforcing layer of the about the core, the internal arcuate members each being wrapped with a reinforcement layer, the internal arcuate members being disposed in spaces circumferentially between the extensions of the core, a first side plate for securing the internal arcuate members in place relative to the core; and a second side plate for securing the core and internal arcuate members to each other.

A wheel assembly to be coupled to a hub of a vehicle may include an inner rim to be coupled to the hub of the vehicle and an outer rim surrounding the hub. The wheel assembly may also include gas springs operatively coupled between the inner rim and the outer rim to provide a gas suspension for relative movement between the inner rim and the outer rim. The wheel assembly may also include a disk coupled to the inner rim. The wheel assembly may also include inboard lateral stops carried by an inboard interior surface of the outer rim, and outboard lateral stops carried by an outboard interior surface of the outer rim so that the inboard lateral stops and the outboard lateral stops cooperate to limit relative lateral movement of the disk and the outer rim.

A wheel for a vehicle, such as a forklift (e.g., an electric forklift) or another material-handling vehicle, in which the wheel comprises a tire (e.g., a non-pneumatic tire) and may be designed to enhance its use and performance and/or use and performance of the vehicle, including, for example, to exhibit less rolling resistance, be more energy-efficient and/or allow the vehicle to travel faster and/or with improved ride comfort. For instance, elastic deformation of the wheel as it rolls may be better managed (e.g., reduced), which may improve thermal behavior of the wheel and/or may be combined with ways to better distribute or dissipate heat (e.g., by increasing thermal conductivity).

A support structure for a non-pneumatic tire and a tire incorporating such support structure. A support membrane extends continuously between a radially-inner end and a radially-outer end. Joints may be positioned at each end. An annular band may be connected with the radially-outer end. A wheel, hub, or other structure may be connected with the radially-inner end.

In a non-pneumatic tire, an outer ring comprises a laminate having a plurality of fiber layers, and at least one elastomer layer interposed between an adjacent pair of a plurality of fiber layers, the plurality of fiber layers include an outermost layer which among the plurality of fibers is that which is arranged in outwardmost fashion in a tire radial direction, and an innermost layer which among the plurality of fibers is that which is arranged in inwardmost fashion in the tire radial direction, and at least one of the outermost layer and the innermost layer contains a first fiber array at which fibrous material is arrayed so as to extend in the long direction of a joint.

A non-pneumatic tire is described herein having a spoke loop structure forming an annular ring, and further including a ground contacting tread portion and a shear band. The spoke loop structure has a plurality of flexible loops extending inward from the shear band, wherein each loop is formed from a strip of elastomeric material, and wherein each loop is connected to a wheel. The wheel has at least two circumferential partition, wherein each spoke loop is received in a compartment formed between two adjacent partition, wherein the compartment prevents axial movement of the spoke loop.

A non-pneumatic tire includes: an inner annular portion; an outer annular portion provided concentrically on an outer side of the inner annular portion; a plurality of coupling portions which couple the inner annular portion and the outer annular portion to each other and are provided independently of one another in a tire circumferential direction; at least one annular overall reinforcing layer embedded entirely in the outer annular portion in a tire width direction; and at least one annular partial reinforcing layer embedded only in a part of the outer annular portion in the tire width direction, wherein, when viewed from the tire circumferential direction, the partial reinforcing layer overlaps, in a tire radial direction, each of outer connecting portions where the plurality of coupling portions are connected to the outer annular portion.