In a non-pneumatic tire, the plurality of connecting portions comprise first connecting portions extending in such fashion as to be directed from a first side in a tire width direction of an inner annular portion toward a second side in the tire width direction of an outer annular portion, and second connecting portions extending in such fashion as to be directed from the second side in the tire width direction of the inner annular portion toward the first side in the tire width direction of the outer annular portion, and at least one of the plurality of connecting portions comprises a main body portion having a width that is constant or that increases in tapered fashion by a constant ratio as viewed in the tire width direction, and an reinforcing portion that connects an end in a tire circumferential direction of the main body portion and the annular portion.

A pneumatic tire includes an inner cylinder, an outer cylinder, and a connecting member. The outer cylinder and the connecting member elastically deformable, and the thickness of the thickest part of the outer cylinder is thicker than the thickness of the thickest part of the connecting member. When the outer cylinder is pushed by a protrusion and deformed toward the inside in a tire radial direction, at least a part of the connecting member, which is positioned between the protrusion and the inner cylinder, and other connecting members adjacent to the connecting member in the tire circumferential direction abut each other. When the non-pneumatic tire is mounted on a vehicle and travels on a flat contact plane, a gap is secured between the connecting member positioned between the ground plane and the inner cylinder and other connecting members adjacent to the connecting member in the tire circumferential direction.

A tire includes a central region configured to be mounted to a wheel and a crown region including a circumferential tread and a shear element disposed below the circumferential tread. The shear element includes an upper reinforcement layer, a lower reinforcement layer, and an elastic region disposed between the upper reinforcement layer and the lower reinforcement layer. A radial distance between the upper reinforcement layer and the lower reinforcement layer varies along an axial width of the tire. The tire also includes an intermediate region extending from the central region to the crown region.

A pneumatic tire includes an inner cylinder, an outer cylinder, and a connecting member. The outer cylinder and the connecting member elastically deformable, and the thickness of the thickest part of the outer cylinder is thicker than the thickness of the thickest part of the connecting member. When the outer cylinder is pushed by a protrusion and deformed toward the inside in a tire radial direction, at least a part of the connecting member, which is positioned between the protrusion and the inner cylinder, and other connecting members adjacent to the connecting member in the tire circumferential direction abut each other. When the non-pneumatic tire is mounted on a vehicle and travels on a flat contact plane, a gap is secured between the connecting member positioned between the ground plane and the inner cylinder and other connecting members adjacent to the connecting member in the tire circumferential direction.

A non-pneumatic tire includes an annular inner ring, an annular outer ring, and a support structure extending from the annular inner ring to the annular outer ring. The support structure includes a plurality of spokes, webbing, cells, or other open-sided support structure. The tire includes a splash control band protruding from a side of the tire. The splash control band circumscribes a rotation axis of the tire and includes a surface facing the rotation axis. The surface can be continuous, angled, concave, and polygonal. The splash control band controls splashing of debris that accumulates within the support structure.

A green tire includes a plurality of sheets of green rubber having a substantially circular shape, with each sheet having a tread region disposed along a circumference. A plurality of objects are sandwiched between adjacent sheets of green rubber in the tread region. Each object is constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of steel, polyester, nylon, carbon fiber, aramid, fiber glass, cotton, hemp, polyurethane and other plastic, other synthetic or natural fibers and other metal materials.

A method for assembling an uncured spoke is provided. The method includes the assembly of a panel (14), a first foot (24), and a second foot (26) of the uncured spoke. The first foot (24) and the second foot (26) are complexed onto the panel (14), and the panel extends continuously from the first foot to the second foot.

The present invention provides a non-pneumatic structural bicycle tire, manufactured from TPU, TPE, other thermoplastics including TPS and TPZs, or other polymers and additives, as well as similar or dissimilar plastic such as PLA, ABS, and or recycled plastic material blend. The tire includes structural members of various sizes, thicknesses and angles, both contouring with the wheel, forming both arches, bridges and angled, voids including Euclidian and non-Euclidian triangles, diamonds, “V” shapes and other voids either with or without similar or dissimilar plastic infill between members in various fill levels and designs. The structural members create cross members and supports for transverse protrusions which compress to varying degrees depending on their specific characteristics. The non-pneumatic structural bicycle tire provides increased comfort, weight reduction, and durability when compared to other pneumatic or non-pneumatic tires.

The tire comprises an outer ring structure with a tread, the outer ring structure comprising a first support ring and a second support ring, the first and second support rings being substantially coaxial around the tire axis; an inner ring structure, the inner ring structure comprising a first base ring and a second base ring, the first and second base rings being substantially coaxial around the tire axis; and a connecting structure effective to transfer load from the inner ring structure to the outer ring structure, the connecting structure including first and second spokes made of reinforced rubber that connect the first and second support rings to the first and second base rings.

A rim assembly for a non-pneumatic tire has at least two rim components including: a first rim component having a first rim flange and a first lip, and a second rim component having a second rim flange and a second lip. The rim assembly further includes a plurality of lateral rim component support structures configured to extend through a plurality of openings of a tire support structure. The rim assembly also includes a first plurality of fasteners securing the plurality of lateral rim component support structures to the first rim flange, and a second plurality of fasteners securing the plurality of lateral rim component support structures to the second rim flange.