Adapter for a wheeled assembly and a wheeled assembly comprising same

Abstract

An adapter, for a rolling assembly having an axis of rotation and comprising a tyre (P) having two beads (B), and a rim (J), provides the connection between one of the beads (B) and the rim (J), the said rim having two rim seats (7), the said adapter having an axially inner end (10) intended to be mounted on the rim seat (7) and comprising an inner reinforcing element (16), the said reinforcing element (16) having a centre C.sub.2, an axially outer end (9) comprising an outer reinforcing element (15), the said reinforcing element (15) having a centre C.sub.1, a body (11) that connects the said outer end (9) to the said inner end (10) so as to form a single piece and comprises at least one main reinforcement that provides the connection between the said outer reinforcer and the said inner reinforcer, and comprises a first end (17A) and a second end (17B), a substantially cylindrical adapter seat (18) intended to receive one of the said beads (B), the said seat (18) being situated at the axially outer end (9) of the said body (11), an adapter bearing face (21) substantially contained in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation, the said bearing face being situated on the axially inner face of the axially outer end (9), and an overall length L and a length LT measured between the centres C.sub.1 and C.sub.2. The first end (17A) and the second end (17B) of the reinforcement are arranged one upon the other so as to form an overlap.

Claims

1. An adapter for a rolling assembly having an axis of rotation and comprising a tire having two beads and a rim, the adapter providing the connection between one of the beads and the rim, the rim having two rim seats, and the adapter having: an axially inner end intended to be mounted on a rim seat and comprising an inner reinforcing element, the inner reinforcing element having a center C.sub.2; an axially outer end comprising an outer reinforcing element, the outer reinforcing element having a center C.sub.1; a body that connects the axially outer end to the axially inner end so as to form a single piece and comprises at least one main reinforcement that provides the connection between the outer reinforcing element and the inner reinforcing element, and comprises a first end and a second end, wherein the at least one main reinforcement is attached axially on an inside and radially on an outside to a wall of the outer reinforcing element, and anchored to the inner reinforcing element, so as to form an upturn at both the axially inner end and the axially outer end of the adapter; a substantially cylindrical adapter seat intended to receive one of the beads, the seat being situated at the axially outer end of the body; an adapter bearing face substantially contained in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation, the adapter bearing face being situated on an axially inner face of the axially outer end; and an overall length L and a length LT measured between the centers C.sub.1 and C.sub.2, wherein the first end and the second end of the at least one main reinforcement are arranged one upon the other so as to form an overlap to ensure coupling between superposed ply portions of the at least one main reinforcement.

2. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the overlap has a length l greater than or equal to 0.2L and less than or equal to 0.5L.

3. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the overlap has a length l less than or equal to 0.6LT.

4. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the at least one main reinforcement comprises a ply comprising reinforcers coated in an elastomer composition, the reinforcers being mutually parallel and making an angle comprised between 0° and 90° with the circumferential direction.

5. A rolling assembly having an axis of rotation and comprising a tire having two beads, a rim, and an adapter providing the connection between one of the beads and the rim, the rim having two rim seats, and the adapter having: an axially inner end intended to be mounted on a rim seat and comprising an inner reinforcing element, the inner reinforcing element having a center C.sub.2; an axially outer end comprising an outer reinforcing element, the outer reinforcing element having a center C.sub.1; a body that connects the axially outer end to the axially inner end so as to form a single piece and comprises at least one main reinforcement that provides the connection between the outer reinforcing element and the inner reinforcing element, and comprises a first end and a second end, wherein the at least one main reinforcement is attached axially on an inside and radially on an outside to a wall of the outer reinforcing element, and anchored to the inner reinforcing element, so as to form an upturn at both the axially inner end and the axially outer end of the adapter; a substantially cylindrical adapter seat intended to receive one of the beads, the seat being situated at the axially outer end of the body; an adapter bearing face substantially contained in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation, the adapter bearing face being situated on an axially inner face of the axially outer end; and an overall length L and a length LT measured between the centers C.sub.1 and C.sub.2, wherein the first end and the second end of the at least one main reinforcement are arranged one upon the other so as to form an overlap to ensure coupling between superposed ply portions of the at least one main reinforcement.

6. The rolling assembly according to claim 5, wherein the overlap has a length l greater than or equal to 0.2L and less than or equal to 0.5L.

7. The rolling assembly according to claim 5, wherein the overlap has a length l less than or equal to 0.6LT.

8. The rolling assembly according to claim 5, wherein the at least one main reinforcement comprises a ply comprising reinforcers coated in an elastomer composition, the reinforcers being mutually parallel and making an angle comprised between 0° and 90° with the circumferential direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) For preference, the rolling assembly according to the invention comprises a first and a second adapter that each have a body with different or identical lengths.

(2) The invention will now be described with the aid of examples and figures which follow and which are given purely by way of illustration, and in which:

(3) FIG. 1 depicts, schematically and in radial section, a tyre mounted on two adapters according to the invention, which are themselves fitted on the rim in a removable manner,

(4) FIG. 2 depicts, schematically and in radial section, a non-fitted adapter according to the invention, and according to a first embodiment,

(5) FIG. 3 depicts, schematically and in radial section, a non-mounted adapter according to the invention and according to a second embodiment,

(6) FIG. 4 depicts, schematically and in radial section, a non-mounted adapter according to the invention and according to a third embodiment,

(7) FIG. 5 depicts, schematically and in radial section, a non-mounted adapter according to the invention and according to a fourth embodiment,

(8) FIG. 6 depicts, schematically and in radial section, a non-mounted adapter according to the invention and according to a fifth embodiment.

(9) FIG. 7 depicts, schematically and in radial section, a non-mounted adapter according to the invention and according to a sixth embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) FIG. 1 depicts a mounted assembly comprising two adapters A according to the invention that connect the beads B of the tyre P to the two rim flanges 8 of the rim J. The adapters in this FIG. 1 are detachable from the rim J and from the beads B of the tyre.

(11) The tyre, of which the design per se is unaltered in the invention, is formed of a tread reinforced by a crown reinforcement joined to two beads B on either side of an equatorial plane XX′ by way of two sidewalls 1. A carcass reinforcement 2 that mainly reinforces the sidewalls 1 is anchored in each bead B to at least one bead wire, in this case of the “braided” type 3, so as to form turn-ups 4 that are separated from the main part of the carcass reinforcement by profiled elements 5 having a quasi triangular shape.

(12) It is important to note that the invention can be implemented with a very large number of types of tyre, be they radial tyres or cross-ply tyres, or even with tyres of the type having self-supporting sidewalls.

(13) The rim J comprises a groove 6, known as a well, that connects, on either side of the equatorial plane, two rim seats 7 that are axially extended by rim flanges 8, the radially outer edges of which are curved over.

(14) The adapter A mainly comprises an axially outer end 9 having a centre C.sub.1, an axially inner end 10 having a centre C.sub.2 and a body 11 connecting the said end 9 to the said end 10.

(15) The axially outer end 9 comprises an outer reinforcing element 20. During the mounting of the tyre, the bead seat for the bead B is fitted into the space created by this outer reinforcing element 20.

(16) The adapter A, which is positioned at each bead B of the tyre, may be symmetrical or non-symmetrical. Symmetry is defined as meaning that the overall length of the body 11 is identical on the two adapters. When the assembly (tyre, rim and adapter) is mounted, the beads B of the tyre are positioned on the adapter seat 14 and made to bear axially against a bearing face 21.

(17) FIG. 2 depicts an adapter according to the invention which is not mounted on a rim. This adapter comprises, on the one hand, an axially outer end 9 with an outer reinforcer 20 having a substantially spherical or polygonal geometric shape in section, consisting of a composite material such as glass-fibre-reinforced plastic, and, on the other hand, an axially inner end 10 with a metal reinforcer 16, and finally a body 11 comprising a ply 17 made up of textile cords and elastomer. The cords of the ply are mutually parallel. The said ply 17 is, on the one hand, attached axially on the inside and radially on the outside to the walls of the reinforcer 20, and on the other hand, anchored, in the end 10, to the metal reinforcer 16, so as to form a turn-up at each end 9, 10 of the adapter. The ply 17 comprises a first end 17A and a second end 17B. The ply 17 comprises a part 17C arranged radially on the inside of a part 17D.

(18) The adapter has an overall length between each end equal to L, and a length LT measured between the centres C.sub.1 and C.sub.2.

(19) The ply 17 comprises two ends 17A and 17B arranged one upon the other so as to form a region of overlap having an overall length “1” comprised between 0.2L and 0.5L. The ply 17 is coated in known elastomer composition 19.

(20) The body 11 comprises a substantially cylindrical adapter seat 18 intended to receive a bead of the tyre arranged at the axially outer end of the body 11.

(21) The body 11 also comprises an adapter bearing face 21 that is substantially contained in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation, is situated on the axially inner face of the axially outer end, and is intended to keep the bead in place in its housing.

(22) According to FIG. 2, in the region of overlap, the first end 17A is arranged radially on the outside of the second end 17B. The end 17B is sandwiched between the ply part 17C and the ply part 17D.

(23) FIG. 3 differs from FIG. 2 in that the first end 17A is arranged radially on the inside of the second end 17B. The end 17A is sandwiched between the ply part 17C and the ply part 17D.

(24) In FIGS. 2 and 3, the region of overlap is arranged radially on the outside of the part 17C of the ply 17.

(25) In FIGS. 4 and 5, the region of overlap is arranged radially on the inside of the part 17C of the ply 17.

(26) FIG. 4 is the counterpart to FIG. 3. The end 17A is sandwiched between the ply part 17C and the ply part 17D.

(27) FIG. 5 is the counterpart to FIG. 2. The end 17B is sandwiched between the ply part 17C and the ply part 17D.

(28) In FIGS. 6 and 7, the region of overlap is arranged radially to the outer reinforcing element 20. In FIG. 6, the end 17A is sandwiched between the part 17C and the outer reinforcing element 20. In FIG. 7, the end 17B is sandwiched between the part 17D and the outer reinforcing element 20.

(29) The following example shows the results obtained with the adapter according to the invention.

Example: High-Speed Endurance Tests

(30) This test consists in running the wheel at an initial speed of 250 km/h and of increasing this speed by 2 km/h over the course of 20 h in order to obtain a final speed of 290 km/h.

(31) An adapter according to the invention has an overall length L=65.35 mm and a length of overlap l=30 mm namely 45% of the overall length.

(32) It is found that a wheel fitted with such an adapter performs the test without any damage, unlike a wheel comprising a known adapter with no overlap in the reinforcement.