A ROLLING ASSEMBLY

Abstract

The rolling assembly has a rotation axis and comprises a rim having two rim seats that is axially outwardly extended by rim flanges, one adapter and a tire having two beads. The adapter provides the connection between one of the beads and the rim and comprises an axially inner end that is adapted to be mounted on one of the rim seats, an axially outer end that is adapted to receive one of the beads and an adapter body connecting the axially inner end and the axially outer end as to form a single piece. The two rim seats of the rim have different diameters with a gap D. The adapter is mounted onto the rim seat having smaller diameter. The rim seat of the rim has a smaller diameter positions on a side intended to be inside when the rolling assembly being mounted onto a vehicle.

Claims

1. A rolling assembly having a rotation axis and comprising a rim having two rim seats being axially outwardly extended by rim flanges, one adapter and a tire having two beads, the adapter providing the connection between one of the beads and the rim, the adapter comprising an axially inner end that is adapted to be mounted on one of the rim seats, an axially outer end that is adapted to receive one of the beads and an adapter body connecting the axially inner end and the axially outer end as to form a single piece, the two rim seats of the rim having different diameter with a gap D, the adapter being mounted onto the rim seat having smaller diameter, wherein the rim seat of the rim has a smaller diameter positions on a side intended to be inside when the rolling assembly is mounted onto a vehicle.

2. The rolling assembly according to claim 1, wherein the gap D is at least equal to 0.25 inches.

3. The rolling assembly according to claim 1, wherein an axial width of the adapter is wider than an axial width of the rim at inflation state.

4. The rolling assembly according to claim 1, wherein an axial width of the rim is wider than an axial width of the adapter at inflation state.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention arise from the description made hereafter in reference to the annexed drawings which show, as nonrestrictive examples, the embodiment of the invention.

[0030] In these drawings:

[0031] FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a rolling assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a rim of the rolling assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a rolling assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ENABLING EMBODIMENTS

[0034] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below referring to the drawings.

[0035] A rolling assembly 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described referring to FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0036] FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a rolling assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a rim of the rolling assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] The rolling assembly 1 is a rolling assembly having a rotation axis XX′ where X is a direction intended to be outside when the rolling assembly 1 being mounted onto a vehicle, thus X′ is a direction intended to be inside when the rolling assembly 1 being mounted onto a vehicle, and comprising a rim 2 having two rim seats 21 being axially outwardly extended by rim flanges 22, one adapter 3 and a tire 4 having two beads 41, the adapter 3 providing the connection between one of the bead 41 and the rim 2. In this FIG. 1, the rolling assembly 1 is in an inflation state.

[0038] The adapter 3 comprising an axially inner end 31 that is adapted to be mounted on one of the rim seats 21, an axially outer end 32 that is adapted to receive one of the beads 41 and an adapter body 33 connecting the axially inner end 31 and the axially outer end 32 as to form a single piece.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2, The two rim seats 21 of the rim 2 having different diameter, smaller diameter Ds and greater diameter Dg with a gap D (indicated as D/2 as FIG. 1 shows half of the rolling assembly 1), the adapter 3 being mounted onto the rim seat 21 having smaller diameter Ds. The rim seat 21 of the rim 2 having smaller diameter Ds positions on a side intended to be inside when the rolling assembly 1 being mounted onto a vehicle.

[0040] The gap D is at least equal to 0.25 inches. In this embodiment, this gap D is equal to 0.50 inches.

[0041] An axial width of the adapter 3 is wider than an axial width of the rim 2 at inflation state.

[0042] Since the adapter 3 providing the connection between one of the beads 41 and the rim 2, the adapter 3 can deform at least in radial and in axial directions, thus it is possible to improve comfort and ability to withstand curb impact. The adapter 3 also makes it possible to improve interior noise performance by shifting vibration mode frequency lower.

[0043] Since the rolling assembly 1 comprises one adapter 3 and the two rim seats 21 of the rim 2 having different diameter with a gap D and the adapter 3 being mounted onto the rim seat 21 having smaller diameter, the rolling assembly 1 accepts to use conventional pneumatic or non-pneumatic tire 4 with the rim 2 and the adapter 3 while keeping assembling difficulty similar to that of without adapter 3. This combination also makes it possible to reduce number of parts within the rolling assembly 1.

[0044] Since the rim seat 21 of the rim 2 having smaller diameter Ds positions on a side intended to be inside when the rolling assembly 1 being mounted onto a vehicle, it is possible to improve steering of a vehicle as outside bead 41 of the tire 4 which is important for transmitting a load during cornering is directly mounted onto the rim seat 21 of the rim 2 which has no or extremely small deformation compare to the adapter 3.

[0045] The rim 2 is preferably made of a material selected from steel or alloys of aluminum and/or magnesium, composite materials based on carbon fiber, glass fiber, aramid fiber, plant fiber, the said fibers being contained within a matrix based on thermosetting or thermoplastic compounds, or from a complex composite comprising an elastomer and a complex based on resin and fibers selected from carbon fibers, glass fibers, aramid fibers, plant fibers or any combinations of materials.

[0046] The matrix based on thermosetting compounds is selected from epoxy resins, vinylester, unsaturated polyesters, ester cyanate, bismaleimide, acrylic resins, phenolic resins, polyurethanes and combinations thereof.

[0047] The matrix based on thermoplastic compounds is selected from polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyamides (PA), semiaromatic polyamides, polyester (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), polyethersulphone (PSU), polyetherimide (PEI), polyimide (P1), polyamidelmide (PAl), polyphenylenesulphide (PPS), polyoxymethylene (POM), polyphenylene oxide (PPO).

[0048] The adapter 3 may be any kind being elastically deformable in the two, radial and axial, directions known to those skilled in the art. The adapter 3 may include an adapter bead (not shown) in the inner end 31 of the adapter 3 intended to catch the adapter 3 on top of the rim flange 22 of the rim 2, as being done conventionally by the bead 41 of the tire 4. The outer end 32 of the adapter 3 which accepts the bead 41 of the tire 4 in exactly the same way as the top of the rim flange 22 of the rim 2 conventionally does. The outer end 32 of the adapter 3 may also include an adapter bead (not shown), which may be the same or different with the adapter bead included in the inner end 31 of the adapter 3.

[0049] The adapter 3 may be made of elastomers such as rubbers that can be crosslinked by chemical vulcanization reactions by sulfurbridges, by carbon-carbon bonds created by the action of peroxides or of ionizing radiation, by other specific atom chains of the elastomer module, thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) in which the elastically deformable part forms a network between rather non-deformable “hard” regions, the cohesion of which is the product of physical connections (crystallites or amorphous regions above their glass transition temperature), non-thermoplastic elastomers and thermoset resins. The adapter 3 may also include a plurality of reinforcement along the inner end 31, adapter body 33 and the outer end 32, which may be made of metal (for example steel) cords or textile cords (for example rayon, aramid, polyethylene, nylon, glass fiber, carbon fiber, basalt fiber, PEN or PVA).

[0050] A rolling assembly 51 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described referring to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a rolling assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The construction of this second embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment other than the arrangement shown in FIG. 3, thus description will be made referring to FIG. 3.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 3, the rolling assembly 51 is a rolling assembly having a rotation axis XX′ where X is a direction intended to be outside when the rolling assembly 51 being mounted onto a vehicle, thus X′ is a direction intended to be inside when the rolling assembly 51 being mounted onto a vehicle, and comprising a rim 52 having two rim seats 521 being axially outwardly extended by rim flanges 522, one adapter 53 and a tire 54 having two beads 541, the adapter 53 providing the connection between one of the bead 541 and the rim 52.

[0052] The adapter 53 comprising an axially inner end 531 that is adapted to be mounted on one of the rim seats 521, an axially outer end 532 that is adapted to receive one of the beads 541 and an adapter body 533 connecting the axially inner end 531 and the axially outer end 532 as to form a single piece.

[0053] The two rim seats 521 of the rim 52 having different diameter, smaller diameter Ds and greater diameter Dg with a gap D (indicated as D/2 as FIG. 3 shows half of the rolling assembly 51), the adapter 53 being mounted onto the rim seat 521 having smaller diameter Ds. The rim seat 521 of the rim 52 having smaller diameter Ds positions on a side intended to be inside when the rolling assembly 51 being mounted onto a vehicle.

[0054] The gap D is at least equal to 0.25 inches. In this embodiment, this gap D is equal to 0.50 inches.

[0055] An axial width of the rim 52 is wider than an axial width of the adapter 53 at inflation state.

[0056] Since an axial width of the rim 52 is wider than an axial width of the adapter 53 at inflation state, it is possible to improve further steering of a vehicle by limiting deformable length created by the adapter 53, while still maintaining satisfactory interior noise performance and/or ability to withstand curb impact.

[0057] The invention is not limited to the examples described and represented and various modifications can be made there without leaving its framework.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

[0058] 1, 51 rolling assembly [0059] 2, 52 rim [0060] 21, 521 rim seat [0061] 22, 522 rim flange [0062] 3, 53 adapter [0063] 31, 531 inner end of adapter [0064] 32, 532 outer end of adapter [0065] 33, 533 adapter body [0066] 4, 54 tire [0067] 41, 541 bead