System for non-pneumatic support of a vehicle
DRIVE
November 20, 2013
A non-pneumatic tire comprising a plurality of springs (310) is disclosed. Each spring comprises a first, a second, and an arching middle portion and is interwoven with at least one other spring (310) thereby forming a toroidal structure extending about an entire circumference of the non-pneumatic tire (100, 300). The toroidal structure is at least partially coated with an elastomer (550). One end portion (315) of at least one spring (310) is secured to a first bead spring (701) adjacent to a rim (202). Also, a system for constructing the above-mentioned non-pneumatic tire is disclosed. The toroidal carcass ply structure is at least partially coated with an elastomer (550) cured to adhere to the toroidal carcass ply structure. Optionally, the system further includes a segmented mold (510) for curing the elastomer (550) to the toroidal carcass ply structure.
Discussion in the ATmosphere