US 11,701,919 B2
Non-pneumatic wheel
Clifford Wilson, Simpsonville, SC (US); Clayton Bohn, Jr., Mauldin, SC (US); Steven M Cron, Simpsonville, SC (US); and Timothy Brett Rhyne, Greenville, SC (US)
Assigned to Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin, Clermont-Ferrand (FR)
Appl. No. 16/646,468
Filed by Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin, Clermont-Ferrand (FR)
PCT Filed Sep. 11, 2018, PCT No. PCT/US2018/050496
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 11, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/051497, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 14, 2019.
Application 16/646,468 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2017/051002, filed on Sep. 11, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0290398 A1, Sep. 17, 2020
Int. Cl. B60B 9/26 (2006.01); B60C 7/18 (2006.01); C08K 3/04 (2006.01); C08K 3/36 (2006.01); C08L 7/00 (2006.01); C08L 9/06 (2006.01); C08L 47/00 (2006.01); B60C 1/00 (2006.01); B60C 7/14 (2006.01)
CPC B60B 9/26 (2013.01) [B60C 7/18 (2013.01); C08K 3/04 (2013.01); C08K 3/36 (2013.01); C08L 7/00 (2013.01); C08L 9/06 (2013.01); C08L 47/00 (2013.01); B60C 7/146 (2021.08); B60C 2001/0066 (2013.01); C08K 2201/006 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A non-pneumatic wheel, comprising a hub, an outer tread band and a plurality of spokes connecting the hub with the outer tread band, wherein each spoke of the plurality of spokes comprises:
a first support element extending from the hub and a second support element extending from the tread band that are positioned to form an interior angle, which is an angle of greater than 0 degrees but less than 180 degrees, between a first side of the first support element and a first side of the second support element, wherein the first and second support elements comprise a coating of a first portion of the first and second support elements with a first rubber composition and a remainder portion of the first and second support elements with a second rubber composition;
a first elastomeric joint body formed of a third rubber composition and positioned within the interior angle and connecting the distal ends, the distal ends being those that are opposite from the hub and the tread band ends respectively, of the first and second support elements;
a second elastomeric joint body comprising a fourth rubber composition and connecting a second side of the first support element at its proximal end to the hub;
a third elastomeric joint body comprising a fifth rubber composition and connecting a second side of the second support element at its proximal end to the band, wherein the proximal ends of the first and second support elements are otherwise free ends, and wherein the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth rubber compositions are based on cross-linkable rubber compositions, the first rubber composition comprising, in parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of rubber:
between 50 phr and 100 phr of natural rubber;
between 0 phr and 50 phr of a second rubber component selected from the group consisting of polybutadiene rubber, a copolymer of polybutadiene and styrene wherein the copolymer has no more than 5 mol % styrene and combinations thereof;
between 25 phr and 40 phr of a first reinforcing filler that comprises a first carbon black and a first silica at a carbon black to silica ratio of between 60/40 and 30/70 by weight percent,
wherein the first carbon black has a surface area of between 19 m2/g and 39 m2/g; and
a cure system for the first rubber composition; and wherein the second rubber composition comprises, in parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of rubber:
between 90 phr and 100 phr of natural rubber;
up to 10 phr of a third rubber component selected from the group consisting of polybutadiene rubber, a copolymer of polybutadiene and styrene wherein the copolymer has no more than 5 mol % styrene and combinations thereof;
between 40 phr and 60 phr of a third reinforcing filler; and
a cure system for the second rubber composition; and wherein the third, fourth, and fifth rubber compositions, which may be the same or different, comprises, in parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of rubber:
between 50 phr and 100 phr of natural rubber;
between 0 phr and 50 phr of a third rubber component selected from the group consisting of polybutadiene rubber, a copolymer of polybutadiene and styrene wherein the copolymer has no more than 5 mol % styrene and combinations thereof;
between 15 phr and 40 phr of a second reinforcing filler that comprises between 2 phr and 6 phr of a second carbon black and between 20 phr and 40 phr of a second silica, wherein the second carbon black has a surface area of between 19 m2/g and 39 m2/g; and one or more cure systems for the fourth, fifth, and sixth rubber compositions, which cure systems may be the same or different.