Convoluted cone wheel

Claim 2

A non-pneumatic convoluted cone wheel characterized by: a hub section (12) for receiving an axle; a resilient annulartoroidal wheel body section (16) extending radially outwardly from said hub section (12) and having a ground-engaging rim (36) at its peripheral edge portion distal from said hub section (12); and means for varying the spring rate with deformation of said toroidal section.

Claim 3

The convoluted cone wheel defined in Claim 1 wherein said ground-engaging rim (36) having an inside surface portion (50) and an outside ground-engaging portion (48) and wherein the means for varying the spring rate includes resilient bump stop means (18).

Claim 4

The convoluted cone wheel defined in Claim 2 wherein the resilient bump stop (18) has a circular configuration in plan view coaxial with said toroidal section (16) and having a smaller diameter than the normal undeformed diameter of the rim - (36) of the toroidal section, the outer peripheral edge portion (28) of said bump stop (18) terminating radially in a position intercepting the path of the inside surface portion (50) of said toroidal section - (16) during the deformation thereof under conditions of increased load.

Claim 5

The convoluted cone wheel defined in Claims 2 or 3 wherein the resilient bump stop (18) has a spring rate under deformation greater than that of the toroidal section (16) whereby when the inside surface (50) of said toroidal section (16) contacts said bump stop (18), further deformation of said wheel is resisted by the combined stiffness of both the bump stop (18) and the toroidal section (16) such that an overstressing of said toroidal section (16) under load is prevented.

Claim 6

The convoluted cone wheel defined in claims 3, 4 or 5 wherein the radially outward peripheral region (30) of the bump stop (18) has a conoidal configuration having a cross-sectional profile substantially similar to that of the toroidal section (16) of said wheel and the convex surface (34) thereof faces the inside surface (50) of said toroidal section (16).

Claim 7

The convoluted cone wheel defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein said toroidal section (16) having a circular radially and axially curving portion (38) and a circular reversedly curving portion (40) such that said toroidal section (16) has an annular concave inside surface (42) and an annular convex outside surface (44), and wherein the toroidal section (16) is connected to said hub section (12) or is integral with and forms a radial outward continuation bf the hub section (12).

Claim 8

The convoluted cone wheel defined in Claim 2 wherein the means for varying the spring rate is an annular arrangement of radially extending slots - (450) pierced through the toroidal section (16) at any one of the following points; at the point of greatest curvature in the diametrical section profile thereof; at least at one of the transition points of curvature in the diametrical section profile thereof; at the vertex of the convex surface thereof; or at the transition point of curvature in the diametrical section profile in the region of the hub section.

Claim 9

The convoluted cone wheel of any of the preceding claims wherein said toroidal section (16) being formed in two coaxial pieces (260,262) and including means for joining the contiguous edges of said coaxial pieces.

Claim 10

The convoluted cone wheel defined in Claim 8 wherein the means for joining the contiguous edges of the coaxial pieces (560,562) is a circumferential arrangement of spring clips (550), the spring clips (550) each are substantially rectangular strips of resilient sheet material, the spring clips - (550) each having one of their ends (569) fastened on one of the coaxial pieces and the other of their ends (571) fastened on the other coaxial piece, the portion of said spring clips (550) intermediate said fastened end forming a cantilever spring, whereby the action of said cantilever spring portions of said clips during deformation of the wheel under load varies the spring rate of the resilient toroidal section (16).

Claim 11

The convoluted cone wheel defined in Claim 8 wherein the means for joining the contiguous edges of the coaxial pieces (260,262) is an axially outwardly projecting integral flange - (264,266) provided along both of said contiguous edges and wherein said flanges (264,266) are fastened together to secure said coaxial pieces - (260,262) together for operation.

Claim 12

The convoluted cone wheel defined in any one of claims 8-10, wherein a peripheral elastomeric gasket (376) is interposed between the mating surfaces of said flanges (264,266,364,366) whereby the resilience of said gasket (376) alters the spring rate with deformation of said wheel.

Claim 13

The convoluted cone wheel according to any one of the preceding claims in which the hub section (12) has a substantially planar vertical disk portion which has a peripheral axially inwardly extending cylindrical flange (152) and the radially inside peripheries of the resilient toroidal section - (116) and the bump stop (118) have a cylindrical edge portion (154,156) coaxial with said flange - (152) and fitted thereon with the cylindrical portion (154) of said toroidal section (116) interposed between said cylindrical portion (156) of said bump stop (118) and said hub flange (152) with a peripheral arrangement of fasteners (158) through said flange (152) and said cylindrical edge portions (154,156) for fastening said edge portions - (154,156) to said flange (152) with the requisite clamping forces on the assembly, and in which said wheel is mounted on the brake drum wheel - (111) mounting of a vehicle.

Claim 14

The convoluted cone wheel according to Claim 12 in which the cylindrical edge portion of said resilient toroidal section is thickened to properly distribute the loads thereon.

Claim 15

The convoluted cone wheel according to Claim 12 in which the hub section is metallic and the resilient toroidal section is made of a composite material, said hub section being provided with an operating clearance between it and the brake drum such that heat therefrom into said hub section in operation is substantially a radient heat transfer phenomenon whereby a heat input into said toroidal section of a magnitude sufficient to cause thermal degredation of the composite material thereof is avoided.

Claim 16

The convoluted cone wheel according to any one of the preceding claims which the sum of the axial dimensions (A,B) in width the first curving portion (38) and the second curving portion (40) of the resilient annular body section (16) is approximately twice the depth (D) of said resilient annular body section (16).

Claim 17

The convoluted cone wheel according to any one of the preceding claims in which said wheel has an annular web section (14) interposed between the hub section (12) and the resilient annular toroidal section (16), and in which the annular web section (14) is resilient, and in which the annular web section (14) is integral with the hub section (12) and the resilient annular toroidal section (16).