Bridgestone has been granted a patent for a non-pneumatic tire and rim assembly. The assembly includes two rim components with flanges and lips, as well as lateral rim component support structures and fasteners to secure them. The design aims to provide a durable and reliable rim assembly for non-pneumatic tires. GlobalData’s report on Bridgestone gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Bridgestone, anti-skid tyre treads was a key innovation area identified from patents. Bridgestone's grant share as of September 2023 was 35%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Non-pneumatic tire and rim assembly
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11772423B2) describes a non-pneumatic tire and rim assembly. The assembly includes a non-pneumatic tire with an annular inner ring, an annular outer ring, and webbing that defines multiple openings. The rim assembly consists of two rim components, each with a rim flange and a lip, that partially extend through the annular inner ring. Lateral rim component support structures are secured to the rim flanges using fasteners.
Claim 2 of the patent mentions the inclusion of a centrally located mounting plate secured to the first and second rim components. Claim 3 adds that the mounting plate can be offset from the center.
The lateral rim component support structures are designed to support a load transmitted through the webbing in tension (Claim 4) and apply torque to the webbing during rotation of the rim assembly (Claim 5). These support structures are interchangeable to correspond to the openings in the webbing (Claim 6). The number of lateral rim component support structures is less than the number of openings in the webbing (Claim 7), and their dimensions correspond to the openings (Claim 8).
The first and second rim components are configured to fit securely inside the annular inner ring (Claim 9) and can be made of materials such as stainless steel, powder coated steel, carbon fiber composite, or aluminum (Claim 10).
The patent also describes a method of assembling the non-pneumatic tire and reusable rim assembly. The method involves providing the tire, rim components, and lateral rim component support structures, securing the support structures to the rim flanges, inserting them through the openings in the tire, and securing a centrally located mounting plate to the rim components (Claim 11).
The rim assembly itself consists of at least two rim components, lateral rim component support structures, fasteners, and a locking plate. The rim components have rim flanges and lips, and the support structures extend through openings in a tire support structure (Claim 16). The locking plate and additional fasteners connect the lips of the rim components (Claim 17). The lateral rim component support structures can be made of various materials and are interchangeable (Claims 18 and 19). The locking plate abuts both lips of the rim components (Claim 20).
Overall, this patent describes a non-pneumatic tire and rim assembly with specific features and a method of assembling it. The assembly aims to provide a durable and reliable alternative to traditional pneumatic tires.
To know more about GlobalData’s detailed insights on Bridgestone, buy the report here.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
