US 11,806,959 B2
Tools for manufacturing non-pneumatic tires
Janice Lisa Tardiff, Plymouth, MI (US); Adam Wirth, Belleville, MI (US); Wesley Grant Morris, Dearborn, MI (US); and Cindy Sofia Barrera-Martinez, Dearborn, MI (US)
Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Apr. 2, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/838,174.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/832,921, filed on Apr. 12, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0324497 A1, Oct. 15, 2020
Int. Cl. B29D 30/02 (2006.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01); B29C 45/73 (2006.01); B29C 45/26 (2006.01); B60C 7/00 (2006.01); B29C 33/38 (2006.01); B60C 7/10 (2006.01)
CPC B29D 30/02 (2013.01) [B29C 33/3842 (2013.01); B29C 45/26 (2013.01); B29C 45/7312 (2013.01); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12); B60C 7/00 (2013.01); B60C 7/107 (2021.08); B60C 2007/005 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A mold for forming a non-pneumatic tire, the mold comprising:
a wheel portion cavity and a tread ring portion cavity; and
a plurality of spoke cavities extending between the wheel portion cavity and the tread ring portion cavity in an XY plane, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of spoke cavities have thick section cavities configured to form spokes with at least one of a non-uniform thickness and a non-uniform width, the thick section cavities extend uniformly in a Z-direction that is perpendicular to the XY plane,
wherein a thermal control channel conforms to and extends adjacent a respective thick section cavity of the subset of spoke cavities.
 
14. An additive manufactured mold for forming a non-pneumatic tire, the mold comprising:
a wheel portion cavity and a tread ring portion cavity; and
a plurality of spoke cavities extending between the wheel portion cavity and the tread ring portion cavity in an XY plane, wherein at least a subset of spoke cavities within the plurality of spoke cavities comprise at least one of a non-uniform thickness, a non-uniform width, and a non-uniform surface,
wherein the subset of spoke cavities each comprise at least one thick section cavity and a thermal control channel conforms to and extends adjacent a respective thick section cavity of the subset of spoke cavities, the at least one thick section cavity extends uniformly in a Z-direction that is perpendicular to the XY plane.
 
17. An additive manufactured mold for forming a non-pneumatic tire, the additive manufactured mold comprising:
a wheel portion cavity and a tread ring portion cavity;
a plurality of spoke cavities extending between the wheel portion cavity and the tread ring portion cavity in an XY plane, wherein at least a subset of spoke cavities within the plurality of spoke cavities comprise at least one of a non-uniform thickness, a non-uniform width, and a non-uniform surface; and
a thermal control channel extending adjacent at least one of the wheel portion cavity, the tread ring portion cavity, and the subset of spoke cavities,
wherein the subset of spoke cavities each comprise at least one thick section cavity and the thermal control channel conforms to and extends adjacent a respective thick section cavity of the subset of spoke cavities, the at least one thick section cavity extends uniformly in a Z-direction that is perpendicular to the XY plane.