Importance

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Abstract

A one-piece sheet metal automotive passenger vehicle spare wheel and tire integrated thereon, having a mounting disc and a non-pneumatic tire-supporting rim. The rim has a radially outwardly arched rim portion of toroidal geometry with a generally uniform radius of curvature and cross-section thickness. The rim is cantilevered from the disc and has a radially in-turned flange at its free end thereof extending convergently toward the disc. The disc part has three successively contiguous integral and annularly continuous disc zone portions: (a) a radially outermost generally frusto-conical face zone having air vent openings therein, (b) a radially innermost face zone with an annular hat section protruding outboard of the wheel, and (c) a bolt circle mounting portion adapted for removable mounting to an automotive passenger vehicle wheel hub, axle or other mounting part. The cross sectional thickness of the rim portion is generally less than that of the disc and rim flange. The wheel may be combined with a non-pneumatic elastomeric tire (NPT) having a curved inner surface complimentarily matching and permanently bonded to the outermost surface of the rim. Preferably the NPT of U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,098 is cast and cured onto the wheel rim to form an integrated non-pneumatic spare tire and wheel to replace the pneumatic tire mini-spares currently in use. A die-forming and spin forming method of making the wheel is also disclosed.

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First Claim