WO2006130944A1

WO2006130944A1 - Airplane tire saver by protrusion airfoils

Info

Publication number: WO2006130944A1
Application number: PCT/CA2005/001425
Authority: WO
Inventors: Vilmos Horvath; Bela Bill Szoke
Original assignee: Vilmos Horvath; Bela Bill Szoke
Priority date: 2005-06-09
Filing date: 2005-09-16
Publication date: 2006-12-14
Also published as: CA2508642A1

Abstract

The present invention introduces a number of protrusion airfoils (1, 2, 3, 4) molded as part of an airplane tire placing at both sides of the outside walls of the tire which rotate the wheels prior to the landing of the aircraft in order to prevent the airplane tires from frequent reconditioning and replacements. The protrusion airfoils (1, 2, 3, 4) are either being molded as part of newly produced tire or attached to existing tires, and are made of durable material. The protrusion airfoils (1, 2, 3, 4) comprise a thin cover (6) die cut and then attached to a skeleton (5) in molded unit. Another embodiment of the invention consists of protrusion airfoils (1, 2, 3, 4) attached to or molded as one unit with a circular band (7, 8) where the circular band's curvature fits the side walls curvature of the tire.

Description

SPECIFICATION

AERPLAEV TIRE SAVER BY PROTRUSION AIRFOILS This invention relates to frequent reconditioning and replacement of airplane tires damaged by landing. The improvement in question is solely governed by the laws of physics, and the improvement will have some positive influence on the landing.

It is necessary to have landing gears on all larger airplanes. In this invention, we are concerned with planes having high landing speed and wheels on the landing gears.

When big planes, jumbo jets approaching to land, the landing gear is opened, then the wheels are exposed to the air. At touchdown, we can see a large amount of smoke coming out of the wheels. The removed rubber from the tires is polluting the environment with smoke, and some of the debris may be sucked into the engines of other planes, especially when the wind lifts up the larger fragments of rubber.

The runway's concrete by friction removes the rubber unevenly. The uneven surface is created by localized pressures exerted by the weight of the plane, and the force required for starting to spin the wheels, because the wheels rotation is almost zero at this point.

Each time the plane lands more rubber are removed. The touchdown could be at any area of the tire's thread at touchdown.

The random locations of excessive wear on the thread of the tires, create uneven surfaces, which ultimately increase the frequency of reconditioning and replacement of tires.

Each time the tires are reconditioned, first it has to be dismounted then reconditioned. After that, the tires have to be mounted on to put the plane back to operation.

A brand new tire could land more times than a reconditioned one, then reaching the limit of reconditioning; thereafter, the tires have to be discarded. In the present invention, the improvement begins to take place after the landing gear is opened and the wheels are exposed to the air.

The plane and its wheels speed against the atmospheric air. The protrusion airfoils 1 harvesting the motive forces from the incoming air stream in an arc formation. The enlarged view 2, is the front face.

An alternative form 3 shown, where one protrusion airfoil collide perpendicular with the air stream, and its face aligned with the diameter center of the tire. The enlarged view 4 is showing the face of the protruding airfoil.

In both cases the protrusion airfoils are spinning the wheels in a positive or forward direction. The aim is; not to rotate the wheels beyond the needed rotation which is the landing speed. Rather control the rotational speed and maintain it in an acceptable limit, which can be concluded after experiments.

The ideal rotational speed assumed to be about the plane's ground speed at touchdown, although any forward rotational speed would be advantageous below ground speed.

The protrusion airfoils 1 and 3 are placed at the outside walls, at both sides of the tires rather than only one side. The reason is to produce an equal force both sides of the tires, with minimum size and weight of the protrusion airfoils. The face height of the protrusion airfoils assumed to be between 1/16 and 3/8 of an inch above the outside walls of the tire. When the landing gear is opened, the protrusion airfoils at the lower half of the tires producing the force to spin the wheels. At the top half of the tires the protrusion airfoils 1 guiding the air to pass without loosing too much force to spin the wheels.

The protrusion airfoils 3, at the top half of the tire merge onto the surface of the tire and permitting the incoming air to pass. The protrusion airfoils 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 could be made from rubber, synthetic rubber or other synthetic materials as plastics or the combination of them. Also it can be made from durable closed cell, or open cell foam.

The protrusion airfoils 2 and 4 may be attached separately to a circular band of ' rubber, reinforced with fabric, shown by 7 and 8. Possibility is to mold all protrusion airfoils together with a band of rubber or other synthetic materials and reinforced by cotton or other synthetic material fabrics in one operation, then as a combined unit attached to the tire. When the protrusion airfoils 4 is made from durable foam, it is attached to the carcass plies by nylon fabric or other methods, and covered by rubber, or other durable synthetic materials. It is a possibility to use it on newly produced tires, already produced new tires sitting in warehouses, or used tires. The expansion and contractions of air could be a problem to be solved by venting holes, especially if open cell foam is used or other means.

Another possibility is to use molded skeleton 5 and attaching a top cover 6 to it, die cut from sheet of synthetic material or plastic. Alternatively, the skeleton is molded, including the top cover as one unit, and the air may be replaced by foam or other means, then attached to the carcass plies of the tire.

The protruding airfoils can be molded as the tire is made, or separately attached to already produced new tires sitting in the warehouses. Also to used tires by the process of vulcanization or other bonding methods, and materials approved by Transport Canada, FAA and JAA.

The height and number of protruding airfoils depend mainly, on the size and weight of the aircraft, which determines the approximate size and strength of the tires. Of course, smaller size protruding airfoils can be used if they are placed closer to each other on the outside walls of the tire, and closer to the outside diameter of the tire. How close and what are the actual measurements, and the number of the protruding airfoils, is expected to be arrived after experiments, which is up to the airplane owners discretion. In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention,

Fig.l is the side view of a tire with 18 protruding airfoils, 5 Fig.2 is an enlarged view of protruding airfoil,

Fig.3 is a side view of a tire with 16 protruding airfoils alternate form,

Fig.4 is an enlarged view of alternate form of the protruding airfoil,

Fig.5 is an another alternate form of a protruding airfoil,

Fig.6 is a cover for Fig.5, 10 Fig.7 is another side view with 24 protruding airfoils,

Fig.8 is the enlarged view of protruding airfoil,

Fig.9 is the circular band for tire shown in Fig.7,

Fig.10 is the circular band for tire as shown in Fig.3,

Fig.ll is the tire of Fig.l for taking cross section,

Fig.12 is a half cross section of Fig.ll, where 10 is the protruding airfoil,

Fig.13 is the tire of Fig.3 for taking cross section,

Fig.14 is the half cross section of Fig.13 where 11 is the protruding airfoil.

Claims

CLAIMSThe embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A number of protruding airfoils molded as part of the tire when newly produced, and placed at both sides at the outside walls of the tire, for capturing the motive force, as the plane speed against the atmospheric air, to spin the wheels of the plane for preparation to land.

2. A number of protruding airfoils as recited in claim 1 wherein the potruding airfoils 2 and 4 attached to the tire by the process of vulcanization.

3. A number of protruding airfoils as recited in claim 2 wherein the protruding airfoils attached to already produced tires stored at various outlets.

4. A number of protruding airfoils as recited in claim 2 and 3 wherein the protruding airfoils attached to used tires.

5. A number of protruding airfoils as recited in claim 1, 2, 3 and 4 wherein the protruding airfoils are molded from rubber and durable synthetic material.

6. A number of protruding airfoils as recited in claim 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 wherein the protruding airfoils are molded from closed cell, durable foam.

7. A number of protruding airfoils as recited in claim 6 wherein the protruding airfoils are molded from open cell, durable foam.

8. A number of protruding airfoils as recited in claim 1 wherein the protruding airfoils produced as a skeleton 5 in molded unit.

9. A number of protruding airfoils as recited in claim 8 wherein the protruding airfoils having a thin cover 6 die cut then attached to the skeleton 5.

10 A number of protruding airfoils as recited in claim 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8and 9 wherein the protruding airfoils 2 attached to a circular band 7 separately, where said bands' curvature fits the side walls curvature of the tire.

' 11. A number of protruding airfoils as recited in claim 10 wherein the circular band 7 molded as one unit including the protruding airfoils 2.

12. A number of protruding airfoils as recited in claim 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 wherein the protruding airfoils 4 attached separately to a circular band 8 where said bands' curvature fits the side walls curvature of the tire.

13 A number of protruding airfoils as recited in claim 12 wherein the circular band 8 molded as one unit including the protruding airfoils 4.

14. A number of protruding airfoils as recited in claim 1, 2, 3,4, S, 6, 7, 8 and 9 wherein the cover plate 6 attached to a skeleton 5 then attached to a circular band 8 where said bands' curvature fits the side walls curvature of the tire.

15. A number of protruding airfoils as recited in claim 14 wherein the circular band 8 molded as one unit including the cover plate 6 and skeleton 5.