Method of mounting a wheel and tire assembly including a collapsible wheel

Abstract

A wheel assembly includes a collapsible wheel and an airless flexible tire mounted on the wheel. The wheel includes a central portion and a plurality of circumferentially spaced mounting elements attached to the central portion. Each of the mounting elements is movable between a retracted position and an extended position, and may be pivotally attached to the central portion of the wheel and configured to pivot between the retracted position and the extended position. The tire may be positioned on the wheel when one or more of the mounting elements is in the retracted position, and the one or more mounting elements are moved to the extended position wherein the mounting elements engage and support the tire.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following: 
     
         1 . A method of mounting an airless tire on a wheel, the method comprising:
 pivoting one of the mounting elements on the wheel about a pivot axis extending parallel to a rotational axis of the wheel from an extended position to a retracted position;   positioning the wheel and the tire such that the wheel is inside the tire; and   pivoting the one of the mounting elements about the pivot axis from the retracted position to the extended position such that the mounting elements engage the tire.   
     
     
         2 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , the step of pivoting one of the mounting elements from the extended position to the retracted position including unsecuring a fastener between the one of the mounting elements and the wheel. 
     
     
         3 . The method as set forth in  claim 2 , the step of pivoting the mounting element from the retracted position to the extended position including securing a fastener between the mounting element and the wheel. 
     
     
         4 . The method of as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein each of the mounting elements are configured to pivot independently of the other mounting elements. 
     
     
         5 . The method of as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the tire engages the mounting elements when the mounting elements are in the extended position such that portions of the tire not engaging the mounting elements are separated radially from the wheel by a space, the portions of the tire not engaging the mounting elements being configured to flex inwardly toward the wheel when subject to ground engaging pressure. 
     
     
         6 . The method of as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein each of the mounting elements present an elongated, transversely oriented outer edge that engages the tire. 
     
     
         7 . The method of as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the tire includes a pair of drive lugs positioned to engage opposite sides of one of the mounting elements, the drive lugs extending radially inwardly from the tire. 
     
     
         8 . The method of as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the tire includes a plurality of traction lugs extending radially outwardly from the tire. 
     
     
         9 . The method of as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the tire includes one or more tension elements secured thereto. 
     
     
         10 . The method of as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the one or more tension elements are at least partially embedded in the tire. 
     
     
         11 . A method of mounting an airless tire on a wheel, the method comprising:
 pivoting a plurality of mounting elements on the wheel about pivot axes extending parallel to a rotational axis of the wheel from an extended position to a retracted position, wherein the plurality of the mounting elements are configured to pivot independently of the other mounting elements;   positioning the wheel and the tire such that the wheel is inside the tire; and   pivoting the plurality of mounting elements about the pivot axes from the retracted position to the extended position such that the mounting elements engage the tire.   
     
     
         12 . The method as set forth in  claim 11 , the step of pivoting the plurality of mounting elements from the extended position to the retracted position including unsecuring fasteners between the mounting elements and the wheel. 
     
     
         13 . The method as set forth in  claim 12 , the step of pivoting the plurality of mounting elements from the retracted position to the extended position including securing fasteners between the mounting elements and the wheel. 
     
     
         14 . The method as set forth in  claim 11 , the step of pivoting the plurality of mounting elements from the extended position to the retracted position including pivoting a majority of the mounting elements from the extended position to the retracted position. 
     
     
         15 . The method as set forth in  claim 11 , the step of pivoting the plurality of mounting elements from the extended position to the retracted position including pivoting all of the mounting elements from the extended position to the retracted position. 
     
     
         16 . The method of as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the tire engages the mounting elements when the mounting elements are in the extended position such that portions of the tire not engaging the mounting elements are separated radially from the wheel by a space, the portions of the tire not engaging the mounting elements being configured to flex inwardly toward the wheel when subject to ground engaging pressure. 
     
     
         17 . The method of as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein each of the mounting elements present an elongated, transversely oriented outer edge that engages the tire. 
     
     
         18 . The method of as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the tire includes a pair of drive lugs positioned to engage opposite sides of one of the mounting elements, the drive lugs extending radially inwardly from the tire. 
     
     
         19 . A method of mounting an airless tire on a wheel, the method comprising:
 pivoting the one of the mounting elements on the wheel about a pivot axis extending parallel to a rotational axis of the wheel from an extended position to a retracted position, wherein each of the mounting elements are configured to pivot independently of the other mounting elements;   positioning the wheel and the tire such that the wheel is inside the tire;   pivoting the one of the mounting elements about the pivot axis from the retracted position to the extended position such that the mounting elements engage the tire, wherein:
 each of the mounting elements present an elongated, transversely oriented outer edge that engages the tire, and 
 portions of the tire not engaging the mounting elements are separated radially from the wheel by a space, the portions of the tire not engaging the mounting elements being configured to flex inwardly toward the wheel when subject to ground engaging pressure; and 
   securing a fastener between the one of the mounting elements and the wheel.   
     
     
         20 . The method as set forth in  claim 19 , the step of pivoting the one of the mounting elements from the extended position to the retracted position including unsecuring a fastener between the one of the mounting elements and the wheel.