(19)Fresh off Patent
(45) Week of Oct 19, 2026 No. 7 3,667 lapsed 70 listed
Auto, bikes & mobility · lapsed Sep 4, 2026

Two-layer tire with a grounding outer tire and internal safety coupling

A vehicle wheel assembly that stacks an inflatable inner tire around a rim and an outer grounding tire around that inner tire, with a safety unit between them to couple rotation and increase anti-slip. Intended for motor vehicles where a replaceable outer tread or redundant rolling surface is desired; assembly mounts to a conventional rim via inward lips on the inner tire that press against rim bead seats.

Sheet 1 of the patent drawingsSheet 2 of the patent drawingsSheet 3 of the patent drawings

(57) What the patent covered

This write-up was generated by AI from the patent's text and may contain mistakes, so check it against the original patent before relying on it.

The independent claim covers a rim with two spaced tire engagement portions; a U-shaped inflatable inner tire having an inner annular bottom wall and two inward radial sidewalls whose inner sides have lips that press against the rim engagement portions; a U-shaped grounding outer tire around the inner tire whose outer annular bottom wall provides rolling contact with the ground; and a safety unit sandwiched between the inner and outer tires to couple them so they rotate synchronously while increasing anti-slip. The claim also recites matching annular patterning on the facing faces of the inner and outer bottom walls.

Distinguishing feature: A separate hollow outer grounding tire concentric to an inflatable inner tire that is coupled by a sandwiched safety unit and interlocking annular patterns to force synchronous rotation.

Novelty 3/5. Two-layer or run-flat-type tires and replaceable tread sleeves were known; the filing emphasized a specific sandwich-coupling safety unit and interlocking annular patterns rather than basic double-wall construction.

Manufacturing

Molded rubber inner and outer tire bodies (compression or transfer molding), molded or extruded elastomeric safety unit, assembly by mounting the inner tire onto the rim (lips seat against engagement portions), fitting the safety unit onto the inner tire, and sliding the outer tire over and aligning annular patterns; final vulcanization or adhesive bonding as needed.

Materials: Vulcanized rubber compounds (inner and outer tire bodies), Elastomeric bonding layer or foam for the safety unit, Rubber or polymer ribs/teeth for annular patterns, Steel or alloy rim.

Manufacturability 4/5. Requires multiple molded rubber parts and an assembly step to sandwich the safety unit and align annular patterns; tooling is standard for tire and rubber molding but part count and assembly are higher than a single tire.

Market demand

No demand check has been run for this patent. Likely search terms: dual layer tire outer sleeve, replaceable tire tread sleeve, protective grounding tire cover. The links in the sidebar open these searches.

Buyers: Fleets or vehicle owners seeking replaceable outer treads or redundancy.

Before manufacturing

No related continuation or divisional patents in force were found. Design patents, trademarks and unrelated patents may still cover the product.

Patent lapsed; practical issues include heat buildup, balancing, compatibility with rims and TPMS, and market acceptance for nonstandard dual-tire assemblies.

About 1.5% of lapsed patents are later revived by their owners. This page is a research lead, not legal advice. Obtain a freedom-to-operate opinion before manufacturing.

Claim 1, as granted

1. A vehicle wheel comprising: a rim including two tire engagement portions respectively on two outer sides thereof and spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction; an inflatable tire mounted around the rim, with the inflatable tire being a hollow annular member which is U-shaped in radial cross section and which has an inwardly facing opening, with the inflatable tire including an inner annular bottom wall surrounding the rim and having left and right sides, with the inflatable tire further including two inner annular sidewalls respectively extending radially inwards from the left and right sides of the inner annular bottom wall towards the rim, and with each of the two inner annular sidewalls including an inner side having a lip pressing against one of the two tire engagement portions of the rim, with the inner annular bottom wall of the inflatable tire including an outer peripheral face having a plurality of first inner annular patterns, with the outer annular bottom wall of the grounding tire including an inner peripheral face having a plurality of first outer annular patterns; a grounding tire mounted around the inflatable tire, with the grounding tire being a hollow annular member which is U-shaped in radial cross section and which has an inwardly facing opening, with the grounding tire including an outer annular bottom wall surrounding the inner annular bottom wall of the inflatable tire and capable of in rolling contact with a ground, with the outer annular bottom wall having left and right sides, and with the grounding tire further including two outer annular sidewalls respectively extending radially inwards from the left and right sides of the outer annular bottom wall and respectively located beside the two inner annular sidewalls of the inflatable tire; and a safety unit sandwiched between the inflatable tire and the grounding tire to couple the inflatable tire and the grounding tire together, permitting synchronously rotation of the inflatable tire and the grounding tire, with the safety unit including a first lining plate sandwiched between the inner annular bottom wall of the inflatable tire and the outer annular bottom wall of the grounding tire, with the first lining plate constructed by an elongated plate coiled to form an annular shape, with the first lining plate having two ends detachably coupled to each other, with the first lining plate including a first side facing the inner annular bottom wall of the inflatable tire and having a plurality of second inner annular patterns engaged with the plurality of first inner annular patterns of the inflatable tire, and with the first lining plate further including a second side facing the outer annular bottom wall of the grounding tire and having a plurality of second outer annular patterns engaged with the plurality of first outer annular patterns of the grounding tire.