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from the do-they-still-work-as-kid's-swings? dept.
Now, Hankook has completed initial testing on its fifth-generation airless tire, dubbed the iFlex. The tires do not require any air pressure, instead relying on a new type of eco-friendly material (Hancook demurs when asked for details). Geometric shapes built into the material provide the bounce and springiness normally provided by air pressure. But, unlike the previous iFlex, this version's designed to mount onto a traditional rim, making it compatible with current vehicles.
Hankook ran the iFlex through a battery of tests to compare it to more conventional rubber, measuring durability, hardness, stability, slalom and speed, at up to 80 mph. The company says the tires matched conventional tires in terms of performance.
Anyone who got a flat from the epidemic of potholes this Spring or who is plagued by nails and other road debris that cause slow leaks will welcome this development. Naturally, the real question is whether it's spelled, "tire" or "tyre."
Original Submission
(Score: 4, Informative) by number6 on Wednesday July 15 2015, @12:35PM
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tyre (United States tire)
* noun
[1] a rubber covering, typically inflated or surrounding an inflated inner tube, placed round a wheel to form a soft contact with the road.
[2] a strengthening band of metal fitted around the rim of a wheel, especially of a railway vehicle
[Derivatives]
tyred adjective
[Origin]
C 15: perhaps a variant of archaic 'tire', shortening of 'attire' (because the tyre was the clothing of the wheel).
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tire
* verb
[1] become or cause to become in need of rest or sleep.
[2] exhaust the patience or interest of *(tire of) become impatient or bored with.
[Origin]
Old English 'teorian' (also in the sense 'fail, come to an end'), of unknown origin.