Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a tyre inflation and safety apparatus for use in the safe inflation and transportation of tyres affixed to wheels. More specifically, the present invention relates to cages in which tyre assemblies (i.e., tyres affixed to wheels) are inflated, maintained, changed, or transported.

Background of the Invention

[0002] The servicing and maintenance of tyre assemblies on large vehicles (e.g., trucks, tractors, trailers, buses, and off-road machines) can be a dangerous activity. Tyre assemblies, whether multipiece or single-piece, include a tyre mounted on a wheel/rim, as well as various other wheel components, which are inflated to great pressure for use. However, during inflation and/or transportation, an improperly assembled or damaged tyre and wheel may separate from each other (or explode) with violent force, which may cause substantial or fatal injury to those that are nearby.

[0003] As a result, various tyre inflation devices have been developed that provide a barrier between the tyre and wheel assembly and the service technician (and other individuals) that are performing maintenance or inflation of the tyre. Such devices typically include a cage formed as an assembly of bars that are attached to a base, as well as various other components, that are configured to retain the tyre assembly in the event of explosive separation of the tyre and wheel or the sudden release of air (and high-pressure air waves) from the tyre assembly. However, during explosive separation of the tyre and wheel assemblies, such devices often experience damage or separation of the bars from the base, which may allow tyres (or portions thereof) to be ejected completely from the cage and cause injury.

[0004] A further issue is the transportation of inflated tyre and wheel assemblies, which requires both the safe containment of such assemblies during transportation and the efficient storage of multiple tyre and wheel assemblies to minimise transportation costs. While it is often advantageous to transport tyre and wheel assemblies with the tyre inflated at (or near) the desired pressure for use, there are risks of damage and/or disruption of the tyre assemblies during transportation that may lead to explosive separation of the assemblies.

[0005] As a result, there is a need for a tyre safety and transportation apparatus that addresses the risks of explosive separation of tyre and wheel assemblies or sudden release of air from the tyre assembly during maintenance, storage, inflation, and transportation. There is also the need for a tyre safety and transportation apparatus that enables the efficient storage and safe transportation of a plurality of inflated tyre and wheel assemblies. It would be advantageous if at least an embodiment addressed the above identified needs or at least provided a workable alternative to conventional tyre storage or transportation apparatus.

[0006] Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which have been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.

Summary of Invention

[0007] According to one broad aspect, the present invention provides a tyre safety cage comprising a base frame, at least two substantially parallel wall portions, a tyre support channel, and adjustable retaining means. The at least two substantially parallel wall portions may extend from the base frame, and each of said wall portions may comprise at least one pair of support members. The tyre support channel may extend along a longitudinal axis of the base frame, and may be adapted to receive one or more tyres on wheels. The tyres may or may not be fully inflated. The adjustable retaining means may be connected to and extend between the substantially parallel wall portions.

[0008] According to some embodiments, the tyre safety cage may further comprise a roof portion extending between the at least two substantially parallel wall portions. The roof portion may incorporate a frame with structural support members to strengthen the roof portion during use and in the event that loads are placed on the roof portion.

[0009] According to some embodiments, the tyre safety cage may further comprise a further wall portion extending between the at least two substantially parallel wall portions, the base frame, and the roof portion. As with the roof portion, the further wall portion may incorporate a frame with structural support members to strengthen the further wall portion during use and in the event of unexpected impact against the further wall portion.

[0010] According to some embodiments, the tyre safety cage may further comprise a closure portion pivotally connected to the base frame for movement between a generally vertical raised locking position and a generally horizontal lowered open position. In the generally raised locking position, the closure portion may extend between the at least two substantially parallel wall portions, the base frame, and the roof portion. In the generally vertical raised locking position, the closure portion may be substantially parallel to the further wall portion. The closure portion may enable access to the tyre safety cage for the storage and/or removal of inflated tyres on wheels. [0011] According to some embodiments, the tyre safety cage may further comprise air diffusing means that extend across one or more of the at least two substantially parallel wall portions, the roof portion, the further wall portion, and the closure portion. The air diffusing means may comprise a rigid mesh adapted to diffuse air flow from an exploding tyre contained within the tyre safety cage. The rigid mesh may be adapted to prevent or minimise a discharge of strong air pressure waves outside of the tyre safety cage. The rigid mesh may be formed of steel, or a similar material that is capable of withstanding or absorbing the impact of strong air pressure waves or debris from explosive separation of the tyre assembly.

[0012] According to some embodiments, the adjustable retaining means may comprise a containment bar that is connected to and extends between support members on opposing wall portions. The containment bar may be connected to and extend between upper portions of the support members nearest the closure portion of the tyre safety cage. A locking position of the containment bar may be adjustable along the upper portions of the support members nearest the closure portion of the tyre safety cage. The containment bar may be adapted to limit movement of the one or more inflated tyres on wheels from the tyre support channel. In use, the locking position of the containment bar may be adjusted such that the containment bar is brought into engagement with the one or more inflated tyres on wheels within the tyre safety cage.

[0013] According to some embodiments, the tyre support channel may comprise at least two elongate support members that extend along the longitudinal axis of the base frame. The at least two elongate support members may be raised above the surface of the base frame and adapted to support the one or more inflated tyres on wheels within the tyre safety cage. The at least two elongate support members may be spaced apart and located on either side of a central axis created by the one or more inflated tyres on wheels within the tyre safety cage.

[0014] According to some embodiments, the tyre safety cage may comprise feet located at the base of each of the supporting members to elevate the base frame above a supporting surface. Each of the feet may comprise a receiving void adapted for mating engagement with an upper engagement portion of the support member.

[0015] According to one broad aspect, the present invention provides a tyre safety cage comprising a base frame, at least two substantially parallel wall portions, a roof portion, a further wall portion, a closure portion, a tyre support channel, adjustable retaining means, and air diffusing means. The air diffusing means may comprise a rigid mesh adapted to diffuse air flow from an exploding tyre contained within the tyre safety cage. The rigid mesh may be adapted to prevent or minimise a discharge of strong air pressure waves outside of the tyre safety cage. The rigid mesh may be formed of steel, or a similar material that is capable of withstanding or absorbing the impact of strong air pressure waves or debris from explosive separation of the tyre assembly.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] For a more complete understanding of the invention and advantages thereof, exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail in the following description with reference to the accompanying drawing figures, in which like reference signs designate like parts and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective front view of a tyre safety cage according to a conceptual embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective rear view of the tyre safety cage of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the tyre safety cage of Fig. 1, illustrating a generally horizontal lowered open position of the closure portion;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of two of the tyre safety cages of Fig. 1, showing a stackable configuration;

Fig. 5 is a perspective front view of a tyre safety cage according to a further conceptual embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a perspective rear view of the tyre safety cage of Fig 5;

Fig. 7 is a further schematic view of the tyre safety cage of Fig 5, showing the tyre safety cage in an open configuration and with perforated mesh as air diffusing component;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the tyre support channel of the tyre safety cage of Fig 5; and

Fig. 9 is a front view of one of the perforated mesh functioning as air diffusing component.

[0017] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate particular embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention and many of the attendant advantages will be readily appreciated as they become better understood with reference to the following detailed description.

It will be appreciated that common and/or well understood elements that may be useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are not necessarily depicted in order to facilitate a more abstracted view of the embodiments. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily illustrated to scale relative to each other. It will also be understood that certain actions and/or steps in an embodiment of a method may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrences while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required.

Detailed Description of the Embodiments

[0018] With reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, a tyre safety cage 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to both its conceptual design in Fig. 1 and a preferred configuration in Figs. 2 to 4.

[0019] Referring firstly to the drawings Figs. 1 and 2, the tyre safety cage 100 comprises a base frame 10 and two substantially parallel wall portions 20 that are connected to and extend from the base frame 10 thereby defining the side walls of the tyre safety cage 100. The base frame 10 incorporates structural support members 12 evenly spaced along its longitudinal axis to strengthen the base frame 10 during use and to support the weight of one or more tyres on wheels 14 (i.e., tyre assemblies) stored within the tyre safety cage 100 during use. Whilst particular advantages of the present invention become apparent for fully inflated tyres affixed to wheels, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that the tyre safety cage 100 may also be used for storage and/or transportation of deflated or semi-inflated tyres on wheels.

[0020] Each of the side wall portions 20 comprises at least one pair of support members 22 that extend below the plane of the base frame 10 to elevate the base frame 10 above a supporting surface S, such as for example the floor within a tyre maintenance workshop or a field location where the inflated tyre assemblies are used. Each of the support members 22 is fitted with feet 24 that are adapted to engage the supporting surface S and provide elevated support for the base frame 10. Each of the feet 24 comprises a receiving void 26 adapted for mating engagement with an upper engagement portion 28 of the support member 22 as will be shown in Figure 4. Additionally or alternatively, the supporting members 22 may be attached to wheels (not shown) such that the tyre safety cage 100 can be wheeled along the supporting surface S. [0021] In a further alternatively embodiment, the tyre safety cage 100 may be adapted to engage with a cradle (not shown) with or without wheels to increase flexibility of moving, loading and storing the tyre safety cage 100.

[0022] The tyre safety cage 100 further comprises a roof portion 30 that extends between the substantially parallel wall portions 20. The roof portion 30 incorporates a frame 32 with structural support members 12 to strengthen the roof portion 30 during use and in the event that loads are placed directly on top of the roof portion 30.

[0023] The tyre safety cage 100 further comprises a further (i.e., rear) wall portion 40 extending between the two substantially parallel wall portions 20, the base frame 10, and the roof portion 30. As with the roof portion 30, the further wall portion 40 incorporates a frame 42 with structural support members 12 to strengthen the further wall portion 40 during use and in the event of unexpected impact against the further wall portion 40.

[0024] The tyre safety cage 100 also comprises a closure portion 50 that is pivotally connected to the base frame 10 and/or support members 22 for movement between a generally vertical raised locking position (as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings) and a generally horizontal lowered open position (as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings). In this example, the generally vertical raised locking position (as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings) is typically engaged for storage, maintenance, inflation, and/or transportation purposes, where there is a need to either secure the one or more tyres on wheels 14 (i.e., tyre assemblies) stored within the tyre safety cage 100, or to ensure the safety of operators (e.g., service technicians) during transportation or inflation. The generally horizontal lowered open position (as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings) is typically engaged to facilitate efficient loading/unloading of the one or more tyres on wheels 14 (i.e., tyre assemblies) within the tyre safety cage 100.

[0025] When in the generally vertical raised locking position (as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings), the closure portion 50 extends between the two substantially parallel wall portions 20, the base frame 10, and the roof portion 30, and is substantially parallel to the further (i.e., rear) wall portion 40.

[0026] Still referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the tyre safety cage 100 also comprises an air diffusing component 60 that extends across the two substantially parallel wall portions 20, the base frame 10, the roof portion 30, the further wall portion 40 and the closure portion 50. The air diffusing component 60 is configured to diffuse air flow, for example, from an exploding tyre contained within the tyre safety cage 100. Tyres are typically inflated to relatively high pressures, ranging from 30 - 40 psi for passenger vehicles to over 100 psi for larger industrial vehicles. If a tyre explodes or suddenly releases air, for example, due to being damaged, the tyre typically discharges enormous amount of energy in the form of a one directional air stream that can lead to serious or even fatal injuries to operators handling the tyre or standing nearby. The air diffusing component 60 has the function of diffusing air flow from within the tyre safety cage 100 into multiple directions thereby broadening the air flow and reducing its speed. In this way, if a tyre explodes within the tyre safety cage 100 or suddenly releases air, the potential impact of the release air with an operator can be softened thereby decreasing the risk of injury.

[0027] In this particular example, the air diffusing component 60 comprises a rigid mesh 62 adapted to diffuse air flow from a tyre contained within the tyre safety cage 100. The rigid mesh 62 (which is preferably permanently attached to the two substantially parallel wall portions 20, the roof portion 30, the further wall portion 40 and the closure portion 50) is adapted to prevent or minimise a discharge of strong air pressure waves outside of the tyre safety cage 100 in the event of explosive separation of one or more of the tyre assemblies 14 stored within the tyre safety cage 100. The rigid mesh 62 provides the additional advantage that any debris from an explosive separation of the tyre assembly 14 can be retained within the tyre safety cage 100. In this regard, the rigid mesh 62 is preferably formed of steel, or a similar material that is capable of withstanding and/or absorbing the impact of strong air pressure waves or debris from explosive separation of the tyre assembly 14. While in this particular example, the air diffusing component 60 is provided across all four wall portions 20, 40, 50 and the roof portion 30, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that the air diffusing component 60 may additionally be provided across the base frame 10 to ensure that air pressure from any direction can be diffused.

[0028] Furthermore, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that the air diffusing component 60 may only be provided at locations of the tyre safety cage 100 where required, such as only on some of the wall portions and the roof portion. Specifically, one or more of the wall portions 20, 40, 50 and the roof portion 30 may be provided as solid panels. Wherever a wall portion / roof portion is provided as a solid panel, any air flow is reflected into the inner portion of the tyre safety cage 100. For example, the two parallel side wall portions 20 may be provided in the form of two solid sheets (not shown) that would reflect any air flow from the inner portion of the tyre safety cage 100. In this case, the air diffusing component 60 may only be provided across the roof portion 30, the further wall portion 40, and the closure portion 50.

[0029] The rigid mesh 62 may be oblique in such a manner as to have a deflecting effect on any air flow ejected from the tyre safety cage 100 during explosive separation of the tyre assembly 14. In an alternative embodiment, not shown in the drawings, the air diffusing means 60 may comprise multiple layers of rigid mesh with at least one having an oblique arrangement and deflecting effect on any air flow ejected from the tyre safety cage 100, while another rigid mesh is correspondingly, but invertedly, oblique such that any air flow (i.e., high pressure air pressure waves) ejected from the tyre safety cage 100 are subject to zigzag deflecting and damping effects by the passage of the two layers or rigid mesh.

[0030] Still referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the tyre safety cage 100 comprises a tyre support channel 70 that extends along a longitudinal axis of the base frame 10, the tyre support channel 70 being adapted to receive one or more tyres on wheels 14. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the tyres on wheels 14 may be inflated, deflated or partially inflated. The tyre support channel 70 comprises two elongate support members 72 that extend along the longitudinal axis of the base frame 10. In this example, the two elongate support members 72 are raised above the surface of the base frame 10 and adapted to support and balance the one or more tyres on wheels 14 within the tyre safety cage 100. Further, the two elongate support members 72 are spaced apart and located on either side of a central axis 74 created by the one or more tyres on wheels 14 within the tyre safety cage 100.

[0031] The tyre safety cage 100 according to this embodiment may further comprise an adjustable retaining component (not shown) that is connected to and extends between the substantially parallel wall portions 20. In one particular example, the adjustable retaining component comprises a containment bar that is connected to and extends between upper portions 16 of support members 22 on opposite wall portions 20, nearest the closure portion 50 of the tyre safety cage 100. In a locking position, the containment bar is adjustable along the upper portions 16 of the support members 22 nearest the closure portion 50 of the tyre safety cage 100 and is adapted to limit or resist movement of the one or more tyres on wheels 14 from the tyre support channel 70. In this example, and in use, the locking position of the containment bar is adjusted such that the containment bar is brought into engagement with the one or more tyres on wheels 14 within the tyre safety cage 100, particularly during storage or transportation. The locking position of the containment bar is achievable using means known to the skilled person, and may include a locking pin(s) (not shown) that engages with the containment bar and retains it in place against the support member 12 by penetrating an appropriate pin-receiving opening (not shown) along the upper portions 16 of the support member 22. It should be appreciated, due to the different sizes of tyre and wheel assemblies 14, that there may be a series of pin-receiving openings (not shown) along the upper portions 16 of the support member 22 to accommodate these different sizes.

[0032] Referring to Fig. 4, it will be appreciated that multiple tyre safety cages 100 can be arranged in a stacked configuration for storage and/or transportation purposes. As previously described, in this example each of the support members 22 is fitted with feet 24 that comprise a receiving void 26 adapted for mating engagement with an upper engagement portion 28 of the support member 22. Such a design enables multiple tyre safety cages 100 to be arranged in a stacked configuration so that the receiving voids 26 of feet 24 of an upper tyre safety cage 100a accept the upper engagement portions 28 of the support members 22 of a lower tyre safety cage 100b. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that other methods of stacking multiple tyre safety cages 100 are envisaged.

[0033] Referring now to Figs 5 to 9 of the accompanying drawings, there is shown a tyre safety cage 200 according to a further embodiment of the invention. In this example, the tyre safety cage 200 also comprises side wall portions 220 that extend from a base frame 210. A further wall portion 240 extends from the base frame 210 between the side wall portions 220 thereby forming a rear wall of the tyre safety cage 200. A roof portion 230 is supported on top portions of the side wall portions 220, and the further wall portion 240. Similar to the tyre safety cage 100 described above, the tyre safety cage 200 comprises support members 222 that extend below the plane of the base frame 210 to elevate the base frame 210 above a supporting surface S, such as the ground. As for the tyre safety cage 100, the supporting members 222 are also fitted with feet 223. In this example, the support members 222 form part of the side wall portions 220 and provide the structure integrity of the tyre safety cage 200.

[0034] The safety cage 200 further comprises a closure portion 250 that in this example includes a pair of opposite doors 252, 254. However, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that any suitable closure portions with any suitable numbers and configurations of doors are envisaged. The pair of doors 252, 254 are pivotably attached to the respective support members 222 on each side of the tyre safety cage 200. Fig 5 shows the closure portion 250 in a generally vertical raised locking position which is typically engaged for storage, maintenance, inflation, and/or transportation purposes, where there is a need to either secure the one or more tyres on wheels 214 (i.e., tyre assemblies) stored within the tyre safety cage 200, or to ensure the safety of operators (e.g., service technicians) during transportation or inflation. The closure portion 250 is configured for movement between the generally closed locking position shown in Fig 5 and a generally open access position as schematically illustrated in Fig 7. The generally open access position is typically engaged to facilitate efficient loading/unloading of the one or more tyres on wheels 214 (i.e., tyre assemblies) within the tyre safety cage 200. According to this embodiment of the invention, the configuration of the closure portion 250 may be preferred compared to the closure portion 50 of the tyre safety cage 100 as it minimises the weight of the closure portion and may make loading/unloading of the one or more tyres on wheels 214 (i.e., tyre assemblies) more efficient.

[0035] In this particular example, each of the wall portions that form the tyre safety cage 200 comprise support members in the form of steel struts that are connected to each other. Specifically, the tyre safety cage 200 comprises four support members 222 that once the tyre safety cage 200 is assembled extend substantially vertical. The four support members 222 thereby form the corner edges of the tyre safety cage 200. The four support members 222 are connected to further support members 224 that when the tyre safety cage 200 is assembled, extend generally horizontally between the support members 222 thereby forming the base frame 210, the side wall portions 220, the roof portion 230 and the rear wall portion 240. The further support members 224 are also typically in the form of steel struts. However, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that other suitable materials are envisaged.

[0036] In addition to the further support members 224, a plurality of auxiliary support members 226 extend across the support members 222, 224 to increase the strength and integrity of the tyre safety cage 200. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the auxiliary supporting members are optional and may be added in any suitable number, material and configuration based on the strength requirements of the tyre safety cage 200. Overall, the plurality of support members 222, 224, 226 form a supporting frame structure that define a space for receiving a plurality of tyres on wheels 214.

[0037] As shown in particular in Fig 5, the closure component 250 of the tyre safety cage 200 also comprises a frame structure that is formed by support members. In this way, the two opposite doors 252, 254 are formed which are pivotably connected to the corner support members 222 that are closest to the closure component 250.

[0038] Referring now in particular to Fig 7, the tyre safety cage 200 further comprises a plurality of air diffusing components 260. In particular, air diffusing components 260 are attached to the support members 222, 224, 226 that form the side wall portions 220, the roof portion 230, the rear wall portion 240 and the doors 252, 254 of the closure portion 250. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that an additional air diffusing component may also be attached to the base frame 210. However, given that the base frame 210 typically faces towards the supporting surface S, namely the ground, this is usually not necessary.

[0039] An exemplary air diffusing component 260 is illustrated in Fig 9. In this particular example, the air diffusing component 270 is in the form of a perforated mesh, specifically a perforated steel mesh. The perforations are in the form of a plurality of substantially circular shaped openings 262 within a steel panel 264. The plurality of openings 262 are in an offset configuration and each opening 262 has a diameter of 2cm. However, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that the plurality of openings 262 may be arranged in any suitable pattern. Additionally, it will be appreciated that the openings 262 may be of any suitable size and shape, including but not limited to slot-shaped, square shaped or diamond shaped. Moreover, the openings 262 may comprise angled edges so that air flow can be deflected in different directions. [0040] Referring back to Fig 5 of the accompanying drawings, the tyre safety cage 200 comprises a tyre support channel 270 for supporting one or more tyres on wheels 214. The tyre support channel 270 is illustrated in further detail in Fig 8. As with the tyre support channel 70 of the tyre safety cage 100, the tyre support channel 270 comprises two elongate support members 272 that in use extend along the base frame 210. The two elongate support members 272 may be in the form of steel bars that are spaced to balance a plurality of tyres on wheels 214 when they are arranged next to one another as shown in particular in Figs 5 and 7. In this example, the tyre support channel 270 comprises opposite end plates 274 that are connected by the plurality of support members 272. The end plates 274 are configured to form a barrier and support a series of tyres on wheels 214 when arranged next to one another. Each of the end plates 274 comprises one or more feet 276 that facilitate for the tyre support channel 270 to be a stand-alone component of the tyre safety cage 200 and can be supported on the supporting surface S, such as the ground. The feet 276 may be fixated to the base frame 210 using mechanical fasteners, such as bolts (not shown). In this regard, the feet 276 may comprise a plurality of apertures 277 for receiving suitable bolts.

[0041] An additional supporting foot 278 is provided on the elongate supporting members 272 between the opposite end plates 274. However, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that the supporting foot 278 is optional and that the tyre supporting channel 270 may be provided with any suitable support to be supported on the surface S. In this way, the tyre support channel 270 can be removed from the inner space of the tyre safety cage 200 and positioned away from the tyre safety cage 200. This has the particular advantage that different tyre support channels 270 may be provided to accommodate different sizes of tyres on wheels 214. Furthermore, by being able to remove the tyre safety channel 270 from the base frame 210 of the tyre safety cage 200, tyres on wheels 214 may be initially loaded and/or stored on the tyre support channel 270 before being loaded into the tyre safety cage 200. In this regard, the tyre support channel 270 may comprise a lifting element for engaging with suitable lifting machine, such as a forklift.

[0042] In this example, the tyre safety cage 200 is configured such that the components forming the base frame 210, the wall portions 220, 240, the roof portion 230 and the closure component 250 can be connected to each other using mechanical fasteners 280, such as bolts or other suitable fasteners. This has the particular advantage that the tyre safety cage 200 can be assembled and disassembled. Even more so, in this example the components of the tyre safety cage 200 are configured such that the tyre safety cage can be substantially flat packed to improve flexibility in transporting the tyre safety cage 200. However, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that the tyre safety cage 200 may alternatively be welded together. [0043] While the preferred material of the components of the tyre safety cage 200 is steel due to its strength, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that other materials or material compositions are envisaged depending on the strength requirements of the tyre safety cage 200 and its applications. For example, it would be advantageous to provide at least some components, such as the air diffusing components 260, in a light weight material to decrease the overall weight of the tyre safety cage 200. One exemplary material includes engineering plastics material, such as a thermoplastic polymer. A suitable thermoplastic polymer may comprise HPDE, UPE, UHMWPE, PP, PVC and other various plastics, both normal and UV stable.

[0044] Although specific embodiments of the invention are illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternative and/or equivalent implementations exist. It should be appreciated that each exemplary embodiment is an example only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration in any way. Rather, the foregoing summary and detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing at least one exemplary embodiment, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents. Generally, this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein.

[0045] It will also be appreciated that the terms "comprise", "comprising", "include", "including", "contain", "containing", "have", "having", and any variations thereof, used in this document are intended to be understood in an inclusive (i.e. non-exclusive) sense, such that the process, method, device, apparatus, or system described herein is not limited to those features, integers, parts, elements, or steps recited but may include other features, integers, parts, elements, or steps not expressly listed and/or inherent to such process, method, process, method, device, apparatus, or system. Furthermore, the terms "a" and "an" used herein are intended to be understood as meaning one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise. Moreover, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on or to establish a certain ranking of importance of their objects. In addition, reference to positional terms, such as "lower" and "upper", used in the above description are to be taken in context of the embodiments depicted in the figures, and are not to be taken as limiting the invention to the literal interpretation of the term but rather as would be understood by the skilled addressee in the appropriate context.