pneumatic tires

Abstract

This invention provides an inflatable tire that improves the decorativeness and visibility of the sidewall while making the unevenness of the sidewall inconspicuous, and shortens the drawing time during tire design. In an inflatable tire with a decorative section (10) on the outer surface of the sidewall (1), the decorative section (10) includes a plurality of decorative elements (20) arranged in a stepped manner along a reference line (L) that is parallel to each other. Each decorative element (20) forms a hexagon, which is configured such that three regions (21-23) constituting a parallelogram share adjacent sides. In each region (21-23) of each decorative element (20), a plurality of raised ridges (31-33) extending in the same direction are formed. In the three regions (21-23) constituting each decorative element (20), the inclination directions of the raised ridges (31-33) are different from each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a pneumatic tire, and more specifically to a pneumatic tire that can improve the decorativeness and visibility of the sidewall while making the unevenness of the sidewall inconspicuous, and shorten the drawing time in tire design. Background Technology

[0002] In pneumatic tires, to make the unevenness of the sidewall portion inconspicuous, serrations consisting of multiple ridges are formed on the sidewall portion (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). When arranging serrations on the sidewall portion, they are generally arranged in a ring shape along the tire circumference, with the size and curvature of the serrations adjusted according to the tire size. However, this arrangement results in a significant amount of drafting time required during tire design.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-35313

[0006] Patent Document 2: International Publication No. 2018 / 162308 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide an inflatable tire that can improve the decorativeness and visibility of the sidewall while making the unevenness of the sidewall inconspicuous, and shorten the drawing time during tire design.

[0009] Technical solution

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, the pneumatic tire of the present invention is a pneumatic tire with a decorative portion on the outer surface of the sidewall portion, characterized in that the decorative portion includes a plurality of decorative elements arranged in a stepped manner along a reference line parallel to each other, each decorative element forming a hexagon, the hexagon being configured such that three regions constituting a parallelogram share adjacent sides, and a plurality of ridges extending in the same direction are formed in each region of each decorative element, wherein the inclination directions of the ridges are different in the three regions constituting each decorative element.

[0011] Invention Effects

[0012] In this invention, in an inflatable tire with a decorative section on the outer surface of the sidewall, the decorative section includes multiple decorative elements arranged in a stepped manner along parallel baselines. Each decorative element forms a hexagon, which is configured such that three regions constituting a parallelogram share adjacent sides. Multiple ridges extending in the same direction are formed in each region of each decorative element, and the inclination directions of the ridges are different in the three regions constituting each decorative element, thus improving the appearance of the sidewall. In particular, the hexagonal decorative elements have a visual inversion effect, thereby enhancing the decorativeness of the sidewall. Furthermore, the difference in light reflection caused by the density of the pattern formed by the hexagonal decorative elements and the flat surface around the brand logo in the decorative section increases attention to the sidewall, thereby improving the visibility of the sidewall (especially the brand logo). Furthermore, since multiple decorative elements are arranged along parallel baselines, it is not necessary to change the size and curvature of the decoration according to the tire size as in the past. The above-mentioned effects can be achieved even without such changes, thus shortening the drafting time of the sidewall section during tire design.

[0013] In the pneumatic tire of the present invention, preferably, each region of the decorative element is divided by a boundary portion consisting of a protrusion or a recess, and the ridge of each region of the decorative element terminates at the boundary portion. Thus, the dividing lines of each region of the decorative element become clear, effectively improving the decorativeness and visibility of the sidewall portion.

[0014] The angle between the ridges is preferably 30° to 90°. This effectively improves the unevenness of the sidewall and enhances its decorative and visual appeal.

[0015] The height of the ridge is preferably 0.1mm to 0.3mm. This effectively improves the unevenness of the sidewall and enhances its decorative and visual appeal.

[0016] The width of the boundary portion is preferably 0.5mm to 1.5mm. This effectively improves the decorative and visual appeal of the sidewall portion.

[0017] The height or depth of the boundary portion is preferably 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm. This effectively improves the decorative and visual appeal of the sidewall portion. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a side view showing an example of an inflatable tire constructed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 (a) and (b) are... Figure 1 A magnified side view of the main parts of a pneumatic tire. Figure 2(a) shows a pattern composed of multiple decorative elements. Figure 2 (b) schematically shows a decorative element.

[0020] Figure 3 It means in Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of an area where a decorative element is formed on the sidewall of an inflatable tire.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view showing the area of ​​the decorative element formed in the sidewall portion of an improved example of a pneumatic tire constructed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a side view showing another improved example of a pneumatic tire constructed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a side view showing another improved example of a pneumatic tire constructed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 7 This is a side view of an existing pneumatic tire. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Hereinafter, the structure of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figures 1-3 This illustrates an example of a pneumatic tire constructed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, a decorative portion 10 in a circular shape along the tire circumference is formed on the outer surface of the sidewall portion 1 of the pneumatic tire. This decorative portion 10 consists of a display portion 11 displaying the tire's manufacturer's name or brand logo and a pattern portion 12 formed by a combination of multiple decorative elements 20. The display portion 11 and the pattern portion 12 are arranged alternately along the tire circumference. It should be noted that the pattern portion 12 has raised ridges 31-33, which will be described later, but... Figure 1 In order to make the pattern according to the present invention clearer visually, the raised ridges 31 to 33 are omitted.

[0027] like Figure 2 As shown in (a), in the pattern section 12, a plurality of decorative elements 20 have the same shape as each other. Furthermore, the plurality of decorative elements 20 are connected in a stepped manner along a direction inclined relative to the tire circumference. The stepped-connected decorative elements 20 are arranged in multiple columns along the tire diameter. By arranging the plurality of decorative elements 20 in a stepped manner to form a column of stepped patterns, and then arranging the multiple columns of stepped patterns adjacent to each other along the tire radial direction, a stepped group pattern composed of multiple columns of stepped patterns is formed in the pattern section 12.

[0028] like Figure 2As shown in (b), decorative element 20 has three regions 21-23 that are parallelograms. Here, "parallelogram" in this invention refers to a shape that includes not only a parallelogram but also a rhombus or a square. Figure 2 (b) shows an example where region 21 is a square and regions 22 and 23 are parallelograms. These regions 21 to 23 are arranged to share adjacent sides (boundary 25 described later). By arranging the three regions 21 to 23 adjacently in this way, the decorative element 20 as a whole forms a hexagon. This hexagon is a figure composed of six sides and vertices, taken into account when viewed from above, considering the outline of the decorative element 20 formed by the three regions 21 to 23.

[0029] The three regions 21-23 that make up each decorative element 20 form parallelograms when viewed from above, but by combining these regions 21-23, they visually form a cube shape. This type of cube shape (hexagonal decorative element 20) is actually a planar shape, but it can create a visual illusion that makes it appear as a three-dimensional shape to the human eye.

[0030] Furthermore, multiple decorative elements 20 are arranged along a baseline L that is parallel to each other. This baseline L is formed by connecting corresponding points among the multiple decorative elements 20 in a stepped configuration, for example... Figure 2 As shown in (a), the line formed by connecting one corner of region 21 (square) is shown. When multiple decorative elements 20 are arranged along the baseline L, the multiple decorative elements 20 are connected in a stepped manner in a direction inclined relative to the tire circumference; on the other hand, they are not arranged in a ring shape along the tire circumference. By arranging the decorative elements 20 in this way, all decorative elements 20 arranged in the pattern section 12 can be made to have the same shape.

[0031] In contrast, in existing pneumatic tires where multiple decorative elements of specific shapes are regularly arranged along the tire's circumference or radial direction, the size or curvature of the decorative elements is generally varied according to the tire size, and the decorative elements are arranged in a ring around the tire's circumference. By changing the size and curvature of the decorative elements, the multiple decorative elements are not arranged along parallel baselines. Furthermore, the decorative elements located on the inner radial side of the tire and those located on the outer radial side differ in size, and all decorative elements do not have the same shape.

[0032] In the regions 21-23 constituting each decorative element 20, multiple ridges 31-33 extending in the same direction are formed in each region. These ridges 31-33 are formed to protrude from the outer surface of the sidewall portion 1. The ridges 31-33 have substantially the same height and width. The number of ridges 31-33 formed in each region 21-23 may be the same or different. The ridges 31-33 are preferably arranged at equal intervals in each region.

[0033] Furthermore, the ridges 31 to 33 located in adjacent areas have different inclination directions. Specifically, ridge 31 in region 21 and ridge 32 in region 22 extend in directions that intersect each other, ridge 31 in region 21 and ridge 33 in region 23 extend in directions that intersect each other, and ridge 32 in region 22 and ridge 33 in region 23 extend in directions that intersect each other. That is, a decorative element 20 has three inclination directions.

[0034] In this type of decorative element 20, regions 21 to 23 are separated by a boundary portion 25 formed by protrusions. In other words, the boundary portion 25 forms an edge shared by regions 21 to 23. Furthermore, the boundary portion 25 is formed to protrude from the outer surface of the sidewall portion 1. The ridges 31 to 33 of each region 21 to 23 all terminate at the boundary portion 25. It should be noted that even if the decorative element 20 does not form a boundary portion 25, the ridges 31 to 33 of each region 21 to 23 are not connected to each other.

[0035] In the aforementioned pneumatic tire, the decorative section 10 includes a plurality of decorative elements 20 arranged in a stepped manner along a reference line L parallel to each other. Each decorative element 20 forms a hexagon, which is configured such that three regions 21-23 constituting a parallelogram share adjacent sides. Within each region 21-23 of each decorative element 20, multiple ridges 31-33 extending in the same direction are formed. Within the three regions 21-23 constituting each decorative element 20, the inclination directions of the ridges 31-33 are different, thus making the unevenness of the sidewall section 1 less noticeable. In particular, the hexagonal decorative elements 20 have a visual inversion effect, thereby enhancing the decorativeness of the sidewall section 1. Furthermore, in the decorative section 10, the difference in the depth of light reflection caused by the density of the pattern section 12 formed by the hexagonal decorative elements 20 and the flat surface surrounding the brand logo increases the attention drawn to the sidewall section 1, thereby improving the visibility of the sidewall section 1 (especially the brand logo). Furthermore, since multiple decorative elements 20 are arranged along a baseline L that is parallel to each other, it is not necessary to change the size and curvature of the decoration according to the tire size as in the past. Even without such changes, the above-mentioned effects can be fully achieved, thus shortening the drawing time of the sidewall portion 1 during tire design.

[0036] Furthermore, each region 21 to 23 of the decorative element 20 is separated by the boundary portion 25, and the ridges 31 to 33 of each region 21 to 23 of the decorative element 20 terminate at the boundary portion 25. Therefore, the dividing line of each region 21 to 23 of the decorative element 20 becomes clear, which can effectively improve the decorativeness and visibility of the side wall portion 1.

[0037] In the aforementioned pneumatic tire, the width W of the boundary portion 25 (refer to...) Figure 3The width W of the boundary portion 25 is preferably 0.5mm to 1.5mm, and more preferably 0.7mm to 1.1mm. By appropriately setting the width W of the boundary portion 25, the dividing lines of the various regions 21 to 23 of the decorative element 20 become clear, which can effectively improve the decorativeness and visibility of the side wall portion 1.

[0038] Here, if the width W of the boundary portion 25 is less than 0.5mm, the dividing lines of the various areas 21 to 23 of the decorative element 20 become blurred, and the improvement effect on the decoration and visibility of the side wall portion 1 cannot be fully obtained. Conversely, if the width W of the boundary portion 25 exceeds 1.5mm, the boundary portion 25 becomes too conspicuous and cannot achieve good visibility.

[0039] Additionally, the height H of the boundary portion 25 (refer to) Figure 3 The height H of the boundary portion 25 is preferably 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, and more preferably 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm. By appropriately setting the height H of the boundary portion 25, the dividing lines of the various regions 21 to 23 of the decorative element 20 become clear, which can effectively improve the decorativeness and visibility of the side wall portion 1.

[0040] Here, if the height H of the boundary portion 25 is less than 0.1 mm, the dividing lines of the various areas 21 to 23 of the decorative element 20 become blurred, and the improvement effect on the decoration and visibility of the side wall portion 1 cannot be fully obtained. Conversely, if the height H of the boundary portion 25 exceeds 0.5 mm, the boundary portion 25 becomes too conspicuous and cannot achieve good visibility.

[0041] In the aforementioned pneumatic tires, the intersection angles θa to θc of the ridges 31 to 33 (refer to...) Figure 2 (b) Preferably, the angle is 30° to 90°. In this case, the intersection angles θa to θc refer to the angles on the acute side of the angles formed by the ridges 31 to 33 formed by the adjacent areas 21 to 23 of the decorative element 20. Figure 2 In (b), the intersection angle θa of the ridge 31 of region 21 and the ridge 32 of region 22 is 90°, the intersection angle θb of the ridge 31 of region 21 and the ridge 33 of region 23 is 45°, and the intersection angle θc of the ridge 32 of region 22 and the ridge 33 of region 23 is 45°. By appropriately setting the intersection angles θa to θc of the ridges 31 to 33, the unevenness of the sidewall portion 1 can be effectively improved, and the decorativeness and visibility of the sidewall portion 1 can be effectively improved.

[0042] Additionally, the height h of ridges 31-33 (refer to...) Figure 3The height h of the ridges 31 to 33 is preferably 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm. Furthermore, the height h of the ridges 31 to 33 is preferably lower than the height H of the boundary portion 25. By appropriately setting the height h of the ridges 31 to 33, the unevenness of the sidewall portion 1 can be effectively improved, and the decorativeness and visibility of the sidewall portion 1 can be effectively improved.

[0043] Here, if the height h of the ridges 31 to 33 is less than 0.1 mm, the improvement effect on the unevenness of the side wall portion 1 cannot be fully obtained. Conversely, if the height h of the ridges 31 to 33 exceeds 0.3 mm, the ridges 31 to 33 become too conspicuous and cannot be well visible.

[0044] Figure 4 This image shows an area of ​​a decorative element formed on the sidewall portion of an improved example of a pneumatic tire constructed according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 In the middle, the areas 21-23 of decorative element 20 are divided by the boundary portion 25 composed of protrusions, but in Figure 4 In the middle, it is divided by a boundary portion 26 composed of concave parts. Figure 4 In addition to having a boundary portion 26 composed of recesses formed in the pattern portion 12, the pneumatic tire of the embodiment also has... Figures 1-3 It has the same structure as a pneumatic tire. The boundary portion 26 is recessed from the outer surface of the sidewall portion 1. Furthermore, the depth D of the boundary portion 26 (refer to...) Figure 4 The preferred thickness is 0.1mm to 0.5mm, and more preferably 0.2mm to 0.4mm.

[0045] Figure 5 and Figure 6 Other improved examples of pneumatic tires constructed using embodiments of the present invention are shown respectively. Figure 1 In the pattern section 12, two rows of stepped patterns (multiple decorative elements 20 connected in a stepped shape) are arranged radially along the tire, but in Figure 5 In the center, a series of stepped patterns are arranged radially along the tire. Figure 6 In the center, there are three rows of stepped patterns arranged radially along the tire. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The pneumatic tires in the embodiments described above, except for the number of radial columns in the stepped pattern, all have the same characteristics as... Figures 1-3 The structure is the same as that of an inflatable tire. In the pattern section 12, in order to improve the balance of the cubic shape (hexagonal decorative element 20), the number of radial columns of the stepped pattern is preferably one to three, more preferably two. Here, the number of radial columns of the stepped pattern is the maximum number of radial decorative elements 20 arranged in the pattern section 12, taking into account the portion of the hexagonal decorative element 20 that is entirely accommodated within the pattern section 12. It should be noted that ridges 31 to 33 are formed in the pattern section 12, but in Figure 5 and Figure 6 In order to make the pattern according to the present invention clearer visually, the raised ridges 31 to 33 are omitted.

[0046] Example

[0047] Tires of conventional examples and Examples 1 to 3 were manufactured. These tires are pneumatic tires with a tire size of 195 / 60R16 and decorative parts on the outer surface of the sidewall. The pattern of the patterned part, the width of the boundary part, and the number of columns of the stepped pattern in the tire radial direction are set as shown in Table 1.

[0048] In the conventional case, the following is adopted: Figure 7 The pattern shown has multiple raised ridges, each 0.2 mm high, arranged in the pattern section. In Embodiment 1, the pattern section uses... Figure 1 The pattern shown in the pattern section, in embodiment 2, adopts... Figure 5 The pattern shown in the pattern section, in embodiment 3, adopts... Figure 6 The pattern shown is for the patterned part. In addition, in embodiments 1 to 3, each area of ​​the decorative element is divided by a boundary portion composed of protrusions, and the structure in which the ridges of each area of ​​the decorative element terminate at the boundary portion is provided. The height of the ridges is set to 0.2 mm, and the height of the boundary portion is set to 0.3 mm.

[0049] For these test tires, the following test methods were used to evaluate the difficulty of recognizing the dents and bumps, the decorativeness of the pattern, the visibility of the display, and the drawing time of the pattern. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0050] Difficulty of recognizing convex and concave surfaces:

[0051] For each test tire, the testers visually inspected the sidewall for dents and assessed the difficulty of identifying them. The evaluation results were expressed using an index with a standard value of 100. A higher index value indicates that the dents and bumps are more difficult to identify and less noticeable.

[0052] The decorative aspect of the patterned section:

[0053] For each test tire, the testers visually inspected the sidewalls and evaluated the decorative features of the patterned areas. The evaluation results were expressed using an index with a standard value of 100. A higher index value indicated better decorative features.

[0054] Visibility of the display section:

[0055] For each test tire, the testers visually inspected the sidewall and evaluated the visibility of the brand logo in the display area. The evaluation results were expressed as an index with a standard value of 100. A higher index value indicated better brand logo visibility.

[0056] The drawing time for the pattern department:

[0057] For each test tire, the time (in minutes) required to pattern the sidewall portion was measured. The evaluation results were expressed as an index with a standard value of 100. A smaller index value indicates a shorter patterning time.

[0058] [Table 1]

[0059]

[0060] As can be seen from Table 1, compared with the conventional examples, Examples 1 to 3 improved the difficulty of recognizing the raised and recessed areas, the decorative quality of the patterned areas, the visibility of the display areas, and the drawing time of the patterned areas. In particular, compared with Examples 2 and 3, in Example 1, the size balance of the decorative elements formed on the patterned areas is good.

[0061] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0062] 1. Side wall

[0063] 10 Decoration Department

[0064] 20 decorative elements

[0065] Areas 21-23

[0066] 25, 26 Boundary Section

[0067] 31-33 convex ridges

Claims

1. A pneumatic tire having a decorative portion on the outer surface of its sidewall, characterized in that, The decorative section includes multiple decorative elements arranged in a stepped pattern along parallel baselines. Each decorative element forms a hexagon, which is configured such that three regions constituting a parallelogram share adjacent sides. Multiple ridges extending in the same direction are formed within each region of each decorative element. The inclination directions of the ridges within the three regions constituting each decorative element are different. The three regions constituting the parallelogram are composed of a square and two parallelograms. Each region of the decorative element is divided by a boundary portion consisting of a protrusion or a recess, and all the ridges formed in all three regions constituting the decorative element are arranged in a manner that connects the boundary portions.

2. The pneumatic tire according to any one of claims 1, characterized in that, The angle between the ridges is 30° to 90°.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The height of the ridge is 0.1mm to 0.3mm.

4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, characterized in that, The width of the boundary portion is 0.5mm to 1.5mm.

5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that, The height or depth of the boundary portion is 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm.

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