A method of designing a run-flat tire

Abstract

This invention discloses a method for designing a pneumatic tire, belonging to the field of tires. It includes the following steps: testing the noise of a test tire; assembling a comparison tire and testing the noise of the comparison tire; calculating the noise data K of the central mechanism; analyzing the obtained test data, and continuously optimizing the tread and central mechanism of the test tire to finally obtain the pneumatic tire. This invention, applied to the design of pneumatic tires, solves the technical problem of existing pneumatic tire designs where it is impossible to determine whether the tread or the central mechanism with shock-absorbing components generates more noise, thus further reducing the noise of pneumatic tires.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of tires, and particularly relates to a method for designing a tire that does not require inflation. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, with the development of the automotive industry, in order to meet the environmental upgrading of the tire industry, increase the number of times tires can be recycled, and reduce the pollution and waste of waste tires, a type of airless tire has been developed. The application of airless tires is becoming more and more widespread. As airless tires continue to develop, it is necessary to improve various performance aspects of airless tires during the design process, especially in terms of noise reduction performance, which needs to be continuously improved during the design process.

[0003] However, during the design process of pneumatic tires, the noise generated during tire rolling involves not only tire vibration, aerodynamic effects, and pumping effects, but also the compression effect of the central mechanism. Therefore, the noise generated by the central mechanism compression effect and the noise generated during tread movement both have a significant impact on the tire. However, in actual testing, it is impossible to effectively distinguish the amount of noise generated by the central mechanism and the tread. This makes it impossible for designers to determine which component—the central mechanism or the tread—generates more noise when optimizing the structure of pneumatic tires, thus hindering further optimization efforts. In the actual design process, designers considered disassembling the pneumatic tire tread, retaining only the metal outer ring and the central mechanism, and then testing them on a noise testing drum. However, they found that the metal outer ring and central mechanism easily damaged the drum components of the testing equipment, making it impossible to further test the noise of the central mechanism separately. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Details of one or more embodiments of the present invention are set forth in the following drawings and description to make other features, objects and advantages of the present application more readily apparent.

[0005] This invention proposes a design method for airless tires, which solves the technical problem that existing airless tires cannot determine whether the tread or the central mechanism with shock-absorbing components generates more noise during the design process, thus further reducing the noise of airless tires. It not only produces an environmentally friendly airless tire with good shock absorption performance and low noise, but also allows for the rapid identification of the main source of noise in airless tires during tire design, providing designers with directions for improving noise testing of airless tires.

[0006] This invention discloses a method for designing a pneumatic tire, comprising the following steps: testing the noise of a test tire: placing the test tire on a noise drum device for testing, and measuring the noise data A of the test tire; wherein, the test tire includes a central mechanism with shock-absorbing components; assembling a comparison tire and testing the noise of the comparison tire: removing the central mechanism of the test tire, connecting a support frame to the inner metal ring to form a comparison tire; placing the comparison tire on the noise drum device for testing, and measuring the noise data B of the comparison tire; calculating the noise data K of the central mechanism as: K = AB; analyzing the obtained test data, continuously optimizing the tread and the central mechanism of the test tire, and finally obtaining the pneumatic tire.

[0007] In some embodiments, the test tire further includes a tread and a metal outer ring, the tread being fitted along the circumferential direction of the metal outer ring, and a central mechanism hinged within the metal outer ring, the central mechanism including a shock-absorbing assembly and a connecting frame.

[0008] In some embodiments, the support frame has the same dimensions as the connecting frame, the support frame is made of the same material as the connecting frame, and the support frame has the same weight as the central mechanism.

[0009] In some embodiments, the pneumatic tire design method further includes, before testing the test tire, pre-running the test tire at a speed of 80 km / h and a load of 75% for 10 minutes; and before testing the comparison tire, pre-running the comparison tire at a speed of 80 km / h and a load of 75% for 10 minutes.

[0010] In some embodiments, the noise data of the tread of the test tire is the same as the noise data B of the control tire.

[0011] In some embodiments, the pneumatic tire design method further includes conducting noise tests on the test tire at speeds of 60 km / h, 80 km / h, 100 km / h, and 120 km / h when testing the test tire; and conducting noise tests on the control tire at speeds of 60 km / h, 80 km / h, 100 km / h, and 120 km / h when testing the control tire.

[0012] In some embodiments, the test equipment is equipped with six microphones arranged in a triangular shape.

[0013] In some embodiments, the damping assembly includes a hinge rod and a spring, the spring being sleeved on the hinge rod, and the spring having at least six coils.

[0014] In some embodiments, one end of the hinge rod is hinged to the connecting frame, and the other end of the hinge rod is hinged to the inside of the outer metal ring.

[0015] In some embodiments, the support frame is threaded into the outer metal ring.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0017] This invention discloses a method for designing airless tires that not only produces an environmentally friendly airless tire with good shock absorption and low noise, but also allows for the rapid identification of the main sources of noise during tire design. This provides designers with directions for improving noise testing of airless tires. The main sources of noise in the airless tire of this invention are partly the relative movement between the shock-absorbing components and the connecting frame, and partly the tread itself. However, existing technologies cannot effectively distinguish between these, making it difficult to determine improvement directions during airless tire design. When the tread is removed, leaving only the metal outer ring and the central mechanism, and the rolling resistance of the central mechanism is tested separately, it is found that the metal outer ring and the central mechanism easily damage the drum component of the testing equipment, reducing the lifespan of the testing equipment. Therefore, this invention uses a rigid support frame to replace the central mechanism for tread noise testing, thereby obtaining noise data for the central mechanism. This design method is not only simple and easy to operate, but also more effectively identifies the main sources of noise, thus providing design directions for improvement and extending the lifespan of the testing equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this invention, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and are used to explain the invention, but do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the test tire provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a comparative tire provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure descriptions: 1. Tread; 2. Metal outer ring; 3. Central mechanism; 301. Shock absorption assembly; 301-1. Hinge rod; 301-2. Spring; 302. Connecting frame; 4. Support frame. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be described and illustrated below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments provided by this invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0023] Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are merely some examples or embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can apply the present invention to other similar scenarios based on these drawings without any inventive effort. Furthermore, it is understood that although the efforts made in this development process may be complex and lengthy, for those skilled in the art related to the content disclosed in this invention, modifications to design, manufacturing, or production based on the technical content disclosed in this invention are merely conventional technical means and should not be construed as insufficient disclosure of the present invention.

[0024] In this invention, the reference to "embodiment" means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a mutually exclusive, independent, or alternative embodiment. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described in this invention may be combined with other embodiments without conflict.

[0025] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this invention shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms "a," "an," "an," "the," and similar words used in this invention do not indicate quantity limitation and may indicate singular or plural. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and any variations thereof used in this invention are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or modules (units) is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may also include steps or units not listed, or may include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices. The terms "connected," "linked," "coupled," and similar words used in this invention are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "A plurality" in this invention refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships may exist; for example, "A and / or B" can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects have an "or" relationship. The terms "first," "second," and "third" used in this invention are merely to distinguish similar objects and do not represent a specific ordering of the objects.

[0026] This invention provides a method for designing a tire that does not require inflation. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a test tire according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a comparative tire according to an embodiment of the present invention. (Reference) Figure 1-2As shown, the pneumatic tire design method includes at least the following steps: Testing the noise of a test tire: The test tire is placed on a noise drum device for testing, and the noise data A of the test tire is measured; wherein, the test tire includes a tread 1, a metal outer ring 2, and a central mechanism 3, the tread 1 is fitted along the circumferential direction of the metal outer ring 2, and the central mechanism 3 is hinged within the metal outer ring 2, the central mechanism 3 including a shock-absorbing component 301 and a connecting frame 302; Assembling a comparison tire and testing the noise of the comparison tire: The central mechanism 3 of the test tire is removed, and the support frame 4 is connected... A comparison tire is formed by attaching it to the inner metal outer ring 2. The comparison tire is placed on a noise drum device for testing, and the noise data B of the comparison tire is measured. The dimensions of the support frame 4 are the same as those of the connecting frame 302, the material of the support frame 4 is the same as that of the connecting frame 302, and the weight of the support frame 4 is the same as the weight of the entire central mechanism 3. The noise data K of the central mechanism 3 is calculated as: K = AB. Based on the obtained test data, the tread of the test tire and the central mechanism 3 are continuously optimized to finally obtain the airless tire. Since the main sources of noise in the pneumatic tire of this invention are partly due to the relative movement between the shock-absorbing component 301 and the connecting frame 302, and partly due to the compression and tension of the shock-absorbing component 301 itself, and partly due to the tread 1 itself, it is impossible to effectively distinguish between them according to existing technical means. Therefore, when designing the pneumatic tire, it is impossible to determine the direction of improvement. When the tread 1 is removed and only the metal outer ring 2 and the central mechanism 3 are retained, and the noise of the central mechanism 3 in the pneumatic tire is tested separately, it is found that the metal outer ring 2 and the central mechanism 3 are prone to damaging the drum component of the testing equipment, reducing the service life of the testing equipment. Therefore, this invention uses a rigid support frame 4 to replace the central mechanism 3 for noise testing of the tread 1. The size and material of the support frame 4 are the same as those of the connecting frame 302, and the weight of the support frame 4 is the same as the weight of the entire central mechanism 3, so that the support frame 4 has the same rigidity as the central mechanism 3, that is, it meets the strength of the pneumatic tire. At the same time, since the support frame 4 eliminates the shock-absorbing component 301 and the connecting frame 302, it can ensure that the power is directly transmitted to the metal outer ring 2, so that there is no power loss. Meanwhile, since the damping component 301 and the connecting frame 302 are eliminated, the relative movement between the damping component 301 and the connecting frame 302 is eliminated, that is, the noise source of the central mechanism 3 is eliminated, ensuring that no noise is generated. Therefore, by testing and comparing the noise of the tire, the noise generated by the tread 1 can be determined. This design method is not only simple and easy to operate, but also more effective in determining the main source of noise, thereby obtaining the design direction and making improvements, and can effectively improve the service life of the testing equipment.

[0027] In some embodiments, to ensure that the weight of the support frame 4 is the same as the weight of the entire central mechanism 3, the weight can be adjusted by uniformly attaching balance blocks to the support frame 4. This method allows the support frame 4 to be reused for central mechanisms 3 of different weights without the need for remanufacturing. When the noise generated by the central mechanism 3 is found to be too high, the weight may change when the designer modifies the central mechanism 3. In this case, the support frame 4 can be used as a substitute during further testing. The resulting weight difference can be adjusted by uniformly attaching balance blocks to the support frame 4. This method is simple and cost-effective.

[0028] Furthermore, the airless tire design method also includes a pre-run of the test tire at 80 km / h and 75% of its maximum load for 10 minutes before testing. Existing conventional pneumatic tires require preheating by driving at 100 km / h for 10 minutes under a specified load and test tire pressure before noise testing. This is to ensure that all components of a conventional pneumatic tire reach the same temperature, the internal gas reaches thermal equilibrium, residual stress is eliminated, and test data becomes more stable and effective. However, this invention does not follow national standards when testing the noise of the airless tire because the designers considered that the airless tire structure does not contain a sidewall component, meaning it is not a sealed system and has no internal gas. Furthermore, the central mechanism 3 is made of metal, which is a good conductor of heat and therefore more likely to reach thermal equilibrium. Therefore, the preheating process was adjusted to apply 75% of the maximum load and drive at 80 km / h for 10 minutes before noise testing. This not only reduces the wear mileage of the pneumatic tires, allowing the tread pattern of tire 1 to participate in the formal noise test more completely and without damage, resulting in more accurate and valid data, but also reduces the rotation mileage of the test equipment's drum, decreasing the wear during drum rotation and extending the lifespan of the noise drum equipment. Furthermore, before testing the comparison tire, it needs to be pre-run at 80 km / h and 75% of its maximum load for 10 minutes. Considering that the airless tire structure does not contain the sidewall half-part, meaning it is not a sealed system and has no internal gas, and that the central mechanism 3 is made of metal, which is easy to conduct heat and thus easier to reach thermal equilibrium, when conducting noise tests on the comparison tire, a pre-run at 80 km / h and 75% of the maximum load was performed. This not only reduces the wear mileage of the airless tire, allowing the tread pattern 1 to participate in the formal noise test more completely and without damage, resulting in more accurate and effective data, but also reduces the wear mileage of the airless tire, which is equivalent to reducing the rotation mileage of the test equipment drum, reducing the wear during drum rotation, and increasing the service life of the noise drum equipment.

[0029] Furthermore, the noise data of the test tire's tread 1 was the same as the noise data B of the control tire. Since the control tire used a support frame 4 instead of the central mechanism 3 in the test tire, the noise generated by the relative movement between the damping component 301 and the connecting frame 302, as well as the noise generated by the compression and stretching movement of the damping component 301 itself, was eliminated. Since the tread 1 on the control tire was the same as the tread 1 on the test tire, the noise data B of the control tire was the same as the noise data of the test tire's tread 1. Therefore, the noise data of the test tire's tread 1 was B.

[0030] However, in some embodiments, the noise test of the airless tire uses an acoustic measurement method. Acoustic measurement is a weighted process; to ensure the measurement results reflect people's subjective perception of noise, the sound signal usually needs to be weighted. Therefore, during the testing process, designers will test the noise data of the entire airless tire, which is the sum of the sound energy of all components of the airless tire. When the central mechanism 3 in the airless tire is replaced with the support frame 4, the test is performed again. If the total sound energy decreases, it indicates that the sound source is mainly in the central mechanism 3. Based on this, designers can determine that the central mechanism 3 needs to be optimized and improved. If the total sound energy changes little or remains unchanged, it indicates that the sound source is mainly in the tread pattern 1. Based on this, designers will optimize and improve the tread pattern 1. After repeated design improvements, a low-noise airless tire is finally obtained.

[0031] Furthermore, the pneumatic tire design method also includes setting the drum speed to 60km / h, 80km / h, 100km / h, and 120km / h respectively to conduct noise tests on the test tire; at the same time, setting the drum speed to 60km / h, 80km / h, 100km / h, and 120km / h respectively to conduct noise tests on the control tire.

[0032] In some embodiments, to ensure that the noise data measured during the testing of the test tires more closely reflects the noise data during the actual break-in period of pneumatic tires, a four-speed noise test was conducted, as shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[0033] Table 1

[0034]

[0035] Table 2

[0036] Noise difference between 80km / h and 60km / h 2.11 2.10 1.90 2.57 2.22 1.83 2.12 Noise difference at 100km / h and 80km / h 2.01 2.02 2.16 1.81 1.79 1.94 1.98 Noise difference at 120km / h and 100km / h 1.80 1.76 1.84 1.40 1.54 1.59 1.70

[0037] Table 1 shows that the noise levels increase with increasing speed. Table 2 shows that processing the data and calculating the noise differences at 80km / h and 60km / h, 100km / h and 80km / h, and 120km / h and 100km / h reveals that the noise differences decrease. This indicates that as the rolling speed of the airless tire increases, the number of compressions of springs 301-2 in the central mechanism 3 of the airless tire does not increase synchronously, but rather tends to stabilize. This also explains that if the speed is too high during one rotation of the airless tire, each spring 301-2 cannot complete its compression process in time; the airless tire has already completed its rotation before the required number of compressions is completed. It can be imagined that if the rolling speed of the airless tire could be made fast enough, the noise levels might peak and then stabilize, ceasing to increase further.

[0038] Furthermore, the noise drum device is equipped with six microphones arranged in a triangular shape. By placing these six microphones at different locations during testing, comprehensive noise data from all components of the pneumatic tire can be collected, ensuring accurate and reliable data. The most sensitive frequency band for the normal human ear is 3000–6000 Hz, and its frequency response varies with sound volume. Because the human ear is not equally sensitive to all frequencies, even sound pressure levels of the same magnitude can sound different. Therefore, the actual sound pressure level needs to be corrected and weighted using a gain factor. Using six microphones ensures that no noise source from any part of the pneumatic tire is missed, capturing all sound energy. This also allows designers to perform data weighting and separate analysis of sound energy in certain frequency bands to meet the specific needs of different user groups.

[0039] Furthermore, the shock absorption assembly 301 includes a hinge rod 301-1 and a spring 301-2. The spring 301-2 is sleeved on the hinge rod 301-1, and the spring 301-2 has no less than 6 coils. By setting the hinge rod 301-1 and the spring 301-2, the shock absorption assembly 301 can enable the tire to generate a good shock absorption effect during driving, making the operator's experience better and more comfortable.

[0040] In some embodiments, when testing the noise of the test tire and the control tire, if the noise is determined to be generated by the central mechanism 3, improvements are made to the central mechanism 3. The designers change the number of spiral turns of the spring 301-2 of the central mechanism 3 from 6 turns to 7 turns. The specific data obtained are shown in Table 3.

[0041] Table 3

[0042]

[0043] As shown in Table 3, comparing the noise data of serial numbers 1 and 2 reveals that replacing the central mechanism 3 with the support frame 4 significantly reduces the noise. This indicates that the main source of noise is the central mechanism 3, namely the noise generated by the relative motion between the shock absorber 301 and the connecting frame 302, as well as the noise generated by the compression and stretching motion of the shock absorber 301 itself. Therefore, the central mechanism 3 needs to be optimized. During the test, changing the number of coils of the spring 301-2 from 6 to 7 coils resulted in a significant improvement in noise. After replacing the central mechanism 3 with the support frame 4, there was no significant change in noise, indicating that the noise of the tread 1 was too high. At this point, the tread 1 became the main source of noise, and a low-noise tread pattern needed to be replaced. This process was repeated to obtain a low-noise, airless tire.

[0044] Furthermore, one end of the hinge rod 301-1 is hinged to the connecting frame 302, and the other end of the hinge rod 301-1 is hinged to the inside of the outer metal ring 2. The connecting frame 302 and the outer metal ring 2 are hinged through the hinge rod 301-1. The hinge can disperse the resistance generated by the tire during driving, so that the tire is subjected to more even force and the driving is more stable.

[0045] Furthermore, the support frame 4 is threaded into the metal outer ring 2. By threading the support frame 4 into the metal outer ring 2, it is not only convenient to disassemble and assemble the support frame 4, but also greatly reduces the amount of processing required for the comparison tire, effectively saving labor costs and testing costs.

[0046] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0047] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for designing a tire that does not require inflation, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Noise testing of the test tire: The test tire is placed on a testing device for testing, and the noise data of the test tire is measured as A; wherein, the test tire includes a central mechanism with shock-absorbing components; Assemble the comparison tire and test the noise of the comparison tire: Remove the central mechanism of the test tire and connect the support frame to the inner metal ring to form the comparison tire; The comparison tire was placed on the testing equipment for testing, and the noise data of the comparison tire was measured as B; The noise data K of the central mechanism was calculated to be: K=AB; Based on the obtained test data, the tread and central structure of the test tire were continuously optimized, and finally the airless tire was obtained.

2. The airless tire design method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The test tire also includes a tread and a metal outer ring. The tread is fitted along the circumferential direction of the metal outer ring. The central mechanism is hinged inside the metal outer ring and includes a shock-absorbing component and a connecting frame.

3. The airless tire design method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The support frame has the same dimensions as the connecting frame, the support frame is made of the same material as the connecting frame, and the support frame has the same weight as the central mechanism.

4. The airless tire design method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Before testing the test tire, the test tire was pre-run at a speed of 80 km / h and 75% of the maximum load for 10 minutes. Before testing the comparison tire, the comparison tire was pre-run at a speed of 80 km / h and 75% of its maximum load for 10 minutes.

5. The airless tire design method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The noise data of the test tire tread was the same as the noise data B of the control tire.

6. The airless tire design method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: When testing the test tire, noise tests were conducted on the test tire at speeds of 60 km / h, 80 km / h, 100 km / h, and 120 km / h, respectively. When testing the comparison tire, noise tests were conducted on the comparison tire at speeds of 60 km / h, 80 km / h, 100 km / h, and 120 km / h.

7. The airless tire design method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The test equipment is equipped with 6 microphones, which are arranged in a triangular shape.

8. The airless tire design method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The shock absorption assembly includes a hinge rod and a spring, with the spring sleeved on the hinge rod and having at least 6 coils.

9. The airless tire design method according to claim 8, characterized in that, One end of the hinge rod is hinged to the connecting frame, and the other end of the hinge rod is hinged to the inside of the metal outer ring.

10. The airless tire design method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support frame is threadedly connected to the outer metal ring.

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