Biased-Crown Tire Manufacturing Machine with Selective Biasing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing manufacturing machines optimized for conventional radial carcass architecture are ill-suited for producing tires with a biased-crown architecture, which requires a different reinforcement structure and orientation of reinforcing threads.
Innovation Solution
A machine with distinct zones for tire building, finishing, and assembling, incorporating a biasing system that interacts with the carcass ply to change the orientation of reinforcing threads, allowing for the production of tires with a biased-crown architecture by simultaneously shaping and biasing the carcass entity, while maintaining radial orientation in the sidewalls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a conventional radial carcass architecture is used, then the tire has good roadholding, but the tire weight is high and fuel consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different reinforcement architectures to different zones of the tire: the sidewalls maintain radial carcass ply orientation for structural strength, while the crown region uses biased-crown architecture with oblique reinforcing threads for weight reduction. This localized differentiation allows the tire to achieve both good roadholding and reduced weight.
2Productivity
If existing manufacturing machines optimized for radial carcass architecture are used, then the production process is efficient, but they cannot produce tires with biased-crown architecture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent describes a tire-building machine that can produce both conventional radial carcass tires and biased-crown architecture tires using the same equipment. The machine includes a drum for laying plies, a shaping device for radial expansion, and a biasing system that can be selectively activated to create the biased-crown architecture in the crown region while maintaining radial architecture in the sidewalls.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a dynamic shaping process where the carcass entity is radially expanded during shaping, and a biasing system is applied selectively to the crown region. The reinforcing threads are deliberately reoriented during the shaping operation to create the biased-crown architecture, allowing the machine to adapt its function based on process parameters rather than requiring different physical equipment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the reinforcing threads are reoriented during shaping, then the biased-crown architecture is achieved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the shaping operation and the biasing operation into a single integrated process step. The carcass entity is radially expanded and the reinforcing threads are reoriented simultaneously during the same shaping cycle, rather than requiring separate operations. This merging reduces the overall number of steps and simplifies the manufacturing process despite the added architectural complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient and high-performance production of tires with a biased-crown architecture, reducing cycle time and energy consumption, and allowing for the production of both radial and biased-crown tires using the same machine.
Implementation Method 1
a shaping operation is performed which causes the carcass entity present on the drum to expand radially in order to obtain a shaped carcass entity of toroidal shape
Data Source
AI summary
The machine includes a tire-building zone for producing, on a drum, a carcass entity that includes a carcass ply with carcass reinforcers. The machine also includes a finishing zone for producing a crown entity that includes a tread, a shaping system for causing the carcass entity to expand radially in order to give it a toroidal shape. In an assembling zone, the crown entity is assembled on the carcass entity. A biasing system interacts, during the shaping, with the carcass reinforcers so as to modify the angular orientation of the carcass reinforcers with respect to the circumferential direction of the drum. An automatic control unit allows a biased-crown tire to be manufactured in this way.