Carriage-Based Tire Testing for Rain, Snow, and Gravel Simulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional indoor tire testing devices struggle to simulate road conditions such as rain, snow, or gravel, limiting their ability to accurately evaluate tire performance under various real-world scenarios.

Innovation Solution

A tire testing device with a carriage system that allows a test wheel to travel on a base and includes a driving system to control rotational speed and apply torque, mimicking different road conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the simulated road surface is made to run at high speed during the test, then the test efficiency is improved, but it becomes difficult to perform the test in road surface conditions in which the road surface is covered with rain, snow, gravel or the like

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetest efficiencyVSAvoidroad surface condition simulation capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of moving the simulated road surface at high speed as in conventional devices, this invention inverts the approach by keeping the road surface stationary and moving the carriage with the test wheel along the road surface. This allows the road surface to remain static and capable of accommodating various conditions (rain, snow, gravel) while still enabling dynamic testing through carriage movement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces a carriage system that can move dynamically along the stationary road surface, allowing the test wheel to contact different sections of the road surface under controlled conditions. This dynamic carriage movement enables simulation of various road conditions without requiring the road surface itself to move at high speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Measurement precision

If the rotational motion supplying means supplies rotational motion corresponding to the carriage speed, then the test accuracy is improved, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetest accuracyVSAvoiddriving system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The rotational motion supplying means receives feedback about the carriage's travel speed and adjusts the rotational speed of the test wheel accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures that the test wheel rotates at the correct speed to maintain accurate contact with the road surface, improving test accuracy while managing system complexity through intelligent control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The rotational motion supplying means serves multiple functions: it drives the test wheel at appropriate speeds, maintains correct contact with the road surface, and adapts to different carriage speeds. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components, thereby managing system complexity while maintaining high test accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4286824B1Tire testing device
Publication Date: 2026.03.04 KOKUSAI KEISOKUKI KK
  • EP4286824B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4286824B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4286824B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

One embodiment of the present invention provides a tire testing device provided with: a road surface unit including a road surface; and a carriage which rotatably holds a test wheel provided with a test tire, and which is capable of travelling along the road surface with the test wheel grounded on the road surface.