Flat Strip Reinforcement for Tire Rolling Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing reinforcement layers in pneumatic vehicle tires with round cross sections face challenges in reducing rolling resistance due to limitations in height and material usage, making it difficult to achieve significant improvements in rolling resistance while maintaining required strength and material properties.
Innovation Solution
The use of non-metallic reinforcement bands with a flat cross-section, made from materials like polyesters, polyetherketones, and other fibers, aligned parallel to the reinforcement layer, which reduces the cross-sectional height and width ratio, allowing for a thinner reinforcement layer with improved elongation and load-bearing capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If round cross-section reinforcements are used, then strength requirements are met, but rolling resistance cannot be sufficiently reduced due to limited height reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the reinforcement from a round cross-section to a flat strip cross-section, characterized by the width-to-height ratio w/h > 1.5. This parameter change allows the reinforcement height h to be reduced significantly while maintaining the required strength through the increased width w, thereby reducing rolling resistance without compromising strength requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite material structures where flat strips are embedded in elastomeric material to form a reinforcement layer. The combination of the flat strip reinforcement and the elastomeric matrix creates a composite structure that achieves both strength requirements and reduced rolling resistance through the optimized geometry of the flat strips.
2Loss of energy
If reinforcement layer height is reduced, then rolling resistance improves, but minimum elastomer layer thickness is quickly reached
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the reinforcement geometry from round to flat strip with w/h > 1.5, the invention achieves height reduction while compensating for strength through increased width. This allows further reduction of the reinforcement layer height without reaching the minimum elastomer layer thickness limit, enabling continued improvement in rolling resistance.
3Loss of energy
If flat strip reinforcement is used, then rolling resistance is reduced, but manufacturing complexity may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs flat strip reinforcements that can be manufactured as thin films or flexible bands. These flat strips can be easily embedded in the elastomeric material during the tire manufacturing process, such as by calendering, making the implementation feasible without excessive manufacturing complexity despite the geometric change from round to flat cross-section.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
AI summary
Reinforcement layer comprises at least one reinforcing element embedded in an elastomeric material. The reinforcing element is a belt (9) having a film of non-metallic material. The belt is disposed in the reinforcement layer such that an extending direction of a cross-sectional width of the belt is aligned parallel to a planar extension of the reinforcement layer. The reinforcement layer is a reinforcement layer of a belt drum, a carcass and/or a bead reinforcement of a pneumatic vehicle tire. The non-metallic material includes e.g. polyester, rayon and/or isopren-isobutylene copolymer. Reinforcement layer comprises at least one reinforcing element embedded in an elastomeric material. The reinforcing element is a belt (9) having a cross-section, in which a cross-sectional height of the belt is less than cross-sectional width of the belt. The belt has a film of a non-metallic material, which extends over an entire extension surface of the belt. The belt is disposed in the reinforcement layer such that the extending direction of the cross-sectional width of the belt is aligned approximately parallel to a planar extension of the reinforcement layer. The reinforcement layer is a reinforcement layer of a belt drum, a carcass and/or a bead reinforcement of a pneumatic vehicle tire. The non-metallic material includes polyester, polyether, polyketone, rayon, viscose, a natural fiber material, glass, carbon, polyoxadiazole, liquid crystal polymer, polyisoprene, polybutadiene, polyisobutylene, polychloroprene, polyacrylates polyglucan, polyurethane, polysulfide, silicones, polyvinylchloride, epoxide resin, polyether, ethylene-propylene copolymer, styrene butadiene copolymer, acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer and/or isopren-isobutylene copolymer and/or their derivatives. An independent claim is also included for a pneumatic vehicle tire comprising the reinforcement layer.