Foldable Tire Bead Segmentation for Flexibility and Rust Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional foldable tires with steel rings in the tire beads are low in flexibility, prone to rust damage from water infiltration, and difficult to manufacture due to the rigidity of steel rings, leading to early abandonment.
Innovation Solution
A foldable tire design featuring tire beads with multiple rings, each composed of a reinforcing core of helically entwined flexible steel filaments and a cladding layer, allowing separation and easy assembly, enhancing flexibility and manufacturing convenience, while preventing widespread rust damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a thick steel ring or bundle of thin steel rings is provided in each tire bead, then the tire bead strength is improved, but the flexibility of the tire deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The steel ring is divided into multiple separate thin steel rings (2-7 rings per bead) instead of using a single thick ring. Each thin ring has a diameter of 2-5mm, and they are arranged in parallel within the tire bead. This segmentation maintains the required strength while significantly improving flexibility, allowing the tire to be easily folded for storage and transportation.
2Strength
If multiple thin steel rings are bundled together in the same space, then the tire bead strength is improved, but the susceptibility to rust damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The steel ring is segmented into multiple separate thin rings arranged in parallel, creating spatial separation between them within the tire bead. This segmentation ensures that if water penetrates the tire, it cannot simultaneously reach all rings, thereby reducing the risk of widespread rust damage and improving reliability.
3Ease of operation
If multiple steel rings are bound up to form a bundle, then the flexibility is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The steel ring is pre-segmented into multiple thin rings of uniform size (2-5mm diameter) during manufacturing. These segmented rings are then simply placed in parallel within the tire bead and fixed in position, avoiding the need for complex binding operations. This segmentation approach simplifies the manufacturing process while maintaining flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A foldable tire includes a tire main body provided at two edges thereof with two tire beads respectively. A plurality of rings are disposed in each of the tire beads. Each of the rings has a reinforcing core, which includes a plurality of flexible steel filaments helically entwined with each other and has a diameter ranging from 0.2 millimeters to 0.5 millimeters, and a cladding layer clothing the reinforcing core, so that the reinforcing cores located in each of the tire beads are separated from each other.