Foldable Tire With Flexible Bead For Compact Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current foldable tire designs for motor vehicles retain significant bulk and weight due to the presence of the rim, and existing packaging methods are inefficient for transport and storage, occupying a large volume and not allowing for quick re-expansion without damaging the tire's internal structure.
Innovation Solution
A foldable tire with flexible, inextensible beads and a crown reinforcement that can be folded into compact shapes such as 'U', 'J', spiral, or 'S' configurations, allowing for increased storage density and quick re-expansion without performance impact, using a metal cable with specific layer constructions and winding patterns to maintain structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the tire is mounted on a rim for folding, then the tire can be folded and stored, but the rim adds significant bulk and weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the rim from the folding system by providing folding mechanisms that work independently of any rim structure. The bead and sidewall folding features are designed to function whether the tire is mounted on a rim or stored separately, eliminating the mandatory presence of the rim and its associated weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic folding features including flexible beads capable of bending and sidewalls designed to fold inward toward each other. These dynamic elements allow the tire to transition between inflated and folded states without requiring the rigid rim structure, reducing overall weight while maintaining folding capability.
2Volume of stationary object
If the tire is compressed during transport, then storage space is reduced, but the tire occupies significant volume and cannot be compacted efficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible bead and foldable sidewall design enable the tire to dynamically change its volume. When deflated, the sidewalls fold inward and the bead bends, allowing the tire to be compacted to a fraction of its original volume, significantly improving storage efficiency and transport productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The folding mechanism allows the tire to nest into a compact configuration where the folded sidewalls and bent bead create a space-efficient form factor, maximizing the number of tires that can be stored per cubic meter.
3Strength
If the bead is made inextensible for structural integrity, then the tire maintains strength, but the bead cannot be folded compactly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the properties of different bead regions. The bead includes both inextensible portions (providing strength and maintaining circumference) and flexible portions (capable of bending and folding). This localized differentiation allows the bead to simultaneously maintain structural integrity and enable compact folding configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The bead is constructed as a composite structure combining materials or design elements with different properties - inextensible sections for strength and flexible sections for bending capability. This composite approach resolves the contradiction between maintaining bead strength and enabling foldability.
4Volume of stationary object
If traditional packaging methods are used to arrange tires, then tires can be stacked, but they occupy 30% more volume per cubic meter
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic folding capability of the tire allows it to transition from an extended stacked configuration to a compact folded state. When folded, the tire occupies significantly less space, enabling more efficient packaging arrangements that increase the number of tires per cubic meter by reducing the volume each individual tire occupies.
Solution Approach 2:
The folding mechanism transforms the tire from a three-dimensional extended form to a compact folded form, effectively utilizing space in a different dimensional arrangement. This allows for more efficient space utilization in packaging, increasing productivity by fitting more tires into the same cubic meter.
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
The tire can be compacted by 50% per cubic meter compared to traditional packaging methods, allowing for efficient transport and storage while maintaining performance and structural integrity, and can be easily re-expanded without damage.
Implementation Method 1
each said bead being flexible and, after folding of the tire, said average line of the bead comprising at least one concave part Pc of smallest radius Rc and center of curvature Cc
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a collapsible tire for a vehicle, comprising at least one carcass reinforcement (5) having a non-stretchable crown reinforcement (4) mounted on the radially outward side thereof, said crown reinforcement being arranged radially inside a tread (2), each of said reinforcements (4, 5) consisting of at least one layer of reinforcing elements, said tread (2) being connected to two beads (6) via two sidewalls (8), wherein said beads (6) are to contact a rim, each bead (6) comprising at least one circumferential reinforcing element (3), referred to as a bead core, said bead core (3) defining a mean line forming a substantially circular closed curve in a circumferential plane. The bead core (3) of each bead (6) is flexible and includes at least one concave portion Pc having a smallest radius Rc and a center of curvature Cc. The invention also relates to a method for collapsing the tire and to a use of the tire.