Laminated Tire Crown Reinforcement for Low-Mass Stiffness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing radial tyres face challenges in optimizing tensile and shear stiffness while minimizing mass, with conventional architectures being complex and inefficient in production.
Innovation Solution
A tyre design featuring a crown reinforcing zone with laminated strips arranged at an angle less than or equal to 15° to the circumferential direction, composed of composite layers with oriented fibres and embedded in a polymer matrix, and a configuration of plies with strategic overlap to enhance mechanical properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional crown reinforcement architecture (crossed plies and belt) is used, then tensile and shear stiffness are achieved, but mass increases and production complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The crown reinforcement is divided into multiple thin composite plies (typically 3-5 plies) with fibres oriented at different angles (0°, ±15°, ±30°) rather than using traditional thick metal belts or crossed textile plies. This segmentation allows optimized stress distribution while reducing overall mass.
Solution Approach 2:
High-modulus fibres (carbon, glass, or aramid) embedded in a polymer matrix (epoxy, polyester, or vinyl ester) replace traditional metal belts and textile plies. The composite material provides superior strength-to-weight ratio and tailored stiffness properties in both tensile and shear directions.
2Stability of the object's composition
If conventional crown reinforcement architecture is used, then structural stability is achieved, but production complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fibre orientation angles are optimized within specific ranges (0° to ±30°) to achieve the required structural stability. By adjusting these parameters, the reinforcement system maintains structural integrity while simplifying the manufacturing process compared to traditional multi-layer metal belt systems.
3Weight of moving object
If high-performance reinforcers with thinner layers are used, then mass is reduced and rolling resistance is lowered, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The composite plies are pre-consolidated and pre-cured to achieve the desired thickness and fibre orientation before final tyre assembly. This preliminary preparation simplifies the overall manufacturing process by reducing the number of steps required during tyre production while maintaining the lightweight benefits of thin high-performance layers.
Data Source
AI summary
The tire comprises a carcass ply connecting two beads via two sidewalls, the carcass ply being surmounted radially towards the outside of the tire by a crown reinforcing zone which is itself surmounted radially towards the outside of the tire by a tread, the crown reinforcing zone comprising a plurality of reinforcing strips arranged over at least one ply of strips. The strips are arranged so that they are juxtaposed and at an angle less than or equal to 15° with respect to the circumferential direction. Each reinforcing strip is made up of a laminate of at least 3 composite layers, each composite layer containing oriented fibers having a tensile modulus greater than or equal to 55 GPa, which are parallel to one another and coated in a polymer matrix.