Non-pneumatic Tire Elastic Coupling Plates Bending Rigidity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional non-pneumatic tires experience variations in ground contact pressure along the tire circumferential direction, affecting abrasivity and steerability, which impact durability and steering stability.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an attachment body, a ring-shaped body, and coupling members with elastic coupling plates made of synthetic resin, where the bending rigidity of the coupling plates is intentionally lower than that of the ring-shaped body, ensuring the coupling members provide flexibility and stability, thereby maintaining consistent ground contact pressure and reducing wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional non-pneumatic tires are used, then the tire structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the ground contact pressure varies significantly in the tire circumferential direction, causing poor steerability and uneven wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the coupling members have different rigidity characteristics at different locations. Specifically, the coupling members have lower rigidity in the tire radial direction (allowing flexibility for ground contact pressure equalization) while maintaining higher rigidity in the tire circumferential direction (providing structural stability). This directional rigidity differentiation resolves the contradiction between structural simplicity and steering reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the rigidity parameter of the coupling members by selecting specific material properties and geometric dimensions. The coupling members are designed with bending rigidity values that satisfy specific inequalities (EI1 and EI2 relationships), transforming the rigid structure into a semi-flexible one that can adapt to ground conditions while maintaining overall structural integrity, thus improving both steerability and wear uniformity without complicating the manufacturing process.
2Reliability
If the coupling members are made more flexible to improve ground contact pressure distribution, then steerability improves, but the structural strength and durability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling members exhibit local quality with different rigidity characteristics in different directions: lower rigidity radially (for flexibility and steerability) and higher rigidity circumferentially (for structural strength). This directional differentiation allows the structure to be flexible where needed for steering while maintaining strength where required, resolving the contradiction between steerability and structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling members are constructed as composite structures combining materials with different mechanical properties. The use of synthetic resin materials with specific viscoelastic characteristics creates a composite effect that provides both flexibility for ground contact adaptation and sufficient strength for structural support, enabling simultaneous improvement of steerability and durability.
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
This configuration enhances the durability and steering stability of the non-pneumatic tire by alleviating stress on the ground contact surface, suppressing uneven wear, and maintaining consistent steerability.
Implementation Method 1
coupling members which displaceably couple the attachment body to the ring-shaped body, wherein a plurality of coupling members are arranged in a tire circumferential direction and include elastic coupling plates
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A non-pneumatic tire (1) of the present invention includes an attachment body (11) attached to an axle, a ring-shaped body (13) which surrounds the attachment body (11) from the outside in a tire radial direction, and coupling members (15) which displaceably couple the attachment body (11) to the ring-shaped body (13), wherein a plurality of coupling members (15) are arranged in a tire circumferential direction and include elastic coupling plates (21 and 22) whose opposite ends are respectively coupled to the attachment body (11) and the ring-shaped body (13), and a bending rigidity EI1 of the elastic coupling plates (21 and 22) represented by E1 × W1 × t13/12 when the average thickness in the tire circumferential direction is t1 (mm), the average width in a tire width direction H is W1 (mm), and the Young's modulus is E1 (MPa) is smaller than the bending rigidity EI2 of the ring-shaped body (13) represented by E2 × W2 × t23/12 when the average thickness in the tire radial direction is t2 (mm), the average width in the tire width direction H is W2 (mm), and the Young's modulus is E2 (MPa).