Non-Pneumatic Tire Bulge Structure for Load and Comfort
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pneumatic tires face issues with tread wear and potential bursts, while solid tires lack air cushioning, resulting in poor driving comfort and load-bearing capacity.
Innovation Solution
A non-pneumatic tire design featuring radially distributed groups of bulges between the tread and inner ring, forming a concave-convex structure with multiple load-bearing units, including tightening inner brims, expanding outer brims, and arc-shaped extension surfaces, enhancing load-bearing capacity and impact resistance while maintaining driving comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a pneumatic tire is used to provide comfortable support, then driving comfort is improved, but the tire is prone to wear and burst
Solution Approach 1:
The tire is divided into multiple independent bulges (at least three) that are radially distributed around the circumference. Each bulge can independently deform and absorb impact, providing both comfort and durability through distributed load bearing rather than a single continuous structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Each bulge is designed with specific local characteristics including a crown portion for load bearing, shoulder portions for lateral stability, and tailored wall thickness distributions. This local optimization allows each segment to perform its specific function while contributing to overall tire performance.
2Reliability
If a solid tire is used to eliminate burst risk, then reliability is improved, but driving comfort deteriorates due to lack of air buffer
Solution Approach 1:
The bulges are pre-inflated to a predetermined pressure before the tire is mounted on the vehicle. This pre-cushioning provides immediate impact absorption and comfort upon mounting, eliminating the need for post-installation inflation while maintaining reliability through the sealed pneumatic structure.
3Strength
If the tire wall thickness is increased to improve load-bearing capacity, then strength is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly increasing wall thickness in one dimension, the invention distributes load-bearing capacity across multiple bulges arranged radially around the circumference. This dimensional redistribution achieves equivalent or superior strength while maintaining reasonable individual wall thickness and reducing overall structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Each bulge is designed with a substantially spherical shape, which provides optimal strength-to-weight ratio and uniform stress distribution under load. The spherical geometry naturally resists deformation and concentrates strength where needed without requiring complex reinforcement structures.
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 concave-convex design increases the tire's load-bearing area and impact resistance, providing strong supporting points and improved elastic support, resulting in enhanced load-bearing capacity and driving comfort compared to traditional tire designs.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of groups of bulges radially and integrally connected between the tread and the inner ring... a depression is formed at a connection position of the adjacent groups of bulges... providing strong supporting points and improved elastic support
Data Source
AI summary
A non-pneumatic tire, including a tread (10), an inner ring (20) and a plurality of groups of bulges (30). The plurality of groups of bulges (30) are radially distributed, each group of bulges (30) is hollowed out inside, and an annular cavity (40) and a depression (50) are formed between the adjacent groups of bulges (30), the depressions (50) form a tightening inner brim (41) corresponding to an inner wall of the annular cavity (40), an inner wall of each group of bulges (30) forms an expanding outer brim (42), and a bulge wall of each group of bulges (30) forms an arc-shaped extension surface (43); and a tire wall (60) connected between the tread (10) and the inner ring (20) is formed between the tightening inner brims (41) and the tops of the outer walls of the bulges (30).