Parallel Metal Cord Elastomer Coating for Tire Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire technologies using metal filaments as belt cords without twisting lack comprehensive performance evaluation, leading to issues with fatigue characteristics, in-plane deformation, and reduced steering stability due to inadequate elastomer infiltration and non-coated regions.
Innovation Solution
An elastomer-metal cord composite is developed, where metal filaments are parallelly aligned without twisting, with a patterning direction corresponding to the width direction, and an elastomer coating ratio of 10% or higher, ensuring sufficient elastomer infiltration and alternating patterning to enhance rigidity and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If metal filaments are bundled without twisting to reduce weight, then lightweightness is improved, but fatigue characteristics deteriorate due to in-plane deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure combining metal filaments with an elastomer coating layer. The elastomer coating (5-20 μm thick) forms a composite material system that maintains the lightweight advantage of metal filaments while providing protective functions to improve fatigue resistance and prevent in-plane deformation during tire operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies precise parameter ranges for the elastomer coating thickness (5-20 μm) and metal filament diameter (5-20 μm) to optimize the balance between lightweightness and fatigue characteristics. By controlling these parameters within specific ranges, the invention achieves both weight reduction and improved durability.
2Weight of moving object
If metal filaments are bundled without twisting to reduce weight, then lightweightness is improved, but steering stability deteriorates due to metal filament displacement
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomer coating creates a composite structure that binds the metal filaments together, preventing displacement during tire rolling. This composite approach maintains the lightweight benefit while ensuring steering stability through the cohesive elastomer matrix that holds filaments in place.
Solution Approach 2:
The thin elastomer film (5-20 μm) acts as a flexible shell that conforms to the metal filament bundle while providing structural support. This thin film prevents filament displacement without adding significant weight, thereby maintaining both lightweightness and steering stability.
3Ease of manufacture
If metal filaments are bundled without twisting, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but coating uniformity deteriorates due to poor elastomer infiltration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies precise parameter ranges for elastomer coating thickness (5-20 μm) and metal filament diameter (5-20 μm) to optimize coating uniformity. By controlling these parameters within specific ranges, the invention achieves both manufacturing simplicity and consistent coating quality across all filaments.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomer coating provides localized protection and bonding to each individual metal filament surface. This local quality approach ensures uniform coating distribution across all filaments in the bundle, with the elastomer infiltrating and adhering to each filament's surface independently, achieving consistent coating uniformity.
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 solution improves tire performance by enhancing in-plane rigidity and steering stability, reducing fatigue, and maintaining lightweightness, while optimizing belt strength and durability.
Implementation Method 1
a rubber hardly infiltrates between adjacent metal filaments
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are: an elastomer-metal cord composite capable of improving the performance of a tire, in which composite a metal cord composed of a bundle of metal filaments that are parallelly aligned without being twisted together is coated with an elastomer; and a tire including the same. An elastomer-metal cord composite (10) is obtained by coating, with an elastomer (3), a metal cord (2) composed of a bundle of two to ten metal filaments (1) that are parallelly aligned in a single row without being twisted together, and the metal cord (2) includes at least one pair of adjacent metal filaments (1) being different from each other in at least either of patterning amount and patterning pitch in a direction perpendicular to an extending direction of the metal filaments (1).