Segmented Tire Sound Absorber for Sealant Flow
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The high-viscosity sealant used in pneumatic vehicle tires, which also serves as an adhesive for sound-absorbing foam, can have its flow behavior adversely affected by the sound absorber covering its entire surface, leading to delayed or unreliable sealing in the event of punctures, especially when a foreign object exits and leaves a large air duct behind.
Innovation Solution
The sound absorber is composed of multiple ring-shaped partial bodies arranged in the circumferential direction with a clear distance between them, allowing the sealant to flow freely and improving sealing, while maintaining effective sound absorption by covering only a portion of the sealant surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the sound absorber is made as a single one-piece ring covering the entire sealant surface, then sound absorption is improved, but the sealant's flow behavior is adversely affected and sealing reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sound absorber is divided into multiple separate annular partial sound absorber bodies arranged in the circumferential direction with clear distances between them. This segmentation allows the sealant to flow freely in the gaps between partial sound absorbers, maintaining its self-sealing function, while the distributed partial sound absorbers collectively provide effective noise reduction across the tire interior.
2Loss of substance
If the sealant layer thickness is reduced to save costs and weight, then manufacturing costs and tire weight are reduced, but sealing reliability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the sound absorber into multiple partial bodies with gaps between them, the sealant retains its natural flow behavior and can effectively fill puncture channels even with reduced layer thickness. The gaps act as flow channels that guide sealant movement, ensuring reliable sealing performance with thinner sealant layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealant layer thickness can be optimized locally - thinner in regions where partial sound absorbers are present (as they provide structural support and sound absorption), and potentially thicker in critical sealing zones. This local quality approach allows cost and weight reduction while maintaining sealing reliability where it matters most.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the sound absorber covers the entire sealant surface, then sound absorption is maximized, but the sealant cannot flow freely and sealing performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous sound-absorbing surface is segmented into multiple discrete partial rings with clear gaps between them. These gaps serve as flow channels that allow the highly viscous sealant to move freely and reach puncture sites, while the distributed partial sound absorbers maintain effective noise reduction by covering sufficient surface area.
Solution Approach 2:
portions of the sealant surface are extracted from under the sound absorber coverage - specifically, the gaps between partial sound absorbers are left clear to allow sealant flow. This extraction of coverage in critical flow areas enables the sealant to perform its self-sealing function while the remaining covered areas provide sound absorption.
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 flow behavior of the sealant, ensuring reliable tire sealing and improved sound absorption, reducing the sealant layer thickness by 30-50% and saving on costs and tire weight, while maintaining effective sound absorption.
Implementation Method 1
The inner absorber is a one-piece ring made of open-cell foam, which reduces air vibrations in the tire and leads to an improvement in the vehicle's noise performance
Implementation Method 2
The highly viscous sealant applied to the inside of the tire has two functions: It seals an unwanted puncture in the tire in the tread area by flowing into the area of the puncture
Implementation Method 3
the sealant simultaneously serves as an adhesive for attaching the sound-absorbing foam ring
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a pneumatic vehicle tire with an annular sound absorber (9) made of foam that is adhesively attached in the interior of the tire to the inner surface opposite the tread (1) and extends over the tire circumference, said sound absorber (9) adhering to a previously applied self-sealing sealant (8) that has the tackiness required for the adhesive attachment of the sound absorber (9) at least immediately after application. The sound absorber (9) is composed of a plurality of annular sound-absorbing sub-elements (10) that extend in the circumferential direction, two immediately adjacent annular sound-absorbing sub-elements (10) being spaced apart from each other in the axial direction at a distance (11).