Shaped Tire Tread Built by Layered Polymer Sheets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional tire manufacturing methods face challenges in filling the volume between the green tire and mold features with viscous rubber, leading to inefficiencies in vulcanization and tire shape formation.
Innovation Solution
A non-pneumatic tire is manufactured using additive manufacturing techniques, where sheets of polymeric material with embedded reinforcements are layered and cured, allowing for precise tread design and void formation, eliminating the need for traditional vulcanization mold filling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional vulcanization mold filling is used, then the tire can be manufactured using conventional methods, but the viscous rubber fails to fill the volume between the green tire and mold features efficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The tread is pre-formed with the desired shape and voids before vulcanization, eliminating the need for complex mold filling during the curing process. The green tire is built with the tread already shaped, so when placed in the mold, the rubber naturally conforms to the pre-formed structure without requiring forced flow into cavities.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of forming the tread shape by forcing rubber to fill mold cavities during vulcanization, the invention inverts the approach by pre-forming the tread with the desired shape and voids, then allowing the rubber to naturally conform to this pre-established structure during curing.
2Manufacturing precision
If viscous rubber is forced to fill the volume between green tire and mold features, then the tire shape can be formed, but the process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The tread shape and voids are created in advance during green tire construction, so the vulcanization mold only needs to provide basic containment and heating. This eliminates the need for complex mold features designed to force rubber flow into specific shapes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional mold filling methods are used, then conventional manufacturing equipment can be utilized, but material waste increases and customization becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The exact tread pattern and void configuration are predetermined and pre-formed during green tire construction, allowing precise material placement. This eliminates the need for excess rubber to fill mold cavities, reducing material waste while enabling easy customization by changing the pre-formed tread design.
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 method enables the creation of tires with customized tread designs and voids, improving traction and durability while reducing material waste and manufacturing complexity.
Implementation Method 1
A non-pneumatic tire is manufactured using additive manufacturing techniques, where sheets of polymeric material with embedded reinforcements are layered and cured
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A tire (100) includes a central region configured to be mounted to a wheel, a crown region including a circumferential tread with a plurality of voids being disposed in the crown region below a surface of the circumferential tread, and an intermediate region extending from the central region to the crown region. The tire (100) is formed by a plurality of substantially circular sheets of polymeric material (110), each sheet having a predetermined tread shape along a circumference, the predetermined tread shape including a shape defining at least one of lugs, blocks, grooves, ribs, and sipes.