Tire Sidewall High-Contrast Patterns Without Tuft Breakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire sidewall and tread patterns, typically made of black rubber, suffer from low visibility of letters or numbers due to insufficient contrast, and laser-engraved tufts often break during demolding.
Innovation Solution
A high contrast pattern is created using wavy lines or geometric shapes, such as parallel wavy lines, intersecting lines forming snowflakes, or overlapping circles, laser-engraved in the tire mold to enhance visibility without tufts, with specific dimensions and orientations to maintain structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If laser engraving is used to form tufts on the tire sidewall, then visibility of letters and numbers is improved, but the tips of the tufts break during demolding
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the traditional tuft structure into multiple segments: a base portion that remains anchored in the sidewall and multiple blade portions that extend outward. This segmentation allows the tuft to flex and deform during demolding without breaking, as the individual blade portions can move independently while remaining attached to the stable base portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The tuft design incorporates dynamic flexibility through its blade portions, which can bend and deform during the demolding process. This dynamic behavior allows the tuft to accommodate the mechanical stresses of removal without permanent damage, while maintaining its visibility function when the tire is in normal use.
2Illumination intensity
If traditional black rubber is used for the tire sidewall, then manufacturing is simple and durable, but visibility of letters and numbers is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by creating high-contrast patterns only in specific areas where visibility is needed (letters and numbers on the sidewall, tread patterns on the tread surface) while leaving the rest of the black rubber surface unchanged. This localized approach maintains the simplicity and durability of the overall black rubber construction while enhancing visibility only where required.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes color contrast by forming patterns in a light-colored material (such as white or colored compounds) that contrasts sharply with the black rubber background. This color difference creates high visibility for letters, numbers, and tread patterns without requiring a complete change in the base material or manufacturing process.
3Illumination intensity
If high contrast patterns are created using tufts, then visibility is enhanced, but the structure becomes more complex and prone to breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The tuft is segmented into a base portion and multiple blade portions, where the base provides structural stability and the blades provide visibility and flexibility. This segmentation reduces overall complexity by separating the structural and visual functions into distinct components that can be optimized independently.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of creating a single solid tuft that is rigid and prone to breaking, the invention inverts the approach by creating a tuft with a solid base and flexible, segmented blades. This inverted structure prioritizes flexibility and break resistance over solid rigidity, solving the complexity and breakage problem while maintaining visibility.
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 proposed pattern significantly enhances visibility and maintains durability by providing an aesthetically pleasing, high-contrast design that does not suffer from tuft breakage during demolding.
Implementation Method 1
laser engrave the tire molds in order to form tufts
Data Source
AI summary
A tire having a high contrast design pattern is described, wherein one design has a first set of spaced apart wavy lines oriented in a first direction, and a second set of spaced apart wavy lines oriented in a first direction, wherein the first set of wavy lines is out of phase with the second set of wavy lines. A second high contrast design pattern is described, and is formed of a plurality of circles, wherein the plurality of circles do not overlap with each other and are tangent to each other.