Sleeved Split Inner Tube Joint to Prevent Detachment and Bumpy Ride
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional inner tubes with disconnected patterns face issues such as limited connection strength, easy detachment during driving, and difficulty in maintaining a locked state, leading to inefficient replacement and potential bumpy rides due to air pressure discrepancies and stress concentration.
Innovation Solution
An inner tube design featuring an elongated shape with two ends connected via a sleeve, where the first closed surface and second closed surface are radially expanded and encompassed by the sleeve upon inflation, providing a secure and seamless connection without clearance, and incorporating arc-shaped designs to prevent stress concentration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If snap-fit rubber pieces are used to connect the two joints, then the inner tube can be easily assembled and disassembled, but the connection strength is very limited and the inner tube easily detaches during driving
Solution Approach 1:
The inner tube is divided into two separate joints that can be connected and disconnected. Each joint has a closed surface that interfaces with the other, allowing the tube to be segmented for easy replacement while maintaining structural integrity when connected.
Solution Approach 2:
One joint is inserted into the other joint to form a nested connection. The first joint with its closed surface fits inside or against the second joint's closed surface, creating a secure nested arrangement that maintains connection strength while allowing easy assembly and disassembly.
2Loss of time
If snap-fit connection is used, then the inner tube can be quickly replaced, but it is difficult to keep the inner tube in a locked state when not inflated
Solution Approach 1:
The physical state of the inner tube material changes based on inflation. When inflated, the material expands and transforms from a loose, unstable state to a taut, stable state that maintains the locked connection. This parameter change (from deflated to inflated) ensures the tube remains securely connected during use while allowing easy replacement when deflated.
3Ease of manufacture
If two rubber pieces snap together, then assembly is simple, but air pressure in the clearance is significantly lower than inside the inner tube causing bumpy feeling during driving
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of creating a clearance between two separate rubber pieces, the design inverts the approach by having one joint inserted into the other, eliminating the clearance. This reversal of the connection method ensures continuous air pressure transmission from the interior to the exterior, preventing the bumpy feeling while maintaining assembly simplicity.
4Productivity
If the inner tube has a disconnected pattern, then replacement efficiency is improved, but the structure becomes more complex with joints and connection mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The inner tube is segmented into two joints that can be easily separated and reconnected. This segmentation enables quick replacement by simply disconnecting and reconnecting the joints, improving productivity while keeping the structural complexity manageable through the simplicity of the segmented 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 design enhances assembly and disassembly convenience, maintains a secure connection during inflation, eliminates bumpy rides by ensuring equal air pressure, and reduces stress concentration, resulting in improved replacement efficiency and prolonged durability.
Implementation Method 1
after the inner tube body is inflated, the first closed surface and the second closed surface are radially expanded and are encompassed and positioned by the sleeve
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3~4
AI summary
A disconnected inner tube, provided with a first connector (11, 21) and a second connector (12, 22) respectively arranged at two ends thereof. Free ends of the first connector (11, 21) and the second connector (12, 22) are respectively provided with a first closed surface (111, 211) and a second closed surface (121, 221); a first sleeve (122, 212) also extends from the free end of the first connector (11, 21) or the second connector (12, 22) in the length direction of an inner tube body; the first connector (11, 21) and the second connector (12, 22) abut against each other by means of the sleeve (122, 212) to splice strip-shaped tire bodies into an inner tube which is connected end to end. Also provided is a tire which uses the described disconnected inner tube.