Thermoplastic Tire Joining Using Separate Welding Material
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tires made from thermoplastic polymer materials face issues with joint strength and thermal degradation due to the need for extensive heating during the molding process, leading to reduced material strength and increased manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
The use of a separate thermoplastic material body for joining tire frame members, which minimizes heat exposure and prevents thermal degradation, along with a reinforcement layer and a softer seal material for improved durability and sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If tire frame members are joined by heating and melting the thermoplastic material at the joint portions, then the tire pieces can be joined together, but the material strength is reduced due to thermal degradation and the joint portion requires additional molds
Solution Approach 1:
A thermoplastic material body separate from the tire frame members is introduced as an intermediary to join adjacent tire frame members. This separate material body is heated and molded to fill the space between tire frame members, creating a joint without directly heating the tire frame members themselves, thereby preventing thermal degradation while achieving secure joining
2Ease of manufacture
If the joint portion is formed by melting the periphery of the joint portion, then the tire pieces can be joined, but the number of molds increases and manufacturing costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The same mold is used for both forming the tire frame members and for forming the thermoplastic material body that joins them. The mold provides universal functionality across different manufacturing steps, eliminating the need for separate jointing molds and reducing overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The thermoplastic material body acts as a mediator that can be formed and joined using the existing mold infrastructure, avoiding the need for specialized additional molds for joint formation
3Strength
If a large amount of thermoplastic material is melted during joining, then the joint portions can be securely joined, but post-cooling sinking occurs and dimensional precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of melting a large amount of material, only the necessary amount of thermoplastic material body is heated and molded to fill the gap between tire frame members. This partial action approach achieves sufficient joint strength while minimizing material volume subject to thermal degradation and cooling shrinkage
Solution Approach 2:
The separate thermoplastic material body serves as an intermediary that requires minimal heating and molding to achieve effective joining, reducing the total material volume subjected to thermal cycles and thereby minimizing post-cooling sinking
4Ease of manufacture
If the tire is molded as a whole in a mold, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the core cannot be removed from the tire after molding
Solution Approach 1:
The tire is divided into multiple tire frame members that can be manufactured separately without requiring a core. These segmented members are then joined using the thermoplastic material body, eliminating the core removal issue while maintaining manufacturing efficiency
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 approach enhances the strength and durability of the joint portion while maintaining the recyclability and formability of thermoplastic tires, reducing manufacturing costs and improving dimensional precision.
Implementation Method 1
heating, such as by heating a mold itself at the periphery of the joint portions of one tire piece and another tire piece, or heating with a radio-frequency heater
Implementation Method 2
melting the thermoplastic polymer material configuring the tire pieces to make it flow
Implementation Method 3
the joint portion needs to be formed with a jointing mold
Data Source
AI summary
A tire configured from joining together plural tire frame members formed from a thermoplastic material in which sufficient strength of the joint portion is secured. Two tire halves 17A formed from a first thermoplastic material are supported by a tire supporting section 40 so as to be aligned with each other and abutting, while rotating this configuration melted welding thermoplastic material 43 is extruded from a nozzle 46 towards the joining location, and the welding thermoplastic material 43 is pressed by a flattening roller 48. The one tire half 17A and the other tire half 17A are thereby welded together with the welding thermoplastic material 43.