Pneumatic Tire Sidewall Air Maintenance Bladder
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tires naturally lose air pressure over time due to air diffusion, requiring frequent driver intervention for re-inflation, which affects fuel economy, tire life, and vehicle performance.
Innovation Solution
A pneumatic tire with a sidewall component featuring an air passageway surrounded by a rubber composition that includes a self-lubrication agent and vulcanization modifiers, forming a peristaltic tube within the tire to maintain pressure by pumping air from the inlet to the outlet through a mechanism that flattens and refills segments as the tire rotates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional tire without air maintenance system is used, then the tire structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but the tire pressure decreases over time requiring frequent driver intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The tire incorporates a self-inflating mechanism using a flexible air maintenance bladder that automatically expands when tire pressure drops. The bladder is positioned to be compressed by the tire sidewall when inflated, and when pressure drops, the sidewall expands causing the bladder to expand and draw air from the atmosphere through an air inlet, maintaining pressure without driver intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a flexible bladder as an intermediary component between the tire interior and atmosphere. This bladder acts as a mediator that transfers air from the atmosphere into the tire when pressure drops, eliminating the need for direct driver intervention or complex electronic monitoring systems.
2Productivity
If driver intervention is required to maintain tire pressure, then the tire system remains simple, but fuel economy decreases and tire life is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The self-inflating bladder system automatically maintains optimal tire pressure by drawing air from the atmosphere when pressure drops, eliminating the need for drivers to monitor and manually inflate tires. This ensures consistent optimal pressure for maximum fuel efficiency without requiring driver action.
Solution Approach 2:
The bladder provides continuous air maintenance by automatically refilling the tire as needed during normal tire operation. This continuous passive operation ensures tire pressure remains optimal throughout the tire's service life, improving fuel efficiency without interrupting vehicle operation or requiring driver involvement.
3Extent of automation
If a self-inflating mechanism is incorporated in the tire, then driver intervention is eliminated, but the tire structure and manufacturing process become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The bladder system is designed to be integrated into the tire manufacturing process as a single unit. The flexible bladder with its air inlet and outlet can be pre-formed and then installed within the tire cavity before vulcanization, allowing automated assembly without complex manual operations. The bladder's simple geometric form factor facilitates automated placement and sealing.
4Reliability
If an air maintenance system is added to the tire, then tire pressure is maintained without driver action, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the air intake function from traditional complex systems (sensors, electronics, pumps) and simplifies it to a passive flexible bladder with an air inlet that uses the tire's own pressure differential to draw air. This extraction of the essential function eliminates unnecessary components while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The use of a flexible thin-film bladder as the core component minimizes structural complexity. The bladder's flexibility allows it to conform to the tire's shape and respond passively to pressure changes, eliminating the need for rigid mechanisms, sensors, or electronic controls while maintaining effective pressure maintenance.
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 tire maintains internal pressure without driver intervention, enhancing fuel efficiency, tire longevity, and vehicle handling by continuously compensating for air loss through a self-sustaining air pumping system.
Implementation Method 1
a self-lubrication agent capable of migrating from the rubber composition to the groove surface and disposing on the groove surface as a liquid
Implementation Method 2
forming a peristaltic tube within the tire to maintain pressure by pumping air from the inlet to the outlet through a mechanism that flattens and refills segments as the tire rotates
Implementation Method 3
a vulcanization modifier for use in the second rubber composition
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire comprising a sidewall component, the sidewall component including an air passageway extending at least partially about the circumference of the tire, the air passageway surrounded by and in fluid communication with a surface comprising a rubber composition, the rubber composition comprising: a diene based rubber; from 0.25 to 5 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of rubber (phr), of a self-lubrication agent capable of migrating from the rubber composition to the groove surface and disposing on the groove surface as a liquid; and from 1 to 15 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of rubber (phr), of a vulcanization modifier for use in the second rubber composition include α,ω-bis(N,N′-dihydrocarbylthiocarbamamoyldithio)alkanes, bismaleimides, and biscitraconimides.