Tire Bead Insert Rubber Filling Rim Gap to Reduce Drag
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing tire design generates turbulence between the tire bead and rim, leading to increased air resistance and noise during vehicle travel due to the space between the bead and flange.
Innovation Solution
An insert rubber with a ring-shaped body that contacts the bead and flange, eliminating the space between them, is designed to match the curvature of both surfaces and includes a wire for structural support, ensuring direct contact and minimizing airflow entry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a space is generated between the bead and flange due to the step between tire and rim, then the tire can be mounted on the rim, but turbulence is generated and air resistance is increased
Solution Approach 1:
An insert rubber is introduced as an intermediary component between the bead and flange to fill the space generated by the step difference. This mediator eliminates the harmful airflow path while maintaining the mountable structure, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of mounting and reduction of air resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert rubber is designed with specific local properties: its outer circumferential surface matches the curvature of the bead, and its inner circumferential surface matches the curvature of the flange. This local quality adaptation ensures perfect fit and eliminates turbulence in the critical gap region without affecting the overall mounting process.
2Device complexity
If a space is generated between the bead and flange, then the tire structure is simple, but turbulence generates noise and strange sounds
Solution Approach 1:
The insert rubber serves as a mediator that fills the gap between bead and flange, preventing airflow that causes turbulence and noise. This simple intermediary component effectively eliminates the harmful acoustic effects without significantly complicating the overall tire structure.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the insert rubber is designed to match the curvature of bead and flange surfaces, then aerodynamics is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The insert rubber is designed with local quality that matches the specific curvatures of the bead and flange surfaces. This localized curvature adaptation ensures smooth airflow and eliminates turbulence in the critical interface region, while the modular design allows for standardized manufacturing processes.
4Strength
If the ring-shaped body is increased in thickness from one end to the other, then structural support is improved, but material usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The insert rubber is designed with non-uniform thickness, being increased gradually from one end to the other. This local variation in thickness provides enhanced structural support where needed (near the bead seat) while minimizing material usage in regions where less support is required, thus resolving the contradiction between strength and material efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
An insert rubber for improving aerodynamics of a tire and an installation method thereof, and provides an insert rubber for improving aerodynamics of a tire and an installation method thereof, in which, by eliminating a space which is located between a bead of a tire and a flange of a rim, airflow is prevented from being introduced between the bead and the flange while a vehicle travels, and the space between the bead and the flange is filled with the insert rubber, thereby preventing turbulence from being generated in the space between the bead and the flange.