Vehicle Tire Belt Structure with Parallel Reinforcements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pneumatic tires for commercial vehicles face limitations in durability and wear due to limited hoop stiffness and radial expansion, leading to uneven tire wear and reduced durability, despite attempts to improve circumferential rigidity and durability through specific belt layer configurations.
Innovation Solution
A pneumatic vehicle tire design featuring a belt structure with at least four radially arranged belt plies, including working layers with specific angles of reinforcement, a zero-degree layer, and a blocking layer, which increases the distance between working layers and reduces shearing forces, thereby enhancing durability and preventing lateral deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional four-ply belt with triangular configuration is used, then the belt allows mobility of edges and radial expansion, but this leads to limited hoop stiffness, negative effects on durability, and excessive uneven tire wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the orientation parameters of the belt plies from the conventional triangular configuration to a parallel arrangement where all belt plies have steel cords aligned at approximately 0° to the circumferential direction. This parameter change increases hoop stiffness while reducing radial expansion, thereby improving durability and wear resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite belt structure with multiple layers (first through fourth belt plies) all having parallel steel cord reinforcement at 0° orientation. This composite configuration creates a synergistic effect that maximizes circumferential rigidity and minimizes the harmful radial expansion observed in conventional triangular configurations.
2Reliability
If a 0° ply is added to increase circumferential rigidity, then durability improves, but the inner working layer remains with mobility causing continued negative effects on durability and abrasion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the belt into four distinct belt plies, each with parallel steel cord reinforcement at 0° to the circumferential direction. By segmenting the belt structure and ensuring all plies have the same parallel orientation, the invention eliminates the mobility problem in the inner working layer while maintaining improved durability throughout the entire belt structure.
3Strength
If working plies are arranged in cross-bond configuration, then structural integrity is maintained, but shearing forces between belt ply ends impair optimization of durability
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using the conventional cross-bond configuration where steel cords in adjacent plies are oriented at different angles (e.g., +15° and -15°), the patent inverts this approach by aligning all steel cords in all belt plies parallel to the circumferential direction at 0°. This inversion eliminates the shearing forces between belt ply ends that occur in cross-bond configurations, thereby optimizing durability while maintaining structural integrity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to vehicle tires for utility vehicles, comprising a carcass (5), a belt (9) which is arranged radially outside of the carcass (5), and a profiled tread (10) which is arranged on the belt (9) radially outside of the belt (9). The belt (9) is made of at least four belt layers (17, 14, 13, 15) which lie one above the other radially inwards to radially outwards. The first belt layer (13), which is arranged farthest inwards in the radial direction R, is formed with reinforcements (23) that are embedded into the rubber in a parallel manner, and the fourth belt layer (15), which is arranged farthest outwards in the radial direction R, is formed with reinforcements (25) that are embedded into the rubber in a parallel manner. At least one second belt layer (14, 17) with reinforcements (24, 27) that are embedded into the rubber in a parallel manner, said second belt layer being arranged on the first belt layer (13), and a third belt layer (17, 14) with reinforcements (27, 24) that are embedded into the rubber in a parallel manner, said third belt layer being arranged on the second belt layer (14, 17), are formed between the first belt layer (13) and the fourth belt layer (15) in the radial direction. The invention is characterized in that the first belt layer (13) and the fourth belt layer (15) are working layers in which the reinforcements (23) of the first belt layer (13) have an orientation which forms an angle alpha relative to the circumferential direction U, where 10°<alpha<45°, and the reinforcements (25) of the fourth belt layer (15) each have an orientation which forms an angle gamma relative the circumferential direction U, where 10°<gamma<45°. The reinforcements (23) of the first belt layer (13) have an axial direction of inclination which is opposite the reinforcements (25) of the fourth belt layer (15) when seen in the circumferential direction U of the vehicle tire. The second or the third belt layer is a belt layer (17) with reinforcements (27) having an orientation which forms an angle epsilon relative to the circumferential direction U, where 40°<epsilon<75°, and the other of the two belt layers is a belt layer (14) with reinforcements (24) having an orientation which forms an angle beta relative to the circumferential direction U, where 0°<beta<5°.