Cord-Rubber Tire Composite for Ride Comfort and High-Speed Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is no established method for quantitatively evaluating the orientation of short fiber fillers in tires, which affects the understanding and achievement of ride comfort and steering stability during high-speed running.

Innovation Solution

A tire design incorporating a cord-rubber composite with a short fiber filler that has a dispersion V of 0.6 or less, where the composite includes an organic fiber cord, a topping rubber coating, and a short fiber filler, specifically cellulose nanofibers or carbon nanotubes, oriented to achieve optimal stress distribution and flexibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Weight of moving object

If the tire weight is reduced to improve ride comfort, then steering stability during high-speed running deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetire weightVSAvoidsteering stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a composite cord-rubber structure combining organic fiber cords with short fiber fillers (cellulose nanofibers or carbon nanotubes) dispersed in the rubber matrix. This composite structure provides both light weight and high strength, enabling the tire to achieve ride comfort through weight reduction while maintaining steering stability via the enhanced mechanical properties of the composite material system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent controls the dispersion parameter V of short fiber fillers within a specific range (0.4 ≤ V < 0.6) to optimize the balance between ride comfort and steering stability. By adjusting the dispersion state and orientation of short fiber fillers, the patent achieves optimal stress distribution in the cord-rubber composite, allowing the tire to simultaneously provide comfort and stability despite reduced weight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Stress or pressure

If the dispersion V of short fiber filler is reduced to improve stress distribution, then manufacturing precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestress distributionVSAvoiddispersion control
Core Design Contradiction:
Stress or pressureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent defines a specific dispersion parameter V range (0.4 ≤ V < 0.6) that balances stress distribution and manufacturing precision. By controlling the dispersion state within this optimized range, the patent achieves effective stress distribution while maintaining feasible manufacturing precision through electron microscope-based measurement and control methods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4122720B1tire
Publication Date: 2024.03.13 SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES LTD
  • EP4122720B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4122720B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4122720B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a tire that achieves both ride comfort and steering stability during high speed running. Provided is a tire comprising a cord-rubber composite, wherein the tire has a tire weight (WT) of 20 kg or less, wherein the cord-rubber composite comprises an organic fiber cord, a topping rubber coating the organic fiber cord, and a short fiber filler, and wherein the short fiber filler has a dispersion V of 0.6 or less defined by the predetermined equation.