Tire Noise Absorber Color Marking for Automated Recycling Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

The separation of noise absorbers in recycled vehicle tires is complicated due to their visual similarity with other tire components, especially under varying lighting conditions, leading to inefficient material separation during recycling.

Innovation Solution

Applying a colorant to the radially inward-facing surface of the noise absorber, allowing for easy differentiation using color detectors or visual inspection, thereby facilitating automated separation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If no colorant is applied to the noise absorber, then the tire structure remains simple and material usage is minimized, but the noise absorber cannot be easily distinguished from other tire components during recycling

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection accuracy of noise absorberVSAvoidtire structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies a colorant to the radially inward-facing surface of the noise absorber, creating a visible color difference that enables easy distinction from other tire components during recycling. This directly addresses the detection accuracy issue while maintaining structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The colorant is applied to the noise absorber before tire mounting, preparing the component in advance for future detection and separation during recycling. This preliminary marking action ensures the noise absorber can be quickly identified when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the entire noise absorber is colored, then detection reliability is maximized, but material consumption and manufacturing complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection reliability of noise absorberVSAvoidcolorant material consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The colorant is applied only to the radially inward-facing surface of the noise absorber, which is the specific area that needs to be visible for detection. This localized application maintains detection reliability while minimizing material consumption compared to coloring the entire noise absorber.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Measurement precision

If manual inspection is used to identify noise absorbers, then detection accuracy can be maintained, but recycling productivity and speed are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoidrecycling speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The colorant creates a visually distinct marker on the noise absorber that can be rapidly detected by automated color detectors or photodetectors during recycling, enabling high-speed automated identification without sacrificing detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables replacement of manual visual inspection with automated optical detection systems (color detectors or photodetectors), which can rapidly identify colored noise absorbers at high speeds, thereby increasing recycling productivity while maintaining or improving detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP4103412B1Pneumatic vehicle tire with noise absorber, and method for detecting a pneumatic vehicle tire with noise absorber and for recycling a pneumatic vehicle tire with noise absorber
Publication Date: 2026.01.21 CONTINENTAL REIFEN DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
  • EP4103412B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

The invention relates to a pneumatic vehicle tire with at least one noise absorber adhesively attached to the inner surface opposite the tread in the interior of the pneumatic vehicle tire. The invention additionally relates to a method for detecting a pneumatic vehicle tire with a noise absorber and to a method for recycling a pneumatic vehicle tire with a noise absorber. According to the invention, at least one colorant is applied onto the noise absorber surface facing radially inwards.