Tire Pitch Sequence Design for Road Noise Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current tire tread pattern designs do not adequately minimize road noise during vehicle movement, as they fail to effectively disperse acoustic energy across a wide frequency band, leading to objectionable tonal qualities.

Innovation Solution

The proposed tire pitch sequence design methodologies involve dividing the tire circumference into circumferential harmonic segments and randomly arranging pitches within each segment to distribute noise energy across a broader frequency range, using iterative randomization and waveform analysis to optimize the pitch sequence for reduced noise production.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional tire tread patterns are used, then manufacturing and handling are simplified, but road noise is excessive due to concentrated acoustic energy at specific frequencies

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveroad noiseVSAvoidpitch sequence design complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The tire circumference is divided into multiple pitch sequences, each containing a specific number of pitches arranged in randomized patterns. This segmentation allows acoustic energy to be distributed across different frequency bands corresponding to different pitch sequences, reducing concentrated tonal noise while maintaining overall tread pattern functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The tread pattern uses composite pitch sequences combining different pitch lengths (e.g., 16mm, 18mm, 20mm, 22mm) and configurations within each sequence. This composite structure creates complex acoustic interference patterns that disperse noise energy across wider frequency ranges, achieving noise reduction while preserving handling characteristics

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Object-affected harmful factors

If pitch sequences are optimized for noise reduction, then road noise is minimized, but the design and analysis process becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetonal road noiseVSAvoidpitch sequence optimization difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

Pitch sequences are pre-designed with specific characteristics (pitch lengths, quantities, arrangements) before tire manufacturing. Waveform analysis is performed on these pre-designed sequences to predict acoustic behavior, allowing optimization to be completed during the design phase rather than requiring post-manufacturing adjustments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Physical prototype testing is replaced with computational waveform analysis to evaluate pitch sequence acoustic performance. The analysis system simulates tire rotation and pitch-road contact to generate frequency spectra, enabling virtual optimization of multiple pitch sequence configurations without requiring physical tire manufacturing and testing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11186123B2Vehicle tire pitch sequence design methodology and associated reduced road noise vehicle tires

Publication Date: 2021.11.30 AMERICAN KENDA RUBBER IND CO LTD

AI summary

Exemplary embodiments described herein are directed to tire pitch sequence design methodologies that are usable to develop tire tread pitch sequences that will minimize objectionable tonal qualities and disperse the acoustic energy produced during tire rotation across a wider frequency band. The exemplary design methodologies employ iterative randomization of pitch subsequences, waveform generation and analysis of pitch subsequences and full pitch sequences, and associated sorting and ranking using an objective function with an applied penalty factor.