Self-Sealing Tire Sealant Layer Elastomer Particle Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing self-sealing pneumatic vehicle tires face issues with unwanted foreign matter adhering to the sealant layer due to its strong tackiness, which can compromise the sealing performance when particles like fibers are used to reduce stickiness.
Innovation Solution
Applying a circumferential coating of elastomer particles to the sealant layer's surface parallel to the belt assembly in the axial direction, which reduces stickiness without impairing the sealing performance, and optionally incorporating alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salts of fatty acids in the coating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sealant layer is made highly adhesive to ensure strong sealing performance, then the sealing capability is improved, but unwanted foreign matter adheres to the sealant layer during storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different surface properties to different regions of the sealant layer. The radially outward surface (facing the inner layer) maintains high adhesion for sealing, while the radially inward surface is treated to reduce adhesion and prevent foreign matter accumulation during storage. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between needing strong adhesion for sealing and low adhesion for preventing contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary substance or treatment on the radially inward surface of the sealant layer that modifies its surface properties. This intermediary layer or treatment reduces the stickiness of the sealant on the inward-facing surface, preventing foreign matter adhesion while not interfering with the sealing function on the outward-facing surface.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If coating materials like fibers or fillers are applied to reduce sealant stickiness, then foreign matter adhesion is reduced, but the sealing performance is adversely affected
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly coating the entire sealant layer, the patent applies the adhesion-reducing treatment only to the radially inward surface that faces the interior of the tire. The radially outward surface that contacts the inner layer retains its high adhesion properties. This localized application ensures that sealing performance is maintained while preventing foreign matter adhesion on the exposed surface.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than coating the sealant layer with particles to reduce stickiness (which harms sealing), the patent inverts the approach by treating only the exposed inward surface to reduce adhesion, leaving the sealing-critical outward surface untreated and highly adhesive. This inversion of which surface receives the treatment resolves the contradiction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The elastomer particle coating significantly minimizes the adherence of foreign bodies to the sealant layer while maintaining the tire's self-sealing effectiveness, ensuring that the sealing performance is not adversely affected.
Implementation Method 1
at least the surface of the sealant layer running essentially parallel to the belt assembly in the axial direction has a circumferential coating that contains at least elastomer particles
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a self-sealing pneumatic vehicle tyre comprising a belt assembly (2), a tread (1) arranged radially above the belt assembly (2), and an air-tight inner layer (4) arranged radially inside, wherein the self-sealing of the pneumatic vehicle tyre is obtained by means of a central sealing ply (5) which is additionally applied radially internally after vulcanisation of the pneumatic vehicle tyre. The central sealing ply (5) has substantially the width of the belt assembly (2) and is arranged substantially in the projection thereof, and has a cross-section, which is formed in the cross-sectional plane containing the tyre axis, with a surface (5a) running in the axial direction substantially in parallel to the belt assembly and a surface (5b) running substantially in the radial direction. The invention is characterised in that at least the surface of the central sealing ply (5a), which runs in the axial direction substantially in parallel to the belt assembly, has a coating (6) all around, which contains at least elastomer particles. According to the inventive method, the central sealing ply is coated with at least elastomer particles.