Pneumatic Tire Sidewall Patterning to Hide Surface Irregularities
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pneumatic tires often develop unsightly projections and recesses on the sidewall due to residual air or internal structure joints, affecting their appearance, and existing solutions do not adequately address the issue of making these inconspicuous.
Innovation Solution
A decorative region on the sidewall with varying pattern elements arranged in both circumferential and radial directions, featuring changing lengths and intervals, which creates complex light reflection patterns to camouflage projections and recesses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a simple decorative pattern is formed on the sidewall, then the appearance is improved, but projections and recesses remain conspicuous
Solution Approach 1:
The decorative pattern is segmented into multiple pattern elements arranged in both circumferential and radial directions, creating a complex multi-directional pattern rather than a simple single-direction design. This segmentation allows light to be reflected in multiple directions, effectively camouflaging the projections and recesses on the sidewall surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The pattern elements are designed with varying lengths in both the circumferential and radial directions, creating an asymmetric and irregular pattern. This asymmetry prevents uniform light reflection and makes the pattern more effective at concealing surface irregularities like projections and recesses compared to symmetric, uniform patterns.
2Ease of manufacture
If uniform pattern elements are used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the light reflection pattern is insufficient to camouflage defects
Solution Approach 1:
While maintaining a regular arrangement of pattern elements for ease of manufacturing, the invention introduces local variations in the lengths of pattern elements in both circumferential and radial directions. This local quality variation creates sufficient light reflection complexity to camouflage defects without requiring complex manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameters of pattern element lengths in a controlled manner along both circumferential and radial directions. By varying these dimensions systematically, the patent achieves effective light scattering to hide sidewall defects while maintaining a manufacturing process that is still relatively simple and scalable.
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 tire effectively conceals projections and recesses through sophisticated light reflection, enhancing the appearance and reducing the occurrence of bareness on the sidewall.
Implementation Method 1
Each circumferential pattern line changes the degrees of light reflection of the pattern elements in the tire circumferential direction. In addition, each radial pattern line changes the degrees of light reflection of the pattern elements in the tire radial direction. Therefore, the outer surface of the sidewall portion on which the circumferential pattern lines and the radial pattern lines are disposed can reflect light in a complicated manner to effectively prevent projections and recesses from becoming conspicuous.
Data Source
AI summary
A pneumatic tire has a pair of sidewall portion 3. An outer surface of at least one of the pair of sidewall portions 3 includes a decorative region 5 extending in a tire circumferential direction. In the decorative region 5, a plurality of pattern elements 8 are arranged, whereby the decorative region 5 includes a plurality of circumferential pattern lines 6 in each of which the pattern elements 8 are aligned in the tire circumferential direction, and a plurality of radial pattern lines 7 in each of which the pattern elements 8 are aligned in a tire radial direction. In each circumferential pattern line 6, lengths in the tire circumferential direction of the pattern elements 8 are changed in the tire circumferential direction. In each radial pattern line 7, lengths in the tire radial direction of the pattern elements 8 are changed in the tire radial direction.