Pneumatic Tire Sidewall Spiral Pattern for Uniform Rubber Filling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Pneumatic tires with existing serration patterns often experience light spots or underfill issues due to rubber amount discrepancies between patterned and non-patterned areas during molding.

Innovation Solution

A spiral-shaped pattern is formed on the sidewall by alternately providing ridges and grooves that gradually change in height and depth, ensuring equal rubber distribution and minimizing light spots.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If a pattern is formed only with ridges on the sidewall, then the decorative effect is achieved, but rubber amount discrepancy occurs between patterned and non-patterned areas causing light spots during molding

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedecorative effectVSAvoidrubber amount uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the inversion principle by introducing grooves (recessed portions) in addition to ridges (protruding portions) to create a balanced pattern structure. Instead of only adding material (ridges), the invention also removes material (grooves) to compensate for rubber amount discrepancy, thereby preventing light spots while maintaining decorative effects

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs parameter changes by carefully controlling the dimensions of ridges and grooves. Specifically, the ridge height is set to 0.05-0.5mm and groove depth to 0.05-0.5mm, with their combined volume creating a balanced rubber distribution. This parameter optimization ensures both decorative appearance and uniform rubber filling during molding

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Illumination intensity

If ridges are made with larger height to enhance decorative contrast, then light reflection is improved, but rubber amount increases causing molding defects

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight reflectionVSAvoidrubber amount
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the counterweight principle by introducing grooves that remove rubber material to balance the additional rubber required for creating ridges. The groove depth and positioning are designed to counteract the rubber volume increase from ridges, ensuring uniform overall rubber distribution while maintaining the light-reflecting ridge structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #8Anti-weight (Counterweight)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses local quality by creating localized ridges and grooves with specific dimensional parameters rather than uniform patterns. The ridge height (0.05-0.5mm) and groove depth (0.05-0.5mm) are optimized locally to provide sufficient light reflection while controlling rubber consumption in each pattern region

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 solution effectively equalizes rubber amounts across the tire surface, reducing light spots and enhancing decorative effects by increasing contrast through controlled light attenuation.

Implementation Method 1

making contrast of a dark part and a light part due to reflection of light between a portion where the pattern is provided and a portion where the pattern is not provided

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight reflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentEP4140780B1Pneumatic tire
Publication Date: 2024.04.10 TOYO TIRE CORP
  • EP4140780B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4140780B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4140780B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In a pneumatic tire 10 according to an embodiment, a spiral-shaped pattern 28 is formed in a pattern forming area 18 provided on a surface of a sidewall. The spiral-shaped pattern 28 is formed by alternately providing ridges 32 protruding from a reference surface 30 in the pattern forming area 18 and grooves 34 recessed from the reference surface 30 along a spiral while gradually changing the height and the depth with respect to the reference surface 30.