Tire Sidewall Decorative Pattern with Tapered Ridges
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing decorative patterns on tire sidewalls, while attempting to minimize the visibility of recesses and projections, compromise the efficiency of cleaning the vulcanization mold due to narrow gaps between ridges, leading to reduced outer appearance quality and cleaning efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A decorative pattern with tapered ridges aligned in the tire radial direction, featuring specific taper angles and gap lengths to reduce light reflection and enhance contrast, while allowing for easier cleaning by expanding the groove portions in the mold, thus maintaining a balanced appearance and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the gap between adjacent ridges is made small to improve outer appearance, then the visibility of recesses and projections is reduced, but the efficiency for cleaning the vulcanization mold is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes specific parameters of the decorative pattern: the gap width C is set to 0.15-0.25mm and the taper angle A is set to 20-40 degrees. These parameter ranges achieve the optimal balance between outer appearance quality (hiding recesses and projections) and cleaning efficiency (allowing laser and particles to access groove portions).
Solution Approach 2:
The ridges are designed with a tapered cross-section where the width varies along the ridge height. The top-side shorter base has a specific width B that is optimized relative to the gap width C (ratio B/C between 1-3). This local variation in geometry allows the groove portions to be sufficiently wide for cleaning while the overall pattern maintains fine appearance.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple ridges are formed in the tire circumferential direction to improve outer appearance, then the gap between ridges becomes smaller, but the proportion of groove portions in the molding surface increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention sets the arrangement pitch D and optimizes the ratio C/D (gap width to pitch) to be between 0.2-0.4. This parameter optimization allows multiple ridges to be arranged densely enough to hide surface defects while controlling the total proportion of groove portions to maintain reasonable cleaning complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the taper angle of the ridge is increased to expand groove portions for easier cleaning, then the cleaning efficiency improves, but the contrast of light on the strip-like design is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The taper angle A is optimized to be between 20-40 degrees. This range is sufficient to expand the groove portions for easy cleaning by laser and particles, while maintaining the tapered shape that provides adequate light contrast for aesthetic appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The ridge cross-section is designed with specific local dimensions: the top-side shorter base width B is optimized relative to the gap width C (ratio B/C between 1-3). This local geometric optimization ensures that the groove portions are wide enough for cleaning access while the overall ridge shape maintains light contrast.
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 hides recesses and projections on the tire sidewall, improving its outer appearance and enhancing the cleaning efficiency of the vulcanization mold by optimizing the design parameters such as taper angles, gap lengths, and arrangement pitches.
Implementation Method 1
the transverse cross-section of the ridge is tapered so as to gradually reduce a length along the surface such that the greater a distance from the surface is, the less the length along the surface is
Data Source
AI summary
A tire that includes a decorative pattern formed on a surface of a sidewall portion. The decorative pattern is formed such that a plurality of ridges that extend in a tire radial direction are aligned in a tire circumferential direction so as to form gaps. A transverse cross-section of each ridge is tapered so as to gradually reduce a length along the surface such that the greater a distance from the surface is, the less the length along the surface is. The decorative pattern is structured so as to satisfy expressions (1) and (2):20≤A≤40 (1)0.15≤C≤0.25 (2)wherein A represents a taper angle (degree) of the ridge, and C represents a minimum length (mm) of each gap measured along the surface.