Pneumatic Tire Sponge Member Recess Corner Radius

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Solution Overview

Problem

Pneumatic tires face challenges in reducing cavity resonance noise and heat dissipation, with existing solutions either inadequately addressing sound absorption or compromising durability and assembly workability.

Innovation Solution

A sponge member with protrusions and recesses is integrated into the tire's inner peripheral surface, featuring enlarged corner R portions, semicircular arc shapes, and hollow portions to enhance sound absorption and heat dissipation, while maintaining flexibility and avoiding interference with the rim during assembly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-generated harmful factors

If a sponge member is attached to the inner peripheral surface of the tread portion to reduce cavity resonance, then sound absorption is improved, but heat dissipation is compromised and temperature inside the tire rises

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecavity resonance noiseVSAvoidtemperature inside the tire
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The sponge member is segmented into multiple protrusions and recesses rather than being a continuous solid structure. This segmentation increases the surface area for heat dissipation while maintaining sound absorption capabilities through the distributed porous structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The recesses are designed with curved bottom surfaces and rounded corners instead of sharp angles. This curvature increases the surface area for heat transfer and improves the structural flexibility of the sponge member.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Temperature

If rectangular radiation grooves are formed in the sponge member to promote heat dissipation, then heat dissipation is improved, but sound absorption capability is not optimized

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat dissipationVSAvoidcavity resonance absorption
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of rectangular grooves with sharp corners, the invention uses recesses with curved bottom surfaces and rounded corners. This curvature increases the effective surface area for both heat dissipation and sound wave interaction, improving sound absorption while maintaining heat dissipation benefits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention optimizes the curvature radius of the corner portions to be larger than 25% of the recess width, creating a specific geometric parameter range that simultaneously enhances heat transfer surface area and sound absorption effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If the recess is formed in a rectangular shape, then manufacturing is simple, but the surface area at the bottom is reduced and sound absorption is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemold simplicityVSAvoidbottom surface area of recess
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The recess bottom surface is designed with a curved shape instead of a flat rectangular bottom. This curvature naturally increases the surface area without requiring complex multi-step manufacturing processes, as the curved shape can be achieved through standard molding techniques with appropriately designed molds.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

By specifying that the corner curvature radius is larger than 25% of the recess width, the invention defines a parameter range that ensures increased surface area while maintaining manufacturability through conventional molding processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Object-generated harmful factors

If the sponge member is made rigid to improve sound absorption structure, then sound absorption is improved, but flexibility and bending durability are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecavity resonance absorptionVSAvoidbending durability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The curved bottom surfaces and rounded corners in the recesses eliminate stress concentration points that would occur at sharp angles. This curvature distribution allows the sponge member to flex and deform more easily during tire operation, improving bending durability while maintaining the structural integrity needed for sound absorption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The sponge member is designed as a flexible porous structure rather than a rigid solid. The combination of protrusions and recesses with curved surfaces creates a flexible architecture that can adapt to tire deformation while maintaining its sound absorption function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

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 design effectively reduces cavity resonance noise and improves heat dissipation, enhancing sound absorption and durability while maintaining ease of assembly, by increasing the surface area for resonance absorption and heat transfer.

Implementation Method 1

a cavity resonance propagating radially in the tire inner cavity is easily received and absorbed by the protrusions and the recesses of the sponge member

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSound absorption: Acoustic Absorption

Implementation Method 2

since heat transfer from the tread portion is efficiently dissipated by the recesses having an enlarged area, heat dissipation in the recesses improves

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat dissipation: Heat Sink

Data Source

PatentEP3587145B1Pneumatic tire
Publication Date: 2021.12.29 TOYO TIRE CORP
  • EP3587145B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3587145B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3587145B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A pneumatic tire (10) includes: a tread portion (11); and a sponge member (20) extending in a tire circumferential direction and attached to a tire inner peripheral surface of the tread portion over an entire circumference thereof. The sponge member (20) includes: a base portion (21) attached to the tire inner peripheral surface of the tread portion (11); a plurality of protrusions (22) protruding inward in a tire radial direction from the base portion (21) and extending in a tire width direction, the protrusions (22) being formed at intervals in the tire circumferential direction; and a plurality of recesses (23) formed between the plurality of protrusions (22). Corner R portions (23a) are formed in bottom corners of the recesses (23). A curvature radius (R1) of the corner R portions (23a) is larger than 25% of a width (L2) of the recesses (23) in the tire circumferential direction.