Tyre Rim Mounting Carrier Block Pinch Impact Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Tires for all-terrain bicycles, particularly downhill and enduro bikes, face significant stress and damage from pinching shocks during jumps and impacts, leading to frequent ruptures at the crown and beads, which are often irreparable and result in tire scrapping.

Innovation Solution

The integration of a carrier block on the sidewall with specific geometric dimensions and positioning, which shifts the point of impact during a pinch event away from the critical area of the rim flange, distributing deformation energy more evenly and enhancing resistance to pinching impacts without significantly increasing the tire's mass.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the tire uses traditional carcass reinforcement structures (single or multiple layers with upturns), then the tire maintains basic structural integrity and flexibility, but it is vulnerable to pinching shocks that cause crown and bead ruptures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresistance to pinching impactsVSAvoidtire durability under pinch impacts
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The carrier block is pre-positioned on the bead before mounting the tire, creating a protective structure in advance that will intercept and distribute pinch impact forces before they reach critical areas like the crown and bead core, preventing catastrophic failures

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The carrier block acts as an intermediary element between the rim and the tire crown/bead, absorbing and redistributing the concentrated pinch impact forces into distributed loads across a larger area, thereby protecting the vulnerable crown and bead regions from rupture

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Strength

If additional reinforcement layers or filling elements are added to the bead structure, then resistance to pinching impacts improves, but the tire mass increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresistance to pinching impactsVSAvoidtire mass
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of uniformly reinforcing the entire tire structure, the carrier block provides localized reinforcement precisely at the bead region where pinch impacts are most damaging, achieving high resistance to pinching impacts without the need for extensive additional materials throughout the tire

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The carrier block modifies the local structural parameters at the bead by introducing a specifically shaped reinforcement element with optimized dimensions and positioning, changing how forces are distributed locally without requiring global structural changes that would increase overall tire mass

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Strength

If the carrier block is positioned closer to the rim flange, then it better intercepts pinch impacts, but it may interfere with bead seating and inflation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection against rim flange contactVSAvoidbead seating and inflation process
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The carrier block extends partially toward the rim flange to provide adequate protection against pinch impacts, but its dimensions are carefully controlled to provide just enough coverage without excessive extension that would interfere with bead seating and inflation operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3083289B1Tyre-rim mounted assembly for a two-wheeled vehicle
Publication Date: 2019.07.17 MICHELIN & CO (CIE GEN DES ESTAB MICHELIN)
  • EP3083289B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3083289B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3083289B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Assembly (1) for a two-wheeled vehicle, comprising a tyre (2) of height H and a tread (3) connected by two sidewalls (4) to two beads (5), which is mounted on a rim (6) comprising two rim flanges (7) respectively having a radial height G and a circular radial end portion (8) of radius R1. Each bead (5), having a radially interior point I and being in contact with a rim flange (7), comprises a bearing block (9), on the axially outer face of each sidewall (4), extending radially from a first point A as far as a second point B radially on the outside of the first point A and axially as far as a third point C axially on the outside of the sidewall (4). The radial height hA between the first point A and the radially inner point I of the bead is ≤ 1.5 times the radial height G, the radial height hB between the second point B and the point I is ≥ 0.1 times the radial section height H, and the distance dc between the points A and C is ≥ 0.5 times the radius R1.