Pneumatic Tyre Sidewall Light Absorption Pattern
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pneumatic vehicle tire designs with three-dimensionally structured patterns on the sidewall struggle to achieve sufficient contrast for inscriptions or design elements, as the depressions reflect a significant amount of light, making it difficult to create deep black appearances.
Innovation Solution
The use of pyramid-shaped depressions with trough-shaped boundary edges arranged in rows, along with narrow webs and stepped configurations, enhances light absorption, increasing contrast by reducing reflection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If conventional depression patterns are used on the sidewall, then the sidewall surface is created, but light reflection is significant, reducing contrast for inscriptions
Solution Approach 1:
The depression pattern is segmented into multiple hierarchical levels: primary depressions (0.03-0.5mm diameter) containing secondary micro-depressions (0.01-0.04mm diameter), creating a multi-scale structure that enhances light absorption through multiple reflection interfaces
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the depression structure have different properties: the outer depression boundaries provide structural definition while the inner micro-depressions provide enhanced light absorption, creating local optimization of light-trapping functionality
2Illumination intensity
If depression depth is increased to reduce reflection, then light absorption improves, but the depressions become visible to the naked eye
Solution Approach 1:
The solution transitions from a single-scale depression structure to a multi-scale hierarchical structure, adding a second dimension of depression sizing. The micro-depressions within primary depressions provide enhanced light absorption while the overall structure remains below visual detection thresholds
Solution Approach 2:
The depression parameters are optimized to specific ranges: primary depressions 0.03-0.5mm in diameter, micro-depressions 0.01-0.04mm in diameter, ensuring the pattern provides sufficient light absorption while remaining imperceptible to the human eye
3Ease of manufacture
If simple circular depressions are used, then manufacturing is easier, but light reflection is not sufficiently reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Each primary depression is segmented to contain multiple secondary micro-depressions, creating a nested hierarchical structure that significantly enhances light absorption while maintaining regular geometric patterns that are manufacturable
Solution Approach 2:
Micro-depressions are nested within primary depressions, creating a doll-like hierarchical structure where smaller features are contained within larger features, maximizing light absorption within a compact, manufacturable geometry
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 described pattern configuration significantly reduces light reflection, allowing inscriptions or design elements to appear deep black compared to the smooth sidewall surface, with the small dimensions of the depressions making them imperceptible to the naked eye.
Implementation Method 1
A side wall pattern with depressions designed in this way with trough-shaped boundary edges absorbs more light than depressions designed in a known manner, so that the contrast of the side wall inscriptions or side wall designs consisting of such a pattern is increased
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
Vehicle pneumatic tire with at least one planar element on at least one sidewall (3), which is composed of a three-dimensionally structured pattern (5, 5') with a plurality of identically designed, regularly arranged depressions (6, 6') whose largest diameter is ≤ 0.70 mm and whose largest depth is ≤ 0.60 mm. The depressions (6, 6') are essentially pyramidal in shape with a square, regular pyramid as the base shape and are arranged in mutually perpendicular rows, their outer boundary edges (7, 7') which run along squares in a top view of the pattern (5, 5') extend into the rubber material of the sidewall (3) in a trough-like manner.