Tyre Sidewall Texture Defect Masking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing tire sidewall textures with protruding ribs often develop manufacturing defects in the form of asperities during molding, which are visually prominent and difficult to mask, affecting the tire's appearance and manufacturing efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A tire sidewall texture featuring regularly repeated graphic elements, such as letters, numbers, or symbols, strategically placed between the shoulder zone and the zone of maximum width, which masks manufacturing defects and optimizes mold manufacturing costs by concentrating defects within the texture.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Shape

If protruding ribs are molded on the sidewall to create a texture, then the overall visibility and aesthetic appearance of the sidewall is improved, but manufacturing defects in the form of asperities become visible and affect the appearance quality

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesidewall texture appearanceVSAvoidsurface smoothness

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent strategically positions the texture in the lower zone of the sidewall where manufacturing defects are most likely to occur. By doing so, it converts the harmful effect of inevitable asperities into a beneficial outcome: the defects are hidden in the texture pattern rather than visible on smooth surfaces, thus maintaining aesthetic appearance while accepting manufacturing realities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different surface qualities to different zones of the sidewall. The lower zone (between shoulder zone and equatorial plane) receives a textured finish with graphic elements, while the upper zone maintains a smoother appearance. This local differentiation allows defects to be concentrated in the lower textured zone where they are less visible, while preserving aesthetic quality in the upper zone

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If a texture is applied over the entire sidewall, then defect masking is maximized, but manufacturing costs and mold complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedefect visibilityVSAvoidmold manufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent limits the texture application to a specific local zone of the sidewall - between the shoulder zone and the equatorial plane - rather than covering the entire sidewall. This localized approach reduces mold complexity and manufacturing costs while still achieving effective defect masking in the zone where defects are most prevalent and least visible to observers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3030433B1Tyre having a particular texture on a sidewall

Publication Date: 2019.04.10 MICHELIN & CO (CIE GEN DES ESTAB MICHELIN)

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Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a tyre made of rubber material comprising a sidewall (3) and a texture (5) extending over all or part of this sidewall. The texture (5) comprises a graphical element that repeats regularly in this texture, each graphical element being inscribable in a circle having a diameter less than or equal to 20 mm, each graphical element protruding from the sidewall of the tyre. With the tyre comprising a shoulder region (8) and a region (10) of maximum width of the sidewall, the texture (5) is present between this shoulder region (8) and this region (10) of maximum width of the sidewall.