Data processing: measuring – calibrating – or testing – Measurement system – Pressure
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-24
2001-03-06
Hoff, Marc S. (Department: 2857)
Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing
Measurement system
Pressure
C703S001000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199026
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for simulating rolling pneumatic tires which is capable of analyzing dynamic tire characteristics, e.g. cornering characteristics, vibration damping characteristics, wear characteristics and the like.
Pneumatic tires have made remarkable progress in recent years. Hitherto, such progress has been attained by patient works, repeating trial production, running tests, investigations and improvements. Thus, it is difficult to decrease the development cost and time.
On the other hand, recently, a finite element method becomes used to assist tire designers in analyzing static tire characteristics, e.g. load-deflection, with using a simplified tire model in which the tread pattern is ignored, or regarded as a plane, and reinforcing cord layers such as carcass and belt are regarded as a simple single shell element. Thus, there are limits to such static simulation and simplified tire model when utilizing in actual development of tires.
It is therefore an object of the present invention is to provide a method of and an apparatus of simulating a rolling tire by which accurate analysis dynamic characteristics and exact estimation of tire performances are made possible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention, a method of simulating a pneumatic tire rolling on a road, comprises the steps of:
dividing the tire into a tire body and a tread part therearound, wherein
the tire body is defined as a toroidal part of the tire which is materially and geometrically the same or constant along the tire circumferential direction, and comprises bead cores, rubber parts including sidewall rubbers and bead rubbers, and cord reinforcements including a carcass and a belt, and
the tread part is defined as the remaining annular part around the tire body which comprises at least a radially outmost part of a tread rubber;
modeling the tire body in finite elements to make a body model;
modeling the tread part in finite elements to make a tread model;
making a finite-element model of the tire by combining the tread model with the body model;
modeling the surface of the road in finite elements to make a road model;
adjusting the beads of the tire model to a wheel rim on which the tire is mounted;
contacting the tire model with the road model;
moving the road model at predetermined time intervals relatively to the tire model, giving running conditions including a moving speed, a slip angle, a tire load and a tire inflation pressure;
obtaining information about the tire model at the above-mentioned predetermined intervals as numerical data in time sequence; and
processing the numerical data in time sequence to be outputted as a visible information.
Preferably, the body model comprises models of the bead cores, models of the rubber parts, and models of the cord reinforcements each comprising a model of a cord ply and a model of topping rubber, wherein the cord ply is modeled in quadrilateral membrane elements defined as an orthotropic material, and the topping rubber is modeled in hexahedral solid elements.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5396438 (1995-03-01), Oblizajek
patent: 5559729 (1996-09-01), Abe
patent: 5710718 (1998-01-01), Kamewaga et al.
Miyori Akio
Shiraishi Masaki
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Hoff Marc S.
Raymond Edward
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd.
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