Toyo Tire Rubber Co., Ltd.

Ken Ishihara

Yoshihiro Tanaka

Naoya Ageishi

In a tire design method, a numerical optimization is performed according to a basis vector process using an FEM model to obtain an optimal solution which optimizes an objective function for a tread pattern shape. A numerical optimization is performed according to an ECAT using the FEM model to obtain an optimal solution which optimizes the objective function for the tread pattern shape. Either of the calculations is executed first, and the optimal solution obtained at the first calculation is used as an initial shape when the other numerical optimization is performed.

Tire design method

A tire is designed using a tire FEM model by obtaining an optimal solution for a tire structure which optimizes an objective function with a tread pattern shape kept fixed and performing a numerical optimization for obtaining an optimal solution for the tread pattern shape which optimizes the objective function with the tire structure kept fixed. The optimization for the tire structure is performed using a tire model having a tread pattern shape optimized at the immediately preceding cycle of the operation of optimizing the tread pattern shape. The optimization for the tread pattern shape is performed using a tire model having a tire structure optimized at the preceding cycle of the operation of optimizing the tire structure. The optimizing operations are repeated until convergence of optimal solutions obtained by those operations takes place.

An initial layout of one pitch unit of a tire tread pattern is decided. A finite element model of a tire is created by developing the one pitch unit of the initial layout into a plurality of pitches in the circumferential direction of the tire to carry out a structural analysis. Evaluation indices calculated through the analysis are integrated into one pitch unit for each element associated with the indices. The elements are classified according to the magnitudes of the integrated evaluation indices to determine a plurality of classes to which elements subject to removal belong, and elements to be removed are selected from each of classes thus determined. Elements to be added are selected from among the elements which have been removed to decide a layout of the current generation. A finite element model of a tire is created by developing the layout of the current generation into a plurality of pitches to carry out a structural analysis, and convergence of an objective function is determined.

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Osaka, Japan

Ken Ishihara