Patent ID: 6199026
Filing Date: 2001-03-06
Classification: B60C,G06F

Abstract:
A method of simulating a pneumatic tire rolling on a road, said pneumatic tire comprising a carcass extending between beads, a bead core disposed in each of the beads, a belt disposed radially outside the carcass, a tread rubber radially outside the belt, sidewall rubbers axially outside the carcass, and bead rubbers in the beads, the method comprising the steps ofdividing the tire into a tire body and a tread part therearound, whereinthe 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 the bead cores, rubber parts including the sidewall rubbers and bead rubbers, and cord reinforcements including the carcass and the belt, andthe tread part is defined as the remaining annular part around the tire body which comprises at least a radially outmost part of the 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 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 said predetermined intervals as numerical data in time sequence, andprocessing said numerical data in time sequence to be outputted as a visible information.