Low noise, high wet performance tire

Abstract

The application provides a low-noise and high-slippery tire, comprising a tread pattern, the tread pattern comprising a groove, and fish-scale-shaped concave-convex structures being arranged on the two sidewalls of the groove respectively. The fish-scale-shaped concave-convex structures are arranged on the sidewalls of the groove, so as to interfere with the flow characteristics of external airflow in the groove, thereby reducing the noise generated by the airflow in the groove, especially in the longitudinal groove, and meanwhile, the design of the fish-scale-shaped concave-convex structures increases the pressure between the sidewalls of the groove and the fluid, increases the flow rate of the fluid, thereby improving the drainage performance of the product, and is also beneficial to demolding.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to tires, and more particularly to a low-noise tire with high wet-slip performance. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing number of vehicles and rising demands for vehicle safety and comfort, countries worldwide have begun to introduce restrictive performance standards for the tire industry. In 2009, the European Union issued EC661 / 2009, "EU requirements for general driving safety of motor vehicles," and EC1222 / 2009, "Label labelling requirements relating to fuel efficiency and other parameters." These standards specify requirements for tire rolling resistance, wet grip, and road noise, and clearly stipulate that tire labeling requirements for wet grip and noise levels would come into effect on July 1, 2012. Similar regulations have been implemented in Japan, and in recent years, China has also been preparing to introduce similar labeling laws and regulations.

[0003] With the development of society and the economy, the concepts of "comfort," "safety," and "environmental protection" have become deeply ingrained in people's minds, placing higher demands on the anti-skid and noise performance of automobile tires. Tire anti-skid and noise performance are closely related to the tread structure and the flow of fluid media within the tread grooves, presenting an irreconcilable contradiction: on the one hand, increasing the tread groove volume reduces the tread block volume, which is beneficial for improving the tread's water drainage capacity, thereby improving the tire's anti-skid performance; on the other hand, increasing the tread groove space increases tire noise. Due to this contradiction, current tire tread structure design methods can only accept the reality of sacrificing one aspect for another. Therefore, exploring and researching new tire tread design theories and methods to resolve the contradiction between tire noise and anti-skid performance is essential.

[0004] As research deepens, tire scientists are no longer limited to traditional tread design theories and methods to improve overall tire performance. They have begun exploring the use of bio-information in tire tread design. Hankook Tire has developed an asymmetrical tread pattern inspired by a phoenix totem, which effectively drains water during tire operation, minimizing hydroplaning, and employs a smooth transition to effectively reduce resonance noise. Goodyear's "Power Bubble" design creates interlocking hemispherical protrusions and depressions between tire tread grooves to suppress tread block deformation, improving grip while reducing tire noise. Toyo Tire has proposed a "Silent Wall" concept, which involves densely distributing serrated grooves on the sidewalls of the tire tread grooves; their turbulence effect reduces tire noise. While Chinese patents "201310560419.8" and "201210342761.6" utilize biomimetic non-smooth structures to improve tire noise and hydroplaning performance, this biomimetic tread design cannot guarantee that the tire's grip will not be sacrificed after wear. This is because the contact area of ​​this tread pattern does not increase throughout its lifespan. The original patents (Chinese patents "201310560419.8" and "201210342761.6") added biomimetic grooves to the tread surface, but their lifespan in the depth direction is short. This patent adds a scale-like design to the tread groove walls instead of the tread surface. However, the serrated grooves used by Toyo tires are dense and still produce relatively high noise, failing to produce a good noise reduction effect. With the implementation of EU regulatory labels, the promotion of green tires, and the emphasis on comprehensive tire performance, there is a need for a tire with an innovative design concept to meet market demands.

[0005] This invention improves the fluid flow capacity of the grooves and reduces the noise generated by the patterns by using non-smooth, fish-scale-like groove walls. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the aforementioned issues, this invention provides a low-noise, high-wet-slip performance tire. The tread grooves, especially the longitudinal tread grooves, are arranged with a fish-scale-like concave-convex structure on their sidewalls. This structure can interfere with the fluid noise generated within the tire tread grooves, especially the longitudinal tread grooves, thereby reducing noise. At the same time, it improves the water flow performance of the tread grooves, especially the longitudinal tread grooves, on wet and slippery surfaces, providing the vehicle with sufficiently high hydroplaning speed and low tire noise.

[0007] Compared to existing technologies, this invention can reduce the noise generated by gas movement inside the patterned grooves, especially the longitudinal patterned grooves, by adding a fish-scale-like uneven structure to the groove wall, thereby interfering with the flow characteristics of external airflow within the groove. At the same time, the design of the scale-like uneven groove increases the pressure between the groove wall and the fluid, increases the fluid velocity, thereby improving the drainage performance of the product and also facilitating demolding.

[0008] This invention can be applied to all tire designs with grooves, which can be lateral grooves, longitudinal grooves, oblique grooves, or arc-shaped grooves. Without sacrificing the original tire's overall performance such as rolling resistance, it reduces tire noise, improves the tire's anti-slip performance, and has an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the tire tread pattern structure of the present invention; in the figure, a and b are the corresponding sidewalls a ， b ， The fish-scale-like uneven structure on the surface, c and d are the corresponding sidewalls c ， d ， The fish-scale-like uneven structure on the surface, e and f are the corresponding sidewalls e ， f ， The fish-scale-like uneven structure on the surface, g and h are the corresponding sidewall g ， h ， The fish-scale-like uneven structure on it.

[0010] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 aa ， A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the longitudinal tread grooves of the tire.

[0011] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Zhong bb ， A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the longitudinal tread grooves of the tire.

[0012] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the fish-scale-like concave-convex structure on the sidewall of the longitudinal patterned groove.

[0013] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure with a fish-scale-like convex and concave structure;

[0014] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the parameter settings for a fish-scale-like convex-concave structure.

[0015] Figure 7 This is a model setup diagram for noise analysis of the longitudinal patterned groove wall.

[0016] Figure 8 It is the calculation model and boundary condition diagram of the longitudinal pattern groove.

[0017] Figure 9 These are noise spectrum curves for a single groove pattern under four different schemes.

[0018] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the upper surface of a scale structure.

[0019] Figure 11 For Figure 10A sectional view of the line containing points E and F.

[0020] Figure 12 For Figure 10 Sectional view of the line containing points H and J Figure 1 .

[0021] Figure 13 For Figure 10 Sectional view of the line containing points H and J Figure 2 .

[0022] Figure 14 For Figure 10 Sectional view of the line containing points H and J Figure 3 . Detailed Implementation

[0023] like Figures 1-6 , Figures 10-11 As shown, a low-noise, high-wet-slip performance tire includes a tread pattern, the tread pattern includes tread grooves, and fish-scale-like concave-convex structures are respectively provided on the side walls of the tread grooves.

[0024] The tread pattern includes longitudinal grooves 20, and each side wall of the longitudinal groove has a fish-scale-like convex-concave structure 15 arranged circumferentially along the tire sidewall. Alternatively, the longitudinal grooves have fish-scale-like convex-concave structures on both side walls. When the longitudinal grooves are arranged circumferentially along the tire, the fish-scale-like convex-concave structures are arranged circumferentially along the longitudinal grooves, and thus, each side wall of the longitudinal groove has a circumferentially arranged fish-scale-like convex-concave structure. Figure 1 As shown, the two side walls of the four circumferentially arranged longitudinal patterned grooves are, from left to right, side wall a. ， b ， c ， d ， e ， f ， g ， h ， , side wall a ， b ， c ， d ， e ， f ， g ， h ， The corresponding fish-scale-like concave-convex structures are a, b, c, d, e, f, g, and h, respectively.

[0025] Stone-removing platforms are provided on the bottom surface of the longitudinal tread grooves. Adjacent stone-removing platforms are connected by reinforcing ribs, and the stone-removing platforms in each longitudinal tread groove are connected to form a wavy structure. The stone-removing platforms increase the stone-removing performance of the longitudinal tread groove bottom and increase the tear resistance of the tire groove bottom. Moreover, the design of the stone-removing platforms ensures good fluid flow performance after the product touches the ground, improving the product's hydroplaning resistance.

[0026] The tread pattern includes circumferential ribs and longitudinal grooves arranged circumferentially around the tire. The circumferential ribs and longitudinal grooves are spaced apart. The ribs are equivalent to tread blocks.

[0027] The tread ribs feature uniformly spaced arc-shaped sipes, with both ends connecting to adjacent longitudinal tread grooves. These arc-shaped sipes generate good braking force and provide excellent wet grip; they also improve tire heat dissipation, thus enhancing tire durability. Furthermore, the arc-shaped sipe design reduces tread rib rigidity, which is beneficial for vehicle cornering. Finally, the arc-shaped sipe design appropriately divides the tread ribs, improving the tire's aesthetics.

[0028] All adjacent arc-shaped grooves can be connected to form a smooth arc.

[0029] During the tire forming process in the mold, steel sheets of different depths are embedded in the tread ribs on the mold. After the tire is demolded, arc-shaped grooves are formed on the tread ribs.

[0030] The longitudinal groove has an inverted trumpet shape in cross-section, meaning the opening gradually decreases from the top to the bottom.

[0031] The longitudinal groove has a depth of 5-18 mm and a width of 3-14 mm; the fish scale-like convex and concave structure is located on the side wall of the longitudinal groove from the depth of 0 to the depth d, the depth of the longitudinal groove is D, and the d / D ratio is 50%-85%.

[0032] The scales of the fish-scale-like convex-concave structure are arranged in a certain regular pattern. For example, the fish-scale-like convex-concave structure is formed by the scales located in the same oblique row moving laterally to the left or right by a distance of S, 2S, 3S, 4S, 5S...nS (n is an integer greater than or equal to 1, s is less than L, and L is the diameter of the major axis of the ellipse), and the corresponding scales that move a distance of S form an intersection; adjacent scales in the same oblique row can obtain another adjacent scale by moving a horizontal distance A and a vertical distance B, and the two adjacent scales form an intersection.

[0033] The shape of the scales can be:

[0034] Using any ellipse as a reference, this ellipse is shifted laterally by ±A and longitudinally by ±B to form four ellipses. At the intersection of all the ellipses, the upper or lower side of each ellipse is uniformly retained longitudinally, and the left or right side is uniformly retained laterally, thus forming an interconnected fish-scale structure. The retained portion of each ellipse is a scale structure. In the formed fish-scale structure, the lateral spacing between adjacent scales in the same horizontal row is 2A, and the longitudinal spacing between adjacent scales in the same vertical column is 2B. The major axis diameter L of the ellipse is 5-8mm, and the minor axis diameter H is 3-5mm, with H / L ranging from 60% to 65%. In this case, A is 4mm-6mm, B is 1.5mm-3.5mm, and B / A ranges from 35% to 60%, with A < L, B < H, and S < L. Preferably, A ≤ L / 2, B ≤ H / 2, and S ≤ L / 2. The resulting scale structure is an elliptical scale structure.

[0035] Each scale structure gradually thins from the arc-shaped edge located on the elliptical outline to the edge not located on the elliptical outline.

[0036] The scale structure has the same thickness along the curved edge of the elliptical outline.

[0037] The shape of the scales can be:

[0038] Using any circle as a reference, this circle is displaced laterally by ±A and longitudinally by ±B to form four circles. At the intersection of all circles, the upper or lower side of each circle is uniformly retained longitudinally, and the left or right side is uniformly retained laterally, thus forming an interconnected fish-scale structure. The retained portion of each circle is a scale structure. In the formed fish-scale structure, the lateral spacing between adjacent scales in the same horizontal row is 2A, and the longitudinal spacing between adjacent scales in the same vertical column is 2B. The radius R of the circle is 2.5-3.5mm, A is 3.5mm-5.5mm, B is 1.2mm-1.8mm, and B / A is between 35%-60%, with A < 2R, B < 2R, and s < 2R. Preferably, A ≤ R, B ≤ R, and S ≤ R. The resulting scale structure is circular. Here, the circle is a special ellipse with L = 2R.

[0039] Each scale structure gradually thins from its curved edge along the elliptical contour to its edge outside the elliptical contour. A schematic diagram of the upper surface of the scale structure can be seen as follows: Figure 10 As shown, Figure 10 Above, the endpoints are H, J, and E, and F is the center point of arc HJ; passing through Figure 10 The sectional view of the line containing points E and F is as follows Figure 11 In the sectional view, the upper surface is line segment EF, and the lower surface is line segment E. ， F ，At this time, endpoint E ， Coinciding with E, in the sectional view, angle F can be a rounded corner; the included angle β formed between the upper surface 16 and the lower surface 17 of the scale is 1-20°, preferably 15°. Figure 10 The sectional view of the line containing points H and J is as follows: Figure 12 As shown, the upper surface of the sectional view is line segment JH, and the lower surface is line segment J. ， H ， In the sectional view Figure 12 In the top view, the thickness of each scale structure is equal from the middle to both sides; in the cross-sectional view, angles J and H can be rounded.

[0040] Each scale structure can also be shell-shaped, and the thickness of each scale structure gradually decreases from the middle to the sides, such as... Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, through Figure 10 The sectional view of the line containing points H and J is as follows: Figure 13 or Figure 14 As shown, Figure 13 In the sectional view, the upper surface is an arc JH, and the lower surface is a line segment J. ， H ， In the sectional view Figure 13 The upper corners J and H can be rounded. Figure 14 In the sectional view, the upper surface is an arc JH, and the lower surface is a line segment J. ， H ， At this time, endpoint J ， Coinciding with J, endpoint H ， It coincides with H.

[0041] The scale structure has the same thickness along the arc-shaped edge of the circular outline.

[0042] The scales of the longitudinal pattern groove only resemble scales in appearance. However, each scale cannot be lifted. Instead, each scale is fixedly connected to the surrounding scales or forms an integral part of them. In other words, the bottom of any part of each scale is integrated with the sidewall of the longitudinal pattern groove.

[0043] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, the tread pattern includes circumferential tread ribs I1, longitudinal tread grooves I, II2, III3, IV4, V5, and 6, with stone-laying platforms I6, II7, III8, and IV, respectively, on longitudinal tread grooves I, II, III, and IV.

[0044] Patterned ribs II2, III3, and IV4 are respectively provided with arc-shaped grooves I12, II13, and III14. The arc-shaped grooves I12, II13, and III14 can be connected to form a smooth arc.

[0045] The tread pattern also includes the shoulder pattern, which consists of lateral shoulder sipes evenly spaced on both sides of the tire shoulder. These lateral shoulder sipes are closed sipes. The width of the closed sipes is <8mm, and the depth is <5mm.

[0046] A transverse shoulder sipe is added to the tire shoulder area, and the width of the closed sipe is <8mm and the depth is <5mm, to facilitate heat dissipation and ensure that the product has good rolling resistance and resistance to deformable wear.

[0047] The fish-scale-like convex-concave structure in this application mainly refers to the outer surface of the patterned groove sidewall with a fish-scale-like convex-concave structure being fish-scale-like, while the interior of the sidewall is solid.

[0048] test:

[0049] I. The scales are circular in shape. The dimensions of different fish-scale convex and concave structures are shown in Table 1 below. A schematic diagram illustrating the parameter settings for the fish-scale convex and concave structures is shown below. Figure 6 As shown.

[0050] radius of arc / mm, i.e., R Distance between the centers of adjacent arcs in the same row / mm, i.e., S or A The longitudinal distance between the centers of two adjacent rows / mm, i.e., B The angle between the upper surface of the fish scale and the wall of the pattern groove, i.e., β. The radius of the bottom arc of the pattern groove is / mm, i.e., r Option 1 2 3 1 15 3.5 Option 2 3 4.5 1.5 15 3.5 Option 3 4 6 2 15 3.5

[0051] Option 4 involves not setting fish-scale-like protrusions and depressions on the pattern groove. The radius of the arc at the bottom of the pattern groove is 3.5 mm, the same as in Options 1, 2, and 3. The conditions for the other four options are the same. Here, the angle β between the upper surface of the fish scale and the wall of the pattern groove is the angle formed between the upper surface and the lower surface of the scale.

[0052] II. Pattern Noise Analysis Method

[0053] 2.1 Mesh Model

[0054] Considering that the ground contact mark length of a heavy-duty tire is approximately 200mm, the tread grooves under four different schemes were processed to a 200mm length to reflect the length of the tire at ground contact. When dividing the mesh for the four schemes, the size was set to 0.25mm near the sidewall of the longitudinal tread groove and 0.75mm near the middle area of ​​the longitudinal tread groove. The total number of meshes for the four schemes is approximately 2 million.

[0055] 2.2 Boundary Conditions

[0056] The model is divided into three parts: an air inlet, an air outlet, and the longitudinal groove wall (including the longitudinal groove wall and the road surface). Two sound pressure measurement points are set at the distance from the outlet. The specific settings are as follows: Figure 7As shown. With the air inlet velocity set at 80 km / h, noise levels under different scenarios were calculated using large eddy simulation and FH-W acoustic analogy. The resulting longitudinal groove calculation model and boundary condition diagram are shown below. Figure 8 As shown.

[0057] III. Results Analysis

[0058] Figure 9 The noise spectrum curves for a single groove pattern are shown for four different schemes. Since the main purpose of this analysis is to explore the impact of the non-smooth fish-scale design of the groove wall on noise, the noise values ​​in the simulation results are relatively small.

[0059] from Figure 9 It can be seen that Scheme 2 shows a noise reduction effect, while Scheme 1 and Scheme 3 do not show the expected noise reduction effect. This, to some extent, reflects that if the patterned groove wall is treated with non-smooth fish scales, then the size of the fish scales will have a relatively optimal parameter.

[0060] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several changes and improvements without departing from the overall concept of the present invention, and these should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A low-noise, high-wet-slip performance tire, comprising a tread pattern, the tread pattern including tread grooves, characterized in that: The two sides of the groove are provided with fish scale-like concave and convex structures; the groove with fish scale-like concave and convex structures on both sides is a longitudinal groove, and the two sides of the longitudinal groove are provided with circumferential fish scale-like concave and convex structures. Each scale of the fish-scale-like convex-concave structure is located on an ellipse. The major axis diameter L of the ellipse is 5-8 mm, and the minor axis diameter H is 3-5 mm. The H / L ratio ranges from 60% to 65%. The fish-scale-like convex-concave structure is formed by the scales in the same diagonal row moving laterally to the left or right by a distance of S, 2S, 3S, 4S, 5S...nS, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and S is less than L. Adjacent scales in the same diagonal row are formed by moving one scale laterally by a distance A and then moving it longitudinally by a distance B. A is 4 mm to 6 mm, B is 1.5 mm to 3.5 mm, and the B / A ratio ranges from 35% to 60%. A < L, B < H. Each scale structure gradually thins from the arc-shaped edge on the elliptical outline to the edge not on the elliptical outline.

2. The low-noise, high-weather-performance tire according to claim 1, characterized in that: Stone-laying platforms are provided on the bottom surface of the longitudinal patterned grooves. The interconnected stone-laying platforms are connected by reinforcing ribs, and the stone-laying platforms in each longitudinal patterned groove are connected to form a wavy line structure.

3. The low-noise, high-weather-performance tire according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tread pattern includes circumferential tread ribs and longitudinal tread grooves arranged along the tire circumference. The circumferential tread ribs and longitudinal tread grooves are spaced apart. The tread ribs are provided with uniform arc-shaped sipes, and the two ends of the arc-shaped sipes are connected to the adjacent longitudinal tread grooves.

4. The low-noise, high-weather-performance tire according to claim 3, characterized in that: All adjacent arc-shaped grooves connect to form a smooth arc.

5. The low-noise, high-weather-performance tire according to claim 3, characterized in that: The arc-shaped groove is formed by steel sheets of different depths inlaid on the patterned ribs.

6. The low-noise, high-weather-performance tire according to claim 1, characterized in that: The longitudinal groove has a depth of 5-18 mm and a width of 3-14 mm; the fish scale-like convex and concave structure is located on the side wall of the longitudinal groove from the depth of 0 to the depth d, the depth of the longitudinal groove is D, and the d / D ratio is 50%-85%.

7. The low-noise, high-weather-performance tire according to claim 1, characterized in that: A≤L / 2, B≤H / 2, S≤L / 2, the thickness of the arc-shaped edge of the scale structure on the elliptical outline is the same; the included angle between the upper surface and the lower surface of the scale is 1-20°.

8. The low-noise, high-weather-performance tire according to claim 7, characterized in that: The angle between the upper and lower surfaces of the scales is 15°.

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