Agricultural Tire Tread Pattern Design for Field Traction and Pavement Wear

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Solution Overview

Problem

Tires for agricultural machinery face challenges in maintaining traction on farm fields while ensuring uneven wear resistance on paved roads, as existing solutions compromise either traction or wear resistance.

Innovation Solution

The tire design features a tread pattern with greater friction forces in the center region and wider bottom areas between lug blocks in the shoulder regions, optimizing lug block arrangement and angle to enhance traction and soil discharge performance on farm fields while maintaining uneven wear resistance on paved roads.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the height of lug blocks is set higher and the angle of extension is brought closer to the tire axial direction to enhance scraping power on farm fields, then traction performance on farm fields is improved, but uneven wear resistance on paved roads deteriorates due to insufficient block rigidity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetraction performance on farm fieldsVSAvoiduneven wear resistance on paved roads
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating the tread pattern design between the center region and shoulder regions. In the center region, lug blocks are arranged with higher density and specific orientation to maximize friction and traction on farm fields. In the shoulder regions, the design provides wider bottom areas between lug blocks to maintain rigidity and prevent uneven wear on paved roads. This localized differentiation allows each region to optimize for its specific functional requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The tread pattern is segmented into distinct functional zones: a center region optimized for traction with closely spaced lug blocks at specific angles, and shoulder regions with wider spacing for structural support. This segmentation allows the tire to simultaneously achieve high traction performance in the center while maintaining durability and rigidity in the shoulders, resolving the contradiction between scraping power and wear resistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the angle of extension of lug blocks is inclined from the tire axial direction toward the direction along the tire circumference to improve block rigidity, then uneven wear resistance on paved roads is improved, but traction performance on farm fields deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuneven wear resistance on paved roadsVSAvoidtraction performance on farm fields
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements local quality by specifying different lug block extension angles for different regions. The center region features lug blocks with extension angles optimized for maximum friction and scraping power on farm fields, while the shoulder regions have lug blocks oriented to provide structural rigidity and resistance to uneven wear on paved roads. This regional differentiation resolves the contradiction by allowing each zone to optimize for its primary function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If the tread pattern is optimized for traction on farm fields, then soil discharge performance is improved, but uneven wear resistance on paved roads deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesoil discharge performanceVSAvoiduneven wear resistance on paved roads
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The tread pattern is segmented into a center region with aggressive lug block arrangement for superior soil discharge and traction on farm fields, and shoulder regions with more conservative design featuring wider bottom areas that maintain rigidity and resist uneven wear on paved roads. This segmentation enables the tire to excel at soil discharge where needed while preserving durability where structural integrity is critical.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design improves traction and soil discharge performance on farm fields while maintaining stable uneven wear resistance on paved roads, as demonstrated by test results showing enhanced traction, reduced wear, and improved soil discharge.

Implementation Method 1

there are greater friction forces in the center region of the tire

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP3312025B1tire
Publication Date: 2019.08.07 BRIDGESTONE CORP
  • EP3312025B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~2
  • EP3312025B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3C
  • EP3312025B1 patent drawingFigure 4A~5

AI summary

A tire provides improved traction performance on farm fields while retaining traveling stability and vibration-damped ride quality on a pavement. The tire has a center region extending in the tire circumferential direction within a range of 15% of the tread width on the left and right sides of the tire axial center of the tread and shoulder regions extending in the tire circumferential direction within a range of 15% of the tread width from the respective edges of the tread toward the tire axial center. And the center-side area Sc, the area of the tread surfaces which are parts within a one-pitch area Spc, is 25% to 40% of the one-pitch area Spc, and the shoulder-side area Ss, the area of the tread surfaces which are parts within a one-pitch area Sps, is 10% to 18% of the one-pitch area Sps, where one-pitch areas Spc and Sps are respectively the areas for one-pitch length of lug blocks adjacent to each other in the tire circumferential direction from the same position in the tire circumferential direction in the center region and the shoulder regions.