Alternating Tread Block Incisions for Winter Tire Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pneumatic vehicle tires face challenges in maintaining consistent handling behavior when forces act in different directions, particularly during cornering on wintry roads, due to the orientation of tread block incisions which affect grip, traction, and braking on snow and ice.
Innovation Solution
The tire features alternating tread blocks in the circumferential direction with incisions running parallel to the profile block edges and others at an angle of 50° to 70° to these edges, ensuring uniform stiffness and stability, enhancing handling characteristics under various directional forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all incisions in the middle rows of tread blocks run parallel to the profile block edges, then the tread blocks have uniform orientation for forces in one direction, but the handling behavior changes when the direction of load is changed (e.g., when cornering)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by alternating between tread blocks with incisions running parallel to the profile block edges and tread blocks with incisions running at an angle of 50° to 70° to these edges. This asymmetric arrangement in alternating sequence allows the tread to adapt to different load directions while maintaining reliable handling behavior, resolving the contradiction between consistency and adaptability.
2Ease of manufacture
If incisions run at a fixed angle to the circumferential direction, then the tread structure is simple and manufacturing is easier, but the grip properties on wintry roads are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different incision orientations in different tread blocks within the same tread. Specifically, alternating tread blocks have incisions running parallel to profile block edges while others have incisions at 50° to 70° angles. This local variation in incision orientation improves grip properties on wintry roads while maintaining a relatively simple overall tread structure that is feasible to manufacture.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Vehicle pneumatic tires, especially for use under winter driving conditions, with a tread which has at least one row of profile blocks (2) running in the central area of the tread, the profile blocks (2a) of which are separated from each other in the circumferential direction by transverse grooves (5), which are bounded on the tread surface by profile block edges (5a), all of which are at least substantially parallel to each other and run at an angle (α) of 30° to 45° to the axial direction, wherein each profile block (2a) is provided with at least two incisions (11, 11') which are wavy, zigzag, step-shaped or the like in plan view and run parallel to each other in each profile block (2a).In the central area of the tread, at least one row of profile blocks (2) is arranged, in which a profile block (2a) in which the incisions (11') run parallel to the profile block edges (5a) bounded by transverse grooves (5) alternates with a profile block (2a) in which the incisions (11) run at an angle (γ) of 50° to 70° to the profile block edges (5a) bounded by transverse grooves (5).