Arc-Shaped Tire Sipes for Wet Grip Without Losing Tread Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tires face challenges in enhancing dry performance, wet performance, and uneven wear resistance, as existing designs often compromise on rigidity and water drainage efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The tire features a tread portion with arc-shaped first sipes that do not communicate with lateral grooves, maintaining high rigidity and effective water discharge, along with strategically placed circumferential grooves and lug grooves to improve contactability and drainage, while second sipes and lug grooves enhance steering and water management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sipes are arranged to communicate with lateral grooves for improved water drainage, then wet performance is improved, but rigidity of the land portion deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sipes are segmented into multiple first sipes arranged in parallel within the land portion, each with controlled dimensions and spacing. This segmentation allows water drainage functionality to be distributed without creating large openings that would compromise overall rigidity.
Solution Approach 2:
The first sipes are positioned specifically within the land portion at defined distances from tread edges and from each other, creating localized drainage channels only where needed. This local quality approach maintains rigidity in other areas of the tread while providing wet performance enhancement at specific locations.
2Reliability
If arc-shaped sipes are used to improve water discharge, then wet performance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first sipes are formed with arc-shaped configurations having defined radii of curvature, allowing water to follow curved paths for more effective discharge. The arc shapes are designed with specific radius ranges that balance hydrodynamic performance with manufacturability using standard molding techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The arc-shaped sipes have controlled parameters including radius of curvature, length, and spacing that are optimized within specific ranges. By adjusting these parameters, the design achieves effective water discharge while keeping the curvature gentle enough for practical manufacturing without excessive mold complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A tire includes a tread portion including a first land portion, the first land portion being provided with a plurality of first sipes. The plurality of first sipes extends in an arc shape manner. The plurality of first sipes is arranged on the first land portion without communicating with lateral grooves extending in a tire axial direction. In a tread plan view, a virtual sipe reference line of each of the plurality of first sipes has an angle equal to or less than 10 degrees with respect to a tire circumferential direction, wherein the virtual sipe reference line is a straight line that connects both ends of each of the plurality of first sipes.