Asymmetrical Tire Tread Pattern for Wet Grip and Wear Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pneumatic tires with improved wet performance often compromise on wear resistance due to decreased tread rigidity from large groove volumes.
Innovation Solution
A tread pattern design with asymmetrical main grooves and strategically placed lateral and blind grooves, featuring gently sloped radially outer parts in the groove-sidewalls to maintain rigidity and enhance drainage, balancing wet performance and wear resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If main grooves and transverse grooves having large groove volumes are disposed in the tread portion to improve wet performance, then wet performance is improved, but the rigidity of the tread portion decreases, therefore wear resistance is deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The groove-sidewalls are designed with different inclinations in different regions: the radially inner part has a steep inclination to maintain land region rigidity and wear resistance, while the radially outer part has a gentler inclination to increase groove volume for improved wet performance. This local differentiation of geometric properties resolves the contradiction between rigidity and drainage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove-sidewall is segmented into two distinct parts: a radially inner part with steep inclination and a radially outer part with gentler inclination. This segmentation allows each part to fulfill different functions - the inner part maintains structural rigidity while the outer part enhances water drainage, thereby resolving the contradiction between tread rigidity and wet performance.
2Reliability
If groove volume is increased to enhance water drainage, then wet performance is improved, but land region rigidity decreases, therefore wear resistance is deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the groove-sidewall are given different geometric qualities: the radially inner part maintains steep inclination to preserve land region rigidity and extend tire life, while the radially outer part adopts gentler inclination to increase groove volume for enhanced water drainage and wet performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove-sidewall structure is divided into functional segments where the radially inner part prioritizes rigidity maintenance for wear resistance, while the radially outer part prioritizes volume expansion for water drainage, thereby simultaneously achieving extended service life and improved wet performance.
Data Source
AI summary
A pneumatic tire is provided with an asymmetrical tread pattern. The width of an outboard shoulder main groove is less than the width of an outboard crown main groove. The angle of the axially inner groove-sidewall is less than that of the axially outer groove-sidewall. An outboard shoulder land region is provided with outboard shoulder blind grooves extending from the outboard tread edge and terminating within the outboard shoulder land region, and outboard shoulder lateral grooves extending from the outboard tread edge to the outboard shoulder main groove, which are arranged alternately in the tire circumferential direction. An outboard middle land region is provided with outboard middle blind grooves extending axially inwardly from the outboard shoulder main groove, and outboard middle sipes extending from inner ends of the outboard middle blind grooves to the outboard crown main groove.