Chamfered Tire Sipe Structure for Dry and Wet Steering Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pneumatic tires face a trade-off between steering stability on dry and wet road surfaces due to the formation of sipes, where improving stability on wet surfaces compromises rigidity on dry surfaces, and vice versa.
Innovation Solution
A pneumatic tire design featuring sipes with chamfered portions and non-chamfered regions, where one chamfered portion straddles the rib's maximum projection, and the sipe projects radially outward, with specific curvature and width relationships, to enhance drainage and edge effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large number of sipes are disposed in a tread portion to improve steering stability performance on wet road surfaces, then drainage properties are improved, but the rigidity of the ribs decreases, causing steering stability performance on dry road surfaces to deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The sipe structure is designed with differentiated local characteristics: chamfered portions are provided at specific locations (leading edge and trailing edge) while non-chamfered regions exist in between. This local differentiation allows the sipe to provide drainage functionality where needed while preserving rib rigidity in other areas, resolving the contradiction between wet surface stability and dry surface rigidity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sipe is segmented into multiple functional zones: chamfered portions at the edges for drainage and water film removal, and non-chamfered regions in the middle for maintaining structural integrity. This segmentation allows different parts of the sipe to serve different functions, simultaneously improving wet surface performance while preserving dry surface rigidity.
2Reliability
If chamfered portions are formed on sipe edges to enhance drainage effect, then steering stability performance on wet road surfaces is improved, but edge effects may be lost depending on chamfer shape and dimensions, causing insufficient improvement in both dry and wet performance
Solution Approach 1:
The chamfered portions are designed with specific dimensional parameters: the width W of the chamfered portion and the depth D of the chamfer satisfy the relationship 0.05 mm² < W × D ≤ 1.50 mm². This precise parameter control ensures optimal edge effects for water film removal while maintaining manufacturing feasibility and preventing over-chamfering that would compromise structural integrity.
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
The tire achieves improved steering stability on both dry and wet road surfaces by balancing drainage and rigidity, with enhanced edge effects and water film removal.
Implementation Method 1
the drainage effect can be improved with the chamfered portions
Implementation Method 2
a water film can be effectively removed by the edge effect in the non-chamfered regions
Implementation Method 3
drainage in the rib is promoted due to a shape projecting to the outer side in the tire radial direction
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a pneumatic tire. A chamfered portion and a non-chamfered portion are provided in each of an edge on a leading side and an edge on a trailing side of a sipe. In a meridian cross-sectional view, a profile line of a rib projects further to an outer side in a tire radial direction than a reference tread profile line. A radius of curvature TR of the reference tread profile line and a radius of curvature RR of the profile line satisfy TR>RR. Only one of the chamfered portions on the leading side and the trailing side is disposed so as to straddle a maximum projection position. A maximum projection amount D of the rib with respect to the reference tread profile line and a maximum width W of the chamfered portion satisfy 0.05 mm2<W×D<1.50 mm2.