Commercial Vehicle Tread Rib Sipes for Even Drive Axle Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial vehicle tires, especially those mounted on drive axles, suffer from uneven wear due to transverse cuts that reduce stiffness locally, leading to varying tread rib wear patterns.
Innovation Solution
The cuts in the tread ribs follow a waveform with decreasing amplitude towards the outer end, reducing the degree of mutual support between rib elements, thereby evenly distributing wear across the tread shoulder and central ribs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If transverse cuts are formed in the tread ribs to improve grip and reduce stiffness, then the tire's grip is improved and flexibility is increased, but uneven wear occurs particularly on drive axle tires
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the cut characteristics along the circumferential direction of the tread rib. Different sections of the rib have different cut patterns - with the amplitude of the cutting line decreasing from the inner end to the outer end, creating zones with different stiffness reductions. This localized variation in cut intensity allows the tire to maintain good grip while achieving more uniform wear distribution across the tread width.
2Manufacturing precision
If the amplitude of the cutting line decreases from the inner end to the outer end of the cut, then wear uniformity is improved by reducing stiffening effect on outer sections, but the cut design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the cut geometry variable rather than constant. The amplitude of the cutting line changes continuously from the inner end to the outer end of the cut, creating a dynamic transition in stiffness reduction. This variable amplitude design allows a single cut feature to serve multiple functions - providing grip enhancement while progressively reducing the stiffening effect towards the tread shoulder, thereby achieving wear uniformity without requiring multiple different cut types.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a commercial vehicle tyre having a tread with at least one profile rib (1) which runs around in the circumferential direction and is arranged laterally with respect to the tyre equatorial plane and which has sipes (12) extending through it, which sipes (12) each have sipe walls (12a), a sipe centre area (fE) correspondingly spaced apart from the sipe walls (12a), a width (bE) of 0.4 to 2.0 mm and, in the radial direction, a maximum depth (tE) of at least 40% of the profile depth (TP), wherein each sipe (12), at least in a portion which runs over the predominant part thereof as seen in plan view, has at least one sipe zone (12II) which is offset in relation to the radially outer sipe periphery and which runs in an extent direction of the sipe (12) in an undulating form and in arcuate or singly serrated form in a radial direction, wherein an area (F1) running through the point of the maximum excursion of the sipe zone (12II) has a line of intersection (l1) with the sipe centre area (fE), which line of intersection follows the undulating form of the sipe zone (12II). The sipe (12) runs in the undulating form exclusively in the sipe zone (12II), wherein the amplitude of the line of intersection (l) that follows the undulating form of the sipe zone (12II) decreases, in each line of intersection portion (l1') running over one half of a wavelength (λ/2), in the direction of the sipe end (12c) at the outside of the tread.