Lamella Plate Geometry for Tire Sipe Wall Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire sipes do not always achieve optimal locking of their walls, which affects traction, braking, and handling, especially under lateral forces.
Innovation Solution
A novel lamella plate design with specific protrusions and indentations on its surfaces is used to form sipes in the tire tread, ensuring better locking of the sipe walls during braking, acceleration, and cornering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional sipe designs are used, then the tire can be manufactured with standard lamella plates, but the sipe walls do not achieve optimal locking under lateral forces, reducing traction and handling
Solution Approach 1:
The lamella plate features asymmetric design with different surface configurations on opposite sides. Specifically, one surface has a protrusion while the opposite surface has a corresponding indentation, creating asymmetric locking forms that engage more effectively with the tread block walls under lateral forces, thereby improving traction and handling reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism is segmented into multiple independent elements: protrusions and indentations are distributed at specific positions and orientations on the lamella plate surfaces. This segmentation allows different parts of the sipe walls to lock independently, providing comprehensive engagement under various driving conditions including braking, acceleration, and cornering
2Strength
If sipe walls are made to lock tightly under lateral forces, then grip and stability improve, but the lamella plate design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the entire lamella plate complex, the invention applies local quality by adding protrusions and indentations only at specific critical positions and orientations on the surfaces. These localized features are strategically placed to provide locking exactly where needed under lateral forces, while the rest of the plate maintains a simple, easy-to-manufacture structure
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusions and indentations are designed with curved surfaces rather than sharp angular features. This curvature allows for smoother stress distribution and more effective engagement under lateral forces, enhancing grip and stability while maintaining manufacturability through standard molding processes
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 2a~2d
Figure 2e~3d
AI summary
A lamella plate (500) for forming a sipe to a tire. The lamella plate (500) comprises a first surface (510) and an opposite second surface opposite (520). The first surface (510) is provided with a first primary plate indentation (PI11) and a first primary plate protrusion (PP11) and the second surface (520) is provided with a second primary plate protrusion (PP21) that is opposite to the first primary plate indentation (PI11) and a second primary plate indentation (PI21) that is opposite to the first primary plate protrusion (PP11). The first surface (510) defines a first primary lamella plate surface (LPS11) having the shape of a planar surface or a curved surface, from which the first primary plate protrusion (PP11) protrudes and into which the first primary plate indentation (PI11) descends. The second surface (520) defines a second primary lamella plate surface (LPS21) having the shape of a planar surface or a curved surface, from which the second primary plate protrusion (PP21) protrudes and into which the second primary plate indentation (PI21) descends. A tire comprising primary first sipe (S11) producible in a moulding process by using the lamella plate.