Motorcycle Tire Tread Block Segmentation for Rough Terrain Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Motorcycle tires designed for rough terrain face a trade-off between improving steering stability and maintaining ride comfort, ground contacting feeling, and slide controllability, as increasing tread block size or rubber hardness can deteriorate these aspects.
Innovation Solution
A motorcycle tire with a tread portion featuring U-shaped cut blocks that increase functional edge length without enlarging the block size or rubber hardness, achieved by displacing the top surfaces and outside wall surfaces of the cut block components in specific directions, enhancing traction and cornering force while maintaining comfort and controllability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the block size and/or the rubber hardness is increased, then the steering stability is improved, but the ride comfort, ground contacting feeling and slide controllability are deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The tread block is divided into a main part and a sub part by a U-shaped cut, creating multiple edge portions that collectively increase the functional edge length without enlarging the overall block size. This segmentation allows the edges to provide enhanced steering stability while the smaller block size maintains ride comfort and controllability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention increases the functional edge length by creating three-dimensional displacement between the main part and sub part of the block. The top surfaces and outside wall surfaces are displaced in different directions (normal direction and lateral direction), effectively extending the edge geometry into multiple dimensions without increasing the block's footprint area.
2Reliability
If the block size and/or the rubber hardness is increased, then the steering stability is improved, but the ground contacting feeling is deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The U-shaped cut divides the block into main and sub parts with separate edge portions. This segmentation creates multiple contact points along the edge that enhance steering stability through increased edge length, while the smaller individual block segments maintain better ground contacting feeling compared to a single large block.
3Reliability
If the block size and/or the rubber hardness is increased, then the steering stability is improved, but the slide controllability is deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the block into main and sub parts with a U-shaped cut, the invention creates multiple edge portions that improve steering stability. The segmented structure allows for better slide controllability compared to a solid large block, as the separate parts can interact with the ground in a more controllable manner during sliding maneuvers.
Data Source
AI summary
A motorcycle tire for running on rough terrain comprises a tread portion provided with a plurality of blocks including a cut block. The cut block is provided with a U-shaped cut so as to define a sub part of the cut block surrounded by the cut and a main part of the cut block outside the cut. The top surface of the sub part and the top surface of the main part are displaced from each other in a normal direction to the tread surface, and an exposed outside wall surface of the sub part and an exposed outside wall surface of the main part are displaced from each other in a lateral direction parallel with the tread surface, wherein the exposed outside wall surface of the sub part is defined as extending radially inwardly from the edge of the top surface of the sub part, and the exposed outside wall surface of the main part is defined as extending radially inwardly from the edge of the top surface of the main part and positioned on each side of the exposed outside wall surface of the sub part.