Off-Road Tire Tread Structure for Heat and Foreign Object Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tires with thick treads for off-road vehicles face challenges in thermal ventilation and protection against aggressive ground conditions, leading to increased temperatures and potential damage from foreign objects due to existing groove designs.
Innovation Solution
A tire design featuring zigzagging narrow grooves with specific geometry and materials that provide enhanced thermal ventilation and protection, including a first layer with low hysteresis and a second layer with high tear index, along with bridging in the grooves to reduce depth and increase mechanical connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the tread thickness is increased to protect against aggressive ground conditions, then protection against foreign objects is improved, but temperature increase during running worsens due to poor thermal ventilation
Solution Approach 1:
The tread is segmented into multiple layers (first layer and second layer) with different functions. The first layer provides protection against foreign objects while the second layer manages thermal ventilation. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized for its specific function, resolving the contradiction between protection and temperature control.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the tread are given different properties. The first layer has high protection quality for foreign objects, while the second layer has optimized thermal ventilation properties. This local differentiation allows the tread to simultaneously achieve both protection and temperature management without compromise.
2Temperature
If narrow grooves are added to improve thermal ventilation, then temperature control is improved, but tread stiffness decreases leading to reduced protection
Solution Approach 1:
The groove pattern is designed with specific geometric dimensions (width between 1-5mm, depth between 10-50mm) and spacing to create thermal ventilation channels that minimize impact on overall tread stiffness. By carefully controlling the dimensions and distribution of grooves in multiple dimensions, thermal ventilation is achieved while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove parameters (width, depth, spacing, pattern) are optimized to achieve the right balance between thermal ventilation and stiffness. By adjusting these parameters, the design achieves sufficient heat dissipation while maintaining the tread strength needed for protection against aggressive ground conditions.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the tread material has high hysteresis to improve protection, then protection against foreign objects is improved, but heat buildup increases due to energy loss
Solution Approach 1:
The first layer is designed with high hysteresis material properties for maximum protection against foreign objects, while the second layer uses material with optimized hysteresis characteristics to minimize heat buildup. This local differentiation of material properties allows the tread to achieve both protection and reduced heat buildup simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The tread uses composite material construction with at least two different layers having different material properties. The first layer uses high-hysteresis material for protection, while the second layer uses material optimized for thermal management. This composite approach resolves the contradiction between protection and heat buildup by distributing different functional requirements to different material layers.
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 design increases the running-speed limit while maintaining tread stiffness and protection, reducing heat buildup and foreign object damage, and ensuring sufficient mechanical integrity.
Implementation Method 1
The material of this first layer is chosen to have low hysteresis; what is meant by low hysteresis is a material of which the measured tan(delta) value is at most equal to 0.30
Implementation Method 2
these tires being provided with a very thick tread usually having no tread pattern design... Research has been undertaken by the Applicant in order to further improve the performance of tires with great tread thickness and determine a particular geometry of narrow groove which, in combination with the presence of specific materials in this tread, provides better thermal ventilation
Data Source
AI summary
Tire (1) for an off-road vehicle, comprising a crown and a tread (22) having a width W and a thickness E of wearable material, this tread (22) having a superposition of at least two layers of materials, a first layer (221) radially on the inside and a second layer (222) radially on the outside of the first layer (221) to contact the ground when the tire is new, this second layer (222) having a thickness E2 relative to the thickness E of wearable material, the tread (22) being provided with at least two narrow grooves (4, 5) running all around the tire which have a zigzagging shape of wavelength L and amplitude A, the wavelength L being between 10% and 120% of the axial width W of the tread (22), and the amplitude A being between 10% and 75% of axial width W. The material of the first layer (221) is chosen with low hysteresis; with a measured tan(δ) value at most equal to 0.30.