Oscillated Tread Sipe Structure for Ice Traction and Wear Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tires with axial sipes tend to open widely during rotation, leading to increased slip between the sipe edges and the road surface, resulting in uneven wear and compromised on-ice performance.
Innovation Solution
A tire design featuring sipes with repeat units that form acute angles, including oscillated portions extending in the radial direction, which prevent excessive opening and enhance frictional force and traction by maintaining sipe wall contact under ground pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sipes extend in the tire axial direction, then on-ice performance is improved, but uneven wear occurs due to excessive opening and slip
Solution Approach 1:
The sipe is designed with curved segments instead of straight lines. The first, second, third, and fourth segments form a curved path where the first and third segments extend in the tire axial direction to provide on-ice performance, while the second and fourth segments curve in tire circumferential directions to limit opening and reduce slip-induced uneven wear.
Solution Approach 2:
The sipe is divided into multiple segments (first, second, third, fourth segments) connected in series. This segmentation allows each segment to serve a specific function: axial segments for traction on ice, circumferential segments for controlling opening width, thereby resolving the contradiction between performance and wear resistance.
2Force
If sipes extend in the tire axial direction, then frictional force on ice is increased, but sipe opening causes slip between edges and road surface
Solution Approach 1:
By curving the sipe path with circumferential segments connecting axial segments, the design maintains the axial orientation needed for frictional force generation while the curved geometry naturally limits the opening width, reducing slip between sipe edges and road surface during tire rotation.
3Reliability
If sipes are provided to improve on-ice performance, then traction is enhanced, but excessive sipe opening reduces wear resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The sipe is segmented into axial portions (first and third segments) that provide traction on ice and circumferential portions (second and fourth segments) that act as connectors limiting opening. This segmentation enables the sipe to simultaneously achieve enhanced traction and improved wear resistance through controlled geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved configuration of the sipe segments creates a geometric constraint that limits the maximum opening width while maintaining the axial orientation needed for ice traction, thereby extending the service life and wear resistance of the tire.
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 improves traction, braking, and steering stability on ice while reducing uneven wear by preventing sipe opening and maintaining sipe wall contact, thus enhancing overall on-ice performance and wear resistance.
Implementation Method 1
at least one of the first sipe segment and the third sipe segment comprises, in the cross section orthogonal to the length direction, an oscillated portion which extends in a tire radial direction, while oscillating in a lateral direction orthogonal to the above-said length direction
Implementation Method 2
The above-mentioned tire is expected to have improved on-ice performance due to the sipes
Data Source
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AI summary
To provide a tire capable of exhibiting excellent on-ice performance and uneven wear resistance. [Solving means ] A tire comprises a tread portion 2. The tread portion 2 is provided with sipes 8. Four sipe segments 10 of the sipe 8 include a first sipe segment 11, a second sipe segment 12, a third sipe segment 13, and a fourth sipe segment 14. At least one of the first sipe segment 11 and the third sipe segment 13 comprises, in the cross section orthogonal to the length direction, an oscillated portion 15 which extends in the tire radial direction, while oscillating in the lateral direction orthogonal to the length direction.