Shoulder Tread Sipe Zoning for Dry and Winter Tire Grip
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pneumatic vehicle tire designs face a conflict between achieving good handling properties on dry roads and optimal winter performance, as the design of shoulder-side tread block incisions compromises stability on snow and ice.
Innovation Solution
The incisions in the tread are designed with varying depths and shapes across different zones, with wave-shaped incisions on the inside, zigzag incisions in the middle, and straight incisions on the shoulder-side, allowing for increased rigidity on dry roads while maintaining effective engagement on snow and ice.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If shoulder-side tread blocks are provided with incisions to improve winter performance, then grip on snow and ice is enhanced, but handling stability on dry roads deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the incision characteristics across three distinct zones within the shoulder-side tread blocks: the first zone (near shoulder) has incisions with larger amplitude and/or wavelength for winter performance, the second zone (middle) has intermediate characteristics, and the third zone (near center) has smaller amplitude and/or wavelength for handling stability. This zoned approach allows each region to optimize for its specific functional requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the shoulder-side tread blocks into multiple incision zones with different characteristics. By dividing the tread block incisions into distinct segments (first, second, and third zones) with progressively varying amplitude and wavelength, the design allows different portions to serve different functions - outer zones for snow/ice grip and inner zones for handling stability.
2Reliability
If incisions with large amplitude and wavelength are used in shoulder-side tread blocks, then winter performance is improved, but lateral stiffness and handling characteristics on dry roads are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by assigning different incision amplitudes and wavelengths to different zones. The first zone (shoulder area) features incisions with larger amplitude and wavelength to maximize snow and ice grip, while the third zone (center area) has incisions with smaller amplitude and wavelength to preserve lateral stiffness and handling characteristics on dry roads.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by systematically varying the amplitude and wavelength parameters of the incisions across different zones. The amplitude and wavelength are adjusted progressively from the first zone to the third zone, creating a gradient that optimizes both winter performance and handling stability through controlled parameter modification.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2ii-ii~4a
AI summary
The invention relates to a pneumatic vehicle tyre having a tread with at least one shoulder-side profile block row (1) with profile blocks (Γ), which are separated by transverse channels (2) running parallel to one another, and with sipes (5), which extend in particular parallel to the transverse channels (2) and which have sipe walls (6), wherein the sipes (5), as seen in plan view, run over three sipe zones (5a, 5b, 5c) of which one is assigned to a shoulder-side profile block row section (1a), situated at least predominantly outside the ground contact patch and running in encircling fashion in a circumferential direction, one is assigned to a middle profile block row section (1b), running in encircling fashion in the circumferential direction, and one is assigned to a profile block row section (1c), situated toward the inside on the tread and running in encircling fashion in the circumferential direction, of the profile block row (1). In the case of such a tyre, it is the intention for the conflict of aims that exists in the case of shoulder-side profile blocks between good "winter performance" and good handling characteristics on dry roads to be resolved more effectively than before. This is achieved in that the depth of the sipes (5) and the configuration of the sipe walls (6) in each sipe zone (5a, 5b, 5c) differ from the depth of the sipes (5) and the configuration of the sipe walls (6) in the two other sipe zones (5a, 5b, 5c) such that the lateral stiffness of the shoulder-side profile block row (1) decreases from the shoulder-side profile block row section (1a) to the profile block row section (1c) which is situated toward the inside on the tread.