Siped Tire Tread Layout for Snow-Cornering Braking Grip

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional tires with densely disposed small blocks require further improvement in braking performance on snow and ice roads during cornering.

Innovation Solution

The tire design includes block rows delimited by circumferential grooves, partitioned into small blocks by circumferential and lateral sipes, with each block having a triangular shape, enhancing flexural rigidity by supporting adjacent blocks in both tire width and circumferential directions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a tire is designed for high grip performance through stiffening the tread pattern, then grip performance is improved, but ride comfort deteriorates due to increased vibration and impact

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegrip performanceVSAvoidvibration and impact
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The tread pattern is divided into multiple independent groove elements (lateral grooves, circumferential grooves, and radial grooves) that can deform independently. This segmentation allows the tread to maintain overall stiffness for grip while individual grooves can flex to absorb vibrations and impacts, resolving the contradiction between grip performance and ride comfort.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the tread pattern is stiffened to improve grip, then grip performance is improved, but durability deteriorates due to cracking and peeling

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegrip performanceVSAvoiddurability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The groove elements are designed with specific dimensional parameters (width, depth, spacing) that optimize both grip and durability. The grooves are configured to flex within controlled parameters, allowing the tread to maintain stiffness for grip while the groove geometry enables stress distribution that prevents cracking and peeling, thus improving durability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the tread pattern is made softer to improve ride comfort, then ride comfort is improved, but grip performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibration and impactVSAvoidgrip performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Different regions of the tread pattern have different properties: the groove elements are designed to be flexible for comfort, while the rubber matrix between grooves maintains stiffness for grip. This local differentiation allows the tread to exhibit both softness (for comfort) and stiffness (for grip) in different locations, resolving the contradiction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Object-affected harmful factors

If the tread pattern is made softer to improve ride comfort, then ride comfort is improved, but durability deteriorates due to cracking and peeling

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibration and impactVSAvoiddurability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The groove elements are designed to dynamically respond to road conditions: they remain relatively stiff under normal conditions for durability, but can flex and deform under vibration and impact to improve ride comfort. This dynamic behavior allows the tread to adapt its stiffness characteristics, improving both comfort and durability simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4357163B1tire
Publication Date: 2026.05.06 BRIDGESTONE CORP
  • EP4357163B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4357163B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4357163B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A tire (10,10A, 10B) includes block rows (31, 32, 31A to 33A, 32B) delimited by a pair of circumferential grooves (41 to 43, 41A to 44A, 41B, 43B) extending in a tire circumferential direction (TC). The block rows include a plurality of blocks (100, 200, 100A, 200A, 300A) partitioned by a plurality of lateral grooves (61, 62, 61A to 63A) extending in a tire width direction, and each block is partitioned into a plurality of small blocks (101, 201, 101A, 201A, 301) by a circumferential sipe (120, 220, 120A, 220A, 320A) extending in the tire circumferential direction and a plurality of lateral sipes (130, 230, 130A, 230A, 330A). The lateral sipes include a first lateral sipe (130a, 230a, 130Aa, 230Aa, 330Aa) and a second lateral sipe (130b, 230b, 130Ab, 230Ab, 330Ab) extending in different directions.