Snow Tire Tread with Cover Layered Depression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current snow tires exhibit an imbalance in grip performance between snowy and icy road surfaces, with existing treads either improving grip on snow but not on ice, or vice versa.
Innovation Solution
A tread design featuring raised elements with depressions in their lateral walls, where the depression is partially or fully covered by a material with a higher elastic modulus than the rubber, allowing for improved grip on icy surfaces without compromising snow traction, achieved through a combination of design geometry and material properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the tread material is made more rigid to improve snow clawing, then grip on snowy road surface is improved, but uniformity of contact pressure on icy road surface deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The tread structure implements local quality by differentiating material properties in specific zones: the cover layer with higher rigidity is applied only to the lateral walls of raised elements that contact snow, while the central contact areas and grooves maintain softer rubber material for ice grip. This localized differentiation allows each zone to optimize its function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies parameter changes by modifying the glass transition temperature parameter of the rubber material in different tread zones. The cover layer material has a higher Tg (more rigid) compared to the base tread material, allowing the lateral walls to maintain structural integrity for snow engagement while the softer base material ensures uniform pressure distribution on ice surfaces.
2Reliability
If deeper grooves are created to improve snow grip, then snow clawing is enhanced, but contact area with icy road surface is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The tread structure implements local quality by differentiating material properties in specific zones: the cover layer with higher rigidity is applied only to the lateral walls of raised elements that contact snow, while the central contact areas and grooves maintain softer rubber material for ice grip. This localized differentiation allows each zone to optimize its function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The tread design achieves multi-functionality by integrating features that serve dual purposes: the grooves and raised elements are configured to provide snow clawing capability through their geometric shape and cover layer reinforcement, while simultaneously maintaining sufficient contact area and pressure distribution for ice adhesion. The same structural features serve both snow and ice traction functions.
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 tread design enhances grip on both snowy and icy surfaces by ensuring uniform pressure distribution and maintaining effective snow clawing capabilities, while avoiding weakening of the tread elements.
Implementation Method 1
This material has an elastic modulus higher than the elastic modulus of the rubber material of which the tread is made
Implementation Method 2
The depression makes it possible to improve grip on an icy road surface without excessively impairing grip on a snowy road surface
Data Source
AI summary
A tread made of rubber material for a snow tire having a tread surface intended to be in contact with a road surface when the tire is being driven on, and provided with a plurality of cuts delimited by walls situated facing one another and forming lateral walls of raised elements of the tread. Each lateral wall intersects the tread surface to form an edge corner. At least one lateral wall of a raised element is formed partially or fully by a cover layer extending from the edge corner associated with this lateral wall, of a material having an elastic modulus higher than that of the rubber material of the tread. The raised element has a depression in its lateral wall, delimited by the cover layer. The raised element moreover has a width W and the depth P of the depression is at least equal to 10% of the width W of the element and less than or equal to 40% of this width W. Finally the volume of the depression is less than 10% of the volume of the raised element.