Studded Tire Stud Arrangement for Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tires with studs on icy road surfaces experience increased vibration noise due to uniform stud arrangement, which complicates the balance between noise reduction and maintaining ice-performance.
Innovation Solution
The tire features a non-uniform stud arrangement pattern where the number and interval of studs in different areas of the tread section are optimized, with more studs in shoulder areas and varying intervals to reduce vibration noise while maintaining ice-performance, by ensuring that each circumferential stud row has six or more studs and stud intervals between 0.4×La and 1.7×La, with specific intervals between 1.1×La and 1.7×La not continuously appearing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a plurality of studs are uniformly arranged in the ground-contact surface of a tread section to make studs efficiently contact with an icy road surface, then the ice-performance of the tire is improved, but the vibration noise of the tire increases during rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating stud arrangement in different regions of the tread. The ground-contact surface is divided into a first region and a second region, where the first region has studs arranged with a first interval and the second region has studs arranged with a second interval that is different from the first interval. This regional differentiation allows optimization of ice-contact performance in specific areas while controlling vibration noise generation in other areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetry by using different stud intervals in different regions. Specifically, the first interval and second interval are set to different values, creating an asymmetric stud distribution pattern across the tread width. This asymmetric arrangement disrupts uniform vibration patterns that cause noise while maintaining effective ice contact through strategically placed studs in different zones.
2Reliability
If the number of studs is increased to improve ice-performance, then the braking performance on icy roads is improved, but the vibration noise and complexity of the tire structure increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the ground-contact surface into distinct regions (first region and second region) with different stud arrangements. This segmentation allows the tire to have varying numbers of studs in different areas, optimizing braking performance where needed while reducing overall stud count and associated complexity compared to a uniformly dense arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
By applying local quality through region-specific stud intervals, the patent concentrates studs in areas that contribute most to braking performance while using sparser arrangements in other areas. This localized optimization achieves sufficient braking capability without requiring a uniformly high density of studs across the entire tread, thereby reducing structural complexity.
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
This arrangement effectively reduces vibration noise while maintaining or improving ice-performance and braking performance on icy roads, as demonstrated by reduced noise energy and comparable on-ice braking performance compared to conventional tires.
Implementation Method 1
During the rotation of the tire associated with the travelling of a vehicle, the studs contact with an icy road surface to exhibit the ice-performance of the tire
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention is intended to reduce the vibration noise of a tire having a plurality of studs while maintaining the ice-performance during the rotation of the tire. A plurality of circumferential stud rows (6) is constituted by a plurality of studs (5) which are six or more than six and sequentially arranged along a tire circumferential direction S. In each of the circumferential stud rows (6), T is the number of studs (5), L(n) is a stud interval, and La is the average value of the stud interval L(n). The stud interval L(n) satisfies a condition of 0.4×La≤L(n)≤1.7×La. One or more specific stud intervals each satisfying a condition of 1.1×La≤L(n)≤1.7×Laare included in a plurality of stud intervals of the circumferential stud row (6) and are not continuous along the tire circumferential direction.