Studded Tyre Underlayer With Temperature-Adaptive Stud Force

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing studded tires wear the driving surface excessively and provide inadequate traction under varying temperature conditions, particularly in winter conditions.

Innovation Solution

A studded pneumatic tire with an adaptive underlayer made of a material whose hardness and stiffness vary with temperature, combined with a stud pad, to control stud piercing force and reduce road wear while maintaining optimal traction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the tyre uses a hard underlayer to provide sufficient stud piercing force for traction on ice, then the traction properties are improved, but the wear of the road surface increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetraction propertiesVSAvoidroad wear
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The underlayer is made from a material whose hardness varies dynamically with temperature. At low temperatures (below 7°C), the material becomes harder to provide sufficient stud piercing force for ice traction. At higher temperatures, the material softens to reduce road wear. This dynamic property allows the same underlayer to adapt to different operating conditions without manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the physical parameter of the underlayer material - specifically its hardness - as a function of temperature. The material is selected so that its hardness parameter naturally varies with temperature, providing the desired softness at high temperatures to reduce road wear and hardness at low temperatures to ensure adequate stud piercing force for traction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-generated harmful factors

If the tyre uses a soft underlayer to reduce road wear, then the road wear is reduced, but the stud piercing force is insufficient for adequate traction on ice

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroad wearVSAvoidstud piercing force
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The underlayer material exhibits dynamic hardness changes with temperature. At high temperatures (above 7°C), the material is softer, allowing the stud to retract and reducing the piercing force applied to the road surface, thereby minimizing road wear. At low temperatures, the material hardens to provide the necessary support for adequate stud piercing force into ice.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention utilizes a material whose hardness parameter changes with temperature. This natural parameter change allows the underlayer to be soft at high temperatures to reduce road wear and hard at low temperatures to provide sufficient stud piercing force, eliminating the need for separate material selections for different temperature conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Stability of the object's composition

If the tyre uses a hard underlayer to maintain stud position, then the stud stability is improved, but the noise generated increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestud stabilityVSAvoidnoise
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The underlayer material dynamically adjusts its hardness with temperature. At low temperatures, the harder material provides stable stud positioning and reduces noise from stud movement. At high temperatures, the softer material allows controlled stud movement and retraction, reducing the noise generated by rigid stud-road contact.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Object-generated harmful factors

If the tyre uses a soft underlayer to allow stud retraction, then the noise is reduced, but the stud stability is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovenoiseVSAvoidstud stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The underlayer material's hardness varies with temperature, providing softness at high temperatures to allow stud retraction and reduce noise, while maintaining hardness at low temperatures to ensure stud stability. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between noise reduction and stud stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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 tire effectively reduces road wear and noise under non-frozen conditions while enhancing traction on icy surfaces by adjusting stud piercing force based on temperature changes.

Implementation Method 1

an underlayer arranged under the tread and having a hardness which may vary substantially with the ambient temperature

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTemperature-dependent hardness change: Viscoelasticity

Implementation Method 2

The function of the studs is to bite into ice and thereby to form a mechanical bond between the ground surface and the tyre

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical bonding through penetration: Impact Force

Data Source

PatentEP4183597B1Tyre for a vehicle
Publication Date: 2025.11.26 NOKIAN TYRES
  • EP4183597B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP4183597B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~3
  • EP4183597B1 patent drawingFigure 4a

AI summary

The invention relates to a studded tyre for a vehicle, comprising a tread (18) provided with a number of anti-skid studs (10). The studded tyre comprises an underlayer (20) arranged below the tread and comprising an adaptive material layer (21). The anti-skid stud (10) is arranged at least partly on said underlayer (20), and the shape of the stud, in combination with the underlayer, is arranged to provide the anti-skid stud with a stud force, wherein at an ambient temperature of 0°C, the stud force of the anti-skid stud is at least 6% greater than the stud force of the anti-skid stud at an ambient temperature of 20°C, and at an ambient temperature of -30°C, the stud force of the anti-skid stud is at least 20% greater than the stud force of the anti-skid stud at an ambient temperature of 20°C. The invention also relates to the use of an elastomer material.