Studless Tire Tread Layout for Ice Grip and Water Drainage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional studless tires face challenges in achieving a well-balanced improvement in grounding property, water removing performance, and draining performance, particularly on ice and snow roads.
Innovation Solution
The tire design features a specific arrangement of circumferential main grooves and land portions on the tread, including see-through portions and inclined lug grooves and sipes, which enhance contact with the road surface and improve drainage by ensuring uniform contact pressure distribution and efficient water removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the tread pattern is designed to improve snow traction, then on-ice performance is improved, but water removing performance and draining performance may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The circumferential main grooves are divided into multiple segments (first circumferential main groove and second circumferential main groove) with different functions. The first groove prioritizes snow traction by having a smaller groove width, while the second groove prioritizes water drainage by having a larger groove width. This segmentation allows each segment to specialize in one function, resolving the contradiction between snow traction and water drainage performance.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the tread are given different properties: the first circumferential main groove region is optimized for snow traction with smaller groove width, while the second circumferential main groove region is optimized for water drainage with larger groove width. This local differentiation allows the tire to excel at both snow traction and water removal simultaneously without compromising either function.
2Productivity
If the groove width is increased to improve water drainage, then draining performance is improved, but contact pressure distribution and grounding property deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The circumferential main grooves are segmented into first and second grooves with different widths. The first groove has a smaller width (0.8-1.2 times the reference value) to maintain grounding property, while the second groove has a larger width (1.2-1.6 times the reference value) to improve draining performance. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by assigning different groove widths to different drainage needs.
Solution Approach 2:
Different groove widths are applied locally: the first circumferential main groove uses a narrower width to preserve contact pressure distribution, while the second circumferential main groove uses a wider width to enhance water drainage. This local quality differentiation allows the tire to maintain grounding property while improving draining performance in specific regions.
3Reliability
If the groove width is decreased to improve grounding property, then contact pressure distribution is improved, but water removing performance and draining performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The circumferential main grooves are divided into first and second segments with different widths optimized for different functions. The first groove (narrower) handles snow traction and grounding, while the second groove (wider) handles water drainage. This segmentation allows the tire to achieve both good grounding property and water removing performance simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
Different groove widths are applied to different regions: the first circumferential main groove region uses narrower grooves for grounding, while the second circumferential main groove region uses wider grooves for water removal. This local quality approach resolves the contradiction by optimizing each region for its primary function.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A circumferential main groove (31), a circumferential main groove (41), a circumferential main groove (32) and a circumferential main groove (42) of a pneumatic tire (10) include a see-through portion (P) which can be viewed and have the equivalent groove width. A lug groove and a sipe formed in an outside shoulder land portion (110) are inclined in a first predetermined direction with respect to the tire width direction, and a lug groove and a sipe formed in an outside second land portion (120) are inclined in a second predetermined direction. A lug groove formed in a center land portion (300) is inclined in the second predetermined direction, and a sipe formed in the center land portion (300) is inclined in the first predetermined direction. A lug groove formed in an inside second land portion (220) is inclined in a first predetermined direction, and a sipe formed in the inside second land portion (220) is inclined in a second predetermined direction. A lug groove and a sipe formed in an inside shoulder land portion (210) are inclined in a first predetermined direction, and the lug groove formed in the inside second land portion (220) and the lug groove formed in the inside shoulder land portion (210) are formed by offsetting in a tire circumferential direction.