Tire Block Bulging Profile for Wet Grip and Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tires experience reduced grip and poor drainage performance due to worn-out outer surfaces of blocks, leading to hydroplaning on wet surfaces and a shorter service life.
Innovation Solution
The tire design features outwardly bulging blocks with specific lateral wall structures and defined reference lines to maintain contact with the ground, ensuring good drainage and grip even when worn, with a vertical distance of 0.2-0.8 mm between the outer surface and the extension line, extending the service life and enhancing safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the outer surfaces of the blocks are made flat to maintain contact with the ground, then the initial grip is good, but the blocks wear down and recess inward over time, reducing grip and drainage performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-shaping the outer surfaces of the blocks with a specific bulging profile (convex curvature) before the tire is used. This pre-designed geometry ensures that even as the block wears down and material is removed, the bulging shape maintains contact with the ground for an extended period, delaying the point at which the block recesses inward and performance degrades.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameter of the block outer surface from a flat configuration to a bulging/convex configuration. This parameter change in the surface profile allows the block to maintain ground contact as wear occurs, since the curved surface progressively flattens rather than immediately recessing, thereby extending service life while maintaining grip performance.
2Reliability
If the blocks are made flat to ensure ground contact, then drainage is initially effective, but worn blocks create recessed portions that trap water and cause hydroplaning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring the block outer surfaces with a bulging profile that anticipates future wear. This pre-designed geometry ensures that water can continuously flow over the block surface into the grooves throughout the tire's service life, preventing water trapping and hydroplaning even as the blocks wear down.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the surface geometry parameter from flat to bulging, which fundamentally alters how water interacts with the block surface during wear. The convex profile ensures water flows downward into grooves throughout the tire's life, whereas a flat surface would create depressions that trap water after wear occurs.
3Ease of manufacture
If the outer surfaces of the blocks are made flat for initial ground contact, then manufacturing is simple, but the contact area reduces as blocks wear, worsening grip
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameter of the block outer surface from flat to bulging/convex. This modification requires slightly more complex manufacturing (molding a curved surface instead of flat), but it dramatically improves reliability by maintaining ground contact area throughout the tire's service life, as the bulging shape progressively wears down while maintaining contact rather than immediately recessing.
Data Source
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AI summary
A tire (200) is disclosed, including a plurality of blocks (46, 46', 50), each has an outer surface (462) bulging outward and two lateral walls (464). An extension line (E) is defined on the surface of each flat segment (464a, 502a) of each block (46, 46', 50). Each extension line (E) has a first point (P1) on the flat segment (464a, 502a). A first horizontal reference line (H1) is defined by connecting two first points (P1). A second horizontal reference line (H2) is defined on the outer surface (462) with two ends thereof contacting the outer surface (462). The second horizontal reference line (H2) is 0.85 times as long as the first horizontal reference line (H1). A vertical distance (D) between the outer surface (462) and the second horizontal reference line (H2) is 0.2-0.8 mm. Whereby, the tire (200) could provide good drainage performance and adequate grip.