Pneumatic Tire Block Rigidity and Sipe Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pneumatic tires face a trade-off between wear resistance and on-icy-road performance, where sipes improve traction on icy roads but reduce block rigidity, leading to deteriorated wear resistance, especially in heavy-duty tires.
Innovation Solution
The tire features axially innermost and outer blocks with specific longitudinal block rigidity ratios, varying sipe depths, and groove configurations to maintain high on-icy-road performance while enhancing wear resistance by ensuring even wear across block directions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sipes are provided for each block in the tread portion to improve on-icy-road performance, then the frictional force on icy roads is increased, but the rigidity of the siped block becomes low and wear resistance performance is deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating sipe configurations between innermost blocks and outer blocks. Innermost blocks have sipes with specific depth and spacing optimized for icy road traction, while outer blocks have adjusted sipe parameters to maintain higher rigidity. This localized differentiation allows each region to have properties optimized for its specific functional requirements, resolving the contradiction between on-icy-road performance and wear resistance.
2Force
If sipe depth and number are increased to improve icy road traction, then frictional force is enhanced, but block rigidity decreases leading to excessive wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs parameter changes by systematically varying sipe depth, sipe spacing, and sipe orientation across different block positions in the tread. Innermost blocks feature deeper and more numerous sipes to maximize frictional force on icy roads, while outer blocks have shallower and more sparsely distributed sipes to preserve block rigidity and extend service life. This graduated parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction between generating sufficient frictional force and maintaining durability.
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 solution effectively improves wear resistance while maintaining high on-icy-road performance by balancing block rigidity and wear distribution, reducing slippage and wear energy, and supporting each other's deformation to prevent excessive wear.
Implementation Method 1
by the scratching effect of the edges of the sipes, the frictional force of the tire on icy roads is increased
Data Source
AI summary
A pneumatic tire 1 is provided in the tread portion 2 with blocks each provided with sipes 9 extending across the entire axial width of the block. The blocks include axially innermost first blocks 3 each having a longitudinal block rigidity (G), and axially outer blocks 4 each having a longitudinal block rigidity (G). The longitudinal block rigidity (G) of the axially innermost first blocks 3 is 90% to 110% of the longitudinal block rigidity (G) of the axially outer blocks 4.