Buttress Protector Geometry in Pneumatic Tires for Off-Road Traction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pneumatic tires face challenges in enhancing visibility and appearance performance while maintaining traction performance on rough terrain, such as muddy road surfaces, without compromising other performance metrics like cut resistance and rolling resistance.
Innovation Solution
The pneumatic tire design incorporates a tread portion with a first buttress portion extending inwardly from the tread edge, featuring protectors with distinct angled surfaces (outward-facing, inward-facing, and circumferential portions) that protrude outwardly, optimizing angles to improve visibility and appearance while maintaining traction and cut resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If protectors are made to protrude outwardly with large angles for better visibility and appearance, then appearance performance is improved, but traction performance on rough terrain deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The protectors are designed with different angled portions (outward-facing, inward-facing, and circumferential portions with different angles) to provide different functions in different regions. The outward-facing portions with larger angles improve appearance and visibility, while the inward-facing portions maintain traction performance by engaging with rough terrain. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between appearance and traction performance.
2Illumination intensity
If protectors are made larger and more prominent for better visibility, then visibility is improved, but tire mass increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each protector is segmented into multiple portions (outward-facing, inward-facing, and circumferential portions) with different angles and functions. This segmentation allows the protectors to achieve good visibility through strategic angular design while minimizing overall material usage and mass increase. The segmented structure enables precise control over which portions contribute to visibility versus which portions maintain performance characteristics.
3Shape
If protectors are designed with complex angled surfaces for better appearance, then appearance performance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention achieves complex appearance performance by changing geometric parameters (angles of different portions) rather than complicating the manufacturing process. The protectors are defined by specific angular parameters (outward-facing, inward-facing, and circumferential portions with different angles) that can be controlled during molding. This parameter-based approach allows complex shapes to be manufactured using standard tire molding processes, resolving the contradiction between appearance and manufacturing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A pneumatic tire includes a tread portion having a first tread edge, and a first buttress portion extending inwardly in a tire radial direction from the first tread edge. The first buttress portion is provided with a plurality of protectors protruding outwardly in a tire axial direction. Each of the plurality of protectors includes a top surface facing outwardly in the tire axial direction, and a side surface extending inwardly in the tire axial direction from an edge of the top surface. The side surface includes an outward-facing portion facing outwardly in the tire radial direction, an inward-facing portion facing inwardly in the tire radial direction, and a circumferential portion facing in a tire circumferential direction. The outward-facing portion, the inward-facing portion and the circumferential portion have different angles with respect to respective normal lines of the top surface from each other.