Heavy Duty Tire Center Block Grooves for Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heavy duty tires with center blocks for improved wear and cut resistance face challenges in heat resistance due to increased block volume, and attempts to enhance heat resistance through circumferential grooves can lead to stone lodging issues.
Innovation Solution
A heavy duty pneumatic tire design featuring center lug grooves, shoulder lug grooves, and circumferential primary and secondary grooves with specific geometries and orientations to enhance heat dissipation while preventing stone lodging, including curved and bent groove turning portions and raised bottom portions in the circumferential primary grooves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the contact area of center blocks is increased to improve wear resistance and cut resistance, then wear resistance and cut resistance are improved, but block volume increases and heat resistance is lessened
Solution Approach 1:
The center block region is segmented by circumferential grooves that divide it into multiple smaller blocks. This segmentation reduces the volume of each individual block while maintaining the overall contact area, thereby improving heat dissipation without sacrificing wear resistance and cut resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the tread are given different properties: the center blocks are designed with specific groove patterns for heat dissipation, while the shoulder regions have different groove configurations for traction. This local differentiation allows each region to optimize its function without compromising overall performance.
2Temperature
If circumferential grooves are provided in center block regions to enhance heat resistance, then heat resistance is enhanced, but stones are readily lodged in the groove especially in traveling off-road
Solution Approach 1:
The grooves are designed with specific parameter ranges: depth of 2-10mm and width of 10-25mm. These optimized dimensions allow sufficient heat dissipation while preventing stone lodging by maintaining appropriate proportions between groove depth and width.
Solution Approach 2:
The grooves feature curved bottom surfaces rather than sharp corners. This curvature prevents stones from easily lodging in the grooves while maintaining effective heat dissipation pathways through the center block regions.
3Reliability
If deep lateral grooves are provided to improve wet performance and traction, then wet performance and traction are improved, but heat dissipation is reduced due to larger groove volume
Solution Approach 1:
Lateral grooves are positioned specifically in the shoulder regions where they are needed for wet performance and traction. The center block regions maintain different groove characteristics optimized for heat dissipation. This spatial differentiation allows each region to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a heavy duty pneumatic tire that includes a tread portion including, in a tread pattern: shoulder lug grooves extending outward in the tire width direction and opening at ground contact edges; a pair of circumferential primary grooves; center lug grooves; center blocks defined by the center lug grooves and the pair of circumferential primary grooves and aligned in the tire circumferential direction; and circumferential secondary grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction in the center block regions and opening to the center lug grooves adjoining the center blocks. The circumferential secondary grooves extend in the tire circumferential direction while changing positions in the tire width direction and each include third groove turning portions formed into a bent shape or a curved shape. The ratio P4/P1 of the width P4 of the circumferential secondary grooves to the width P1 of the circumferential primary grooves is from 0.70 to 1.10.