Pneumatic Tire Fine Cut Stiffness Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tire tread designs experience a significant change in profile stiffness over the service life, particularly in winter or all-season tires, leading to unbalanced performance on snow and dry roads as the tread depth decreases.
Innovation Solution
The tire features fine incisions with a material connection extending from the tread periphery at least 1 mm above the base, divided into three sections along its length, which maintains constant stiffness by adjusting the connection length with tread depth, ensuring balanced performance throughout the tire's life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fine incisions are made in profile elements to improve snow adhesion, then snow/snow friction increases, but profile element stiffness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The fine incision is segmented by a material connection that divides the incision into three sections along its longitudinal extension. This segmentation allows the incision to provide snow adhesion benefits while the material connection maintains profile element stiffness by providing structural support within the incision path.
Solution Approach 2:
The material connection is positioned specifically in the central area of the fine incision's longitudinal extension, creating local structural reinforcement. This local quality approach allows the incision to function for snow adhesion at the tread surface while the central connection maintains stiffness where structurally critical.
2Reliability
If fine incisions traverse the entire tread element to maximize snow contact, then snow adhesion improves, but profile element stiffness decreases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than allowing the fine incision to completely traverse the tread element, the invention segments the incision path by introducing a material connection in the central area. This partial segmentation maintains the snow adhesion benefits of the incision while preventing complete structural compromise of the profile element.
3Duration of action of moving object
If tread depth decreases during service life, then tire wear progresses normally, but profile element stiffness increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The material connection is pre-positioned in the central area of the fine incision before the tire enters service. This preliminary structural reinforcement counteracts the natural stiffness increase that would occur during tread wear, maintaining more consistent profile element stiffness throughout the tire's service life.
4Reliability
If more fine incisions are added to profile elements to enhance snow performance, then snow adhesion improves, but profile element stiffness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The material connection segments the fine incision structure, allowing multiple incisions to be added to profile elements while maintaining overall structural integrity. The connection acts as an internal reinforcement that permits increased incision density for improved snow adhesion without proportionally reducing profile element stiffness.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
AI summary
Vehicle pneumatic tire with a tread having profile elements (1), wherein at least one profile element (1) is provided with a fine cut (2), wherein the fine cut (2) has a longitudinal extent with a defined length (10) which is measured between the two edges (5) of the fine cut (2) and wherein the fine cut (2) extends over its depth extent in radial direction (r) from the tread periphery (4) into the interior of the profile element (3) to the base of the fine cut (6);To ensure uniformity of profile stiffness over the service life of the vehicle tire, the fine groove (2) has a connection (7) to the rubber material surrounding the fine groove (2) in the central region of its longitudinal extent, wherein this connection (7) extends from the tread periphery (4) to a depth which is at least 1 mm above the base of the fine groove and wherein the length of the connection (8) decreases over its depth extent.