Pneumatic Tire Groove Segmentation for Traction and Stability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pneumatic tires face challenges in steering stability on dry conditions, wet grip performance, and on-snow performance, with existing designs not achieving a balanced improvement across these aspects.
Innovation Solution
The tire features a tread portion with inclined main grooves that extend beyond the tire equator, having an outer portion that increases in angle relative to the axial direction and an inner portion that traverses the equator at a smaller angle, along with lug grooves and inclined land portions, which enhance traction, drainage, and lateral rigidity, thereby improving steering stability and wet grip performance while maintaining good on-snow performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If inclined main grooves extend from tread edge to tire equator with increasing angle, then on-snow performance is improved, but steering stability on dry condition deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The main groove is segmented into three distinct portions: an outer portion extending from the tread edge to the tire equator with increasing angle (15-65 degrees) for snow performance, an intermediate portion at the tire equator with smaller angle (5-15 degrees) for steering stability, and an inner portion extending inward with moderate angle (15-25 degrees) for balanced performance. This segmentation allows each portion to optimize for its specific function.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the main groove are given different local characteristics through varying angles relative to the axial direction. The outer portion has a steeper angle for snow traction, the intermediate portion has a shallower angle for steering stability at the equator, and the inner portion has a moderate angle for overall balance, creating local optimization throughout the groove structure.
2Reliability
If inclined main grooves increase angle relative to axial direction, then wet grip performance is improved, but steering stability on dry condition deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The main groove is divided into portions with different angles to simultaneously achieve wet grip and steering stability. The outer portion (15-65 degrees) and inner portion (15-25 degrees) provide adequate angle for water evacuation and grip, while the intermediate portion at the equator (5-15 degrees) maintains steering stability by reducing excessive angle at the critical equatorial region.
3Force
If main groove traverses tire equator at larger angle, then traction is improved, but lateral rigidity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The groove angle is locally optimized at the tire equator by creating an intermediate portion with a smaller angle (5-15 degrees) relative to the axial direction. This local reduction in angle at the equatorial region preserves lateral rigidity while the outer and inner portions maintain larger angles to provide sufficient traction through effective water and snow evacuation.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A pneumatic tire includes a tread portion being provided with a plurality of inclined main grooves (3A, 3B) extending beyond the tire equator from one of a first tread edge (Te) and a second tread edge and terminating without reaching the other one of the first tread edge and the second tread edge; each of the inclined main grooves (3A, 3B) includes an outer portion (6A, 6B) and an inner portion (7A, 7B); the outer portion (6A, 6B) extends from the first tread edge or the second tread edge without reaching the tire equator while increasing an angle relative to an axial direction of the tire; the inner portion (7A, 7B) is connected to the outer portion and traverses the tire equator at a smaller angle relative to the axial direction of the tire than the angle of the outer portion.