Tire Narrow Groove Profile for Wear Life and Cut Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Narrow groove widths in tire treads lead to increased cut separation between the tread rubber and the belt, which can reduce the total life of the tire.
Innovation Solution
The tire features a widthwise narrow groove with a center-side narrow groove portion and a shoulder-side narrow groove portion, designed with specific cross-sectional shapes to absorb crushing deformation and reduce shear strain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If narrower groove widths are provided in the tread portion to increase rubber volume and improve wear life, then wear life is improved, but cut separation between the tread rubber and the belt increases
Solution Approach 1:
The groove cross-section is designed with non-uniform width distribution: a narrow section at the opening, a tapered section transitioning to wider width, and a wide straight section at the groove bottom. This local variation in groove geometry allows the groove to provide enhanced support and reduce shear strain at critical locations (groove bottom and walls) while maintaining overall narrow groove width to preserve tread rubber volume and wear life.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove cross-sectional parameters are specifically optimized: the narrow section has a smaller width to maintain rubber volume, the tapered section provides gradual transition, and the wide straight section has a larger width to suppress cut separation. The arc-shaped groove bottom with specific radius further optimizes stress distribution. These parameter changes enable the groove to simultaneously achieve wear life improvement and cut separation suppression.
2Reliability
If the groove width is increased to suppress cut separation, then cut separation is suppressed, but the rubber volume in the tread portion decreases and wear life is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing groove width uniformly in the tread portion (which would reduce rubber volume), the invention creates depth-wise variation in groove width through the cross-sectional design. The narrow section at the opening maintains small width to preserve rubber volume, while the wide straight section at the groove bottom provides large width to suppress cut separation. This dimensional variation in the groove cross-section resolves the contradiction between wear life and cut separation resistance.
Data Source
AI summary
The tire 10 comprises a widthwise narrow groove 8. The center-side narrow groove portion 8a is formed, from groove opening side to groove bottom side, in a shape of a continuous series of: a narrow section 8au including the groove opening; a tapered section 8at where the groove width increases toward the groove bottom; a wide straight section 8as extending in the groove depth direction with a constant groove width and having a groove width greater than that of the narrow section; and an arc-shaped section 8ab including the groove bottom, and the shoulder-side narrow groove portion 8b is formed, from groove opening side to groove bottom side, in a shape of a continuous series of: a narrow section 8bu including the groove opening; a tapered section 8bt where the groove width increases toward the groove bottom; and an arc-shaped section 8bb including the groove bottom.