Pneumatic Tire Groove Width Optimization for Wear and Wet Grip
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pneumatic tires face challenges in maintaining wet performance while improving resistance to uneven wear, especially as vehicles have become faster and lighter, leading to increased demands on tire durability.
Innovation Solution
The pneumatic tire design incorporates specific dimensions for the inner and outer main grooves, circumferential direction grooves, side land portions, and shoulder land portions, with optimized groove widths and land portion widths to enhance water expulsion and prevent cracking, thereby improving resistance to uneven wear while maintaining wet performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the groove width of the inner circumferential direction groove is increased to prevent cracking in the groove bottom, then the resistance to uneven wear is improved, but the water expulsion performance may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the groove width M of the inner circumferential direction groove to be 0.020 ≤ M/L ≤ 0.100, where L is the distance from the side wall of the inner main groove to the inner tread surface end. This optimized parameter range prevents cracking in the groove bottom while maintaining adequate water expulsion performance. Additionally, the side land portion width N is controlled within 0.350 ≤ N/L ≤ 0.450 to balance structural integrity and water channeling capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating different structural characteristics in different regions of the tread surface. The inner circumferential direction groove is designed with specific width constraints to prevent cracking in its bottom, while the adjacent side land portion is optimized with controlled width to maintain both rigidity and water expulsion function. This localized optimization allows each region to perform its specific function effectively without compromising the overall tire performance.
2Strength
If the side land portion width is increased to improve rigidity and resistance to uneven wear, then the structural strength is improved, but the groove width available for water expulsion is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction through parameter optimization by controlling the side land portion width N within the range 0.350 ≤ N/L ≤ 0.450. This specific parameter range ensures that the side land portion has sufficient width to provide the necessary rigidity and resistance to uneven wear, while simultaneously leaving adequate space for the groove structure to maintain effective water expulsion performance. The balanced parameter selection prevents both excessive narrowing of water channels and excessive widening that would compromise structural integrity.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A pneumatic tire having a specified mounting direction with respect to a vehicle, the pneumatic tire including: an inner main groove on a vehicle inner side and an outer main groove on a vehicle outer side, which are provided in a tread surface on both sides of a tire equator; and an inner circumferential direction groove that is provided between the inner main groove and an inner tread surface end and that has a smaller groove width than the inner main groove and the outer main groove, wherein an inner side land portion is defined between the inner main groove and the inner circumferential direction groove, and an inner shoulder land portion is defined between the inner circumferential direction groove and the inner tread surface end, and wherein, if L is a distance from an outer side wall of the inner main groove to the inner tread surface end, M is the groove width of the inner circumferential direction groove, and N is a width of the inner side land portion, a value of the groove width M divided by the distance L is in a range of 0.020 to 0.100, and a value of the width N divided by the distance L is in a range of 0.350 to 0.450.