Pneumatic Tire Shoulder Holes with Internal Projections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pneumatic tires with small holes in the shoulder region to reduce road noise often suffer from stone retention, leading to tread damage and durability issues.
Innovation Solution
The tire features lug grooves with variable pitch and small holes in land portions, where projections with a flat or convex upper end are formed inside the holes, positioned lower than the opening, to prevent stone retention while maintaining reduced tread stiffness for noise reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If many small holes are provided in the shoulder region to reduce road noise, then vibration absorption performance is improved, but stone retention occurs and durability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The small hole is segmented into multiple parts: the hole body and an internal projection structure. This segmentation allows the hole to maintain its vibration absorption function while the projection prevents stone retention, resolving the contradiction between noise reduction and durability
Solution Approach 2:
A projection structure is introduced as an intermediary element inside the small hole. This projection acts as a mediator that prevents stones from contacting and clogging the hole while maintaining the hole's openness for vibration absorption, thus protecting durability without sacrificing noise reduction performance
2Object-affected harmful factors
If small holes are provided to reduce tread stiffness and road noise, then road noise is suppressed, but stones are retained in the holes causing tread damage
Solution Approach 1:
The projection is preliminarily positioned inside the small hole to create a barrier against stone entry. This preliminary protective structure prevents stones from reaching and clogging the hole before damage can occur, counteracting the harmful effect of stone retention while maintaining noise suppression
3Duration of action of stationary object
If projections are formed inside small holes to prevent stone retention, then durability is improved, but tread stiffness may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The projection is designed with specific local characteristics: a flat or convex upper end surface positioned lower than the hole opening, with controlled dimensions (1-5mm distance from hole wall). This local quality configuration provides stone prevention while minimizing interference with the overall tread stiffness and vibration absorption properties
Data Source
AI summary
A pneumatic tire is provided with a large number of holes that are arranged in the tire's circumferential direction. These holes are provided in land portions that are provided in both shoulder sections of a tread. The land portions can have different pitch lengths. Each of the holes has formed there inside a projection having an upper end with a flat surface or a convex surface. The distance between the outer wall of the projection at the upper end thereof and the inner wall of the hole is set in the range from 1 to 5 mm. The upper end of the projection is located at a position below the opening of the hole.