Tire Mold Segment Sipe Width Layout for Wear and Noise Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire mold segments experience irregular tread wear and harmonic noise due to the reduction of sipe blade height at mold segment ends, leading to damaged and shear-off sipe blades, which compromises the durability and performance of high-density sipe tread patterns.
Innovation Solution
The use of tire mold segments with selective sipe forming protrusions of increased width at or near mold segment end faces, providing enhanced structural integrity and durability while maintaining high-density sipe tread designs by ensuring sipes at full depth and reducing irregular wear and noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If sipe blade height is reduced at mold segment ends, then sipe blade durability is improved, but sipe depth is reduced causing irregular tread wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making sipe forming protrusions at mold segment ends wider than those at other locations. This localized dimensional change provides enhanced structural support specifically where blades are most vulnerable to damage, while maintaining standard blade dimensions in other areas. The wider protrusions create fuller sipes at segment ends, ensuring consistent sipe depth across the entire tread surface and preventing irregular wear patterns.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If sipe blade height is reduced at mold segment ends, then sipe blade durability is improved, but tread wear uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making sipe forming protrusions at mold segment ends wider than those at other locations. This localized dimensional change provides enhanced structural support specifically where blades are most vulnerable to damage, while maintaining standard blade dimensions in other areas. The wider protrusions create fuller sipes at segment ends, ensuring consistent sipe depth across the entire tread surface and preventing irregular wear patterns.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If sipe blade height is reduced at mold segment ends, then sipe blade durability is improved, but harmonic noise increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making sipe forming protrusions at mold segment ends wider than those at other locations. This localized dimensional change provides enhanced structural support specifically where blades are most vulnerable to damage, while maintaining standard blade dimensions in other areas. The wider protrusions create fuller sipes at segment ends, ensuring consistent sipe depth across the entire tread surface and preventing irregular wear patterns.
4Reliability
If sipe density is increased, then gripping performance is improved, but sipe blade structural integrity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making sipe forming protrusions at mold segment ends wider than those at other locations. This localized dimensional change provides enhanced structural support specifically where blades are most vulnerable to damage, while maintaining standard blade dimensions in other areas. The wider protrusions create fuller sipes at segment ends, ensuring consistent sipe depth across the entire tread surface and preventing irregular wear patterns.
Data Source
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AI summary
A tire mold segment containing a mold surface with a plurality of groove forming and sipe forming protrusions arranged to form tread portions of tires. At the end faces of the tire mold segment, the portion of sipe forming protrusions with an end that terminates at or near the mold segment end face have an increased width to provide a countermeasure against irregular tread wear and tire noise. The sipe forming protrusions having an end that terminates at or near a tire mold segment end face have a width of about 0.7 mm or more. The remaining sipe forming protrusions positioned on the tire mold segment can a reduced thickness to accommodate high sipe density tread designs.