Pneumatic Tire Rib Sipe Segmentation for Wet Grip and Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pneumatic tires face challenges in improving wet performance while maintaining enhanced land portion rigidity in the tire circumferential direction, which affects braking, driving, and wear resistance performance.
Innovation Solution
The tire design incorporates at least two circumferential main grooves with rib-like land portions featuring a circumferential sipe extending in the tire circumferential direction and a both-end closed sipe, where the circumferential sipe is located in the center region and the both-end closed sipe is in the side regions, reducing compression rigidity without excessively decreasing circumferential rigidity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If land portion rigidity in the tire circumferential direction is improved, then braking performance, driving performance, and wear resistance performance are improved, but wet performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rib-like land portion is segmented into different regions (center region and side regions) with different sipe configurations. The center region has a circumferential sipe that extends in the tire circumferential direction, while the side regions have both-end closed sipes, creating localized flexibility variations that improve wet performance without compromising overall structural strength
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the rib-like land portion are given different local properties through selective sipe placement. The center region maintains higher rigidity for structural support, while the side regions incorporate both-end closed sipes to provide localized flexibility for water evacuation, achieving both strength and wet performance
2Reliability
If compression rigidity is reduced to improve wet performance, then road surface followability improves, but circumferential rigidity may be excessively decreased
Solution Approach 1:
The sipe configuration is segmented by region, with circumferential sipes in the center region maintaining circumferential rigidity and both-end closed sipes in the side regions providing compression flexibility. This segmentation allows independent optimization of different rigidity requirements in different areas
Solution Approach 2:
The sipe arrangement is asymmetric with respect to the center region versus side regions. The circumferential sipe in the center region runs parallel to the tire circumferential direction, while the both-end closed sipes in the side regions are positioned to provide compression relief, creating an asymmetric pattern that addresses different functional requirements
Data Source
AI summary
A pneumatic tire comprises, in a tread surface: at least two circumferential main grooves continuously extending in a tire circumferential direction; and at least one rib-like land portion each defined by two adjacent circumferential main grooves from among the at least two circumferential main grooves. The rib-like land portion has: a circumferential sipe including a circumferential sipe portion extending in the tire circumferential direction; and a both-end closed sipe having both ends terminating within the rib-like land portion. When a land portion width of the rib-like land portion is evenly divided by three where a region at a center in a tire width direction is a center region and regions on both sides of the center region in the tire width direction are side regions, the circumferential sipe portion is located only in the center region, and the both-end closed sipe is located in any of the side regions.