Pneumatic Tire Shoulder Land Dimples for Wear Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pneumatic tires experience irregular wear at the shoulder land portion due to uneven ground pressure distribution, which existing methods fail to adequately address, leading to increased wear and potential stone drilling issues.
Innovation Solution
A pneumatic tire design featuring a narrow groove with dimples arranged in a staggered manner along the tire circumferential direction on the groove wall, overlapping each other in the depth direction, to reduce the rigidity of the shoulder land portion and promote uniform ground pressure, while maintaining a flat groove wall to prevent stone retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a narrow groove is formed in the groove wall to reduce rigidity of the shoulder land portion, then irregular wear is suppressed, but a step is generated on the tread surface which is not preferable
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies the porous materials principle by forming dimples (concave portions) in the groove wall to create a porous-like structure. This reduces the rigidity of the shoulder land portion to suppress irregular wear, while the dimples are designed to be small and distributed to minimize their visual impact and prevent significant step formation on the tread surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies the local quality principle by localizing the rigidity reduction to specific areas through dimples formed in the groove wall. The dimples are positioned in the inner side in the tire width direction of the narrow groove, affecting only the local rigidity where needed to prevent irregular wear, while maintaining the overall smooth appearance of the tread surface.
2Reliability
If concave portions are formed in the groove wall to suppress rigidity of the rib end portion, then irregular wear resistance is improved, but ground pressure becomes uneven in the circumferential direction
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies the asymmetry principle by arranging the dimples asymmetrically in the groove wall, specifically positioning them in the inner side in the tire width direction. This asymmetric arrangement creates a gradual transition in rigidity reduction that promotes more uniform ground pressure distribution in the circumferential direction, unlike symmetric arrangements that create pressure concentrations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies the another dimension principle by considering the three-dimensional arrangement of dimples in the groove wall. The dimples are positioned at specific depths and lateral positions, creating a spatial distribution that balances rigidity reduction with ground pressure uniformity across the circumferential direction.
3Reliability
If the groove wall is made flat to prevent stone retention, then stone drilling resistance is improved, but rigidity reduction effect is weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies the porous materials principle by forming dimples in the groove wall, creating a textured surface that reduces rigidity to suppress irregular wear. The flat portions between the dimples prevent stone retention and drilling, while the dimples themselves provide the necessary rigidity reduction effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies the segmentation principle by dividing the groove wall surface into alternating flat portions and dimple portions. The flat portions resist stone retention and drilling, while the dimple portions provide rigidity reduction. This segmented structure allows both functions to coexist without compromising either.
Data Source
AI summary
A pneumatic tire comprises a shoulder land portion extending a tire circumferential direction on a tread surface, and a narrow groove extending in the tire circumferential direction on the shoulder land portion, wherein dimples are arranged in a staggered manner with respect to the tire circumferential direction while overlapping with each other as seen in a depth direction of the narrow groove, on a groove wall in an inner side in a tire width direction of the narrow groove, and a plurality of rows of dimples are formed along the tire circumferential direction.