Pneumatic Tire Shoulder Tread for Adaptive Snow Traction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pneumatic vehicle tires do not effectively enhance traction performance in a flexible and efficient manner, particularly on soft surfaces like snow or slush, as the traction edges in the 'off-shoulder' region are only activated under rare conditions.
Innovation Solution
The tire design includes shoulder portions with blocks and grooves/sipes that extend in the direction of the side walls, allowing for an additional contact surface when needed, which increases the ground contact width and engages traction edges within the contact surface, especially on soft surfaces, by adjusting rim width and internal pressure for different operating states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the tread has profile blocks extending beyond the ground contact surface into the shoulder region, then traction edges are available for soft surfaces, but these traction edges are only activated under rare and specific conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The tire design allows the contact patch to dynamically change its configuration between two operating states. By adjusting rim width and internal pressure, the tire transitions from a first contact surface (normal conditions) to a second contact surface (soft surface conditions) that includes the shoulder portions. This dynamic adaptability ensures traction edges are available when needed without compromising normal road performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes parameter changes in rim width and internal pressure to control the contact patch geometry. Narrower rims and lower pressures allow the shoulder portions with profiling to contact the ground, activating traction edges. Wider rims and higher pressures maintain the traditional contact patch shape for normal conditions. This parameter-based control enables flexible adaptation to different operating conditions.
2Area of stationary object
If the ground contact surface is widened to include shoulder portions, then more traction edges are engaged, but the tire structure and operating conditions must be adjusted
Solution Approach 1:
The shoulder portions of the tire are designed with dual functionality: they serve as cosmetic and structural elements in the first operating state, and as active traction elements in the second operating state. The same profiling features that define the tire's appearance and structural integrity also provide traction edges when the contact patch expands to include the shoulder regions. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate traction features.
3Reliability
If profiling is optimized for traction in shoulder portions, then traction performance improves on soft surfaces, but the profiling is ineffective in normal operating conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The shoulder portions are pre-equipped with profiling features (grooves, sipes, blocks) during manufacturing, but these features remain dormant during normal operation. When soft surface conditions are detected or anticipated, the driver adjusts rim width and pressure to activate the shoulder portions, bringing the pre-prepared profiling features into contact with the ground. This preliminary preparation ensures immediate traction enhancement when needed without affecting normal road performance.
Data Source
AI summary
Pneumatic vehicle tire having a profiled tread (3), side walls (5) and rounded tire shoulders, wherein, when the tire is mounted on a rim, the tread (3) has, in a first operating state with no load, a first contact surface and outside of the contact surface has profiled shoulder portions (4) extending in the direction of the side walls (5). The shoulder portions (4) have blocks (8a, 8b), between which grooves (9a, 9b) extending in the direction of the side walls (5) are provided and which are provided with sipes (11, 12, 13) and/or grooves extending in the direction of the side walls (5), wherein, in at least one further operating state of the tire mounted on the rim, the tire has a further contact surface, which is wider than the first contact surface and at least partially includes the shoulder portions (4) and the profiling thereof.