Pneumatic Tire Sidewall Protrusions for Soft Surface Traction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pneumatic tires face challenges in maintaining traction performance on soft road surfaces such as snowy and sandy roads, where existing designs fail to adequately improve traction and durability.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates protruding portions on the sidewalls with a base surface and recessed areas, featuring a step configuration to increase surface area and distribute load, allowing for enhanced traction and deformation on soft surfaces, while preventing snow and sand retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If protruding portions are added to sidewall portions, then traction performance on soft road surfaces is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sidewall surface is segmented into multiple functional zones: base surface, first protruding portions (with steps), second protruding portions, and recessed portions. This segmentation allows each zone to perform specific functions - the stepped first protruding portions provide traction while the recessed portions prevent debris retention, resolving the contradiction between improved traction and structural simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the sidewall are given different local qualities through varied protruding portion configurations. The first protruding portions have step structures with specific height differences for traction, while second protruding portions have different dimensions and arrangements. This local differentiation optimizes traction performance in specific areas without uniformly complicating the entire sidewall structure
2Reliability
If the cross-sectional area of protruding portions is increased towards the bottom of recessed portions, then traction performance is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protruding portions are designed with dynamic characteristics - the stepped configuration allows the portions to deform and adapt to soft road surfaces during operation. The varying cross-sectional area provides structural flexibility, allowing the tire sidewall to dynamically conform to terrain variations while maintaining traction, thereby reducing the need for extremely high manufacturing precision
Data Source
AI summary
A pneumatic tire has a pair of sidewall portions. An outer surface in a tire axial direction of at least one of the sidewall portions includes a base surface, at least one first protruding portion protruding more outward in the tire axial direction than the base surface, and a recessed portion extending on the base surface around the first protruding portion such that the first protruding portion is spaced apart from the base surface. The first protruding portion includes a first surface having a first protruding amount with respect to the base surface, and a second surface having a second protruding amount different from the first protruding amount with respect to the base surface, and the first surface and the second surface are connected so as to form a step.