Tire Spike Constriction Geometry for Reduced Road Wear

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional spike designs for pneumatic vehicle tires have a large and heavy base flange to ensure good anchoring, leading to increased road wear and material usage, as they often lack optimal rubber coverage and embedding in the tread material.

Innovation Solution

A spike design with a constriction between the upper and base flange featuring a concave outer surface and a smaller outer diameter in the middle, providing a larger rubber contact surface, allowing for a smaller and lighter base flange with enhanced embedding in the tread material, reducing road wear and material usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a large base flange is used to ensure good anchoring in the tread, then the embedding in rubber material is improved, but the spike weight increases leading to higher road wear

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveembedding in treadVSAvoidspike weight
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The constriction is designed with a concave curved outer surface that follows a circular arc, creating a rounded transition between the upper flange and base flange. This curvature concentrates stress and improves embedding in the rubber tread while allowing a smaller base flange diameter, thereby reducing spike weight and road wear.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention optimizes specific geometric parameters of the constriction: height between 23-35% of total spike body height, minimum outer diameter of 3.0-4.2 mm at the center, and concave curvature radius of 1.0-1.7 mm. These parameter changes achieve optimal rubber coverage and anchoring strength with reduced material usage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Force

If a large base flange is used to provide sufficient rubber coverage, then the anchoring force is improved, but the material usage and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveholding forceVSAvoidmaterial usage
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The concave curved surface of the constriction with radius 1.0-1.7 mm creates an optimized stress distribution in the rubber material, maximizing holding force with minimal base flange material. The curved geometry provides superior rubber coverage compared to flat or straight transitions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The constriction features localized geometric variations including the concave curved section and rounded transitions that concentrate anchoring forces where needed in the rubber tread, allowing the base flange to be smaller overall while maintaining sufficient local rubber coverage for strong anchoring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Stability of the object's composition

If a heavy base flange is used to ensure stable anchoring, then the spike stability is improved, but the vertical force on the road increases causing more road wear

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespike stabilityVSAvoidroad wear
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The rounded concave constriction with circular arc geometry provides stable anchoring in the rubber tread through optimized stress distribution, eliminating the need for excessive base flange mass. This curvature design maintains spike stability while minimizing the vertical force transmitted to the road surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

By optimizing the constriction height (23-35% of total height) and minimum diameter (3.0-4.2 mm), the invention achieves stable spike anchoring with significantly reduced base flange mass, thereby decreasing the vertical force that causes road wear and fine dust formation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3741584B1Spike
Publication Date: 2022.04.06 CONTINENTAL REIFEN DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
  • EP3741584B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3

AI summary

A spike for anchoring in a spike hole of a tire tread, comprising a rotationally symmetrical spike body (1) held in the spike hole and a spike pin (5) inserted and anchored in the spike body (1), wherein the spike body (1) consists of a top flange (2), a base flange (3), and a constriction (4) located between the top flange (2) and the base flange (3). The constriction (4) has a height (HE) that is 23% to 35% of the height (H) of the spike body (1), is surrounded and bounded by an overall concave outer surface (4a), and has its smallest outer diameter (DE) at its center, which is 3.0 mm to 4.2 mm.