Tire Tread Groove Flexible Blade Water Passage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire tread noise-reducing devices with flexible blades become less effective as the tread wears, due to increased flexural rigidity, which impairs their ability to reduce resonant noise and drain water effectively.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a passage between the flexible blade and the groove bottom, allowing water flow without blade flexion, maintains noise reduction and water drainage efficacy even after significant tread wear, with the passage's length and geometry optimized to ensure minimal flexural rigidity and maximum water flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If flexible blades are used to reduce resonant noise and drain water, then noise reduction effectiveness is improved, but effectiveness diminishes after tread wear due to increased flexural rigidity
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is divided into multiple segments along its length, with each segment having different thickness characteristics. The first portion (near the groove bottom) has smaller thickness to maintain flexibility and low flexural rigidity, while the second portion (near the tread surface) has larger thickness for structural support. This segmentation allows the blade to maintain both flexibility for noise reduction and sufficient strength for durability throughout tread wear.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the blade are given different local properties: the first portion has smaller thickness and lower flexural rigidity to enable effective noise reduction through flexibility, while the second portion has larger thickness and higher flexural rigidity to provide structural support. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between needing flexibility for noise reduction and structural integrity for maintaining effectiveness during tread wear.
2Strength
If blade thickness is increased to maintain structural integrity, then strength is improved, but noise reduction effectiveness deteriorates due to increased flexural rigidity
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is segmented into a first portion with smaller thickness for flexibility and noise reduction, and a second portion with larger thickness for structural support. This segmentation allows the blade to achieve both adequate strength and effective noise reduction by distributing different functional requirements to different segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade exhibits local quality variation where the first portion has smaller thickness optimized for noise reduction flexibility, while the second portion has larger thickness optimized for structural strength. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between strength and noise reduction effectiveness.
3Productivity
If passage is added between blade and groove bottom, then water drainage is improved without blade flexion, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is designed as a flexible thin-walled structure with integrated passages. The flexible nature of the blade allows it to maintain its noise reduction function through flexion, while the integrated passages provide additional water drainage pathways that do not require blade flexion. This combination maintains functionality while adding minimal complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade is designed to perform multiple functions: noise reduction through flexion, water drainage through flexion, and water drainage through fixed passages. By integrating these multiple functions into a single component, the overall device complexity is minimized while achieving improved water drainage capability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces resonant noise and maintains water drainage capabilities throughout tread wear, ensuring noise reduction and water flow without the need for blade flexion, even after 50% tread depth wear, thus addressing the diminishing effectiveness of traditional noise-reducing devices.
Implementation Method 1
it is necessary for this membrane to flex under the action of the water pressure in order to open the cross section of the groove to the flow of the water
Implementation Method 2
the resonant frequency of which depends on the length between the two ends of the pipe and, therefore, on the length of groove in contact with the road surface. This resonance of the air in the grooves has the result of generating, in a vehicle fitted with these tires, a noise
Data Source
AI summary
Tread having a tread surface intended to come into contact with a road surface and comprising at least one groove of width W and of depth P delimited by two walls facing one another, these walls being joined together by a groove bottom, at least one groove comprising at least one closure device for at least partially closing this groove as it passes through the contact patch, each closure device comprising at least one flexible blade of suitable thickness that allows it to flex under the effect of a circulation of liquid, this at least one flexible blade projecting from the bottom of the groove, each flexible blade being delimited by a contact wall intended to come into contact with the road surface and by end walls each facing a wall delimiting the groove and lateral walls, this tread further comprising at least one passage between the bottom of the groove and each blade of the device, this passage being intended to ensure a minimal flow of water when driving on a water-covered road surface.