Tire Tread Block Convex Portion for Snow Traction and Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tires designed for icy/snowy roads often exhibit poor noise performance on dry road surfaces due to large lateral grooves, which generate pumping sounds.
Innovation Solution
A tire design featuring a tread portion with lateral grooves and blocks, where at least one block has a convex portion protruding towards adjacent grooves and a sipe pair with gaps, arranged to compress snow effectively on icy surfaces while minimizing air flow and noise on dry roads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If widths of lateral grooves are set relatively large to improve traction performance on snowy roads, then on-ice/on-snow performance is improved, but pumping sound generated during running on dry road surface increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a convex portion at the center of the lateral block wall that locally modifies the groove structure. This convex portion protrudes into the lateral groove to compress snow effectively (improving traction) while the gap arrangement in the convex portion projection area disrupts air flow (reducing pumping sound). This localized modification resolves the contradiction between snow traction and noise reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the lateral groove space by introducing a convex portion that creates a gap structure within the groove. The sipe pair consisting of first and second lateral sipes with a gap between them further segments the structure. This segmentation allows the groove to maintain snow compression capability while disrupting continuous air flow paths, thereby reducing pumping sound on dry roads.
2Reliability
If lateral grooves are designed to compress snow effectively, then on-ice/on-snow performance is improved, but block rigidity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The convex portion is positioned specifically at the center of the lateral block wall in the tire axial direction, creating a localized snow compression zone. This local modification provides effective snow compression while maintaining the overall rigidity of the block structure, as only a portion of the block wall is modified rather than the entire structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The convex portion and gap structure are pre-configured in the block design to prepare for snow compression before the tire actually encounters snow. This preliminary structural arrangement ensures that when snow enters the groove, the convex portion is already positioned to compress it effectively, while the block's overall rigidity is maintained through the careful design of the gap dimensions (1-10% of block width).
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 tire achieves excellent on-ice/on-snow performance and reduced noise on dry roads by compressing snow and disturbing air flow, maintaining block rigidity and steering stability.
Implementation Method 1
the first lateral block wall has, at a center portion thereof in the tire axial direction, a convex portion partly protruding toward the one of the adjacent lateral grooves
Implementation Method 2
the gap is arranged in a convex portion projection area obtained by extending the convex portion along a tire circumferential direction
Data Source
AI summary
A tire comprises a tread portion 2. The tread portion 2 comprises a plurality of lateral grooves 8 extending in a tire axial direction and blocks 9 divided by the lateral grooves 8. At least one of the blocks 9 includes a first lateral block wall 16 positioned on a side of one of the lateral grooves 8 adjacent thereto and a sipe pair 22 consisting of a first lateral sipe 23 and a second lateral sipe 24 adjacent to each other in the tire axial direction with a gap 25 therebetween. The first lateral block wall 16 has, at a center portion thereof in the tire axial direction, a convex portion 20 partly protruding toward the one of the lateral grooves 8. The gap 25 is arranged in a convex portion projection area 26 obtained by extending the convex portion 20 along a tire circumferential direction.