Pneumatic Tire Tread Block Groove Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing all-season pneumatic tires face challenges in achieving excellent braking performance on wet and snowy road surfaces while maintaining uneven wear resistance, as previous designs either compromise on rigidity or drainage performance.
Innovation Solution
The pneumatic tire design incorporates a combination of main grooves, lug grooves, and auxiliary grooves arranged in specific patterns to enhance snow traction, braking performance, and drainage, while minimizing block rigidity differences and uneven wear through carefully angled and positioned lateral and circumferential grooves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lateral grooves are arranged across the whole width of the land portion with a zigzag shape to improve snow performance, then braking performance on snowy road surfaces is improved, but the rigidity of the land portion decreases and uneven wear resistance performance becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The land portion is segmented into multiple blocks by dividing it with lateral grooves that extend only partially across the width, rather than using continuous zigzag grooves across the entire width. This segmentation creates smaller blocks that can flex independently, improving snow braking performance while maintaining overall structural integrity and rigidity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the tread are given different groove configurations - the lateral grooves are strategically positioned to provide flexibility where needed for snow performance, while other regions maintain higher rigidity for wear resistance. The groove depth, width, and orientation are locally optimized to balance conflicting requirements in different zones of the tire contact patch.
Data Source
AI summary
A pneumatic tire includes a first block formed by first lug grooves defining a first land portion that is defined by a first main groove and a second main groove. The first block includes: a first circumferential narrow groove extending in the tire circumferential direction with at least one end communicating with one of the first lug grooves, a set of two lateral narrow grooves extending in the tire width direction with one end communicating with the first main groove, a first lateral auxiliary groove extending in the tire width direction with a first end communicating with the second main groove and a second end communicating with the first circumferential narrow groove, the second end of the first lateral auxiliary groove being disposed at a position in the tire circumferential direction between end portions of the set of first lateral narrow grooves proximal to the first circumferential narrow groove.