Tire Tread Block Segmentation for Wear and Ice Grip
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tires face challenges in improving edge effects and uneven wear resistance while maintaining ice/snow performance, with existing solutions compromising between these factors.
Innovation Solution
The tire design incorporates a unique tread pattern with a pair of dividing sipes extending in the tire width direction, featuring separation blocks, step blocks, and adjacent blocks with closed sipes, which enhance rigidity and prevent uneven wear while maintaining ice/snow performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the rigidity of blocks is improved to restrain uneven wear, then uneven wear resistance is improved, but ice/snow performance may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different rigidity characteristics to different blocks: the first and second blocks have higher rigidity to prevent uneven wear, while the third block has lower rigidity to maintain ice/snow performance. This local differentiation allows each block to fulfill its specific function without compromising overall performance
Solution Approach 2:
The tread pattern is segmented into multiple blocks with different rigidity characteristics arranged in a specific pattern. This segmentation allows the tire to simultaneously achieve uneven wear resistance through rigid blocks and ice/snow performance through flexible blocks
2Object-generated harmful factors
If multiple sipes extending in tire width direction are added to increase edge component, then ice/snow performance is improved, but edge effect improvement is difficult and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a step structure that allows blocks to dynamically adjust their position and contact characteristics during tire rotation and deformation. The step blocks create varying contact patterns that enhance edge effects without requiring excessive sipes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a step structure that adds a vertical dimension to the block arrangement, creating height differences between blocks. This dimensional change enables improved edge effects and ice/snow performance without increasing the number of sipes in the horizontal plane
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A generation of an uneven wear in a tire is restrained and an ice/snow performance of the tire is secured, so that the performance of an uneven wear resistance and the ice/snow performance become compatible. Separation blocks 51 located on both sides of a pair of dividing sipes 24 in a tire circumferential direction S and separately formed in the tire circumferential direction S. A step block 52 is divided between the pair of dividing sipes 24 and forms a step to a separation blocks 51 by a treading face 54 located inside in a tire radial direction of treading faces 53 of the separation blocks 51. An adjacent block is adjacent to the separation block 51 and the step block 52 in a tire width direction H across a circumferential groove 12 and is brought into contact with the separation block 51 without being contacted with the step block 52 when being grounded.