Pneumatic Tire Tread Block Segmentation for Wear and Cut Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Pneumatic tires designed for unpaved roads face challenges in balancing wear resistance on paved roads and cut resistance on unpaved roads, as large groove areas in shoulder and side regions lead to poor cut resistance and decreased wear resistance.

Innovation Solution

A pneumatic tire design featuring a complex block structure with narrow and wide outer blocks, side blocks, and varying groove widths, along with a platform and raised bottom portions, which enhances traction, wear resistance, and cut resistance by optimizing the tread and side region geometry.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If blocks are formed in the shoulder regions and side regions to improve traveling performance on unpaved roads, then traction performance is improved, but cut resistance and wear resistance deteriorate due to increased groove area

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetraveling performance on unpaved roadsVSAvoidcut resistance and wear resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The outer block is segmented into narrow outer block and wide outer block with different outer end positions, creating a stepped configuration that reduces groove area while maintaining traction edges for improved cut resistance and wear resistance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different blocks are designed with different properties: outer blocks have varied outer end positions to reduce groove exposure, side blocks have different projection areas (large and small blocks), and groove widths vary at different positions, optimizing both traction and resistance locally

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If a large groove area is provided to prevent groove blocking and improve traveling performance on unpaved roads, then discharge performance is improved, but wear resistance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetraveling performance on unpaved roadsVSAvoidwear resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The groove structure is segmented with varying widths (wide portions and narrow portions) at different positions, and the outer block is divided into narrow and wide sections, reducing overall groove area while maintaining discharge pathways for improved wear resistance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of providing uniformly wide grooves to prevent blocking, the invention uses narrow groove sections combined with stepped block configurations that maintain discharge performance while reducing the total groove area exposed to wear

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS11613145B2Pneumatic tire

Publication Date: 2023.03.28 THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO LTD

AI summary

In a pneumatic tire having a point-symmetric structure block pattern, narrow and wide outer blocks having different outer end positions in the lateral direction are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction. Among side blocks provided in a side region, large and small blocks are disposed respectively on the outer sides of the narrow and wide outer blocks in the lateral direction. The lateral and side grooves are continuous such that the groove width of the side groove connected to the wide portion of the lateral groove where the outer block converges toward the inner side in the radial direction, and the groove width of the side portion connected to the narrow portion of the lateral groove where the outer block widens toward the inner side in the radial direction, and the side block is tapered with an inner portion block width in the radial direction converges toward the wide portion.