Tire Tread Blocks with Continuous Side Wall Angle Variation

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing tire tread designs with inclined rubber blocks for directional tires result in non-uniform wear profiles, leading to premature wear in certain areas and affecting grip performance on wet and dry surfaces.

Innovation Solution

A tire tread design featuring blocks with side walls that have a continuous evolution of angle inclination following a Gaussian curve, optimizing wear distribution and water evacuation, while allowing for adjustable angle ranges to enhance grip on various road conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If blocks have inclined side walls with different angles depending on distance from tread center, then water evacuation capability is improved, but wear uniformity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater evacuation capabilityVSAvoidwear uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by varying the angle of inclination of block side walls according to their position in the tread. Blocks at different distances from the tread center have different inclination angles, optimized for their specific location. This allows each local region to have optimal water evacuation capability while maintaining overall wear uniformity across the entire tread pattern.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the geometric parameter of block side wall inclination angles systematically. By adjusting the angle parameter based on position (with maximum angle at tread center and decreasing toward edges), the design optimizes both water evacuation performance and wear distribution characteristics across different tread regions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If transverse groove sections are enlarged toward tread edges through inclined side walls, then water evacuation is improved, but edge block wear increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater evacuationVSAvoidedge block wear
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements local quality by giving different inclination angles to side walls of blocks at different positions. Edge blocks have smaller inclination angles compared to central blocks, which reduces the enlargement effect at edges and consequently reduces wear in these vulnerable regions while preserving water evacuation capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Object-affected harmful factors

If blocks have inclined side walls for directional tread pattern, then grip capacity on wet surface is improved, but non-uniform wear profile emerges

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegrip capacity on wet surfaceVSAvoidwear profile uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent systematically varies the inclination angle parameter of block side walls based on their position in the tread pattern. This parameter change strategy maintains the directional grip capability on wet surfaces while distributing wear more uniformly across the tread by reducing excessive inclination angles at edge positions where wear is typically accelerated.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3377340B1Tire comprising a block with a tilted side wall
Publication Date: 2020.07.01 MICHELIN & CO (CIE GEN DES ESTAB MICHELIN)
  • EP3377340B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3377340B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3377340B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a rubber material tire including a tread (1) having a width W and delimited by at least one edge (3). The tread comprises a plurality of blocks (5). Each block is delimited by at least one side wall (7) extending mainly in an axial direction Y towards the edge (3). The side wall (7) has, in said axial direction Y, a length L, with L greater than 35% of the width W of the tread. The side wall also has an angle (a) of tilt in relation to a radial direction (Z). Said tilt angle (a) varies along the axial direction Y, said variation being continuous.