Pneumatic Tire Tread Chamfer Overlap for Winter Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Winter tires face a challenge in balancing snow/ice performance and steering stability on dry pavements, as the formation of numerous sipes for improved ice performance decreases the rigidity of the tread portion, affecting stability on dry surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A pneumatic tire design featuring a tread portion with shoulder and crown land regions divided by grooves and sipes, where the edges are chamfered to enhance edge effects, and the overlap of chamfers increases groove width, improving traction and stability without compromising rigidity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large number of sipes are provided in the tread portion to improve ice performance, then snow/ice performance is improved, but the rigidity of the tread portion decreases making it difficult to exhibit excellent steering stability on dry pavements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing sipes selectively in specific regions (crown land and shoulder land) with different configurations. The sipes are concentrated in the crown land region for snow/ice performance while the shoulder land regions have fewer sipes to maintain rigidity for steering stability, creating different local characteristics in different tread regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The tread portion is segmented into different functional regions (crown land and shoulder land) with distinct sipe configurations. The crown land region contains numerous sipes for snow/ice traction while the shoulder land regions have reduced sipe density to maintain structural rigidity, allowing each segment to optimize its specific function.
2Force
If the rigidity of the tread portion is decreased to improve snow/ice performance, then edge effect is enhanced for better traction, but steering stability on dry pavements deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates local quality differences by varying sipe density and configuration across different tread regions. The crown land region has high sipe density to maximize edge effect for snow/ice traction, while shoulder land regions have lower sipe density to maintain the rigidity needed for steering stability, allowing each region to optimize its mechanical properties locally.
Solution Approach 2:
The tread is segmented into functional zones with different rigidity characteristics. The crown land region is designed with softer, more compliant properties through dense siping to enhance edge effect, while shoulder land regions maintain higher rigidity through reduced siping, creating a segmented structure that balances traction and stability requirements.
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 steering stability and snow/ice performance by optimizing groove and sipe configurations, enhancing edge effects and shearing forces, thus improving traction and reducing noise on dry pavements.
Implementation Method 1
each of the crown block is circumferentially divided by a crown sipe into a pair of block pieces which are a first block piece whose axially outer edge abutting on the shoulder main groove is chamfered to define an axially outer crown chamfer
Data Source
AI summary
A pneumatic tire 1 is provided in the tread portion 2 with crown blocks 21 each circumferentially divided into two block pieces 28, and shoulder blocks 9 each circumferentially partially divided into two block pieces 15. The block pieces 28 of the crown block 21 are a first block piece 28A having an axially outer crown chamfer 30 abutting on a shoulder main groove 3, and a second block piece 28B having no chamfer abutting on the shoulder main groove 3. The block pieces 15 of the shoulder block 9 are a first block piece 15A having an axially inner shoulder chamfer 16 abutting on the shoulder main groove 3, and a second block piece 15B having no chamfer abutting on the shoulder main groove 3. On both sides of the shoulder main groove 3, the axially inner shoulder chamfers 16 are partially circumferentially overlapped with the axially outer crown chamfers 30.