Tire Tread Groove Design for Shear Force Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tires for construction and mining vehicles experience uneven wear, particularly at the shoulder region and near the ¼ point of the tread surface, due to shear forces caused by the difference in radii between the central and shoulder regions, which conventional designs fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
The tire features a designated rotation direction with inclined grooves in both halves of the tread surface, an inter-inclined-groove land portion, and a circumferential groove, where the inter-inclined-groove land portion contacts the ground from the shoulder region, reducing shear forces and improving wear resistance by altering the deformation direction of the tread rubber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the radius of the central region is greater than the radius of the shoulder region, then the tire structure is naturally formed, but shear force is applied dragging the tread surface in the rotation direction causing wear
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of trying to change the tire's cross-sectional shape (which would affect overall tire structure), the groove inclination is designed to work against the natural wear tendency. The inclined grooves are oriented at 15-45 degrees to the tread surface edge, creating a configuration that actively counteracts the braking shear force that naturally occurs due to the radius difference between central and shoulder regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The inclined grooves convert the harmful braking shear force into a beneficial effect by directing the tread rubber deformation along the groove inclination. The shear force that would normally cause wear is instead channeled to push the tread rubber into the inclined grooves, reducing direct friction and wear on the tread surface.
2Reliability
If inclined grooves are provided to reduce braking shear force, then uneven wear resistance is improved, but the groove configuration must be precisely controlled to achieve optimal effect
Solution Approach 1:
The invention specifies parameter ranges rather than fixed values to provide manufacturing flexibility. The groove inclination angle is defined as 15-45 degrees, the groove width as 1-10mm, and the groove depth as 1-5mm. These ranges allow manufacturers to adjust parameters within acceptable limits while still achieving the core function of reducing braking shear force and preventing uneven wear.
Data Source
AI summary
A tire with improved uneven wear resistance has a designated tire rotation direction and includes inclined grooves in both halves of the tread surface divided by the tire equatorial plane, the inclined grooves extending inward in the tire width direction from the tread surface edge side, being inclined opposite the tire rotation direction, and being aligned in the tire circumferential direction; and an inter-inclined-groove land portion formed between each pair of inclined grooves that are adjacent in the tire circumferential direction. Along a land portion edge of the inter-inclined-groove land portion on the tire rotation direction side thereof, a point P1 located ¾ of the tread half-width from the tire equatorial plane in the tire width direction is positioned on the tire rotation direction side of a point P2 located ¼ of the tread half-width from the tire equatorial plane in the tire width direction.