Asymmetric Tread Groove Geometry for Tire Traction and Hydroplaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tires face challenges in achieving improved traction and braking performance while maintaining anti-hydroplaning capabilities, as conventional methods often compromise on hydroplaning performance when enhancing land volume and reducing groove volume.
Innovation Solution
A tire design featuring inclined grooves and land portions with specific wall surface angles and dimensions, where the angle and groove width conditions ensure optimal ground contact pressure distribution for enhanced traction and braking, and the absence of continuous circumferential grooves maintains anti-hydroplaning performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the land volume is increased and groove volume is reduced to improve traction and braking performance, then the traction and braking performance are improved, but the anti-hydroplaning performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating asymmetric wall surface angles within the inclined land portions. The first wall surface has a smaller angle θ1 than the second wall surface angle θ2, while the third wall surface has a larger angle θ3 than the fourth wall surface angle θ4. This local differentiation of surface angles optimizes ground contact pressure distribution in different regions, enhancing traction and braking while preventing hydroplaning through controlled water evacuation pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by precisely controlling the wall surface angles (θ1 < θ2 and θ3 > θ4) and their relationships (θ1 ≤ θ4 and θ2 ≥ θ3), along with specific groove width and depth parameters. These parameter optimizations enable the inclined land portions to simultaneously improve traction/braking force and maintain anti-hydroplaning capabilities through optimized pressure distribution and water channeling.
2Force
If the inclined grooves and land portions are designed with specific wall surface angles to optimize ground contact pressure distribution, then the traction and braking performance are enhanced, but the tread pattern complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the inclined land portions into distinct regions with different wall surface angles. Each land portion is segmented into four walls (first, second, third, and fourth wall surfaces) with specifically controlled angles, allowing independent optimization of pressure distribution characteristics in different zones while maintaining an overall simplified inclined groove structure.
Data Source
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AI summary
The tire has a tread portion 2 for which an intended tire rotational direction R is specified. The tread portion 2 comprises first inclined land portions 7 defined between first inclined grooves 5. The first inclined land portion 7 comprises an outer portion 9 having a first wall surface 11 and a second wall surface 12, and an inner portion 10 having a third wall surface 13 and a fourth wall surface 14. The angle θ1 of the first wall surface 11 is smaller than the angle θ2 of the second wall surface 12, and the angle θ3 of the third wall surface 13 is larger than the angle θ4 of the fourth wall surface 14.