Asymmetric Winter Tire Tread Block Incision Angles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pneumatic vehicle tires with asymmetric treads for winter driving conditions face a trade-off between dry handling and snow grip, where the design that enhances dry handling compromises snow traction due to the arrangement of incisions in the tread blocks.
Innovation Solution
The tire features tread blocks and block-like positives with transverse edges oriented at an angle of 15° to 35°, where incisions in the central and inner areas run parallel to these edges, allowing them to open and form gripping edges on snowy surfaces, while the outer area's incisions are angled to enhance circumferential and transverse rigidity for better dry handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If incisions in tread blocks are arranged at an angle opposite to transverse edges to enhance circumferential and transverse rigidity for dry handling, then dry handling performance is improved, but snow grip properties deteriorate due to reduced ability of incisions to open and form gripping edges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different incision angle configurations to different regions of the tread. In the outer area, incisions are arranged at angles opposite to transverse edges (25°-45°) to provide rigidity for dry handling. In the inner area and central area, incisions are arranged parallel to transverse edges to enable opening and gripping edge formation for snow traction. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between dry handling and snow grip requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The tread is segmented into distinct functional zones (outer area, inner area, central area) with different incision configurations. The outer area tread blocks have incisions angled for rigidity, while inner and central area tread blocks have incisions parallel to edges for snow grip. This segmentation allows each region to independently optimize for its specific function without compromising the other.
2Reliability
If tread blocks in central and inner areas are made softer with incisions parallel to transverse edges to improve snow grip, then snow traction is enhanced, but circumferential and transverse rigidity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by configuring incisions parallel to transverse edges specifically in the inner area and central area tread blocks, while maintaining opposite-angle incisions in the outer area. This allows the central and inner areas to be softer with better snow grip capability without compromising the overall structural rigidity provided by the outer area configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The tread structure is segmented into regions with different mechanical properties. The inner and central areas are segmented as softer zones with parallel incisions for snow grip, while the outer area is segmented as a stiffer zone with opposite-angle incisions for rigidity. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by distributing different mechanical characteristics to appropriate locations.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
A pneumatic tire for vehicles, particularly for use under winter driving conditions, with an asymmetric tread and an outer area (A), an inner area (I), and a central area (Z), wherein the tread in all sub-areas has tread blocks (7a, 8a, 15a, 21) and/or block-like tread positives (22, 23), each provided with a plurality of slits (12, 13, 14, 14a), wherein the tread in the outer area and in the inner area (A, I) each has a row of blocks (7, 15) on the shoulder side, wherein a row of blocks (8) adjoins the shoulder-side block row (7) in the outer area (A), the blocks (8a) of which are substantially parallelogram-shaped and have transverse edges (11a) formed by transverse grooves (11) oriented at an acute angle (α) of 15° to 35° to the transverse direction, wherein the slits (12) in the The profile blocks (8a) of this block series (8) run at an angle opposite to the transverse edges (11a),and wherein in the middle area (Z) and in the inner area (I) profile blocks (21) and/or block-like profile positives (22, 23) are arranged, which have transverse edges (19a, 20a) oriented at an angle (α) of 15° to 35° to the transverse direction, to which the incisions (14) running in these profile blocks (21) and/or block-like profile positives (22, 23) extend parallel.