Pneumatic Tire Tread Noise Reduction via Rib Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pneumatic tire treads fail to effectively reduce noise generated during operation, despite incorporating various grooves and sipes, which affects the overall acoustic characteristics.
Innovation Solution
The tire tread design includes multiple circumferential grooves forming ribs with circumferentially extending incisions, or 'zebra stripes,' which reduce noise by optimizing depth, width, and lateral spacing of these incisions, particularly in the shoulder and intermediate ribs, to mitigate ambient noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional grooves and sipes are incorporated in the tread, then functional characteristics such as traction and durability are improved, but noise generated during operation is not effectively reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The tread ribs are segmented by incorporating circumferentially extending incisions that fully surround each rib, creating multiple discrete sections. This segmentation allows each rib section to independently interact with the road surface, reducing synchronized noise generation while preserving overall traction and durability functions
Solution Approach 2:
Incisions are strategically placed only in specific ribs (first and fifth ribs according to the patent) rather than uniformly across all ribs. This localized modification optimizes noise reduction in critical areas while maintaining functional characteristics in other regions, resolving the contradiction between noise reduction and functional performance
2Object-generated harmful factors
If incisions are added to reduce noise, then acoustic characteristics are improved, but tread structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The incisions divide each rib into multiple circumferential segments, creating a segmented structure that reduces noise through disrupted sound wave propagation. The segmentation is systematic rather than random, with incisions positioned at regular intervals to achieve noise reduction while maintaining manufacturing feasibility
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of adding complex noise-reducing components on top of the existing tread, the invention inverts the approach by removing material (creating incisions) from the ribs. This subtractive approach reduces noise through the absence of continuous rib structures while keeping the overall tread design relatively simple
Data Source
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AI summary
A tread for using with a tire (1) is disclosed. The tread (100) comprises a first circumferential groove (10) and a second circumferential groove (20), the first and second circumferential grooves (10, 20) defining a second circumferential rib (120), the tread (100) further comprising a plurality of incisions (211) extending circumferentially within the second circumferential rib (120). Also, a method for reducing noise created by a tread (100) of a pneumatic tire (1) under operating conditions, is disclosed, the method comprising the steps of providing a tread having at least one circumferentially extending rib (110, 120, 130, 140, 150); extending a first incision across the tread (100) in a circumferential direction within the rib (110, 120, 130, 140, 150); and extending a second incision across the tread (100) in the circumferential direction within the rib (110, 120, 130, 140, 150), the second incision being parallel to the first incision and having an axial distance from the first incision between 0.5 to 6 mm, alternatively from 1 mm to 3 mm or 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm, edge to edge.