Tire Tread Pattern Noise Reduction via Pitch Sequencing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tires for agricultural and off-road vehicles generate excessive noise and vibration at higher speeds due to their mono-pitch tread patterns, which prioritize traction over noise reduction.
Innovation Solution
A tire tread pattern featuring a specific pitch sequence with a ratio of 1.15 to 1.40, comprising 24 occurrences of a first pitch length and 20 occurrences of a second pitch length, arranged in a sequence that spreads energy over a broad range of frequencies, reducing noise and vibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mono-pitch tread pattern is used to ensure consistent traction and wheel slippage performance, then traction performance is improved, but noise and vibration levels increase at higher speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The tread pattern is segmented into multiple pitch lengths (first pitch length and second pitch length) rather than using a single uniform pitch. This segmentation creates variations in the frequency at which tread elements contact the road surface, thereby reducing noise and vibration while maintaining traction performance through the consistent geometric configuration of individual tread elements.
Solution Approach 2:
While the overall tread pattern uses multiple pitch lengths to reduce noise, each individual tread element maintains a consistent geometric configuration and rigidity. This local consistency ensures uniform traction and wheel slippage characteristics, while the global variation in pitch lengths addresses the noise issue.
2Productivity
If tire dimensions are increased to improve performance characteristics for agricultural applications, then productivity and performance are improved, but noise reduction becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The larger tire dimensions are accommodated by implementing a multi-pitch tread pattern that segments the circumference into different pitch lengths. This segmentation allows the larger tire to maintain noise reduction capabilities through frequency variation, while the increased dimensions provide the necessary performance characteristics for agricultural applications.
Data Source
AI summary
A tire includes a tire carcass and a tread extending circumferentially about the tire carcass. The tread includes a plurality of tread elements disposed in a tread pattern. The plurality of tread elements have one of two different pitch lengths and are disposed in a noise-reducing pitch sequence.