Tire Tread Recess Design for Ice Grip and Spike Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional studded tires experience reduced ice grip and traction due to accumulated chipped ice around the spike, which pushes the rubber material and spike away from the road surface, disrupting mechanical interlocking and friction.
Innovation Solution
A tread profile with radially raised profile elements featuring a recess around the spike to hold chipped ice, maintaining contact with the icy road and enhancing grip and friction by preventing rubber material lift-off and ice infiltration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If spikes are inserted into designated positions in tread blocks, then ice penetration and mechanical interlocking are achieved, but chipped ice accumulates around the spike pushing rubber material away from the road surface
Solution Approach 1:
A groove is introduced as an intermediary element between the spike and the surrounding rubber material. This groove acts as a mediator that receives and transports chipped ice away from the spike area, preventing the harmful accumulation that pushes rubber away from the road surface while maintaining the spike's ice penetration function
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful factor (chipped ice) is extracted from the problematic location (around the spike) by introducing a groove that channels it away. The groove takes out the chipped ice from the area surrounding the spike and transports it to the groove outlet, eliminating the harmful accumulation effect
2Reliability
If chipped ice is transported away from the spike, then mechanical interlocking and cutting effects are maintained, but additional structural elements (grooves) increase device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The groove serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a transport channel for chipped ice, provides structural support to the tread block, and helps channel water and snow. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while maintaining improved mechanical interlocking
3Strength
If rubber material surrounds the spike closely, then structural support is provided, but ice material pushes rubber inward reducing spike engagement with ice
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous rubber material surrounding the spike is segmented by introducing a groove. This groove creates a separation between different zones of rubber material, allowing the spike to maintain engagement with ice while the groove manages chipped ice transport. The segmentation prevents the harmful inward push of rubber material while maintaining necessary structural support
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The recess design effectively absorbs chipped ice, ensuring the spike remains in contact with the road, improving grip and traction by maintaining mechanical interlocking and friction during braking and traction processes.
Implementation Method 1
there is also friction between the rubber material surrounding the spike pin and the ice surface
Implementation Method 2
the spike pin of the spike penetrates the ice in the road and mechanically interlocks there
Implementation Method 3
These cause the spike to be pulled through the ice, cutting a groove in the ice surface. During this cutting process, ice on the surface is destroyed. As the ice is destroyed, energy is converted through the formation of new surfaces
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4d
Figure 5a~5c
AI summary
The invention relates to a tread profile of a pneumatic vehicle tire having a plurality of radially raised profile elements (1) spaced apart from one another by means of scores (2, 3, 4) or grooves, each being delimited in the radial direction R to the outside by an outer surface (8) forming the ground contact surface, wherein at least one spike (5) is formed in at least one profile element (1) which is anchored by the spike body (6) thereof in the rubber material of the profile element (1) and designed having a spike point which extends out of the spike body (6) in the radial direction R of the tire and ends in a radial position outside that of the outer surface (8) of the profile element delimiting the profile element (1) radially to the outside and forming the ground contact surface, wherein there is a recess (9) formed in the outer surface (8) delimiting the profile element (1) radially to the outside and forming the ground contact surface for expelling ice which surrounds the spike (5) in a substantially ring-shaped manner.