Tire Tread Segmentation for Noise and Stability Trade-off
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tires with improved noise performance tend to compromise steering stability due to reduced longitudinal spring constants and tread rubber hardness.
Innovation Solution
A tire design featuring a tread portion with specific groove and sipe configurations, including circumferentially extending main grooves, central and middle sipes, and lateral grooves, which balance noise reduction with steering stability by allowing controlled deformation and maintaining rigidity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If longitudinal spring constants of tire sidewalls are lowered to improve noise performance, then noise performance is improved, but steering stability is deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The tread portion is segmented into multiple functional zones (central portion, middle portions, shoulder portions) with different groove and sipe configurations. The central portion has a circumferential sipe for noise reduction, while middle portions have lateral grooves and sipes for controlled deformation, and shoulder portions maintain higher rigidity for steering stability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the tread portion are given different structural properties: the central portion allows more deformation through sipes for noise reduction, the middle portions have moderate deformation capability through lateral grooves and sipes, while the shoulder portions maintain higher rigidity to preserve steering stability. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between noise performance and steering stability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If tread rubber hardness is decreased to improve noise performance, then noise performance is improved, but steering stability is deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The tread rubber structure is segmented into different functional zones with varying groove densities and configurations. The central portion uses softer rubber with circumferential sipes for noise reduction, while shoulder portions use harder rubber with fewer grooves to maintain steering stability, avoiding the need to uniformly decrease tread rubber hardness throughout.
Solution Approach 2:
The tread rubber is given different effective hardness characteristics in different regions through the groove and sipe configuration. Areas with more and deeper grooves/sipes exhibit softer behavior for noise reduction, while areas with fewer and shallower grooves/sipes maintain harder characteristics for steering stability, resolving the contradiction locally rather than globally.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If circumferential grooves and sipes are added to reduce air resonance noise, then noise performance is improved, but tread rigidity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The circumferential noise-reducing features (sipes and grooves) are segmented and placed only in specific portions of the tread (central and middle portions) rather than throughout the entire tread. This segmentation allows noise reduction where needed while preserving tread rigidity in other areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The tread structure is given different rigidity characteristics locally: central and middle portions have circumferential sipes and grooves that allow controlled deformation for noise reduction, while shoulder portions maintain higher rigidity with fewer circumferential features, resolving the contradiction between noise performance and tread rigidity.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the number of middle lateral sipes is increased to improve noise performance, then noise performance is improved, but steering stability is deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The middle lateral sipes are concentrated in the inboard middle portion rather than being evenly distributed across both middle portions. This asymmetric local quality allows noise reduction in the inboard region while preserving steering stability by limiting the number of sipes in the outboard middle portion, resolving the contradiction between noise performance and steering stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A tire includes a tread portion provided with a plurality of circumferentially and continuously extending main grooves including an outboard shoulder main groove, an outboard middle main groove, an inboard main groove and an inboard middle groove to define an outboard middle portion, an inboard middle portion and a central portion. The outboard middle portion is provided with a plurality of outboard middle lateral grooves, a plurality of outboard middle circumferential sipes each extending between adjacent outboard middle lateral grooves, and a plurality of outboard middle lateral sipes. The inboard middle portion is provided with a plurality of inboard middle lateral grooves, a plurality of inboard middle circumferential sipes, and a plurality of inboard middle lateral sipes. The number of inboard middle lateral sipes is greater than the number of the outboard middle lateral sipes.