Vehicle Tire Tread Segmentation for Decoupled Snow and Dry Performance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle tires face challenges in simultaneously optimizing adhesion, grip, braking properties, and rolling resistance across various surface conditions, particularly in decoupling snow driving behavior and rolling resistance, and achieving independent adjustment of dry, wet, and snow driving behaviors.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle tire design featuring annular and axially symmetrical rubber components with distinct compositions and geometries, allowing for precise adjustment of tread properties, including dynamic stiffness, to optimize performance on different surfaces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a single rubber mixture is used for the entire tread, then manufacturing is simple, but it cannot simultaneously optimize adhesion, grip, braking properties, and rolling resistance on various surfaces

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveperformance on various surfacesVSAvoidtread structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The tread is divided into multiple tread sections (first, second, third, and fourth tread sections) arranged in the circumferential direction, with each section containing rubber mixtures optimized for specific driving conditions. This segmentation allows different rubber compositions to be placed in specific locations to optimize performance for snow, dry, and wet conditions independently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different rubber mixtures with specific properties are assigned to different tread sections based on their intended function. For example, tread sections optimized for snow contact have rubber mixtures with properties suitable for snow adhesion, while other sections have mixtures optimized for dry or wet road performance. This local optimization resolves the contradiction by making the tread structure complex only where necessary for performance differentiation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If different rubber mixtures are combined in the tread, then snow driving behavior and dry driving behavior can be optimized, but the properties influence each other and prevent ideal performance on both surfaces

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesnow and dry driving behaviorVSAvoidconsistent performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The tread is divided into multiple tread sections (first, second, third, and fourth tread sections) arranged in the circumferential direction, with each section containing rubber mixtures optimized for specific driving conditions. This segmentation allows different rubber compositions to be placed in specific locations to optimize performance for snow, dry, and wet conditions independently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different rubber mixtures with specific properties are assigned to different tread sections based on their intended function. For example, tread sections optimized for snow contact have rubber mixtures with properties suitable for snow adhesion, while other sections have mixtures optimized for dry or wet road performance. This local optimization resolves the contradiction by making the tread structure complex only where necessary for performance differentiation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Adaptability or versatility

If the tread is designed to optimize snow driving behavior, then snow adhesion improves, but rolling resistance increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesnow driving behaviorVSAvoidrolling resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The tread is divided into multiple tread sections (first, second, third, and fourth tread sections) arranged in the circumferential direction, with each section containing rubber mixtures optimized for specific driving conditions. This segmentation allows different rubber compositions to be placed in specific locations to optimize performance for snow, dry, and wet conditions independently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different rubber mixtures with specific properties are assigned to different tread sections based on their intended function. For example, tread sections optimized for snow contact have rubber mixtures with properties suitable for snow adhesion, while other sections have mixtures optimized for dry or wet road performance. This local optimization resolves the contradiction by making the tread structure complex only where necessary for performance differentiation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Adaptability or versatility

If helical material strips with different rubber mixtures are used, then adhesion and abrasion properties can be combined, but manufacturing complexity increases and dry driving characteristics worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadhesion and abrasion propertiesVSAvoidmanufacturing process
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The tread is divided into multiple tread sections (first, second, third, and fourth tread sections) arranged in the circumferential direction, with each section containing rubber mixtures optimized for specific driving conditions. This segmentation allows different rubber compositions to be placed in specific locations to optimize performance for snow, dry, and wet conditions independently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different rubber mixtures with specific properties are assigned to different tread sections based on their intended function. For example, tread sections optimized for snow contact have rubber mixtures with properties suitable for snow adhesion, while other sections have mixtures optimized for dry or wet road performance. This local optimization resolves the contradiction by making the tread structure complex only where necessary for performance differentiation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3653402B1Vehicle tyre with at least one first rubber component and at least one second rubber component
Publication Date: 2021.08.18 CONTINENTAL REIFEN DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
  • EP3653402B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3653402B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3653402B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a vehicle tire comprising: at least one reinforcement layer, a tread with a first and a second rubber component, at least one tread section of the first tread, wherein the first tread section is arranged radially below the tread surface of the vehicle tire and a cross-section of the first tread section perpendicular to the tire's circumferential direction has at least one first rubber component with a radially extending first height and at least one second rubber component with a radially extending second height, characterized in that in the first tread section the at least one first and the at least one second rubber component are arranged axially one after the other such that a second rubber component follows one of the first rubber components.at least one first rubber component or at least one second rubber component is ring-shaped and runs axially symmetrically around the axis of the vehicle tire, and the first rubber component has a first rubber composition and the second rubber component has a second rubber composition that differs from the first rubber composition.