Pneumatic Tire Tread Block Stiffness via Segmented Incisions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pneumatic vehicle tires with tread profiles featuring fine incisions struggle with uneven stiffness, particularly in winter conditions, leading to suboptimal power transmission due to varying snow pocket widths and their distribution across the tread block surface.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of alternating sections of different widths within the fine incisions, where snow pockets are distributed uniformly across the tread block surface, ensuring consistent stiffness and improved power transmission by varying the width ratios and arrangements of these sections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If snow pockets with greater width are introduced into fine incisions to collect snow and increase friction, then grip on winter roads is improved, but the tread block stiffness becomes non-uniform leading to suboptimal force transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating snow pockets with different widths at different locations within the fine incisions. Specifically, at least two sections along the longitudinal extent of the fine incision have different widths, with the first section having a greater width than the second section. This localized variation in width allows different regions of the tread block to have different stiffness characteristics, optimizing both snow collection capability and force transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The fine incisions are segmented into multiple sections along their longitudinal extent, with each section having a specific width. This segmentation allows the tread block to have varying stiffness zones - wider sections for snow collection and softer stiffness, narrower sections for maintaining structural integrity and force transmission. The segmented structure resolves the contradiction by distributing different functional requirements to different segments.
2Reliability
If the central area of the profile block is softened to improve snow-on-snow friction, then grip is enhanced, but the effective surface area for force transmission is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by creating snow pockets with greater width at specific locations within the fine incisions, rather than uniformly softening the entire central area. The wider first section provides localized softening for snow collection and friction enhancement, while the narrower second section maintains structural stiffness and preserves effective force transmission area. This localized approach resolves the contradiction between improving friction and maintaining effective contact area.
Data Source
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AI summary
Vehicle pneumatic tires for passenger cars, in particular for use under winter driving conditions, with a tread profile having at least one circumferential row of blocks, the profile blocks (1) of which are separated from each other by transverse grooves and the profile blocks (1) of which are provided in plan view with at least two fine incisions (2,2',2") which are essentially straight and are arranged approximately parallel to each other, wherein each fine incision (2,2',2") has a width (b1) of 0.1 to 0.6 mm in plan view and at least one section (3) of a larger width b2 in the function of a snow pocket (3).- In plan view - in the longitudinal extent of the fine cut (2,2',2"), at least two sections (3) of the larger width (b2) are arranged, wherein these sections (3) of the larger width (b2) are spaced apart from each other, so that sections (4) of the first width (b1) alternate with the sections (3) of the larger width (b2) and wherein along an imaginary straight line, which is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of a fine cut (2,2',2"), in the case of two immediately adjacent fine cuts (2,2',2"), one fine cut (2,2',2") has the first width (b1) and the immediately adjacent fine cut (2,2',2") has the larger width (b2).