Tire Tread Sipes with Alternating Wide and Narrow Portions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Winter tires face issues with snow accumulation in tread notches, leading to reduced traction and potential tire endurance problems due to structural weaknesses in existing tread designs.
Innovation Solution
A tread design with transverse or substantially transverse incisions of variable width, where wide and narrow portions are arranged alternately, ensuring that the wide portions' volume is mostly between half and full depth, and the sum of narrow parts' widths satisfies a specific relationship to prevent closure and deformation, maintaining traction and reducing material hysteresis losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the notches are made wider to increase storage capacity for snow, then the snow storage capacity is improved, but the tread structure becomes weaker and more prone to cracking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating wide portions at specific locations (at least one wide portion per incision) while maintaining narrow portions in other areas. This allows the tread to have localized snow storage capacity enhancement without compromising overall structural strength, as only specific regions are widened rather than the entire incision structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The incisions are segmented into alternating wide and narrow portions along their length. This segmentation allows different functional zones within the same incision - wide portions for snow storage and narrow portions for structural integrity - thereby resolving the contradiction between storage capacity and structural strength.
2Productivity
If the incisions are made deeper to improve snow evacuation, then the snow evacuation capability is improved, but the risk of cracks and tire failure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates local quality variations by providing wide portions at specific depths and locations within the incisions, rather than uniformly deepening the entire incision structure. This allows improved snow evacuation at targeted locations while maintaining structural integrity in other regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The incision depth is segmented into different functional zones with wide and narrow portions at various depths. This segmentation enables the tread to evacuate snow effectively from surface levels while maintaining structural strength at deeper levels where cracks are more likely to initiate.
3Ease of operation
If the narrow portions are made narrower to improve closure during contact, then the closure capability is improved, but the energy losses due to material deformation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating narrow portions at specific locations within the incisions to enhance closure capability during tire contact, while strategically placing wide portions to reduce overall material deformation and energy losses. This localized approach optimizes closure without requiring the entire incision structure to be narrowly constrained.
Solution Approach 2:
The incision is segmented into narrow and wide portions that work together - narrow portions provide closure capability while wide portions reduce hysteresis losses by distributing stress. This segmentation resolves the contradiction between closure effectiveness and energy efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a tire including a rolling surface having incisions (20) that have a substantially transverse orientation, open onto the rolling surface, have a depth P, and form, on the rolling surface of the tire in the new condition, two edges (21, 22) defining at least one narrow portion (30) of the incision having a mean width LE <= 2 mm and at least one wide portion (40) of the incision having a mean width LL > 2 mm, said wide and narrow portions being alternately arranged and extending over the entire depth P of the incision (20). The volume of each wide portion (40) is primarily between half the depth P of the cutout and the depth P. Said tire is characterized by a relation between the sum LE, the thickness of the tread, and other values.