Variable-Cross-Section Tire Tread for Snow Edge Stability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire treads face issues with snow edge stability and effectiveness across the tire surface, particularly at the tire equator and shoulders, due to varying circumferential forces, leading to potential damage and suboptimal performance.
Innovation Solution
The tread design optimizes snow edge stability and milling performance by varying the depth, height, and radius of curvature of projections based on the angle of orientation and circumferential forces, ensuring balanced stability and milling capability across the tread.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a snow edge is made larger to improve milling performance, then traction on snow is improved, but rolling resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the cross-sectional geometry of projections based on their axial position. Projections at the tire equator have different dimensions (smaller depth, greater height, smaller radius of curvature) compared to projections at the tire shoulders. This allows each region to have optimally sized snow edges for its specific function, preventing oversizing at the equator and thus reducing unnecessary rolling resistance while maintaining milling performance where needed.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a snow edge is made deeper with larger radius of curvature to improve stability, then resistance to circumferential forces is improved, but milling performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by assigning different cross-sectional characteristics to projections at different axial positions. Projections at the tire equator have smaller depth and smaller radius of curvature optimized for milling, while projections at the tire shoulders have greater depth and larger radius of curvature optimized for stability against circumferential forces. This localized differentiation resolves the contradiction by allowing each region to prioritize the appropriate characteristic.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by making the projection geometry variable along the axial direction rather than uniform. The cross-sectional dimensions change dynamically based on position, with the transition from equator to shoulders involving changes in depth, height, and radius of curvature. This dynamic variation allows the snow edge structure to adapt to different mechanical demands at different locations.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform snow edge geometry is used across the tread, then manufacturing is simplified, but performance varies suboptimally across different axial positions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by implementing local quality through position-dependent projection geometry. While this increases manufacturing complexity compared to uniform geometry, it optimizes performance by matching projection characteristics to local requirements. The variable cross-section allows projections at the equator to be optimized for milling with smaller dimensions, while projections at shoulders are optimized for stability with larger dimensions, achieving superior overall effectiveness.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Vehicle tire tread with a negative volume (4) extending radially below a base surface (3) and a projecting volume (6) extending radially above the base surface, wherein the cutting lines (7) at the boundary between the negative volume (4) and the base surface (3) have at least point-wise determinable directions of travel (5), wherein a direction of travel at a first point (P1) forms a larger angle with the axial direction at a second point (P2), wherein the projecting volume (6) nearest to a respective point (P1, P2) has, in cutting planes (S1, S2) extending parallel to a radial direction, which pass through each of the at least two points (P1, P2) and are perpendicular to the direction of travel (5) at the respective point (P1, P2), a depth measured parallel to the base surface, a height measured parallel to the radial direction and a radius of curvature,which describes a concave curvature between the protrusion volume (6) and a tread surface. The protrusion volume (6) has a smaller depth, a greater height and/or a smaller radius of curvature at the first point than at the second point.