Segmented Tire Tread Grooves for Snow Grip and Dry Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tires face challenges in achieving a balance between maintaining steering stability on dry roads and enhancing on-snow performance.
Innovation Solution
A tire design featuring a tread portion with specific configurations, including middle lateral grooves and sipes, which provide enhanced traction, braking, and cornering performance on snow while maintaining steering stability on dry roads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If middle lateral grooves and sipes are added to improve on-snow performance, then traction and braking performance on snow improve, but the structure becomes more complex and manufacturing becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The middle lateral grooves are divided into multiple segments (first groove portion, second groove portion, and circumferential groove portion) rather than being continuous. This segmentation allows the groove structure to provide snow column support functionality while reducing the overall material required and simplifying manufacturing compared to a single continuous groove structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The sipes are positioned specifically at the circumferential groove edges rather than being distributed uniformly across the entire tread. This local placement concentrates the friction-providing functionality exactly where needed (at the groove edges that contact snow) while minimizing the overall number of sipes required, thus reducing structural complexity.
2Reliability
If more grooves and sipes are provided to enhance snow performance, then snow column support and friction improve, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the middle lateral grooves into discrete segments (first groove portion, second groove portion, circumferential groove portion), the manufacturing process can focus on creating separate, manageable components rather than requiring high precision for a single complex continuous structure. This segmentation reduces the cumulative precision requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The sipes are localized to specific positions (circumferential groove edges) rather than being distributed throughout the entire tread structure. This localized approach reduces the total number of precision features that must be manufactured, thereby reducing overall manufacturing precision requirements while still providing the necessary friction functionality.
3Ease of manufacture
If the tire structure is simplified to reduce manufacturing complexity, then ease of manufacture improves, but on-snow performance and steering stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented groove structure allows for simplified manufacturing of individual groove portions that can be formed using standard molding techniques, while the overall segmented pattern maintains the snow column support functionality needed for reliable snow performance and steering stability.
Solution Approach 2:
By placing sipes only at the circumferential groove edges rather than distributing them uniformly, the manufacturing process is simplified (fewer features to create) while still providing adequate friction at the critical contact points with snow, thus maintaining reliable snow performance without compromising steering stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A tire includes a first middle land portion provided with middle lateral grooves that traverses the first middle land portion completely in the tire axial direction, and first middle sipes that extends from a first longitudinal edge of the first middle land portion and has terminal ends in the first middle land portion. Each middle lateral groove includes a first groove portion extending from the first longitudinal edge, a second groove portion extending from a second longitudinal edge, and a circumferential groove portion being in communication with the first and second groove portions. The circumferential groove portion includes a first circumferential groove edge on a first longitudinal edge side and a second circumferential groove edge on a second longitudinal edge side. The terminal ends of the first middle sipes are located on the second longitudinal edge side to the first circumferential groove edges of the circumferential groove portions.