Pneumatic Tire Tread Pattern for Steering Stability and Snow Traction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pneumatic tires face challenges in achieving both steering stability and on-snow performance, particularly when used as all-season tires and on snowy conditions.
Innovation Solution
The tire design incorporates specific tread patterns with circumferential main grooves, inner and outer circumferential sipes, and bottom up portions, optimized in depth and width to balance steering stability and on-snow traction, with the sipe depths and groove configurations ensuring edge component and drainage performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the tire uses a narrow width and large diameter design for fuel efficiency, then fuel efficiency is improved, but on-snow performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating specific tread region characteristics: the shoulder land portions have higher rigidity (through reinforcement layers) compared to the central land portion, and the tread pattern includes sipes and grooves concentrated in specific areas. This localized differentiation allows the narrow tire to generate sufficient edge pressure on snow without requiring increased overall width, thus maintaining fuel efficiency while improving on-snow performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes geometric parameters of the tread structure: the shoulder land portions are designed with specific width ratios (0.15-0.35 times the tread width) and reinforcement layer configurations that increase local rigidity. The sipe depth (0.5-2.0mm) and groove dimensions are optimized to create effective edge components on snow surfaces, allowing the narrow tire to achieve better snow traction through parameter optimization rather than size increase.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the tire increases tread rigidity for steering stability, then steering stability is improved, but on-snow performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by differentiating rigidity across the tread width: the shoulder land portions (at the edges) have increased rigidity through reinforcement layers to provide steering stability and edge pressure on snow, while the central land portion maintains lower rigidity to allow flexible deformation for snow penetration and traction. This spatial differentiation resolves the contradiction between overall rigidity and snow performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the tread structure into functionally distinct zones: reinforced shoulder land portions for steering and edge pressure, unreinforced central land portion for flexibility and snow contact, and intermediate transition zones. This segmentation allows each region to optimize its mechanical properties for its specific function, achieving both steering stability and on-snow performance simultaneously.
Data Source
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AI summary
The pneumatic tire of this disclosure comprises on a tread surface a widthwise outermost land portion partitioned by an outermost circumferential main groove and a tread edge, the outermost circumferential main groove being closest to the tread edge and extending in a tread circumferential direction, wherein: the widthwise outermost land portion has a plurality of side sipes extending to a tread widthwise outer side in a manner spaced from each other in the tread circumferential direction; the widthwise outermost land portion has an inner circumferential sipe and an outer circumferential sipe, the inner circumferential sipe extending in the tread circumferential direction, the outer circumferential sipe being positioned on a tread widthwise side outer than the inner circumferential sipe and extending in the tread circumferential direction; and, when h1 is a groove depth of the outermost circumferential main groove, h2 is a sipe depth of the inner circumferential sipe, and h3 is a sipe depth of the outer circumferential sipe, h1, h2 and h3 satisfy: h1>h3>h2.