Tire Tread Channel Base Elevations for Stone Ejection and Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pneumatic vehicle tires with transverse channels struggle to effectively prevent stone trapping in the middle region of the tread, leading to potential cut damage and uneven wear, as existing base elevations are not optimally designed to manage stone ejection and traction.
Innovation Solution
The base elevations are designed to decrease in rubber volume towards the tread edge, with larger volumes in the middle region to prevent stone trapping and assist in stone ejection, while varying in height and extent length to enhance profile stiffness and prevent sawtooth formation during wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If base elevations are formed on the channel base to prevent stone trapping, then stone ejection is improved, but the tread becomes more complex and manufacturing more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The base elevations are designed with varying rubber volumes according to their position in the tread, with larger volumes in the middle region and smaller volumes near the tread edges. This local differentiation optimizes stone ejection capability where it is most needed while managing overall complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The rubber volume parameter of the base elevations is systematically varied based on their position along the tread, creating a gradient structure that adapts to the different stone trapping risks in different regions of the tread
2Reliability
If base elevations are made larger in the middle region to prevent stone trapping, then stone ejection is improved, but profile stiffness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Larger base elevations are strategically placed in the middle region of the tread where stone trapping is most problematic, while smaller base elevations are used near the tread edges. This localized approach provides enhanced stone ejection capability where needed without uniformly compromising profile stiffness across the entire tread
Solution Approach 2:
The tread is divided into different regions (middle region and edge regions) with different base elevation configurations, allowing optimized stone ejection in the middle region while maintaining adequate profile stiffness through the overall tread structure
3Ease of manufacture
If uniformly sized base elevations are used throughout the tread, then manufacturing is simplified, but stone ejection effectiveness is reduced in the middle region
Solution Approach 1:
The base elevations are designed with different rubber volumes depending on their position, with larger volumes in the middle region and smaller volumes at the edges, optimizing stone ejection effectiveness for the specific conditions in each region
Solution Approach 2:
The base elevation configuration is intentionally made asymmetric with respect to position, creating a gradient structure that is better suited to the non-uniform stone trapping risks across the tread width
Data Source
AI summary
A pneumatic vehicle tire including a utility vehicle tire has a tread with profile positives which are separated from one another in a circumferential direction by transverse channels which extend continuously from the central region of the tread as far as the lateral tread edges, respectively. The transverse channels are main channels of the tread and, at least over the major part of the course thereof, have the maximum provided profile depth. The transverse channels are provided, on the respective channel base thereof, with a row of base elevations formed so as to be distributed over the entire course of the transverse channels. The base elevations are attached to the channel flanks of the transverse channels and are configured such that their rubber volume becomes smaller the closer to the tread edge they are disposed.