Tire tread stud arrangement for pin retention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional studded snow tires experience significant stud pin drop when used on concrete or asphalt roads due to forces from driving, braking, and cornering, leading to reduced traction, durability, and wear issues.

Innovation Solution

The tire tread incorporates a configuration of studs with varying radial depths and tip sizes, including first studs with cylindrical tips, second studs with spherical tips, and third studs with specific orientations and recessed surfaces, ensuring secure embedding and gradual wear-based protrusion to maintain contact with the road surface.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If stud pins are embedded in the tread portion to grip icy or snowy road surfaces, then traction on snow and ice is improved, but stud pins are dislodged on concrete or asphalt road surfaces

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetraction on snow and iceVSAvoidstud pin retention
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The stud arrangement is segmented into multiple groups with different embedding depths. First studs are embedded at a first depth, second studs at a second depth greater than the first, and third studs at a third depth greater than the second. This segmentation allows different studs to serve different functions: deeper studs remain embedded on hard surfaces while shallower studs protrude to provide traction on snow and ice.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different studs are given different local qualities through varying embedding depths and orientations. The first studs have a first orientation, second studs have a second orientation different from the first, and third studs have a third orientation different from both. This local differentiation allows the stud arrangement to adapt to different road conditions in different locations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Stability of the object's composition

If stud pins are tightly embedded to prevent falling out during braking and driving, then stud pin retention is improved, but traction performance on various road surfaces deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestud pin retentionVSAvoidtraction performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The stud arrangement is designed to be dynamic rather than static. As the tread wears, different studs become exposed at different rates due to their different embedding depths. This creates a dynamic system where the effective stud configuration changes over time, maintaining optimal traction performance throughout the tire's service life.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The multi-depth stud arrangement is prepared in advance to anticipate wear. The varying embedding depths are predetermined so that as the tread wears down, studs at different depths will progressively become exposed, ensuring continuous traction capability without requiring adjustment or intervention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If all studs are embedded at the same depth, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but gradual wear-based protrusion cannot occur to maintain contact

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestud embedding uniformityVSAvoidroad contact maintenance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by varying the embedding depth of different studs within the same tread portion. First studs are embedded at a first depth, second studs at a second depth greater than the first, and third studs at a third depth greater than the second. This localized differentiation ensures that as the tread wears, studs become exposed in a controlled sequence, maintaining continuous road contact.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3722110B1Tire tread with stud arrangement
Publication Date: 2022.04.27 THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER CO
  • EP3722110B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3722110B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3722110B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6

AI summary

A tire tread (18, 118) and a tire (10) with such a tread (18, 118) is disclosed. The tread (18, 118) has an arrangement (21, 22) of studs (50, 150) inserted into a tread portion (18, 118) thereof. The arrangement (21, 22) comprises at least one or a plurality of first studs protruding from the unworn tread portion for contacting a surface and at least one or a plurality of second studs embedded or inserted in the tread portion (18, 118). The at least one or the plurality of second studs is embedded or inserted in the tread portion (18, 118) such that (i) the radially outermost surfaces of the second studs are recessed in the radial direction of the tire (10) versus the radially outermost surfaces of the first studs and/or that (ii) only the at least one or only the plurality of first studs protrude from the unworn tread portion.