Tire Tread Groove Layout for Wet Grip and Clear Wear Indication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tires with wide circumferential grooves are prone to shine the groove bottom, leading to misperception of wear limit, compromising wet performance and road noise performance.
Innovation Solution
A tire design featuring narrow grooves, sipes, and recesses that improve water drainage and reduce road noise by equalizing block rigidity and creating visual unity, thereby preventing misrecognition of wear limit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the groove widths of circumferential grooves are set to be wide, then wet performance and road noise performance are improved, but the groove bottom is easily shined by light and users are misled to believe the wear limit is reached
Solution Approach 1:
The tread pattern is divided into multiple circumferential grooves that segment the tread surface. This segmentation allows for optimized groove dimensions that balance water drainage performance with accurate wear indication, preventing the groove bottom from shining excessively while maintaining effective wet performance.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the tread pattern are designed with different groove characteristics. The circumferential grooves have specific width and depth parameters optimized for water evacuation, while the groove bottoms incorporate features that prevent excessive light reflection, creating local quality variations that address both wet performance and wear recognition needs.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the groove widths of circumferential grooves are set to be wide, then road noise performance is improved, but the groove bottom is easily shined by light and users are misled to believe the wear limit is reached
Solution Approach 1:
The tread is segmented into multiple circumferential grooves with optimized dimensions. This segmentation reduces road noise by breaking up noise-generating surfaces while the groove bottom design prevents excessive light reflection, simultaneously addressing noise reduction and accurate wear limit recognition.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove structures incorporate local quality variations where the groove widths and bottom characteristics are specifically designed to reduce noise generation while preventing the groove bottom from shining excessively, thus maintaining both low road noise and accurate wear indication.
3Measurement precision
If narrow grooves are used instead of wide grooves, then wear limit recognition is improved, but wet performance and road noise performance may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The groove parameters (width, depth, spacing) are optimized to specific ranges that simultaneously achieve accurate wear limit recognition and effective water drainage. By carefully selecting parameter values, the design prevents groove bottom shining while maintaining sufficient groove capacity for wet performance.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5B
AI summary
A tire including: at least three circumferential grooves; a first shoulder portion that is defined by a circumferential groove and including a ground contact end on one side in a width direction; a second shoulder portion that is defined by a circumferential groove and including a ground contact end on the other side in the width direction; a first land portion that is located between the circumferential groove defining the first shoulder portion and a circumferential groove adjacent to the circumferential groove defining the first shoulder portion; a second land portion that is located between the circumferential groove defining the second shoulder portion and the circumferential groove adjacent to the circumferential groove defining the second shoulder portion; recesses that extend to both of the first shoulder portion and the first land portion across the circumferential groove defining the first shoulder portion; and recesses that extend to both of the second shoulder portion and the second land portion across the circumferential groove defining the second shoulder portion.