Tire Tread Profiles for Wear and Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tires with tread portions having a designated mounting direction face issues with low wear resistance and steering stability, particularly at the outermost tread surface when mounted on a vehicle.
Innovation Solution
The tire design includes an outer tread edge with an outer shoulder main groove and land portion featuring specific circular arc profiles and lateral grooves, which distribute contact pressure uniformly, enhancing wear resistance and steering stability by minimizing local pressure on the tread surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a tire has a tread portion with a designated mounting direction, then steering stability on dry and wet road surfaces is improved, but wear resistance at the outermost tread surface is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different radius of curvature values to different regions of the tread surface. The outer shoulder land portion has a smaller radius of curvature (R1) compared to the outer middle land portion (R2), creating local variation in surface geometry. This local quality differentiation allows the outer shoulder region to have enhanced wear resistance while maintaining the overall steering stability provided by the directed mounting tread design.
2Stress or pressure
If the tread portion has a profile curved convexly outward, then contact pressure distribution is improved, but wear resistance at the outer shoulder land portion remains insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a local quality variation by specifying different radius of curvature values for different tread regions. The outer shoulder land portion (R1) has a smaller radius than the outer middle land portion (R2), creating a localized geometric feature that enhances wear resistance in the high-stress outer shoulder area while preserving the overall convex curved profile for good contact pressure distribution.
Data Source
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AI summary
A tire that can exhibit excellent steering stability and wet performance is provided; a tread portion (2) includes an outer tread edge To, an outer shoulder main groove (5), an outer shoulder land portion (8), and an outer middle land portion (9); a tread surface of the outer middle land portion (9) includes a first profile (16) composed of a circular arc having a radius of curvature R1; a tread surface of the outer shoulder land portion (8) includes a second profile (17) composed of a circular arc having a radius of curvature R2, and a third profile (18) extending from an inner end in a tire axial direction of the second profile (17) to a groove edge of the outer shoulder main groove (5) and composed of a circular arc having a radius of curvature R3 smaller than the radius of curvature R2.