Tire Land Part Width-Direction Groove for Snow Traction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tires face a trade-off between maintaining land part rigidity and achieving sufficient snow performance, as shallow width-direction grooves are required to preserve dry and wet brake performance, but these do not provide adequate snow traction and braking.
Innovation Solution
The tire design incorporates a width-direction groove on land parts with an in-groove sipe and a platform on the lug groove side wall, where the platform's shape follows the land part tread surface, and the lug groove's inclination angle decreases from the center-side to the lateral-side land part, enhancing snow traction and braking while maintaining land part rigidity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a depth of width-direction groove is the same as that of a sipe, then snow performance is improved, but rigidity of land part is greatly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the width-direction groove shallow (not reaching the full sipe depth) and positioning it specifically in the widthwise direction on the land part. This localized groove configuration provides snow performance improvement through enhanced edge effect and shear force while preserving the overall rigidity of the land part by avoiding deep cuts that would compromise structural strength.
2Strength
If shallow width-direction grooves are set to maintain rigidity of land part, then dry brake performance and wet brake performance are maintained, but sufficient snow performance is not obtained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the depth parameter of the width-direction groove to be shallow (less than full sipe depth) and positioning it specifically in the widthwise direction. This parameter optimization creates a balance where the groove is deep enough to provide snow performance through edge effect and shear force generation, yet shallow enough to maintain land part rigidity and preserve dry/wet brake performance.
3Reliability
If an land part edge of width-direction groove is used to increase edge effect, then snow performance is improved, but rigidity of land part is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the groove feature specifically at the widthwise direction on the land part surface, creating a localized edge effect zone. This localized configuration enhances snow traction through the groove edge while preserving the overall land part rigidity by limiting the groove to a shallow depth that does not compromise the structural integrity of the entire land part.
Data Source
AI summary
A tire has a tread surface, the tread surface including a circumferential groove extending in a tire circumferential direction, a lug groove extending in a direction intersecting the circumferential groove, and a plurality of land parts partitioned by the circumferential groove and the lug groove. A width-direction groove extending in a tire widthwise direction is formed on a land part of the plurality of land parts. An in-groove sipe is arranged along one side edge of a groove bottom of the width-direction groove.