Pneumatic Tire Zigzag Sipes Ice Braking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pneumatic tires with directional tread patterns face challenges in enhancing braking performance, particularly on-ice braking, due to inadequate ground contact pressure distribution and rigidity during rotation.
Innovation Solution
The tire features circumferentially-formed main grooves, rag grooves, and land parts with zigzag-shaped sipes that differ in falling amount between the rotating and reverse directions, providing enhanced rigidity and optimized ground contact pressure through directional V-shaped sipe orientation and three-dimensional sipe configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If conventional directional tread patterns are used for aesthetic purposes, then the tire appearance is improved, but the braking performance especially on-ice braking is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different sipe configurations in different land parts of the tread pattern. Specifically, the first land parts have sipes with a first pitch and the second land parts have sipes with a second pitch different from the first, allowing each region to contribute differently to braking performance while maintaining the directional aesthetic appearance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the pitch parameter of sipes in different land parts to optimize braking performance. By setting the ratio between the first pitch and second pitch within a specific range (0.5 to 2.0), the invention achieves improved ground contact pressure distribution and braking force generation while maintaining the directional tread pattern appearance
2Shape
If the tire is designed with aesthetic directional tread pattern, then the visual appeal is improved, but the ground contact pressure distribution during braking is inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the tread pattern into different land parts with distinct sipe characteristics. The first land parts and second land parts have different sipe pitches, creating localized variations in ground contact pressure that collectively improve overall pressure distribution during braking operations
Solution Approach 2:
The tread pattern is segmented into multiple land parts with different sipe configurations. This segmentation allows independent optimization of ground contact pressure in different regions, achieving better overall pressure distribution while maintaining the aesthetic directional appearance
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional sipe configurations are used, then the manufacturing is simpler, but the rigidity and abrasion resistance are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the pitch parameter of sipes to improve rigidity and abrasion resistance. By controlling the ratio between the first pitch and second pitch within a specific range, the invention achieves enhanced mechanical properties while maintaining manufacturability through standard molding techniques
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
In a pneumatic tire (1), a rotating direction of the tire (1) is specified. A plurality of sipes (5) are formed in land parts (41 to 43). Each of the sipes (5) has a substantially zigzag shape formed by a string of multiple V-shaped parts (51) in a plan view of a tread part, so that a falling amount of the land parts (41 to 43) in the rotating direction of the tire (1) differs from that of the land parts (41 to 43) in a reverse direction, against an outside force generated when the tire (1) lands on the ground. Besides, a direction of the V-shaped part (51) of the sipe (5) is set so that the falling amount of the land parts (41 to 43) in the rotating direction of the tire (1) is smaller than that in the reverse direction.