Tread Bar Cutouts and Constriction Studs for Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern tires with low moduli and specific tread designs generate rolling noise due to the hammering of rubber blocks as they enter the contact area with the ground, exacerbated by the non-optimal distribution of incisions and grooves, which is particularly annoying in quieter vehicles.
Innovation Solution
The tire tread features elongated blocks with oblique cutouts that maintain continuity and include constriction studs to reduce the difference in height between blocks, minimizing the impact and noise by ensuring the walls of the cutouts come into contact and block the reduction in height during high pressure phases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the tread uses low modulus rubber material to improve comfort and reduce rolling resistance, then the tire becomes softer and more comfortable, but the blocks lose more height during compression which increases hammering noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by arranging cutouts in advance to counteract the height loss phenomenon. The cutouts are positioned to create sub-blocks that will compensate for the excessive height loss of low modulus rubber during compression, preventing the hammering effect before it occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating non-uniform distribution of cutouts within the tread blocks. Different regions of the tread have different cutout patterns, allowing local adjustment of block height and stiffness to compensate for height loss in specific areas while maintaining overall comfort.
2Reliability
If the tread has a high density of cutouts to improve water evacuation and grip, then wet ground performance improves, but the distribution of incisions becomes non-optimal which increases rolling noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the density and distribution of cutouts in different regions of the tread. Areas requiring water evacuation have higher cutout density, while areas sensitive to noise have optimized cutout patterns that maintain grip without excessive height variation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the tread blocks into sub-blocks through strategic cutout placement. This segmentation allows independent optimization of different block regions, enabling high cutout density for water evacuation in certain areas while maintaining noise-reducing patterns in other areas.
3Ease of manufacture
If the incisions are arranged in regular patterns to simplify manufacturing, then production becomes easier, but the distribution of incisions is non-optimal which increases noise from air circulation in grooves
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by using irregular, non-repetitive cutout patterns within each tread block. The cutouts are positioned asymmetrically to disrupt air circulation paths that would otherwise create noise, while still maintaining manufacturability through standardized cutting processes.
4Device complexity
If the tread blocks are made with large spacing between incisions to reduce complexity, then the tread design becomes simpler, but the blocks have greater height variation which increases hammering noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by introducing multiple cutouts within each tread block to create sub-blocks. This segmentation reduces the spacing between effective support points, minimizing height variation and hammering noise while keeping the overall design manageable through systematic patterning.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
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AI summary
The invention relates to a tread for a pneumatic tyre, comprising a long tread bar (3) extending in a circumferential direction and comprising a contact surface (5) that comes into contact with the ground, a first and a second side wall defining said contact surface (5), the long tread bar comprising a plurality of cut-outs which each have a first and a second end, the cut-outs (n, n+1) being successively arranged longitudinally on the contact surface (5) in such a way that when a cut-out (n) reaches its second end, another cut-out (n+1) starts, at the same circumferential level on the long tread bar (3). Furthermore, all or some of the incisions (n, n+1) comprise at least one shrinking lug that protrudes from a wall of the cut-out.