Tire Tread Block Corners for Wet Drainage and Steering Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tires face challenges in enhancing wet and snow performance while maintaining steering stability, as existing tread patterns often compromise on one aspect at the expense of another.
Innovation Solution
The tire features a tread portion with middle and shoulder land regions divided by lateral grooves, including convex corner portions with specific side walls and groove configurations, which enhance drainage and traction without compromising steering stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the tread portion is divided into multiple land regions with lateral grooves to improve wet and snow performance, then wet performance and snow performance are improved, but steering stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The tread portion is divided into multiple land regions (shoulder land region, middle land region, crown land region) separated by lateral grooves and circumferential grooves. This segmentation creates multiple drainage paths for wet performance while maintaining distinct functional zones that preserve steering stability through the rigid shoulder and middle land regions.
Solution Approach 2:
Different land regions are designed with different properties: the shoulder land region has high rigidity for steering stability, the middle land region provides drainage pathways, and the crown land region ensures central contact. This local differentiation allows each region to optimize its function without compromising overall steering stability.
2Reliability
If the tread portion is divided into multiple land regions with lateral grooves to improve snow performance, then snow performance is improved, but steering stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The tread is segmented into multiple land regions with lateral grooves that create independent contact patches. In snow conditions, this segmentation allows each block to conform to uneven snow surfaces while the overall pattern maintains steering stability through the structured arrangement of shoulder, middle, and crown land regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The lateral grooves include curved portions that extend axially inwardly from the tread edge, creating a curved drainage path. This curvature allows the groove to efficiently channel water and snow while the convex corner portions maintain structural integrity for steering stability.
3Reliability
If lateral grooves with convex corner portions are provided to enhance drainage, then wet performance is improved, but the structural rigidity for steering stability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The lateral grooves are designed with different portions having different functions: the curved portion provides drainage, the convex corner portions maintain structural rigidity, and the groove bottom is positioned to avoid excessive material removal. This local differentiation allows drainage optimization without compromising overall structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The lateral grooves extend axially inwardly from the tread edge but terminate before reaching the center of the tire. This partial extension provides sufficient drainage capability for wet performance while leaving the central crown land region intact to maintain the structural rigidity needed for steering stability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A tire comprises a tread portion comprising a circumferentially arranged blocks divided by lateral grooves. Each block has a block side wall and a block tread. Each lateral groove comprises an axially outer first portion, an axially inner second portion, and a connect portion at which the first portion and the second portion are connected with each other so that each block is provided with a convex corner portion which is convex toward the outside of the block at the connect portion. In the convex corner portion, the block side wall comprises a first side wall extending along the first portion, a second side wall extending along the second portion, and a substantially triangular third side wall intersecting the first side wall, the second side wall and the block tread. The third side wall terminates radially outside the groove bottom of the lateral groove.