Tread Block Incision Segmentation for Grip and Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pneumatic vehicle tires with incisions in the tread face challenges in maintaining optimal rigidity and wear resistance under different driving conditions, with existing designs either being too soft and prone to deformation during normal driving or too rigid and abrasive during dynamic maneuvers.
Innovation Solution
The design of tread blocks with incisions composed of three sections, where the first and third sections have a higher radial component and the second section is wider, allowing for high deformability under normal conditions and increased rigidity under dynamic forces by adjusting the width and angle of the incision sections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If incisions are added to tread blocks to improve grip on wet/icy/snowy roads, then grip properties are improved, but tread block rigidity is reduced causing excessive deformation during braking and acceleration
Solution Approach 1:
The incision is divided into three distinct sections (first, second, and third sections) with different geometries and orientations. The first and third sections have higher radial components for flexibility, while the second section is wider and oriented to provide rigidity during dynamic maneuvers. This segmentation allows each section to serve a specific function that collectively resolves the contradiction between grip and rigidity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the incision are designed with different local properties: the first and third sections have higher radial components that allow deformation for grip, while the second section is wider and specifically oriented to resist deformation during braking and acceleration. This local differentiation enables the incision to provide both flexibility and rigidity in different locations and under different conditions.
2Loss of substance
If tread blocks are made stiffer without incisions to reduce wear during dynamic maneuvers, then wear resistance is improved, but grip properties on wet/icy/snowy roads deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The incision is segmented into three sections where the second section's specific geometry (wider width and particular orientation) provides rigidity to reduce wear during dynamic maneuvers, while the first and third sections maintain flexibility for grip. This segmentation allows the tread block to exhibit wear-resistant behavior during braking/acceleration while retaining grip capability on slippery surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The incision sections are designed with specific parameter variations: the second section has a larger width and specific orientation angle compared to the first and third sections. These parameter changes create zones of different stiffness within the same incision structure, enabling the tread block to reduce wear during high-force maneuvers while maintaining grip properties through the more flexible first and third sections.
3Stability of the object's composition
If incisions are designed with high radial component sections to allow deformability during free rolling, then low rigidity is achieved for uniform wear, but rigidity increases excessively under high dynamic forces
Solution Approach 1:
The incision is divided into three sections with deliberately different geometries. The first and third sections have higher radial components that facilitate deformability during free rolling, while the second section is designed with larger width and specific orientation that provides resistance to deformation under high dynamic forces. This segmentation creates a progressive stiffness response that adapts to different loading conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the incision possess different local mechanical qualities: the first and third sections are more compliant with higher radial components for deformability, while the second section is stiffer with larger width and specific orientation. This local quality differentiation enables the incision to exhibit low overall rigidity during free rolling while providing localized rigidity support under high dynamic forces.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2c
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
The tire has a profiled tread (1) including profile blocks (2) provided with a slot (5) that is viewed in a radial section and transverse to an extension direction. The slot consists of three sections that are attached to each other in a zig-zag-form. Radial channel component of two of three sections is larger than a radial channel component of the third section that connects the two sections, which are viewed from a profile surface. The third section is broader than the two sections that run parallel to each other.