Heavy Truck Tire Groove Structure for Stone Ejection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Commercial vehicle tires with circumferential grooves and transverse grooves are prone to stone entrapment at their junctions, leading to potential damage and wear, particularly as the tread wears down.

Innovation Solution

Local projections are formed on the channel walls opposite the junction points of transverse grooves and incisions, reducing the volume susceptible to stone entrapment and acting as stone ejectors without compromising water drainage or tread stiffness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If circumferential grooves with channels are provided in the tread to improve water drainage and wet braking performance, then water evacuation capability is improved, but the risk of stone entrapment at groove intersections increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewet braking performanceVSAvoidstone entrapment risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by providing projections at specific locations within the circumferential grooves, particularly at intersections with transverse grooves. These projections are localized features that modify the groove structure only where stone entrapment is most likely to occur, while maintaining the overall channel design for water drainage. The projections create local variations in the groove geometry to prevent stone accumulation without compromising the global water evacuation function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If transverse grooves intersect with circumferential grooves to improve tread flexibility and stone ejection, then tread adaptability is improved, but stone accumulation in groove intersections increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetread flexibilityVSAvoidstone accumulation
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by providing projections at specific locations within the circumferential grooves, particularly at intersections with transverse grooves. These projections are localized features that modify the groove structure only where stone entrapment is most likely to occur, while maintaining the overall channel design for water drainage. The projections create local variations in the groove geometry to prevent stone accumulation without compromising the global water evacuation function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the channel width is increased to improve stone ejection capability, then stone removal efficiency is improved, but water drainage capacity may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestone ejection efficiencyVSAvoidwater drainage capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by providing projections at specific locations within the circumferential grooves, particularly at intersections with transverse grooves. These projections are localized features that modify the groove structure only where stone entrapment is most likely to occur, while maintaining the overall channel design for water drainage. The projections create local variations in the groove geometry to prevent stone accumulation without compromising the global water evacuation function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4061646B1Heavy truck tyre
Publication Date: 2023.09.13 CONTINENTAL REIFEN DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
  • EP4061646B1 patent drawingFigure 1~1c
  • EP4061646B1 patent drawingFigure 2~2a
  • EP4061646B1 patent drawingFigure 3~3a

AI summary

The invention relates to a commercial vehicle radial tyre comprising a tread having circumferential grooves which are designed for tread depth and which divide the tread into at least two tread ribs (1), that extend in the central region of the tread and have tread blocks (2) separated from one another by transverse grooves (3), and into tread ribs at the shoulders, wherein at least one of the circumferential grooves (4) adjoining a central tread rib (1) has, in cross-section, a radially outer incision-like narrow section (6) and a channel (8) which adjoins the tread in the interior thereof, is wider than the incision-like narrow section (6), and is delimited by two channel walls (8b) and a channel base (8a) forming the groove base, and wherein the course of this circumferential groove (4) is interrupted by entry points of transverse grooves (3). Opposite the entry points, a projection (9, 9') is formed locally on the channel wall (8b) which is opposite the entry points of the transverse grooves (3).