Tyre Buttress Protector Layout for Mud Traction and Cut Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pneumatic tires designed for rough terrain face a challenge in improving mud traction and cut resistance without increasing tire mass, as existing protectors on the sidewalls enhance these performance metrics but contribute to increased weight.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a tread portion with a first buttress portion featuring a set of protectors arranged in an L-shape and inverted L-shape configuration, connected by a tie-bar that enhances circumferential rigidity and mud traction while maintaining a lower protruding height to minimize mass increase, along with a recess to improve appearance and performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a plurality of protectors is provided on the sidewalls to improve cut resistance and mud performance, then mud traction performance and cut resistance are improved, but tyre mass increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protectors are divided into inner portions and outer portions with different circumferential lengths. The inner portion has a greater maximum length in the tyre circumferential direction than the outer portion, creating a segmented structure that reduces overall mass while maintaining protective function. The tie-bar connects multiple protectors to form an integrated protective system that provides cut resistance without requiring each protector to be fully independent and robust.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the protectors have different structural characteristics. The inner portion extends further in the circumferential direction to provide protection in high-stress areas, while the outer portion has reduced length to minimize mass. The L-shape and inverted L-shape configurations create local variations in protection density that match the actual stress distribution on the sidewall during off-road operation.
2Reliability
If protectors with greater protruding height are used to improve mud traction, then mud traction performance is enhanced, but tyre mass increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tie-bar has a protruding height that is smaller than that of the protectors, creating a stepped configuration. This partial action approach allows the protectors to extend further into the mud for traction while the tie-bar provides sufficient structural connection without adding excessive mass. The differential height creates a functional hierarchy where the protectors perform the primary mud engagement function.
3Strength
If multiple protectors are connected with tie-bars to enhance circumferential rigidity, then cut resistance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple protectors are merged into a single functional unit through the tie-bar connection. The tie-bar integrates the inner portions of adjacent protectors, creating a unified protective structure that acts as one rigid element. This merging reduces the number of independent components and simplifies the overall structure while maintaining circumferential rigidity across the entire protector assembly.
Data Source
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AI summary
A pneumatic tyre includes a tread portion (2) having a first tread edge (To), and a first buttress portion (4A) extending inwardly in a tyre radial direction from the first tread edge (To). The first buttress portion (4A) is provided with a plurality of protectors protruding outwardly in a tyre axial direction. The plurality of protectors (10) includes a set (10A) of protectors including a first protector (11) and a second protector (12) arranged adjacent to the first protector (11) via a groove (13) extending in the tyre radial direction. The groove (13) is provided with a tie-bar (15) connecting the first protector (11) and the second protector (12). The tie-bar (15) is partially formed in a tyre radial region of the groove (13), and the tie-bar (15) has a protruding height that is smaller than a protruding height of the first protector (11) and a protruding height of the second protector (12).