Pneumatic Tyre Shoulder Blocks with Dual Base Elevations

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Solution Overview

Problem

Pneumatic vehicle tires with transverse grooves and base elevations often experience uneven tread wear on the shoulder side, leading to reduced handling properties and increased noise due to 'air pumping' during rolling.

Innovation Solution

The tire design incorporates two base elevations in each lateral groove, one on the circumferential groove and another near the edge of the ground contact area, which support shoulder blocks and restrict their mobility, ensuring even wear and reducing noise by deflecting airflow.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If a single raised base section is provided in each transverse groove to increase circumferential stiffness, then handling characteristics during cornering are improved, but uneven wear of the shoulder blocks occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecircumferential stiffnessVSAvoiduniformity of tread wear
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The single raised base section is divided into two separate raised base sections within each transverse groove. This segmentation allows each base section to independently support adjacent shoulder blocks, distributing the stiffness-enhancing function across multiple locations to prevent localized uneven wear while maintaining overall circumferential stiffness for improved handling characteristics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The two raised base sections are positioned at different locations within each transverse groove to provide locally optimized support. One base section supports shoulder blocks at one location while the other supports blocks at a different location, ensuring uniform wear distribution across the entire shoulder block row while maintaining circumferential stiffness where needed for cornering stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If transverse grooves are provided in shoulder-side profile blocks to evacuate water, then water evacuation capability is improved, but air pumping noise increases during rolling

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater evacuation capabilityVSAvoidair pumping noise
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The raised base sections within the transverse grooves convert the harmful air pumping effect into a beneficial turbulent flow pattern. By forcing air to flow around and over the raised bases, the design creates turbulence that suppresses the pumping effect and reduces noise emissions, while the grooves themselves continue to effectively evacuate water from the contact patch.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design prevents uneven tread wear, enhances braking stability, reduces noise emissions, and improves handling by maintaining circumferential rigidity and deflecting airflow, thus addressing the issues of uneven wear and noise in existing tire designs.

Implementation Method 1

These two base elevations optimally support the shoulder blocks against each other and ensure uniform wear of the shoulder blocks. Since the overall circumferential stiffness of the shoulder-side profile block row is increased by the two base elevations, the circumferential movement of the shoulder blocks is also restricted to such an extent that they bend less during braking

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical support and constraint:

Implementation Method 2

the raised bases deflect and swirl the air forced through the transverse grooves by the radial compression of the shoulder blocks during rolling on the surface. This creates a turbulent airflow, suppressing air pumping and thus preventing additional noise emission beyond the rolling noise

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAir deflection and turbulence: Turbulence

Implementation Method 3

The inclined flank surfaces provide optimal support for the raised bases, contributing to their stiffening effect

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical support through inclined surfaces: Wedge

Data Source

PatentEP3418077B1Pneumatic tyres for a vehicle
Publication Date: 2020.11.18 CONTINENTAL REIFEN DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
  • EP3418077B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2

AI summary

Radial-type pneumatic tire for vehicles with a tread having at least one shoulder-side row of profile blocks (1), which is provided over its circumferential extent with a plurality of transverse grooves (3) which divide the row of profile blocks (1) into shoulder blocks (1c), open into a circumferential groove on the inside of the tread and extend beyond the ground contact area of ​​the tread, wherein within the ground contact area of ​​the tread having a width (B) a base elevation (4) is formed in each transverse groove (3) at the circumferential groove (2), which connects successive shoulder blocks (1c) to one another in the circumferential direction, characterized in that a second base elevation (5) is formed in each transverse groove (3).