Tyre Shoulder Tread Elevations to Smooth Cornering Stiffness
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle tires, particularly bicycle tires, experience stiffness jumps between the running strip and the side walls, leading to reduced footprint and handling issues during cornering on various surfaces.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of elongated elevations on the top surfaces of the block-like profile positives of the shoulder-side sections of the running strip, which distribute the running strip volume towards the side walls, thereby reducing stiffness jumps and providing additional grip edges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the tread is depressed toward the sidewalls with profiled outer shoulder sections, then the tread pattern provides grip on unpaved surfaces, but stiffness jumps occur between the tread and sidewalls, reducing the footprint when cornering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating elevations with specific geometric characteristics (height of 0.50 mm to 4.00 mm, elongated shape in circumferential direction) at specific locations on the cover surfaces of blocks in the shoulder-side sections. These localized structural modifications provide grip enhancement where needed while maintaining overall tread stability, resolving the contradiction between localized grip improvement and global stiffness stability.
2Force
If a largely smooth, less profiled tread in the central tread section is used, then higher driving force is achieved on paved surfaces, but stiffness jumps toward the sidewalls cannot be effectively reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating elevations with specific geometric characteristics (height of 0.50 mm to 4.00 mm, elongated shape in circumferential direction) at specific locations on the cover surfaces of blocks in the shoulder-side sections. These localized structural modifications provide grip enhancement where needed while maintaining overall tread stability, resolving the contradiction between localized grip improvement and global stiffness stability.
3Ease of operation
If cuts are provided in the tread blocks, then grip on loose surfaces is improved, but stones easily get caught in the cuts causing them to clog, especially on muddy surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by replacing cuts (negative relief) with elevations (positive relief). Instead of removing material to create grip edges, the patent adds material to create elongated elevations that provide gripping surfaces without the clogging problems associated with cuts. This inversion resolves the contradiction between grip enhancement and clog resistance.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
Vehicle tires, in particular for a light vehicle, a motorcycle, a bicycle or a wheelchair, with a profiled tread (2), sidewalls (3) and bead areas (4), wherein the tread (2) has a central circumferential tread section (2a) which provides the positive surfaces in contact with the surface on a firm or paved surface, and shoulder-side sections (2b) extending to the sidewalls (3) at shoulder curves, which are profiled with blocks or block-like profile positives (7) and provided with cover surfaces (7a) following the shoulder curves.On the top surfaces (7a) of the blocks or block-like profile positives (7) of the shoulder-side sections (2b) of the running track (2) at least one elongated elevation (8) is formed, viewed in top view and in the circumferential direction of the side walls (3), which has a height of 0.50 mm to 4.00 mm relative to the top surface (7a) of the block or block-like profile positive (7) in the vertical direction.