Tyre Tread Pattern Chamfers for Wet Braking and Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-performance vehicle tires face challenges in maintaining excellent braking and handling performance on both dry and wet surfaces while minimizing noise and rolling resistance, as modifications to groove dimensions for improved traction on wet surfaces often compromise performance on dry surfaces and increase noise.
Innovation Solution
A tread pattern with chamfers on the lateral walls of grooves in the shoulder and central regions, featuring a void-to-rubber ratio that balances traction, noise reduction, and rolling resistance, includes transverse and circumferential grooves with chamfers that provide improved contact with the road surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wider and deeper transverse grooves are used to improve braking and handling performance on wet surfaces, then traction is improved, but noise increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies chamfers locally at the ends of transverse grooves rather than modifying the entire groove structure. This localized modification allows the grooves to maintain their water channeling function while the chamfered edges reduce impact noise by creating a gradual transition instead of sharp edges that strike the road surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful sharp edges of transverse grooves into beneficial chamfered surfaces. The chamfers transform the noise-generating impact edges into smooth transitional surfaces that reduce noise while preserving the groove's primary function of water evacuation and traction.
2Reliability
If more grooves are provided in the tread band to improve water discharge, then wet surface performance is improved, but rolling resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the water evacuation function by adding chamfers at groove ends rather than increasing the number of grooves. This segmentation allows water to be discharged through the same number of grooves but with enhanced efficiency at the groove termini, improving wet performance without the energy penalty of additional groove structures that would increase rolling resistance.
Data Source
AI summary
A tyre for vehicle wheels comprises a tread band on which a radially external tread surface and a tread pattern are defined; the tread band comprising: a central region of the tread band, extending circumferentially about an equatorial plane of the tyre over at least 30% of an effective width of the tread band; a first and a second shoulder region extending, on opposite sides of the central region, each over at least 20% of the effective width of the tread band; the tread pattern, on the first and second shoulder regions and the central region, comprises transverse grooves comprising a bottom and a pair of opposed lateral walls. These lateral walls extending from the bottom towards the tread surface with a first inclination, and joining to the tread surface by chamfers having a second inclination greater than the first inclination relative to the radial direction.