Tyre Tread Groove Width Variation for Wear and Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing straightaway driving time and vehicle speed lead to uneven wear in specific areas of tires, while maintaining drainage performance is crucial to prevent hydroplaning, especially at high speeds.
Innovation Solution
A tire design featuring inclined grooves with a first portion on the crown region, a second portion on the shoulder region, and a third portion connecting them, where the third portion has a smaller groove width than the first and second portions, with a larger inner groove width, ensuring improved tread rigidity and drainage performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the groove width is increased to improve drainage performance, then water evacuation capability is enhanced, but tread rigidity decreases leading to increased uneven wear
Solution Approach 1:
The groove structure implements local quality by having different groove widths in different regions: the first and second portions (on crown and shoulder regions) have larger groove widths for drainage, while the third portion (connecting region) has a smaller groove width for maintaining tread rigidity and reducing uneven wear. This spatial variation in groove width allows each region to optimize its function.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove is segmented into three distinct portions: a first portion on the crown region side, a second portion on the shoulder region side, and a third portion connecting them. This segmentation allows different sections of the same groove to serve different functions - the first and second portions handle water evacuation while the third portion maintains structural integrity.
2Speed
If straightaway driving time increases at high speed, then vehicle performance is improved, but uneven wear in specific areas of the tyre worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The third portion of the groove, with its smaller groove width, is specifically positioned in the connecting region between crown and shoulder areas - the regions most susceptible to uneven wear during high-speed straightaway driving. This local structural modification targets the specific wear problem caused by high-speed operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove design proactively addresses uneven wear by incorporating the third portion with smaller groove width in advance, before wear occurs. This preliminary structural feature prevents excessive slippage and wear in the connecting regions during high-speed straightaway driving.
3Strength
If the groove width is decreased to improve uneven wear resistance, then tread rigidity is maintained, but drainage performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The groove structure applies local quality by restricting the smaller groove width to only the third portion (connecting region), while the first and second portions maintain larger groove widths for drainage. This ensures that drainage performance is not compromised overall, while still improving wear resistance in critical areas.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the groove into three portions with different width characteristics, the design allows the first and second portions to handle drainage functions with larger widths, while the third portion handles rigidity maintenance with smaller width, achieving both objectives simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
To improve uneven wear resistance performance while maintaining drainage performance. A tyre is provided with a plurality of inclined grooves in a tread portion. Each of the inclined grooves includes a first portion arranged on a crown region side, a second portion arranged on a shoulder region side, and a third portion connecting between the first portion and the second portion. In a ground contacting surface of the tread portion, the third portion has a groove width smaller than the first portion and the second portion. The third portion includes an outer portion arranged on the ground contacting surface side and an inner portion arranged radially inside the outer portion. The inner portion has a groove width larger than the outer portion.