Tyre Tread Incision Design for Edge Length and Rigidity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Tire treads with incisions face challenges in maintaining rigidity while increasing the length of edges after wear, as existing designs either reduce rigidity or increase tread depth excessively.

Innovation Solution

A tire tread design featuring a plurality of relief elements with incisions, where the incisions are divided into first and second parts, with the second part extending in the thickness of the tread, creating mechanical connections between disjointed relief elements, thereby increasing edge length and maintaining appropriate rigidity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If incisions are provided in the tread to generate edges, then the number of edges increases, but the rigidity of the tread decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of edgesVSAvoidrigidity of tread
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The incision is divided into multiple parts (first part, second part, third part) that extend to different depths in the radial direction. This segmentation allows each part to contribute to edge generation while the varying depths maintain structural integrity and rigidity of the tread.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different parts of the incision have different depths and configurations tailored to specific functions. The first part extends to a first depth, the second part to a second depth greater than the first, and the third part to a third depth, creating local variations that optimize both edge generation and rigidity maintenance in different regions of the tread.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Quantity of substance

If incisions are extended deeper into the tread, then more edges are generated, but the rigidity of the tread is substantially reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelength of edgesVSAvoidrigidity of element in relief
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The incision is divided into multiple parts (first part, second part, third part) that extend to different depths in the radial direction. This segmentation allows each part to contribute to edge generation while the varying depths maintain structural integrity and rigidity of the tread.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The incision extends in multiple directions including the circumferential direction and the radial direction with varying depths. By utilizing the radial dimension with different depths for different parts, the design maximizes edge length while preserving rigidity through strategic depth variation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Length of stationary object

If the incision is subdivided into diverging parts, then the total length of edges increases, but the rigidity of the relief element is substantially reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetotal length of edgesVSAvoidrigidity of relief element
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of stationary objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The incision is divided into multiple parts (first part, second part, third part) that extend to different depths in the radial direction. This segmentation allows each part to contribute to edge generation while the varying depths maintain structural integrity and rigidity of the tread.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different parts of the incision have different depths and configurations tailored to specific functions. The first part extends to a first depth, the second part to a second depth greater than the first, and the third part to a third depth, creating local variations that optimize both edge generation and rigidity in different regions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2552715B1Tyre tread having incisions
Publication Date: 2014.07.16 MICHELIN & CO (CIE GEN DES ESTAB MICHELIN)
  • EP2552715B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2552715B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~5B
  • EP2552715B1 patent drawingFigure 6~7C

AI summary

A tyre tread comprising a plurality of relief elements (10) delimited by cuts, at least one of these relief elements (10) comprising an incision (2) having a maximum depth (H) at least equal to the thickness of the tread, this incision (2) extending in a main direction determined by the ends of the line of the incision on the rolling surface in the new state and a secondary direction extending in the thickness of the tread, this incision being formed by a first part (21) and a second part (22), the first incision part (21) extending in the secondary direction between the contact surface (15) in the new state and a depth (H1) at least equal to 40% of the maximum depth (H) and the second incision part (22) extending the first part (21) into the thickness of the tread, this second part (22) extending over a depth (H2). This tread is characterized in that the second incision part (22) comprises, in the main direction of the incision, at least one first portion (221) and at least one second portion (222), these two portions each having a length which is less than the length (L), each first portion (221) being formed by an incision comprising at least two branches (51, 52) that are spaced apart from one another by a maximum distance (D1), and each second portion (222), which is located in line with a first portion (221) in the main direction of the incision, being separated from any first portion.