Tyre with a tread comprising reinforcing elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tire designs face a compromise between rolling resistance and dynamic response to steering, with existing materials not adequately enhancing drift thrust performance without increasing rolling resistance or noise.
Innovation Solution
A tire design featuring a tread with circumferential reinforcing elements made from a specific rubber composition, comprising a copolymer of ethylene and 1,3-diene, a reinforcing filler, and a crosslinking system, which provides a dynamic shear modulus at least twice that of the rest of the tread, optimizing axial width and distribution for improved stiffness and reduced rolling resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a low hysteretic material is used to stiffen the tread, then rolling resistance is improved, but drift thrust response to steering input deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the stiffness of different regions within the tread. The circumferential reinforcing elements are positioned specifically at the axial ends of the tread blocks, creating localized stiff zones that enhance steering response without requiring the entire tread to be stiff, thus maintaining low rolling resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining a low hysteretic tread compound with circumferential reinforcing elements made of different material compositions. The reinforcing elements have higher stiffness and lower hysteresis than the main tread material, creating a composite structure that optimizes both rolling resistance and steering response characteristics.
2Ease of operation
If the stiffness of the tread is increased to improve drift thrust response, then steering input response is improved, but rolling resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent avoids uniformly increasing tread stiffness by instead placing stiffening elements only at specific locations (axial ends of tread blocks). This localized approach provides the necessary steering response while keeping the majority of the tread material soft and low-hysteretic, thereby maintaining low rolling resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the tread structure by dividing it into tread blocks with circumferential reinforcing elements at their axial ends. This segmentation allows different parts of the tread to have different stiffness characteristics, with the reinforced zones providing steering response and the unreinforced zones providing low rolling resistance.
3Ease of operation
If circumferential reinforcing elements are added to the tread, then dynamic response to steering is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the circumferential reinforcement into discrete elements positioned at the axial ends of individual tread blocks. This segmented approach provides the necessary dynamic response while avoiding the complexity of a continuous circumferential reinforcement structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses partial action by providing reinforcement only at the axial ends of tread blocks rather than throughout the entire tread. This partial reinforcement is sufficient to improve dynamic steering response without the complexity and material cost of full circumferential reinforcement.
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
The solution enhances dynamic response to steering while maintaining or improving rolling resistance, offering better performance in both rigidity and hysteresis, thus addressing the limitations of prior art tire materials.
Implementation Method 1
a copolymer of ethylene and 1,3-diene, the ethylene units in the copolymer representing more than 50% by mole of the monomer units of the copolymer
Implementation Method 2
The invention aims to provide a better dynamic response in drift thrust on steering input without penalizing the rolling resistance of the tire
Implementation Method 3
a crosslinking system
Implementation Method 4
a reinforcing filler
Data Source
Figure 1~2(I)
Figure 3~4(I)
Figure 5~6(I)
AI summary
The invention relates to a tyre, the tread of which comprises at least one tread pattern block comprising at least one circumferential reinforcing element consisting of a composition having a dynamic shear modulus G* at least two times greater than the dynamic shear modulus G* of the composition of the remainder of the blocks of the tread. The composition of said at least one circumferential reinforcing element is based on at least: more than 50 phr of a copolymer of ethylene and a 1,3-diene, the ethylene units in the copolymer representing more than 50 mol% of the monomer units of the copolymer, a reinforcing filler, and a crosslinking system; and has a degree of dilution of less than or equal to 25%.