Undulated Tire Sipe Geometry for Wear and Mold Durability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing tire tread sipes improve wear and interlocking but degrade rolling resistance, and their complex geometry requires fragile mold components, increasing manufacturing costs, especially in multi-segment molds.

Innovation Solution

Tire treads with sipes featuring thicker frame portions and thinner projections or recesses, along with a method for molding using sipe-molding members that allow for economical and durable mold manufacturing, maintaining wear and reducing rolling resistance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If sophisticated undulating lamelles are used to improve tread wear and interlocking, then tread wear performance is improved, but rolling resistance increases and mold components become fragile

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetread wear performanceVSAvoidmold component complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sipe-molding member incorporates localized thick frame portions at critical stress points and thinner portions in less critical areas. This non-uniform thickness distribution provides structural reinforcement where needed while maintaining the undulating lamelle geometry for tread wear improvement, resolving the contradiction between performance and mold complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If complex sipe geometry with undulating lamelles is implemented, then tread wear improves, but manufacturing cost increases due to fragile mold components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetread wear performanceVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The sipe-molding member uses variable thickness design with thick frame portions at critical locations and thinner portions elsewhere, optimizing both structural integrity and cost-effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The sipe-molding member combines thick and thin portions in a composite structural approach, creating a hybrid design that balances durability and manufacturing economy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS20260061778A1Undulated tire sipe for improved tire performance and economical mold fabrication
Publication Date: 2026.03.05 MICHELIN & CO (CIE GEN DES ESTAB MICHELIN)
  • US20260061778A1 patent drawing
  • US20260061778A1 patent drawing
  • US20260061778A1 patent drawing

AI summary

A tire and a method of making a tire having a plurality of sipes (14), each sipe is arranged between opposing surfaces (16) of the tread (10) within the tread thickness and each sipe having a thicker frame portion (15) which meets with and extends beyond and into the ground engaging surface of the tire tread and a thinner portion forming a plurality of projections on at least one of opposing sides (16) of the sipe thickness, the plurality of projections being spaced apart, each projection has a height no greater than the thickness of the frame portion of the sipe.