Winter Tire Tread Sipe Layout for Straight-Line Snow Braking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tires with densely disposed small blocks for winter conditions lack sufficient braking performance on snow and ice roads when driving straight.
Innovation Solution
A tire design featuring blocks partitioned by circumferential and lateral sipes in a zigzag pattern, forming small blocks with increased flexural rigidity, enhancing support between adjacent blocks in both circumferential and width directions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If circumferential sipes are configured in a zigzag pattern to increase flexural rigidity, then ground contact characteristics during braking are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The circumferential sipes are designed with asymmetric zigzag patterns rather than symmetric straight lines. This asymmetry creates varying contact angles and edges that enhance flexural rigidity and ground contact characteristics during braking, while the regular repetition of the pattern maintains manufacturing feasibility
2Strength
If small blocks are formed by multiple sipes to increase flexural rigidity, then support between adjacent blocks in both circumferential and width directions is improved, but the number of sipes and manufacturing steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The circumferential sipes serve multiple functions simultaneously: they divide blocks into small blocks, provide water evacuation channels, and create zigzag patterns that enhance flexural rigidity. The lateral sipes similarly serve as dividers and structural reinforcement elements, reducing the need for additional components while achieving multiple objectives
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A tire (10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E) includes a block group (31, 32, 33) delimited by a pair of circumferential grooves (41, 42, 43, 44) extending in a tire circumferential direction (TC). The block group includes a plurality of blocks (100, 200, 300) delimited by a plurality of lateral grooves (61, 62, 63) extending in the tire width direction (WD). Each block of the plurality of block group (31, 32, 33) is partitioned into a plurality of small blocks (101, 201, 301, 101A, 201A, 301A, 101B, 201B, 301B, 101C, 201C, 301C, 101D, 301E) by a circumferential sipe (120, 220, 320) and a plurality of lateral sipes (130, 230, 330). In each block, the circumferential sipe extends in a zigzag shape, and at least an outermost lateral sipes of the plurality of lateral sipes in the tire circumferential direction (TC) extend in parallel with each other.