Tire Tread Sipe Layout for Cornering Stability Under Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tires with existing sipe structures face degradation in on-ice/snow and wet performance during cornering due to increased stiffness of land portions with tread wear, leading to reduced edge effect and compromised cornering capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A tire design featuring a tread portion with land portions that include an outer sipe element extending in the axial direction and a plurality of inner sipe elements extending in the circumferential direction, which become visible at intermediate wear stages, maintaining stiffness and enhancing edge effect for improved cornering performance on ice/snow and wet surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional sipe structure without circumferential components is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but cornering performance degrades due to increased land portion stiffness with tread wear
Solution Approach 1:
The sipe is divided into multiple segments including a first sipe element extending in the axial direction and a second sipe element extending in the circumferential direction. This segmentation allows each element to perform specific functions: the first element maintains basic sipe functionality while the second element provides circumferential flexibility to maintain edge effect during cornering even as tread wears
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a circumferential dimension to the traditional axial sipe structure by incorporating the second sipe element that extends in the tire circumferential direction. This dimensional addition enables the sipe to maintain effectiveness during cornering operations by providing flexibility in the circumferential direction while retaining axial functionality
2Duration of action of moving object
If the tread portion wears, then the tire continues to be used, but land portion stiffness increases causing edge effect to decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The second sipe element is pre-configured in the circumferential direction within the land portion, creating a flexible component that will become exposed as the tread wears. This preliminary configuration ensures that when the tread wears and the land portion stiffness increases, the second sipe element is already in position to maintain edge effect and cornering performance
Solution Approach 2:
The dual-element sipe structure creates a dynamic system where the first sipe element provides initial functionality and the second sipe element becomes increasingly important as tread wears. The structure adapts to different wear stages, maintaining edge effect throughout the tire's service life by having different elements dominate at different wear levels
Data Source
AI summary
A tread portion of a tire includes at least one land portion. The land portion includes an outer region disposed inwardly of a tread surface in a tire radial direction, an inner region disposed on an inner side in the tire radial direction, and at least one sipe. The sipe includes one outer sipe element extending in the outer region in a tire axial direction, and a plurality of inner sipe elements extending in the inner region. The inner sipe elements include a component extending in a tire circumferential direction, and is connected to the outer sipe element.