Zigzag Main Groove Structure for Tire Stone Ejection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pneumatic tires with zigzag main grooves are prone to stones getting caught in gaps between protrusions, which can lead to deformation, uneven wear, and potential damage.
Innovation Solution
The tire design includes zigzag main grooves with protrusions that overlap in the circumferential direction, connected by connection portions, reducing the gaps between protrusions and enhancing the tire's rigidity and drainage performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If protrusions are provided on the bottom surface of the zigzag main groove to eject stones, then stone ejection function is improved, but gaps between protrusions allow small stones to enter and get caught
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a single-layer arrangement of protrusions to a multi-layer stacked configuration. By arranging protrusions in multiple layers along the tire circumferential direction, the design eliminates gaps between protrusions while maintaining the stone ejection function. The stacked layers create a continuous barrier that prevents small stones from entering, effectively resolving the contradiction between stone ejection capability and gap prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges multiple protrusions into a stacked configuration where they are closely arranged along the tire circumferential direction. This combining approach eliminates the gaps that existed between separate protrusions, creating a continuous structure that both ejects stones and prevents small stones from entering, thereby resolving the technical contradiction.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple protrusions are arranged to cover the bottom surface, then stone coverage is improved, but gaps remain between protrusions
Solution Approach 1:
The invention adds the tire circumferential direction as an additional dimension for arranging protrusions. By stacking protrusions in multiple layers along this dimension, the design achieves complete coverage of the bottom surface area while eliminating gaps. The multi-layer arrangement ensures that protrusions are densely packed both radially and circumferentially, preventing small stones from entering any gaps.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If protrusions are made larger to reduce gaps, then gap reduction is improved, but tire rigidity may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the protrusion structure into multiple smaller protrusions arranged in stacked layers. This segmentation allows the protrusions to be closely packed, reducing gaps between them, while the distributed arrangement across multiple layers maintains the overall structural balance and rigidity of the tire. The segmented approach avoids the rigidity issues that would result from using fewer, larger protrusions.
Data Source
AI summary
A pneumatic tire of the present disclosure includes a plurality of main grooves extending along a tire circumferential direction, wherein the plurality of main grooves include at least one zigzag main groove extending in a zigzag shape along the tire circumferential direction, the zigzag main groove includes a plurality of protrusions protruding from a bottom surface of the zigzag main groove, and a plurality of connection portions connecting the plurality of protrusions to a wall surface of the zigzag main groove, and the plurality of protrusions are arranged so as to overlap with each other as viewed in the tire circumferential direction.