39 patents in this list

Updated:

Modern tire design must balance increasingly demanding braking requirements across diverse conditions. Field tests show that braking distances can vary by up to 40% between wet and dry surfaces, while temperature variations from -10°C to 35°C significantly affect rubber compound performance. Current high-performance tires achieve wet braking distances of 35-40 meters from 100 km/h, but this can double on icy surfaces.

The fundamental challenge lies in optimizing rubber compositions and tread patterns that maintain grip across temperature ranges and road conditions while achieving acceptable wear resistance and rolling efficiency.

This page brings together solutions from recent research—including hydrophobic groove surfaces for improved wet braking, advanced rubber compounds with inverse vulcanizates, thermally-optimized multi-component polymers, and tread patterns with reinforced groove geometries. These and other approaches demonstrate practical ways to enhance braking performance while managing the inherent tradeoffs in tire design.

1. Tire Tread with Trapezoidal Groove Pattern for Enhanced Multi-Surface Grip

SHANDONG LINGLONG RUBBER TECH CO LTD, SHANDONG LINGLONG RUBBER TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2024

Anti-sideslip tire design that improves grip and stability on wet and snowy roads without compromising dry performance. The tire has a unique trapezoidal groove pattern covering the entire tread crown. This improves drainage on wet roads, prevents hydroplaning, and enhances wet grip. On snow, the trapezoidal grooves engage deeper into the snow for better traction and prevent sliding. The trapezoidal pattern provides anti-sideslip capabilities without requiring additional steel plates or altering the tread widths.

CN220662182U-patent-drawing

2. Tire Tread with Specific Pattern and Groove Configuration Incorporating Three Crown Rubbers

SHANDONG LINGLONG RUBBER TECH CO LTD, SHANDONG LINGLONG RUBBER TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, SHANDONG LINGLONG TYRE CO LTD, 2024

A low rolling resistance tire with improved braking performance. The tire has a tread with specific patterns and grooves arranged in a specific configuration. The tread has four longitudinal grooves and fixed patterns including a first pattern, a second pattern, a third pattern, a fourth pattern, and a fifth pattern. The tread has three crown rubbers, first, second, and third. This unique pattern and groove arrangement on the tread along with the three crown rubbers helps balance dry braking distance and rolling resistance.

CN220465156U-patent-drawing

3. Tire Tread Sidewall with Alternating 3D Depression and Protrusion Pattern

BRIDGESTONE EUROPE NV SA, BRIDGESTONE EUROPE NV/SA, 2023

Tire with improved snow performance by having a unique 3D pattern on the outer surface of the tire's tread sidewalls. The pattern consists of alternating depressions and protrusions on the sidewall to enhance snow digging and snow trapping. This allows the tire to better penetrate and hold snow for better traction and braking on snow-covered roads.

4. Rubber Composition with Sulfur-Crosslinked Organic Inverse Vulcanizate Having Low Glass Transition Temperature

Toyo Tire Corporation, 2023

Rubber composition for tires containing an inverse vulcanizate having a low glass transition temperature. The inverse vulcanizate is a sulfur-crosslinked organic substance. Rubber compositions containing this inverse vulcanizate have improved breaking strength compared to normal vulcanizate rubber. The inverse vulcanizate has a Tg of 60°C or lower.

5. Rubber Compositions Incorporating Denatured Lignin and Long-Chain Alkyl Amine Additives

KAO CORPORATION, 2023

Rubber compositions with improved friction and grip force for shoe soles, tires, etc. The compositions contain a specified lignin compound and an amine compound along with the rubber. The lignin is denatured lignin from biomass sources. The amine is a long-chain alkyl amine. The lignin and amine additives enhance the frictional properties of the rubber when compared to normal rubber compositions.

US11767418B2-patent-drawing

6. Controller-Based Wheel Warming System Utilizing Sequential Brake and Power Cycling for All-Wheel-Drive Vehicles

Ford Global Technologies, LLC, 2023

System to warm up all driven wheels of all-wheel-drive vehicles for better tire performance by using line-lock mode. The system involves a controller that selectively brakes and powers the wheels in a specific sequence to warm them up. This involves braking one wheel while powering the opposite wheel, and then swapping to brake the other wheel and power the first wheel. The controller alternates braking and powering the wheels in phases to warm them up.

7. Tire Tread with Dual Inclined Lateral Groove Surfaces

SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD., 2023

A tire design that improves braking performance while reducing uneven wear. The tire has a tread with a lateral groove to expel water. The groove has an inclined surface on the groove opening and an opposing inclined surface internally. The angle of the outer inclined surface is 15-30 degrees and the inner inclined surface angle is 5-25 degrees. These angles concentrate braking forces away from the groove opening to reduce uneven wear.

US11766898B2-patent-drawing

8. Hydrophobic Surface Structure with Protruding Elements in Tire Tread Grooves Formed by Laser Beam Ablation

Bridgestone Europe NV/SA [BE/BE], 2023

Tire tread design with reduced braking distances on wet surfaces. It uses a hydrophobic surface structure inside the tread grooves. The hydrophobic surface helps water drain quickly from the tread by having protruding elements that repel water. The tread compound includes silica, a vulcanization system, and wax made of nonacosandiols. The hydrophobic surface can be created by laser beam ablation after vulcanization.

US20230226853A1-patent-drawing

9. Tire Tread with Circumferential Grooves and Reinforcing Elements Extending into Tread Blocks

COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, 2023

Car tire with improved grip performance on dry and wet road conditions. The tire has a tread pattern with circumferential grooves. The grooves contain reinforcing elements along the inner groove walls that extend partially into the tread blocks. The elements reduce the shearing and rocking of the blocks when the tire encounters axial forces during braking and acceleration. This prevents excessive pressure on the leading edges of the blocks and improves grip. The elements increase cornering stiffness without compromising wear or rolling resistance.

US11697310B2-patent-drawing

10. Tire with Serrated Lateral Groove Walls Featuring Alternating Inclined and Parallel Surfaces

Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd., 2023

A tire that can improve braking performance on icy roads without using studs. The tire has a tread pattern with lateral grooves that have serrated groove walls. The serrations include alternating outwardly inclined surfaces and parallel surfaces. This design sweeps water off the road to improve grip. The inclined surfaces contact the road, wiping away water under braking. The parallel surfaces maintain contact pressure.

11. Diene Rubber Composition with Thermally Expandable NBR-Covered Microcapsules and Non-Ionic Surfactants

The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD., 2023

Rubber composition for a tire that improves ice braking and wear resistance performance for studless tires. The composition contains a diene rubber and a small amount of thermally expandable microcapsules covered by a crosslinked acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR). The microcapsules absorb stress and suppress wear. Additionally, non-ionic surfactants can be added.

US11685190B2-patent-drawing

12. Multicomponent Copolymer-Infused Rubber Composition with Defined Thermal Properties and α-Olefin for Tire Applications

BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION, 2023

A rubber composition for tires that balances wear resistance, breaking resistance, and operability. The composition contains a multicomponent copolymer with conjugated diene, non-conjugated olefin, and aromatic vinyl units. The copolymer has specific thermal properties like endothermic peak energy, melting point, and glass transition temperature to enhance crystallinity and wear resistance while maintaining operability. The composition also contains an α-olefin with a specific molecular weight range to further improve breaking resistance.

US11655356B2-patent-drawing

13. Motorcycle Tire with Differential Tread Curvature for Enhanced Lean Angle Performance

Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd., 2023

Motorcycle tire geometry improves grip and stability when the motorcycle is leaned over in corners. The tread has a unique contour with higher curvature in the shoulder portions compared to the center portion. This allows the tire to maintain high frictional force at high lean angles without hardening and losing grip. The shoulder curvature is at least 50% of the tread width while the center curvature is no more than 70% of the width.

US20230143715A1-patent-drawing

14. Pneumatic Tire with Belt Layer and Reinforcing Layer Featuring Specific Cord Inclination and Organic Fiber Composition

Toyo Tire Corporation, 2023

Pneumatic tire design to improve wet braking and handling performance while maintaining high-speed durability, ride comfort, and rolling resistance. It achieves this by optimizing the belt layer and belt reinforcing layer properties. The tire has belt cords inclined at an angle of more than 30 degrees but 40 degrees or less to the tire circumferential direction. The belt reinforcing layer uses organic fiber cords. The key performance factor is a calculation that involves cord elongation at 5% and 0.5% levels, cord count, and several belt layers and reinforcing layers. The product of those values divided by 1000 should be 11 or higher. This allows increasing the belt angle to improve wet braking and handling without sacrificing high-speed durability.

15. Pneumatic Tire with Inclined Belt Layer and Organic Fiber Reinforcement

Toyo Tire Corporation, 2023

A pneumatic tire that improves high-speed durability, ride comfort, and rolling resistance while maintaining wet braking and handling stability, by optimizing the belt layer and belt reinforcement. The tire has a belt layer with cords inclined more than 30 degrees but less than 40 degrees to improve wet braking and handling. The belt reinforcing layer uses an organic fiber cord with a product of load and count over 1000N to enhance durability. The rubber cross-sectional area to cord cross-sectional area ratio is 1.0 to 1.5 to balance durability and rolling resistance.

16. Tire Tread with Zigzag Bottom Main Grooves and Offset Overlapping Lateral Grooves

The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD., 2023

Tire tread design with center and shoulder grooves that provide improved wet braking, wear resistance, and noise performance. The tread has a zigzag shape at the bottom of the main grooves. It also has overlapped lateral grooves in the center land portions offset from the lateral grooves in adjacent center land portions. This unique arrangement provides balanced wet braking, wear, and noise performance.

17. Tire Tread Rubber Composition with Solution Polymerized SBR, Silica Reinforcement, and Modified Liquid Butadiene Rubber Softening Agent

HANKOOK TIRE & TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., 2023

Tire tread rubber composition with improved wear and ice/snow braking. The composition uses a specific blend of raw rubber, silica, and modified liquid butadiene rubber. The raw rubber is a solution polymerized SBR with controlled styrene and vinyl content. The modified liquid butadiene rubber acts as a softening agent to improve mixing. The silica provides reinforcement.

US11613631B2-patent-drawing

18. Reinforced Non-Pneumatic Tire with Diagonally Crossed Cord Sheets

HANKOOK TIRE & TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD, 2023

A non-pneumatic tire design with improved performance and durability. It uses a structural reinforcement part inside the tread to enhance braking, fatigue resistance, vibration dispersion, and torsional torque resistance. The reinforcement part has diagonally crossed cord sheets wound around a central body. The stiffness can be adjusted by changing the material and width of the cords. The reinforcement part is inserted into the tread between the spoke and rim sections.

US11607911B2-patent-drawing

19. Tire with Grooved Tread Blocks Having Variable-Length Sipes and Outer Belt Edge Configuration

BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION, 2023

Tire design with optimized block shape to enhance braking performance on ice and snow surfaces, while also reducing rolling resistance. The tire has blocks partitioned by grooves in the tread. The outer belt edge is positioned outside the outermost circumferential groove. Each block has widthwise sipes. The first sipe closest to the block end is longer than the second sipe further inside. This block shape enhances braking by preventing tread lift-off and maintaining grip at the block edges during deceleration on ice.

US20230034031A1-patent-drawing

20. Tire Tread with Differential Groove Widths and Layered Structure

HEFEI WIDE WAY MOLDS CO LTD, 2023

A tire tread design with improved anti-skid performance that reduces material usage and cost. The tread has a main body with four narrow, bar-shaped grooves and two wider, strip-shaped grooves. The narrow grooves provide stability and the wider grooves improve traction. This configuration allows opening up the narrow grooves without sacrificing grip, while using less material compared to a uniform groove width. The tread layers (surface, buffer, and bottom) work together to maintain performance.

21. Tire Tread with Asymmetrically Distributed Stud Pin Installation Holes

22. Tire Tread with Block Structure Incorporating Evenly Spaced Twill Grooves

23. Rubber Composition with Surface-Modified Polyketone and Reinforcing Agent

24. Tire Tread with Dual-Layer Rubber Composition Featuring High Grip Surface and Wear-Resistant Substrate

25. Tire Tread with Microgrooved Rubber Strips and Differential Abrasion Resistance

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The various obstacles of braking in varying weather and road conditions are addressed by these technologies through advancements in tread design, structural strengthening, and rubber composition. The total performance and longevity of contemporary tires are enhanced by these technological advancements in addition to increasing safety.