Tire

Inventors: Sawa Ogihara (Kobe, JP); Ryuhei Sanae (Kobe, JP); Ken Miyazawa (Kobe, JP); Tatsuya Sasaki (Kobe, JP); Naoto Oishi (Kobe, JP)

Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.

B60C11/1204 B60C11/0302 B60C11/0304 B60C11/0332 B60C11/1236 B60C11/1281 B60C2011/0341 B60C2011/0372 B60C2011/1213

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12679147
App. No.: 18/119,558
Granted: Jul 14, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A tread portion includes a land portion provided with lateral groove-shaped elements arranged in a first array. Each lateral groove-shaped element extends from a first end to a second end. In the first array, the second end of one of the lateral groove-shaped elements is located at the circumferential same position as the first end of another of the lateral groove-shaped elements. Each lateral groove-shaped elements includes a first portion on the first end side, a second portion on the second end side, and a third portion therebetween. The first, second, and third portions are inclined in the same direction. An angle θ 3 of the third portion to the tire circumferential direction is smaller than angles θ 1 and θ 2 of the first and second portions, and a length of the third portion is greater than a sum of lengths of the first and second portions.

Claims (51)

1 . A tire comprising:

a tread portion comprising at least one land portion, wherein

the at least one land portion comprises a circumferentially extending first edge, a circumferentially extending second edge, and at least one set of plurality of lateral groove-shaped elements,

each of the plurality of lateral groove-shaped elements extends continuously from a first end thereof located on the first edge to a second end thereof located on the second edge and is inclined with respect to a tire axial direction and a tire circumferential direction,

the at least one set of the plurality of lateral groove-shaped elements is arranged in a first array over an entire circumference of the at least one land portion,

in the first array, the plurality of lateral groove-shaped elements is arranged repeatedly in the tire circumferential direction such that the second end of one of the lateral groove-shaped elements is located at a same position in the tire circumferential direction as the first end of another of the lateral groove-shaped elements,

each of the plurality of lateral groove-shaped elements comprises a first portion on a first end side, a second portion on a second end side, and a third portion between the first portion and the second portion,

the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion are inclined in a same direction with respect to the tire circumferential direction,

an angle θ 3 of the third portion with respect to the tire circumferential direction is smaller than an angle θ 1 and an angle θ 2 of the first and second portions, respectively, with respect to the tire circumferential direction,

a length of the third portion is greater than a sum of a length of the first portion and a length of the second portion,

the length of the third portion is equal to or more than 2.0 times the sum of the length of the first portion and the length of the second portion,

each of the plurality of lateral groove-shaped elements is a groove in which the first, second, and third portions each have a width greater than 2 mm, and

the entire first edge, except at the first ends, extends straight in parallel with the tire circumferential direction over an entire circumference of the tire.

2 . The tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a width of the first portion and a width of the second portion are smaller than a width of the third portion.

3 . The tire according to claim 2 , wherein

in a ground contact patch of the tire under a normal loaded state in which the tire is mounted on a standard wheel rim with a standard pressure and is in contact with a flat surface with a zero camber angles under a standard tire load, a tire circumferential length of an edge of the ground contact patch that crosses the at least one land portion is equal to or less than 20% of a tire circumferential length of one of the plurality of lateral groove-shaped elements.

4 . The tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the angle θ 1 is equal to the angle θ 2 .

5 . The tire according to claim 4 , wherein

6 . The tire according to claim 1 , wherein

7 . The tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the at least one set comprises two or more sets of the plurality of lateral groove-shaped elements arranged in the first array.

8 . The tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the angle θ 3 of the third portion with respect to the tire circumferential direction is in a range from 20 to 50 degrees, and

the angle θ 1 and the angle θ 2 of the first and second portions, respectively, with respect to the tire circumferential direction are in a range from 60 to 90 degrees.

9 . The tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the length of the third portion is equal to or less than 3.5 times the sum of the length of the first portion and the length of the second portion.

10 . The tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the first portion comprises a portion extending straight, the second portion comprises a portion extending straight, and the third portion comprises a portion extending straight.

11 . The tire according to claim 10 , wherein

the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion are directly connected with one another without an intervening an arc portion therebetween.

12 . The tire according to claim 10 , wherein

the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion are connected with one another via an arc portion therebetween.

13 . The tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the at least one land portion is provided with only a single set of the plurality of lateral groove-shaped elements.

14 . A tire comprising: