IP Library Granted Patent US 12700229
Granted Patent B2
US 12700229 · App. 17/673,725 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Pneumatic tire and vehicle

Inventor: Atsushi Tanno (Hiratsuka, JP)
Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
G06V20/176B60C5/00B60C9/18B60C11/00B60C11/0008B60C11/0041B60C11/01B60C11/03B60C11/0306B60C11/1307B60C11/24B60C13/00B60C13/001C08K3/013C08K5/0041B60C2009/1828
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12700229
App. No.
17/673,725
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A pneumatic tire includes a carcass portion, a belt layer, a tread portion including a tread rubber, and a sidewall portion including a sidewall rubber. The tread portion includes a center portion, shoulder portions disposed on both sides of the center portion, and a lug groove disposed at the shoulder portions and extending outward of a ground contact edge portion of the tread portion. A shoulder region is defined between the ground contact edge portion and a terminating portion of the lug groove. A colored region is disposed continuously or intermittently in the circumferential direction at the shoulder region.

Claims (68)

1 . A pneumatic tire, comprising:

a carcass portion;

a belt layer;

a tread portion including a tread rubber; and

a sidewall portion including a sidewall rubber; wherein

the tread portion includes:

a center portion,

shoulder portions disposed on both sides of the center portion,

a lug groove disposed at the shoulder portions and extending outward of a ground contact edge portion of the tread portion, wherein

a shoulder region is defined as a region between the ground contact edge portion and a terminating portion of the lug groove,

the shoulder region is an uncontacted region to a ground and is disposed out of the ground contact edge portion in the tire width direction,

a colored region is disposed continuously or intermittently in the circumferential direction in the shoulder region,

the colored region is provided outward in the radial direction of an edge in the tire width direction of the belt layer in a meridian cross-section through a tire rotation axis,

the colored region and the belt layer overlap each other in the tire width direction, and

the colored region is not disposed at any surface of the pneumatic tire other than the shoulder portions.

2 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the surface of the tire other than the colored region is a ground colored region.

3 . A pneumatic tire, comprising:

a carcass portion;

a belt layer;

a tread portion including a tread rubber; and

a sidewall portion including a sidewall rubber; wherein

the tread portion includes:

a center portion,

shoulder portions disposed on both sides of the center portion,

a lug groove disposed at the shoulder portions and extending outward of a ground contact edge portion of the tread portion, wherein

a shoulder region is defined as a region between the ground contact edge portion and a terminating portion of the lug groove,

the shoulder region is an uncontacted region to a ground and is disposed out of the ground contact edge portion in the tire width direction,

a colored region is disposed continuously or intermittently in the circumferential direction in the shoulder region,

the colored region and the belt layer overlap each other in the tire width direction in a meridian cross-section through a tire rotation axis, and

the colored region is not disposed at any surface of the pneumatic tire other than the shoulder portions.

4 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 3 , wherein the surface of the tire other than the colored region is a ground colored region.

5 . A pneumatic tire, comprising:

a carcass portion;

a belt layer;

a tread portion including a tread rubber; and

a sidewall portion including a sidewall rubber; wherein

the tread portion includes:

a center portion,

shoulder portions disposed on both sides of the center portion,

a lug groove disposed at the shoulder portions and extending outward of a ground contact edge portion of the tread portion, wherein

a shoulder region is defined as a region between the ground contact edge portion and a terminating portion of the lug groove,

the shoulder region is an uncontacted region to a ground and is disposed out of the ground contact edge portion in the tire width direction,

a colored region is disposed continuously or intermittently in the circumferential direction in the shoulder region, and

the colored region is not disposed at any surface of the pneumatic tire other than the shoulder portions.

6 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 5 , wherein the colored region includes a plurality of regions arranged in a row in the circumferential direction.

7 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 5 , wherein the colored region is provided outward in the radial direction of an edge in the tire width direction of the belt layer in a meridian cross-section through a tire rotation axis.

8 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 5 , wherein the colored region and the belt layer overlap each other in the tire width direction.

9 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 5 , wherein a dimension of the colored region in the direction parallel to the tire rotation axis is 10 mm or greater.

10 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 5 , further comprising:

colored rubber containing a colorant; wherein

the colored region includes a surface of the colored rubber.

11 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 5 , wherein the surface of the tire other than the colored region is a ground colored region.

12 . A vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of wheels; and

the pneumatic tire described in claim 5 ; wherein

the pneumatic tire is mounted on at least a rearmost wheel of the plurality of wheels.

13 . The vehicle according to claim 12 , further comprising a lighting device configured to illuminate the pneumatic tire mounted on the rearmost wheel.

14 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 5 , wherein the colored region includes a surface of a coating material applied to the rubber.

15 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 14 , wherein the coating material includes a fluorescent coating material.

16 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 14 , wherein the coating material includes a retroreflective material.

17 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 5 , wherein the colored region includes a plurality regions provided intermittently in the circumferential direction of the tire rotation axis.

18 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 17 , wherein dimensions in the circumferential direction of the plurality regions differ from each other.

19 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 17 , wherein the plurality regions is a unique information identification belt region for identifying unique information.

20 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 19 , wherein the unique information includes a wear state of the tread portion.

21 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 19 , wherein the unique information includes at least one of a tire manufacturing date, a maximum tire traveling speed, a tire dimension, a tire type, or a tire performance.

22 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 19 , wherein the unique information includes unique information of a vehicle on which the pneumatic tire is to be mounted.

23 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 19 , wherein a one-dimensional bar code formed by the plurality regions and ground colored regions for which numbers and dimensions in the circumferential direction are determined on the basis of the unique information.

24 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 23 , wherein reflectance of the colored region with respect to visible light is greater than reflectance of the ground colored region.