IP Library Granted Patent US 8,256,478
Granted Patent B2
US 8,256,478 · App. 12/907,544 · Granted Sep 4, 2012

Pneumatic tire

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,256,478
App. No.
12/907,544
Granted
Sep 4, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A pneumatic tire includes at least two types of cap tread rubber layers made from differing rubber compositions disposed in a tread portion. A tan δ at 60° C. of a rubber composition forming the cap tread rubber layer on a vehicle outer side is greater than a tan δ at 60° C. of a rubber composition forming the cap tread rubber layer on a vehicle inner side. A ratio (tan δH/tan δL) of a maximum tan δH to a minimum tan δL at 60° C. of the tan δ of the rubber compositions forming the at least two types of cap tread rubber layers is from 1.05 to 1.80 . An under tread rubber layer disposed in the tread portion has an average thickness from 0.8 mm to 4.0 mm. A hardness of a rubber composition forming the under tread rubber layer is from 73 to 83. A tan δ at 60° C. of the rubber composition forming the under tread rubber layer is 0.25 or less.

Claims (47)

1. A pneumatic tire having a designated tire inner side/outer side mounting orientation when mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

at least two types of cap tread rubber layers made from differing rubber compositions disposed in a tread portion so as to be adjacent to each other in a tire width direction, wherein

a tan δ at 60° C. of a rubber composition forming the cap tread rubber layer on a vehicle outer side is greater than a tan δ at 60° C. of a rubber composition forming the cap tread rubber layer on a vehicle inner side,

a ratio (tan δH/tan δL) of a maximum tan δH to a minimum tan δL at 60° C. of the rubber compositions forming the at least two types of cap tread rubber layers is from 1.05 to 1.80, the hardness of the at least two types of cap tread rubber layers is the same at 20° C.,

an under tread rubber layer is disposed in the tread portion as a base for the at least two types of cap tread rubber layers, wherein

an average thickness of the under tread rubber layer is from 0.8 mm to 4.0 mm, a hardness at 20° C. of a rubber composition forming the under tread rubber layer is from 73 to 83 and is greater than a hardness at 20° C. of the rubber compositions forming the at least two types of cap tread rubber layers, and

a tan δ at 60° C. of the rubber composition forming the under tread rubber layer is 0.25 or less.

2. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein:

at least one main groove extending in a tire circumferential direction is provided in the tread portion, the at least one main groove forming an asymmetric tread pattern wherein a groove area ratio GAo of a ground contact region from a tread center-line to the vehicle outer side is less than a groove area ratio GAi of a ground contact region from the tread center-line to the vehicle inner side.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 2 , wherein:

a difference (GAi−GAo) between the groove area ratio GAo of the ground contact region on the vehicle outer side and the groove area ratio GAi of the ground contact region on the vehicle inner side is from 1% to 15%.

4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein:

a carcass layer with a single-ply construction is mounted, having a cord angle with respect to the tire circumferential direction of from 75° to 90°, between a pair of bead portions, and

a belt layer is disposed on an outer circumferential side of the carcass layer corresponding to the tread portion, wherein

the carcass layer is wrapped around a bead core disposed in each of the bead portions from a tire inner side to a tire outer side,

a bead filler disposed on the bead core is sandwiched between a main body portion and a wrapped portion of the carcass layer, and

the wrapped portion of the carcass layer is extended to a lower region of the belt layer so as to overlap with an end of the belt layer.

5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 4 , wherein:

a height of the bead filler from a bead heel is 30% or less of a tire cross-section height, and

a tan δ at 60° C. of a rubber composition forming the bead filler is 0.20 or less.

6. The pneumatic tire according to claim 2 , wherein:

a carcass layer with a single-ply construction is mounted, having a cord angle with respect to the tire circumferential direction of from 75° to 90°, between a pair of bead portions, and

a belt layer is disposed on an outer circumferential side of the carcass layer corresponding to the tread portion, wherein

the carcass layer is wrapped around a bead core disposed in each of the bead portions from a tire inner side to a tire outer side,

a bead filler disposed on the bead core is sandwiched between a main body portion and a wrapped portion of the carcass layer, and

the wrapped portion of the carcass layer is extended to a lower region of the belt layer so as to overlap with an end of the belt layer.

7. The pneumatic tire according to claim 3 , wherein:

a carcass layer with a single-ply construction is mounted, having a cord angle with respect to the tire circumferential direction of from 75° to 87°, between a pair of bead portions, and

a belt layer is disposed on an outer circumferential side of the carcass layer corresponding to the tread portion, wherein

the carcass layer is wrapped around a bead core disposed in each of the bead portions from a tire inner side to a tire outer side,

a bead filler disposed on the bead core is sandwiched between a main body portion and a wrapped portion of the carcass layer, and

the wrapped portion of the carcass layer is extended to a lower region of the belt layer so as to overlap with an end of the belt layer.

8. The pneumatic tire according to claim 7 , wherein:

a height of the bead filler from a bead heel is 30% or less of a tire cross-section height, and

a tan δ at 60° C. of a rubber composition forming the bead filler is 0.20 or less.

9. The pneumatic tire according to claim 4 , wherein the cord angle is from 80° to 87°.

10. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the tan δ at 60° C. of the rubber composition forming the cap tread rubber layer on the vehicle outer side is in a range of from 0.10 to 0.50.

11. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the tan δ at 60° C. of the rubber composition forming the cap tread rubber layer on the vehicle inner side is in a range of from 0.10 to 0.50.

12. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , further comprising a boundary between the cap tread rubber layers on the vehicle inner and outer sides under a main groove that extends in a tire circumferential direction in the tread portion.

13. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the average thickness of the under tread rubber layer is from 7% to 50% of a maximum thickness of all of the tread rubber layers, including the at least two types of cap tread rubber layers and the under tread rubber layer.

14. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the tan δ at 60° C. of the rubber composition forming the under tread rubber layer is 0.03.

15. The pneumatic tire according to claim 5 , wherein the tan δ at 60° C. of the rubber composition forming the bead filler is 0.03.

16. The pneumatic tire according to claim 5 , wherein the height of the bead filler from a bead heel is 10 mm.

17. The pneumatic tire according to claim 3 , wherein:

the difference (GAi−GAo) between the groove area ratio GAo of the ground contact region on the vehicle outer side and the groove area ratio GAi of the ground contact region on the vehicle inner side is from 2% to 13%.

18. The pneumatic tire according to claim 3 , wherein a groove area ratio GA of a total ground contact range is from 20 to 40%.

19. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the average thickness of the under thread rubber layer is from 30 mm to 4.0 mm

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS FOR ASSIGNEE Recorded Nov 18, 2023
From: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
To: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 065626/0740 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 19, 2010
From: DAISHO, YASUJIROU
To: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD
Reel/Frame 025160/0979 →