IP Library Granted Patent US 10,214,054
Granted Patent B2
US 10,214,054 · App. 14/907,104 · Granted Feb 26, 2019

Pneumatic tire

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,214,054
App. No.
14/907,104
Granted
Feb 26, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A pneumatic tire includes a block pitch length of an outer block row that is greater than a block pitch length of the inner block row. The dimensions in the tire width direction of the regions interposed between two circumferential grooves are smaller in the order of the rib, the outer block row, and the inner block row. The inclined grooves defining and forming the rib open only to the circumferential groove in the vehicle mounting inner side region defining and forming the rib.

Claims (34)

1. A pneumatic tire with a designated vehicle mounting direction, comprising:

at least four circumferential grooves and a plurality of inclined grooves communicating with the circumferential grooves, wherein a rib including a tire equatorial plane, an outer block row located on a vehicle mounting outer side of the rib and an inner block row located on a vehicle mounting inner side of the rib are respectively defined and formed by two neighboring circumferential grooves among the at least four circumferential grooves;

a block pitch length of the outer block row being greater than a block pitch length of the inner block row;

dimensions in a tire width direction of regions interposed between two of the circumferential grooves being smaller in an order of the rib, the outer block row, and the inner block row, where a dimension of the rib is smaller than a dimension of the outer block row and of the inner block row, and where a dimension of the inner block row is greater than the dimension of the rib and of the outer block row; and

the inclined grooves defining and forming the rib opening only to the circumferential groove in a vehicle mounting inner side region defining and forming the rib; wherein

at least one of the inclined grooves in the outer block row directly extends between two neighboring circumferential grooves among the at least four circumferential grooves, and has at least one bent portion, and wherein at least one of the inclined grooves in the inner block row directly extends between two neighboring circumferential grooves among the at least four circumferential grooves, and has at least one bent portion; and

a number of the bent portions in the inner block row is greater than a number of the bent portions in the outer block row.

2. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the inclined grooves defining and forming the outer block row and the inclined grooves defining and forming the inner block row are wider toward an outer side in the tire width direction.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

in a region from the circumferential groove on a vehicle mounting outermost side to the circumferential groove on a vehicle mounting innermost side, a sum total of periphery lengths of the inclined grooves in the vehicle mounting inner side region is greater than a sum total of periphery lengths of the inclined grooves in the vehicle mounting outer side region.

4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

at least one of the inclined grooves defining and forming the outer block row and at least one of the inclined grooves defining and forming the inner block row each include a raised bottom portion contiguous with the circumferential groove on an inner side in the tire width direction.

5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

at least one of the circumferential grooves in the vehicle mounting inner side region includes at least one bent portion.

6. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

in the region from the circumferential groove on a vehicle mounting outermost side to the circumferential groove on a vehicle mounting innermost side, a sum total of periphery lengths of sipes in the vehicle mounting inner side region is greater than a sum total of periphery lengths of sipes in the vehicle mounting outer side region.

7. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

in the region from the circumferential groove on a vehicle mounting outermost side to a ground contact edge on the vehicle mounting outer side, an additional inclined groove is formed along an extended line of a first inclined groove of the plurality of inclined grooves via a land portion on the vehicle mounting outermost side, and in the region from the circumferential groove on a vehicle mounting innermost side to a ground contact edge on the vehicle mounting inner side, a second inclined groove of the plurality of inclined grooves is formed entirely in the tire width direction.

8. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a sum total of areas of the circumferential grooves in the vehicle mounting outer side region is greater than a sum total of areas of the circumferential grooves in the vehicle mounting inner side region.

9. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a sum total of areas of the inclined grooves in the vehicle mounting inner side region is greater than a sum total of areas of the inclined grooves in the vehicle mounting outer side region.

10. The pneumatic tire according to claim 7 , wherein

the inclined grooves arranged in the rib extend from the circumferential groove on the vehicle mounting inner side toward the vehicle mounting outer side so as to pass over the tire equatorial plane and to terminate in the land portion.

11. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

on both sides in the tire width direction of the circumferential groove on the vehicle mounting inner side defining and forming the rib, at least communicating portions of the inclined grooves communicating with the circumferential groove extend to a same side in a tire circumferential direction from the vehicle mounting inner side toward the vehicle mounting outer side.

12. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a longest extending portion of the inclined groove arranged in the inner block row and a longest extending portion of the inclined groove arranged in the outer block row extend to a same side in a tire circumferential direction from the vehicle mounting inner side toward the vehicle mounting outer side.

13. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a ground contact portion of the inclined groove arranged on the outer side in the tire width direction of the circumferential groove on a vehicle mounting outermost side and a ground contact portion of the inclined groove arranged on the outer side in the tire width direction of the circumferential groove on a vehicle mounting innermost side each extend so as to form an angle not less than 50° and less than 90° in a counterclockwise direction relative to a tire circumferential direction.

14. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the inclined grooves defining and forming the outer block row and the at least one of the inclined grooves defining and forming the inner block row each have a substantially constant groove width.

15. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the inclined grooves in the outer block row directly extends between two neighboring circumferential grooves among the at least four circumferential grooves, and has one bent portion, and wherein at least one of the inclined grooves in the inner block row directly extends between two neighboring circumferential grooves among the at least four circumferential grooves, and has two bent portions.

16. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the bent portion in the outer block row is formed on an inner side in a tire width direction.

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 Jan 22, 2016
From: MURATA, TAKAHISA
To: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 037559/0536 →