IP Library Granted Patent US 11,279,181
Granted Patent B2
US 11,279,181 · App. 16/329,718 · Granted Mar 22, 2022

Pneumatic tire

Inventor: Isamu Kishizoe (Hiratsuka, JP)
B60C19/08B60C11/00B60C11/005B60C11/0327B60C11/11B60C11/12B60C11/1236B60C11/1259B60C2011/0025B60C2011/0353B60C2011/1213
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,279,181
App. No.
16/329,718
Granted
Mar 22, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a pneumatic tire, a modulus at 300% elongation of a cap tread ranges from 3.0 Mpa to 7.0 Mpa, and the modulus at 300% elongation of an undertread ranges from 10.0 Mpa to 20.0 Mpa. Additionally, an earthing tread is made from a rubber material with a volume resistivity of 1×10{circumflex over ( )}7 Ω·cm or less. The earthing tread is made from the same rubber material as the undertread and has an integral structure with the undertread.

Claims (57)

1. A pneumatic tire, comprising:

a carcass layer;

a belt layer disposed outward of the carcass layer in a radial direction;

a tread rubber disposed outward of the belt layer in a radial direction; and

a plurality of main grooves and a plurality of blocks defined by the plurality of main grooves formed in a tread surface, the tread rubber comprising a cap tread forming the tread surface, an undertread disposed in a layer below the cap tread, and an earthing tread extending through the cap tread and exposed on a road contact surface of the plurality of blocks,

a modulus M_cap at 300% elongation of the cap tread ranging from 3.0 MPa to 7.0 MPa,

a modulus at 300% elongation of the undertread ranging from 10.0 MPa to 20.0 MPa,

a modulus at 300% elongation of the earthing tread is in a range 10.0 MPa≤M_ea≤20.0 MPa,

the modulus M_cap of the cap tread and the modulus M_ea of the earthing tread have a relationship 5.0 MPa≤M_ea−M_cap,

a rubber hardness H_cap of the cap tread and a rubber hardness H_ea of the earthing tread have a relationship 5≤H_ea−H_cap,

the earthing tread being made from a rubber material with a volume resistivity of 1×10{circumflex over ( )}7 Ω·m or less, and

the earthing tread being made from a same rubber material as the undertread and having an integral structure with the undertread.

2. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a value R_cap of carbon black volume fraction×dibutyl phthalate oil absorption number/100 for the cap tread is in a range 5≤R_cap≤15, and

a value R_ut of carbon black volume fraction×dibutyl phthalate oil absorption number/100 for the undertread is in a range 15≤R_ut≤35.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a line running parallel with the road contact surface of the blocks and running through a point at a position 20% of a maximum groove depth position of the plurality of main grooves from the maximum groove depth position of the plurality of main grooves, in a cross-sectional view in a tire meridian direction, is defined as an imaginary line L, and

a width W 1 of all of the road contact surface of the blocks and a total width W 2 of a portion of the undertread that projects outward in a tire radial direction beyond the imaginary line L have a relationship 0.60≤W 2 /W 1 .

4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the undertread comprises a thickened portion in a region between the earthing tread and an edge portion of the blocks, and

a gauge of the undertread gradually increases from the earthing tread toward the edge portion of the blocks due to the thickened portion.

5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a point on an outer circumferential surface of the undertread where a gauge of the undertread is at a maximum value, in a region between the earthing tread and an edge portion of the blocks, is defined as a point P 1 , and

a distance H 1 in a groove depth direction of the plurality of main grooves from a maximum depth position of the plurality of main grooves to the point P 1 and a maximum groove depth H 0 of the plurality of main grooves have a relationship H 1 /H 0 ≤0.50.

6. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a point on an outer circumferential surface of the undertread where a gauge of the undertread is at a maximum value Ga 1 , in a region between the earthing tread and an edge portion of the blocks, is defined as a point P 1 ,

a point on the outer circumferential surface of the undertread where the gauge of the undertread is at a minimum value Ga 2 , in a region between the earthing tread and the point P 1 , is defined as a point P 2 , and

a distance H 2 in a groove depth direction of the plurality of main grooves from a maximum depth position of the plurality of main grooves to the point P 2 and a maximum groove depth H 0 of the plurality of main grooves have a relationship 0.20≤H 2 /H 0 .

7. The pneumatic tire according to claim 6 , wherein

the gauge Ga 1 at the point P 1 and the gauge Ga 2 at the point P 2 of the undertread have a relationship 0.5 mm≤Ga 1 −Ga 2 ≤3.0 mm.

8. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a width W 3 of the road contact surface of the blocks in a region between the earthing tread and an edge portion of the blocks and a width W 1 of all of the road contact surface of the blocks have a relationship 0.20≤W 3 /W 1 .

9. The pneumatic tire according to claim 8 , wherein

a point on an outer circumferential surface of the undertread where a gauge of the undertread is at a maximum value Ga 1 , in a region between the earthing tread and an edge portion of the blocks, is defined as a point P 1 , and

a distance D 1 in a tire lateral direction from the point P 1 to an edge portion of the blocks and the width W 3 of the road contact surface of the blocks in the region between the earthing tread and the edge portion of the blocks have a relationship 0.02≤D 1 /W 3 ≤0.15.

10. The pneumatic tire according to claim 8 , wherein

a width W 4 of a thickened portion of the undertread and the width W 3 of the road contact surface of the blocks in the region between the earthing tread and the edge portion of the blocks have a relationship 0.30≤W 4 /W 3 ≤0.70.

11. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a width We 1 of the earthing tread at the road contact surface of the blocks and a width We 2 of the earthing tread at a connection portion with the undertread have a relationship We 1 <We 2 .

12. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the plurality of blocks each comprise a plurality of sipes, and

a maximum depth position of the plurality of sipes is located further inward in a tire radial direction than a boundary face between the cap tread and the undertread.

13. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of blocks each comprises a plurality of grooves extending through the earthing tread in a tire lateral direction in the road contact surface of the block.

14. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of lug grooves extending in the tire lateral direction; wherein the plurality of blocks are defined and formed by the main grooves and the lug grooves.

15. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the rubber hardness H_cap of the cap tread and the rubber hardness H_ea of the earthing tread have a relationship 7≤H_ea−H_cap≤25.

16. A pneumatic tire, comprising:

a carcass layer;

a belt layer disposed outward of the carcass layer in a radial direction;

a tread rubber disposed outward of the belt layer in a radial direction; and

a plurality of main grooves and a plurality of blocks defined by the plurality of main grooves formed in a tread surface, the tread rubber comprising a cap tread forming the tread surface, an undertread disposed in a layer below the cap tread, and an earthing tread extending through the cap tread and exposed on a road contact surface of the plurality of blocks,

a modulus at 300% elongation of the cap tread ranging from 3.0 MPa to 7.0 MPa,

a modulus at 300% elongation of the undertread ranging from 10.0 MPa to 20.0 MPa,

the earthing tread being made from a rubber material with a volume resistivity of 1×10{circumflex over ( )}7 Ω·cm or less,

the earthing tread being made from a same rubber material as the undertread and having an integral structure with the undertread,

a width W 3 of the road contact surface of the blocks in a region between the earthing tread and an edge portion of the blocks and a width W 1 of all of the road contact surface of the blocks having a relationship 0.20≤W 3 /W 1 ,

a point on an outer circumferential surface of the undertread where a gauge of the undertread is at a maximum value Ga 1 , in a region between the earthing tread and an edge portion of the blocks, being defined as a point P 1 , and

a distance D 1 in a tire lateral direction from the point P 1 to an edge portion of the blocks and the width W 3 of the road contact surface of the blocks in the region between the earthing tread and the edge portion of the blocks having a relationship 0.02≤D 1 /W 3 ≤0.15.

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 Feb 28, 2019
From: KISHIZOE, ISAMU
To: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 048472/0975 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2016-172197 · Sep 2, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190193489A1 · Jun 27, 2019