IP Library Granted Patent US 12,269,298
Granted Patent B2
US 12,269,298 · App. 16/485,420 · Granted Apr 8, 2025

Pneumatic tire

Inventors: Masataka Kubota (Hiratsuka, JP); Noboru Kuwahara (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
B60C11/1392B60C11/0304B60C11/033B60C11/1236B60C2011/036B60C2011/0365B60C2011/0367B60C2011/0372B60C11/1323
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,269,298
App. No.
16/485,420
Granted
Apr 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a pneumatic tire, an inner shoulder land portion includes shoulder lug grooves that extend in the tire lateral direction. Additionally, an inner second land portion includes the through lug groove that extends through the inner second land portion in the tire lateral direction. A center land portion includes a single circumferential narrow groove extending in the tire circumferential direction and center lug grooves that each open at one end portion to the edge portion on the vehicle width direction inner side of the center land portion and terminate at the other end portion, communicating with a circumferential narrow groove. The shoulder lug groove, the through lug groove, and the center lug groove form one communication lug groove extending continuously from a tire ground contact edge toward a tire equatorial plane.

Claims (60)

1. A pneumatic tire, comprising:

a mounting direction indicator portion that indicates a mounting direction of the pneumatic tire with respect to a vehicle;

two or more circumferential main grooves disposed in a region on a vehicle width direction inner side of a tire equatorial plane and extending in a tire circumferential direction, the circumferential main grooves being grooves on which a wear indicator must be provided as specified by The Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association, Inc. (JATMA); and

three or more land portions defined and formed by the two or more circumferential main grooves;

a first land portion of the three or more land portions located innermost in the vehicle width direction being defined as an inner shoulder land portion, a second land portion of the three or more land portions located on the tire equatorial plane being defined as a center land portion, one or more land portions of the three or more land portions located between the inner shoulder land portion and the center land portion being defined as one or more inner second land portions;

the inner shoulder land portion comprising a shoulder lug groove extending in a tire lateral direction;

the one or more inner second land portions comprising a through lug groove extending through the inner second land portion in the tire lateral direction;

the center land portion comprising only a single circumferential narrow groove extending in the tire circumferential direction and a center lug groove that opens at one end portion to an edge portion of the center land portion on the vehicle width direction inner side and terminates at another end portion, communicating with the circumferential narrow groove;

a distance Ds from the edge portion of the center land portion on the vehicle width direction inner side to a groove center line of the circumferential narrow groove and a width W 2 of the center land portion having a relationship 0.25≤ Ds/W 2 ≤0.45;

the shoulder lug groove, the through lug groove, and the center lug groove forming a single communication lug groove extending continuously from a tire ground contact edge toward the tire equatorial plane;

an inner second land portion adjacent to the inner shoulder land portion among the one or more inner second land portions comprising a first chamfered portion and a second chamfered portion formed on left and right edge portions of the through lug groove;

the first chamfered portion opening at one end portion to a first one of the circumferential main grooves at an edge portion of the inner second land portion and terminating at another end portion at a central portion in a groove length direction of the through lug groove;

the second chamfered portion opening at one end portion to a second one of the circumferential main grooves at another edge portion of the inner second land portion and terminating at another end portion at the central portion in the groove length direction of the through lug groove; and

the first chamfered portion and the second chamfered portion extending from an obtuse corner portion of blocks defined by the through lug groove along the left and right edge portions of the through lug groove; wherein

the center land portion includes a third chamfered portion;

the third chamfered portion extends from a corner portion with an obtuse angle of block defined by the circumferential narrow groove and the center lug groove along an edge portion of the center lug groove and terminates at a central portion in a groove length direction of the center lug groove; and

an extension distance D 3 of the third chamfered portion in the tire lateral direction is in a range of from 30% to 70% of an extension length of the center lug groove in the tire lateral direction.

2. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a plurality of the through lug grooves of the inner second land portion are arranged in the tire circumferential direction with a predetermined pitch length P;

intersection points between an extension line of a groove center line of the shoulder lug groove of the inner shoulder land portion and an extension line of a groove center line of the through lug groove of the inner second land portion and a groove center line of the circumferential main groove that defines the inner shoulder land portion and the inner second land portion are defined as intersection points S, T; and

an offset amount g in the tire circumferential direction of the intersection points S, T and a pitch length P of the shoulder lug groove have a relationship 0≤g/P≤0.20.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

one inner second land portion is provided;

an intersection point between the communication lug groove and the tire ground contact edge is defined as an intersection point P, and an intersection point between the circumferential narrow groove of the center land portion and the communication lug groove is defined as an intersection point R; and

an inclination angle φ 1 of a straight line PR with respect to the tire circumferential direction is in a range 50 degrees≤φ1≤75 degrees.

4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 3 , wherein

the intersection point between the communication lug groove and the center line of the inner second land portion is defined as the intersection point Q; and

the inclination angle φ 1 of the straight line PR and an inclination angle φ 2 of a straight line QR with respect to the tire circumferential direction satisfy conditions φ 2 ≤φ 1 and 35 degrees≤φ 2 ≤60 degrees.

5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 4 , wherein

a position in the tire circumferential direction of the intersection point Q is located between the intersection point P and the intersection point R.

6. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the communication lug groove has an arc shape with an inclination angle with respect to the tire circumferential direction that increases from the tire equatorial plane side toward the tire ground contact edge side.

7. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the circumferential narrow groove of the center land portion is disposed offset on the vehicle width direction inner side with respect to the tire equatorial plane.

8. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a groove width Wg 1 of the through lug groove of the inner second land portion and a groove width Wm 2 of the circumferential main groove on the tire equatorial plane side that defines the inner second land portion have a relationship 0.10≤Wg 1 /Wm 2 ≤0.40.

9. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a groove width Ws of the circumferential narrow groove of the center land portion and a groove width Wm 2 of the circumferential main groove on the vehicle width direction inner side that defines the center land portion have a relationship 0.20≤Ws/Wm 2 ≤0.50.

10. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a groove depth Hg 1 of the through lug groove of the inner second land portion and a groove depth Hm of the circumferential main groove on the tire equatorial plane side that defines the inner second land portion have a relationship 0.60≤Hg 1 /Hm≤0.90.

11. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a groove depth Hs of the circumferential narrow groove of the center land portion and a groove depth Hm of the circumferential main groove on the vehicle width direction inner side that defines the center land portion have a relationship 0.60≤Hs/Hm≤0.90.

12. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

intersection points between an extension line of a groove center line of the shoulder lug groove of the inner shoulder land portion and an extension line of a groove center line of the through lug groove of the inner second land portion and a groove center line of the circumferential main groove that defines the inner shoulder land portion are defined as intersection points S, T;

center points of opening portions to the circumferential main groove of the shoulder lug groove and the through lug groove are defined as center points M, N; and

positions in the tire circumferential direction of the center points M, N are located between the intersection points S, T.

13. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein a region on a vehicle width direction outer side of the center land portion defined by the circumferential narrow groove comprises a road contact surface with a plain structure without a groove or a sipe.

14. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein a groove area ratio G_in of a ground contact region on the vehicle width direction inner side of the tire equatorial plane and a groove area ratio G_out of a ground contact region on a vehicle width direction outer side have a relationship 0.03≤G_in-G_out≤0.10.

15. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein a width W 1 of the inner second land portion, an extension distance D 1 of the first chamfered portion in the tire lateral direction, and an extension distance D 2 of the second chamfered portion in the tire lateral direction satisfy relationships 0.40≤D 1 /W 1 ≤0.60 and 0.40≤D 2 /W 1 ≤0.60.

16. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a circumferential width Wc 1 ′ of the first chamfered portion and a groove width Wg 1 of the through lug groove satisfy a relationship 0.50≤Wc 1 ′/Wg 1 ≤2.00; and

a circumferential width Wc 2 ′ of the second chamfered portion and the groove width Wg 1 of the through lug groove satisfying a relationship 0.50≤Wc 2 ′/Wg 1 ≤2.00.

17. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a plurality of the through lug grooves of the inner second land portion are arranged in the tire circumferential direction with a predetermined pitch length P;

intersection points between an extension line of a groove center line of the shoulder lug groove of the inner shoulder land portion and an extension line of a groove center line of the through lug groove of the inner second land portion and a groove center line of the circumferential main groove that defines the inner shoulder land portion and the inner second land portion are defined as intersection points S, T; and

an offset amount g in the tire circumferential direction of the intersection points S, T and a pitch length P of the shoulder lug groove have a relationship 0≤g/P≤0.20, and the offset amount g is in a range 1.0 mm≤g≤4.0 mm.

18. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the blocks each include one sipe.

19. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a groove width Wg 1 of the through lug groove of the inner second land portion and a groove width Wm 2 of the circumferential main groove on the tire equatorial plane side that defines the inner second land portion have a relationship 0.10≤Wg 1 /Wm 2 ≤0.40; and

the center lug groves are narrow grooves, and the groove width Wg 2 of the center lug groove and the groove width Wm 2 of the circumferential main groove on the tire ground contact edge side that defines the center land portion have a relationship 0.10≤Wg 2 /Wm 2 ≤0.40.

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 Aug 12, 2019
From: KUBOTA, MASATAKA; KUWAHARA, NOBORU
To: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 050031/0924 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2017-024681 · Feb 14, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190389255A1 · Dec 26, 2019
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