IP Library Granted Patent US 11,975,570
Granted Patent B2
US 11,975,570 · App. 17/206,847 · Granted May 7, 2024

Tire

Inventors: Takahide Ishizaka (Kanagawa, JP); Hiroto Kikuchi (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
B60C11/0309B60C11/1315B60C11/1323B60C11/1353B60C2011/0346
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,975,570
App. No.
17/206,847
Granted
May 7, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A tire includes a pair of shoulder main grooves and one or more center main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction and four or more rows of land portions defined by the pair of shoulder main grooves and the one or more center main grooves. Each of the pair of shoulder main grooves includes a groove opening portion having a wave-like shape with an amplitude in a tire width direction. Each of the pair of shoulder main grooves includes a groove bottom portion having a zigzag shape with an amplitude in the tire width direction. The groove opening portion in each of the pair of shoulder main grooves has an amplitude A1_sh having a relationship A1_sh<A2_sh with respect to an amplitude A2_sh of the groove bottom portion.

Claims (36)

1. A tire, comprising:

a pair of shoulder main grooves and one or more center main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction; and

four or more rows of land portions defined by the pair of shoulder main grooves and the one or more center main grooves,

each of the pair of shoulder main grooves comprising a groove opening portion having a wave-like shape with an amplitude in a tire width direction,

each of the pair of shoulder main grooves comprising a groove bottom portion having a zigzag shape or a wave-like shape with an amplitude in the tire width direction,

the groove opening portion in each of the pair of shoulder main grooves having an amplitude A1_sh having a relationship A1_sh<A2_sh with respect to an amplitude A2_sh of the groove bottom portion, and

the groove opening portion in each of the pair of shoulder main grooves comprising a pair of edge portions formed by connecting a plurality of arcs projecting to a tire equatorial plane side.

2. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein the amplitude A1_sh of the groove opening portion in each of the pair of shoulder main grooves has a relationship 1.20≤A2_sh/A1_sh with respect to the amplitude A2_sh of the groove bottom portion.

3. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein the groove bottom portion in each of the pair of shoulder main grooves has a wavelength λ2_sh having a relationship 0.10≤λ2_sh/TW≤0.35 with respect to a tire ground contact width TW.

4. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein an outer maximum amplitude position of the groove opening portion in each of the pair of shoulder main grooves is at a position in the tire circumferential direction identical to an outer maximum amplitude position of the groove bottom portion.

5. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein

each of the one or more center main grooves comprising a groove opening portion having a zigzag shape or a wave-like shape with an amplitude in the tire width direction, and

each of the one or more center main grooves comprising a groove bottom portion having a zigzag shape or a wave-like shape with an amplitude in the tire width direction.

6. The tire according to claim 5 , wherein the groove opening portion in each of the one or more center main grooves has an amplitude A1_ce having a relationship 1.05≤A2_ce/A1_ce with respect to an amplitude A2_ce of the groove bottom portion.

7. The tire according to claim 5 , wherein the groove opening portion in each of the one or more center main grooves has an amplitude A1_ce having a relationship A1_ce/A1_sh≤0.95 with respect to the amplitude A1_sh of the groove opening portion in each of the pair of shoulder main grooves.

8. The tire according to claim 5 , wherein the groove bottom portion in each of the one or more center main grooves has an amplitude A2_ce having a relationship A2_ce/A2_sh≤0.90 with respect to an amplitude A2_sh of the groove bottom portion in each of the pair of shoulder main grooves.

9. The tire according to claim 5 , wherein the groove opening portion in each of the one or more center main grooves has a wavelength λ1_ce having a relationship 0.90≤λ1_ce/λ1_sh≤1.10 with respect to a wavelength λ1_sh of the groove opening portion in each of the pair of shoulder main grooves.

10. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein each of the arcs has a circumferential length of not less than 80% with respect to a wavelength of the wave-like shape of the groove opening portion.

11. The tire according to claim 1 that is a heavy duty tire mounted on a steering axle of a vehicle.

12. The tire according to claim 2 , wherein the groove bottom portion in each of the pair of shoulder main grooves has a wavelength λ2_sh having a relationship 0.10≤λ2_sh/TW≤0.35 with respect to a tire ground contact width TW.

13. The tire according to claim 12 , wherein an outer maximum amplitude position of the groove opening portion in each of the pair of shoulder main grooves is at a position in the tire circumferential direction identical to an outer maximum amplitude position of the groove bottom portion.

14. The tire according to claim 13 , wherein

each of the one or more center main grooves comprising a groove opening portion having a zigzag shape or a wave-like shape with an amplitude in the tire width direction, and

each of the one or more center main grooves comprising a groove bottom portion having a zigzag shape or a wave-like shape with an amplitude in the tire width direction.

15. The tire according to claim 14 , wherein the groove opening portion in each of the one or more center main grooves has an amplitude A1_ce having a relationship 1.05≤A2_ce/A1_ce with respect to an amplitude A2_ce of the groove bottom portion.

16. The tire according to claim 15 , wherein the groove opening portion in each of the one or more center main grooves has an amplitude A1_ce having a relationship A1_ce/A1_sh≤0.95 with respect to the amplitude A1_sh of the groove opening portion in each of the pair of shoulder main grooves.

17. The tire according to claim 16 , wherein the groove bottom portion in each of the one or more center main grooves has an amplitude A2_ce having a relationship A2_ce/A2_sh≤0.90 with respect to an amplitude A2_sh of the groove bottom portion in each of the pair of shoulder main grooves.

18. The tire according to claim 17 , wherein the groove opening portion in each of the one or more center main grooves has a wavelength λ1_ce having a relationship 0.90≤λ1_ce/λ1_sh≤1.10 with respect to a wavelength λ1_sh of the groove opening portion in each of the pair of shoulder main grooves.

19. A tire, comprising:

a pair of shoulder main grooves and one or more center main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction; and

four or more rows of land portions defined by the pair of shoulder main grooves and the one or more center main grooves,

each of the pair of shoulder main grooves comprising a groove opening portion having a zigzag shape or a wave-like shape with an amplitude in a tire width direction,

each of the pair of shoulder main grooves comprising a groove bottom portion having a zigzag shape or a wave-like shape with an amplitude in the tire width direction, and

the groove opening portion in each of the pair of shoulder main grooves having an amplitude A1_sh having a relationship A1_sh<A2_sh with respect to an amplitude A2_sh of the groove bottom portion; wherein

in the groove opening portion in the pair of shoulder main grooves, outer edge portions and inner edge portions in the tire width direction are defined and an average value of groove wall angles of the inner edge portion in the shoulder main grooves is set to be greater than an average value of groove wall angles of the outer edge portion and

the groove opening portion in each of the pair of shoulder main grooves having the wave-like shape being formed by connecting a plurality of arcs projecting to a tire equatorial plane side.

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 Mar 19, 2021
From: ISHIZAKA, TAKAHIDE; KIKUCHI, HIROTO
To: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 055652/0751 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2020-064441 · Mar 31, 2020 · national
JP 2020-064583 · Mar 31, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210300122A1 · Sep 30, 2021