IP Library Granted Patent US 12,011,952
Granted Patent B2
US 12,011,952 · App. 17/267,785 · Granted Jun 18, 2024

Pneumatic tire

Inventor: Ryota Gunji (Hiratsuka, JP)
Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
B60C11/0309B60C11/1204B60C11/1236B60C11/1281B60C2011/0346B60C2011/0353B60C2011/036B60C2011/039
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,011,952
App. No.
17/267,785
Granted
Jun 18, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

The pneumatic tire includes a shoulder main groove and a center main groove disposed in one region demarcated by a tire equatorial plane and a shoulder land portion and a middle land portion defined by the shoulder main groove. The shoulder land portion is a rib that is continuous in a tire circumferential direction, and the middle land portion includes a plurality of middle lug grooves and a plurality of middle blocks defined by the plurality of middle lug grooves. When defining a section in the tire circumferential direction along an edge portion of one middle block close to the shoulder main groove, a groove width of the shoulder main groove continuously increases or decreases in the section.

Claims (22)

1. A pneumatic tire, comprising:

a shoulder main groove and a center main groove disposed in one region demarcated by a tire equatorial plane; and

a shoulder land portion and a middle land portion defined by the shoulder main groove,

the shoulder land portion being a rib that is continuous in a tire circumferential direction,

the middle land portion comprising a plurality of middle lug grooves and a plurality of middle blocks defined by the plurality of middle lug grooves,

a section A in the tire circumferential direction being defined along an edge portion, close to the shoulder main groove, of one of the plurality of middle blocks, and

a groove width of the shoulder main groove continuously increasing or decreasing in the section A, wherein

an edge portion of the shoulder land portion has a shape formed by connecting a plurality of arc portions projecting toward the shoulder main groove, and

an edge portion of each of the plurality of middle blocks has a shape formed by a single arc portion projecting toward the shoulder main groove.

2. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein a minimum value Ld_min of a distance Ld in the tire circumferential direction between a maximum point and a minimum point of the groove width of the shoulder main groove in the section A has a relationship of 0.20≤Ld_min/P2 with respect to a pitch length P2 of the plurality of middle lug grooves.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein a minimum value Ld_min of a distance Ld in the tire circumferential direction of a maximum point and a minimum point of the groove width of the shoulder main groove in the section A is in a range of 10 mm≤Ld_min.

4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the number of extreme values of the groove width of the shoulder main groove in the section A is three or more.

5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein a maximum value W1a and a minimum value W1b of the groove width of the shoulder main groove in the section A have a relationship of 1.05≤W1a/W1b≤1.50.

6. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein a see-through width Dt and a maximum groove width W1 of the shoulder main groove have a relationship of 0.60≤Dt/W1≤0.90.

7. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein a radius of curvature of the plurality of arc portions of the shoulder land portion or the plurality of middle blocks is in a range of from 40 mm or greater to 150 mm or smaller.

8. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein a distance in the tire circumferential direction from an end portion of each of the plurality of arc portions of the shoulder land portion or the plurality of middle blocks to a maximum protruding position thereof is in a range of from 40% or greater to 60% or smaller with respect to a circumferential length of each of the plurality of arc portions.

9. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein a distance Dp in the tire circumferential direction between a maximum protruding position of each of the plurality of arc portions of the shoulder land portion and a maximum protruding position of each of the plurality of arc portions of the plurality of middle blocks has a relationship of 0.20≤Dp/P1≤0.60 with respect to a pitch length P1 of the plurality of arc portions of the shoulder land portion.

10. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein a circumferential length La1 and a pitch length P1 of the plurality of arc portions of the shoulder land portion have a relationship of 0.80≤La1/P1≤1.00.

11. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein a circumferential length La2 of each of the plurality of arc portions of the plurality of middle blocks and a circumferential length Le2 of the edge portion have a relationship of 0.80≤La2/Le2≤1.00.

12. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the shoulder land portion comprises a sipe or a narrow groove that is open to a connection portion between the plurality of arc portions that are adjacent.

13. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the shoulder land portion comprises a shoulder sipe that is open to a maximum protruding position of each of the plurality of arc portions.

14. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the middle land portion comprises a middle sipe that is open to a maximum protruding position of each of the plurality of arc portions.

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 10, 2021
From: GUNJI, RYOTA
To: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 055220/0600 →