IP Library Granted Patent US 12,168,373
Granted Patent B2
US 12,168,373 · App. 17/270,280 · Granted Dec 17, 2024

Pneumatic tire

Inventor: Daisuke Watanabe (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
B60C11/1236B60C11/0304B60C11/033B60C11/1392B60C2011/0346B60C2011/0381B60C2011/133
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,168,373
App. No.
17/270,280
Granted
Dec 17, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A pneumatic tire having lug grooves in shoulder land portions that each include one end reaching at least a ground contact edge and an other end terminating in the shoulder land portion. Sipes in the shoulder land portions each include one end communicating with a shoulder main groove and an other end terminating in a ground contact region. Lug grooves in intermediate land portions each include one end communicating with the shoulder main groove and an other end terminating in the intermediate land portion. Sipes in the intermediate land portion each include one end communicating with a center main groove and an other end terminating in the intermediate land portion. Sipes in the center land portion each include one end communicating with the center main groove and an other end terminating in the center land portion without exceeding a tire center line.

Claims (72)

1. A pneumatic tire having a specified mounting direction with respect to a vehicle, the pneumatic tire comprising:

a tread portion extending in a tire circumferential direction and having an annular shape;

a pair of sidewall portions disposed on both sides of the tread portion; and

a pair of bead portions disposed on an inner side of the pair of sidewall portions in a tire radial direction,

the tread portion comprising four main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction, the four main grooves comprising:

a pair of center main grooves; and

a pair of shoulder main grooves,

the four main grooves defining a center land portion, a pair of intermediate land portions located on outer sides of the center land portion, and a pair of shoulder land portions located on outer sides of the pair of intermediate land portions,

lug grooves and sipes extending in a tire width direction being provided in, as the pair of shoulder land portions, a shoulder land portion on a vehicle inner side and a shoulder land portion on a vehicle outer side,

each of the lug grooves in each of the shoulder land portions comprising:

one end reaching at least a ground contact edge; and

an other end terminating in each of the shoulder land portions,

each of the sipes in each of the shoulder land portions comprising:

one end communicating with the shoulder main groove; and

an other end terminating in a ground contact region,

lug grooves extending in the tire width direction being provided in, as the pair of intermediate land portions, an intermediate land portion on the vehicle inner side and an intermediate land portion on the vehicle outer side,

each of the lug grooves in each of the intermediate land portions comprising:

one end communicating with the shoulder main groove; and

an other end terminating in each of the intermediate land portions,

sipes extending in the tire width direction being provided in the intermediate land portion on the vehicle inner side,

each of the sipes in the intermediate land portion on the vehicle inner side comprising:

one end communicating with, of the pair of center main grooves, a center main groove on the vehicle inner side; and

an other end terminating in the intermediate land portion on the vehicle inner side, and

sipes extending in the tire width direction being provided in the center land portion,

each of the sipes in the center land portion comprising:

one end communicating with the center main groove on the vehicle inner side; and

an other end terminating in the center land portion without exceeding the tire center line, wherein in the ground contact region,

a total length in the tire width direction of the lug grooves and the sipes on the vehicle outer side of the tire center line is shorter than a total length in the tire width direction of the lug grooves and the sipes on the vehicle inner side of the tire center line, and

as a whole of the tread portion, a ratio of the total length in the tire width direction of the sipes to the total length in the tire width direction of the lug grooves is from 0.4 to 0.6.

2. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein each of the sipes in the center land portion is on an extension line of each of the sipes in the intermediate land portion on the vehicle inner side.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a length in the tire width direction of each of the sipes in the shoulder land portion on the vehicle inner side is equivalent to a length in the tire width direction of each of the lug grooves in the intermediate land portion on the vehicle inner side, and is equivalent to the sum of a length in the tire width direction of each of the sipes in the center land portion and a length in the tire width direction of each of the sipes in the intermediate land portion on the vehicle inner side.

4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the center main groove is disposed in a region of from 15% to 25% with respect to a width from the tire center line to the ground contact edge, and

the shoulder main groove is disposed in a region of from 55% to 65% with respect to the width from the tire center line to the ground contact edge.

5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein each of the lug grooves in the pair of intermediate land portions comprises a raised bottom portion at an opening end with respect to the pair of shoulder main grooves.

6. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein, of the pair of center main grooves, a center main groove on the vehicle outer side comprises a zigzag-shaped chamfered portion.

7. The pneumatic tire according to claim 2 , wherein

a length in the tire width direction of each of the sipes in the shoulder land portion on the vehicle inner side is equivalent to a length in the tire width direction of each of the lug grooves in the intermediate land portion on the vehicle inner side, and is equivalent to the sum of a length in the tire width direction of each of the sipes in the center land portion and a length in the tire width direction of each of the sipes in the intermediate land portion on the vehicle inner side.

8. The pneumatic tire according to claim 7 , wherein

the center main groove is disposed in a region of from 15% to 25% with respect to a width from the tire center line to the ground contact edge, and

the shoulder main groove is disposed in a region of from 55% to 65% with respect to the width from the tire center line to the ground contact edge.

9. The pneumatic tire according to claim 8 , wherein each of the lug grooves in the pair of intermediate land portions comprises a raised bottom portion at an opening end with respect to the pair of shoulder main grooves.

10. The pneumatic tire according to claim 9 , wherein, of the pair of center main grooves, a center main groove on the vehicle outer side comprises a zigzag-shaped chamfered portion.

11. A pneumatic tire having a specified mounting direction with respect to a vehicle, the pneumatic tire comprising:

a tread portion extending in a tire circumferential direction and having an annular shape;

a pair of sidewall portions disposed on both sides of the tread portion; and

a pair of bead portions disposed on an inner side of the pair of sidewall portions in a tire radial direction,

the tread portion comprising four main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction, the four main grooves comprising:

a pair of center main grooves; and

a pair of shoulder main grooves,

the four main grooves defining a center land portion, a pair of intermediate land portions located on outer sides of the center land portion, and a pair of shoulder land portions located on outer sides of the pair of intermediate land portions,

lug grooves and sipes extending in a tire width direction being provided in, as the pair of shoulder land portions, a shoulder land portion on a vehicle inner side and a shoulder land portion on a vehicle outer side,

each of the lug grooves in each of the shoulder land portions comprising:

one end reaching at least a ground contact edge; and

an other end terminating in each of the shoulder land portions,

each of the sipes in each of the shoulder land portions comprising:

one end communicating with the shoulder main groove; and

an other end terminating in a ground contact region,

lug grooves extending in the tire width direction being provided in, as the pair of intermediate land portions, an intermediate land portion on the vehicle inner side and an intermediate land portion on the vehicle outer side,

each of the lug grooves in each of the intermediate land portions comprising:

one end communicating with the shoulder main groove; and

an other end terminating in each of the intermediate land portions,

sipes extending in the tire width direction being provided in the intermediate land portion on the vehicle inner side,

each of the sipes in the intermediate land portion on the vehicle inner side comprising:

one end communicating with, of the pair of center main grooves, a center main groove on the vehicle inner side; and

an other end terminating in the intermediate land portion on the vehicle inner side, and

sipes extending in the tire width direction being provided in the center land portion,

each of the sipes in the center land portion comprising:

one end communicating with the center main groove on the vehicle inner side; and

an other end terminating in the center land portion without exceeding the tire center line, wherein

a length in the tire width direction of each of the sipes in the shoulder land portion on the vehicle inner side is equivalent to a length in the tire width direction of each of the lug grooves in the intermediate land portion on the vehicle inner side, and is equivalent to the sum of a length in the tire width direction of each of the sipes in the center land portion and a length in the tire width direction of each of the sipes in the intermediate land portion on the vehicle inner 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 Feb 22, 2021
From: WATANABE, DAISUKE
To: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 055355/0504 →