IP Library Granted Patent US 12,576,674
Granted Patent B2
US 12,576,674 · App. 17/310,740 · Granted Mar 17, 2026

Pneumatic tire

Inventor: Toyoaki Endo (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
B60C11/0306B60C11/1218B60C11/1236B60C11/1263B60C2011/0346B60C2011/0358B60C2011/0388B60C2011/1227B60C2011/133
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,576,674
App. No.
17/310,740
Granted
Mar 17, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A tread pattern of a pneumatic tire includes three or more circumferential main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction, a land portion defined by the circumferential main grooves, and a sipe provided in the land portion. At least one edge of edges on both sides of the land portion in a tire width direction is a zigzag edge. The zigzag edge has a zigzag shape with recesses/protrusions that has a position periodically changing in the tire width direction. The sipe is a composite sipe including a two-dimensional portion and a three-dimensional portion, and the three-dimensional portion is connected to the zigzag edge.

Claims (42)

1 . A pneumatic tire, comprising:

a tread pattern, the tread pattern comprising

three or more circumferential main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction;

a land portion defined by two of the circumferential main grooves of the three or more circumferential main grooves; and

a plurality of sipes provided in the land portion,

one edge of edges on both sides of the land portion in a tire width direction being a zigzag edge and an other edge of the edges on both sides of the land portion being a straight edge with no recesses and protrusions;

the zigzag edge having a zigzag shape with recesses and protrusions that has a position periodically changing in the tire width direction;

the sipes being composite sipes comprising a two-dimensional portion and a three-dimensional portion, the three-dimensional portion being provided only at either one end of the sipes in the tire width direction; and

the three-dimensional portion of all sipes in the land portion being connected to a same edge, the same edge being the zigzag edge.

2 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a width of the three-dimensional portion in the tire width direction to a ground contact width of the land portion in the tire width direction is 0.25 or more and 0.75 or less.

3 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the land portion is a land portion that does not comprise a ground contact edge,

a ratio of a width of the three-dimensional portion in the tire width direction to a ground contact width of the land portion in the tire width direction is 0.40 or more and 0.75 or less.

4 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the land portion is a land portion that does not comprise a ground contact edge,

the land portion comprises a plurality of lug grooves extending from an inner side in the tire width direction toward an outer side in the tire width direction, and

the plurality of lug grooves extend through the land portion.

5 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 4 , wherein a ratio of a distance between protrusion portions of the zigzag shape in the tire circumferential direction to a length of an edge having the zigzag shape between lug grooves that are adjacent in the tire circumferential direction is 0.15 or more and 0.55 or less.

6 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 4 , wherein

the land portion is a land portion that does not comprise a ground contact edge,

the land portion comprises two or more of the composite sipes and three or more protrusion portions of the zigzag shape between the lug grooves that are adjacent.

7 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 6 , wherein

the land portion is a land portion that does not comprise a ground contact edge,

distances in the tire circumferential direction between connection portions of the two or more composite sipes with the circumferential main groove on an inner side in the tire width direction, the two or more composite sipes provided between the lug grooves that are adjacent, are Ls 1 , Ls 2 , . . . , Lsn, where n is a natural number of three or greater, and Ls 1 <Lsn.

8 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 6 , wherein

the land portion is a land portion that does not comprise a ground contact edge,

distances in the tire circumferential direction between the connection portions of a plurality of the sipes with the circumferential main groove on an inner side in the tire width direction, the plurality of sipes provided between the lug grooves that are adjacent, are Ls 1 , Ls 2 , . . . , Lsn, where n is a natural number of three or greater,

distances in the tire circumferential direction between protrusion portions of the connection portions of the plurality of sipes with the circumferential main groove on an outer side in the tire width direction, the plurality of sipes provided between the lug grooves that are adjacent, are Lz 1 , Lz 2 , . . . , Lzn, where n is a natural number of three or greater, and

Ls 1 <Lz 1 and Lsn>Lzn.

9 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the land portion is a land portion that does not comprise a ground contact edge,

a ratio of an amplitude of the zigzag shape in the tire width direction to a width of the land portion in the tire width direction is 0.03 or more and 0.15 or less.

10 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the composite sipes are connected to the edge having the zigzag shape at a maximum amplitude position of the edge.

11 . A pneumatic tire, comprising:

a tread pattern, the tread pattern comprising

three or more circumferential main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction;

a shoulder land portion defined by one of the circumferential main grooves of the three or more circumferential main grooves and comprising a ground contact edge; and

a plurality of sipes provided in the shoulder land portion and extending in a tire width direction, one end of the sipes being connected to the circumferential main groove and an other end of the sipes being on an outer side of a tire ground contact edge,

the one of the main grooves defining the shoulder land portion forming a zigzag shape on both sides of the one of the main grooves in the tire width direction, including on one edge of the shoulder land portion;

the zigzag edge having a zigzag shape with recesses and protrusions that has a position periodically changing in the tire width direction;

the sipes being composite sipes comprising a two-dimensional portion and a three-dimensional portion, the three-dimensional portion being provided only at either one end of the sipes in the tire width direction; and

the three-dimensional portion of all sipes in the land portion being connected to the zigzag shape of the one of the main grooves.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 2, 2024
From: ENDO, TOYOAKI
To: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 067299/0178 →
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 →
Priority Claims (4)
JP 2019-030383 · Feb 22, 2019 · national
JP 2019-069804 · Apr 1, 2019 · national
JP 2019-113862 · Jun 19, 2019 · national
JP 2019-114134 · Jun 19, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220111682A1 · Apr 14, 2022
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