IP Library Granted Patent US 12,370,838
Granted Patent B2
US 12,370,838 · App. 17/632,744 · Granted Jul 29, 2025

Pneumatic tire

Inventor: Takamasa Motomitsu (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
B60C11/13B60C11/0306B60C11/1259B60C11/1263B60C11/1281B60C11/1369B60C2011/0348B60C2011/0351B60C2011/0353B60C2011/0355B60C2011/036B60C2011/0362B60C2011/0365B60C2011/0367B60C2011/0369B60C2011/0372B60C2011/1213B60C2011/1231
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,370,838
App. No.
17/632,744
Granted
Jul 29, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A pneumatic tire includes a pair of circumferential main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction, and a pair of shoulder land portions and a single center land portion defined and formed by the circumferential main grooves. In addition, the center land portion includes a plurality of center narrow shallow grooves extending through the center land portion in a tire width direction. A groove depth H 21 of the center narrow shallow groove is in a range 0.025≤H 21 /Hg≤0.150 with respect to a maximum groove depth Hg of the circumferential main groove.

Claims (62)

1. A pneumatic tire comprising:

a pair of circumferential main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction, and

a pair of shoulder land portions and a single center land portion defined and formed by the circumferential main grooves,

the center land portion comprising a plurality of center narrow shallow grooves extending through the center land portion in a tire width direction,

a groove depth H 21 of the center narrow shallow groove being in a range 0.025≤ H 21 /Hg≤0.150 with respect to a maximum groove depth Hg of the circumferential main groove,

the center land portion comprising a plurality of center narrow shallow grooves extending through the center land portion in a tire width direction and connected to the pair of circumferential main grooves, and

the center narrow shallow groove having a groove width W 21 of 2.5 mm or more and the groove depth H 21 of 5.0 mm or less; wherein

the center land portion comprises center bent grooves having a bent shape or a curved shape and being open to the circumferential main groove at at least one end portion,

a groove depth H 22 of the center bent grooves is in a range 0.50≤H 22 /Hg≤0.90 with respect to the maximum groove depth Hg of the circumferential main groove,

the center bent grooves have a linear shape, an arc shape, or an S shape, and

an extension length L 22 of the center bent grooves in the tire width direction is in a range 0.45≤L 22 /Wb 2 ≤0.65 with respect to a ground contact width Wb 2 of the center land portion.

2. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a maximum value W 21 _max and a minimum value W 21 _min of the groove width W 21 of the center narrow shallow groove is in a range 1.00≤W 21 _max/W 21 _min≤1.10.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein a ground contact width Wb 2 of the center land portion has a relationship 0.35≤Wb 2 /TW≤0.50 with respect to a tire ground contact width TW.

4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the center narrow shallow grooves is disposed between the center bent grooves adjacent to each other.

5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the center land portion comprises a circumferential narrow groove extending in the tire circumferential direction, and

a groove depth H 23 of the circumferential narrow groove is in a range 0.70≤H 23 /Hg≤0.90 with respect to the maximum groove depth Hg of the circumferential main groove.

6. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the center land portion comprises a circumferential narrow groove extending in the tire circumferential direction and the center bent grooves being open to the circumferential narrow groove at one end portion, and the center bent grooves comprise a raised bottom portion at an opening portion corresponding to the circumferential narrow groove.

7. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the pair of circumferential main grooves comprises a straight shape, and

a groove width Wg of the circumferential main groove is in a range 0.05≤Wg/TW≤0.10 with respect to a tire ground contact width TW.

8. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic tire is a construction vehicle tire.

9. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the center bent grooves comprise a raised bottom portion at an opening portion corresponding to the circumferential main groove.

10. The pneumatic tire according to claim 9 , wherein a distance H 22 ′ from a tread contact surface to a top surface of the raised bottom portion of the center bent grooves is in a range 0.025≤H 22 ′/Hg≤0.150 with respect to the maximum groove depth Hg of the circumferential main groove.

11. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the shoulder land portion comprises a plurality of shoulder narrow shallow grooves extending through the shoulder land portion in the tire width direction, and

a groove depth H 11 of the shoulder narrow shallow groove is in a range 0.025≤H 11 /Hg≤0.150 with respect to the maximum groove depth Hg of the circumferential main groove.

12. The pneumatic tire according to claim 11 , wherein the shoulder narrow shallow grooves are located on an extension line of the center narrow shallow grooves.

13. A pneumatic tire comprising:

a pair of circumferential main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction, and

a pair of shoulder land portions and a single center land portion defined and formed by the circumferential main grooves,

the center land portion comprising a plurality of center narrow shallow grooves extending through the center land portion in a tire width direction,

a groove depth H 21 of the center narrow shallow groove being in a range 0.025≤H 21 /Hg≤0.150 with respect to a maximum groove depth Hg of the circumferential main groove,

the center land portion comprising a plurality of center narrow shallow grooves extending through the center land portion in a tire width direction and connected to the pair of circumferential main grooves, and

the pneumatic tire being a construction vehicle tire; wherein

the center land portion comprises center bent grooves having a bent shape or a curved shape and being open to the circumferential main groove at at least one end portion,

a groove depth H 22 of the center bent grooves is in a range 0.50≤H 22 /Hg≤0.90 with respect to the maximum groove depth Hg of the circumferential main groove,

the center bent grooves have a linear shape, an arc shape, or an S shape, and

an extension length L 22 of the center bent grooves in the tire width direction is in a range 0.45≤L 22 /Wb 2 ≤0.65 with respect to a ground contact width Wb 2 of the center land portion.

14. A pneumatic tire comprising:

a pair of circumferential main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction, and

a pair of shoulder land portions and a single center land portion defined and formed by the circumferential main grooves,

the center land portion comprising a plurality of center narrow shallow grooves extending through the center land portion in a tire width direction,

a groove depth H 21 of the center narrow shallow groove being in a range 0.025≤H 21 /Hg≤0.150 with respect to a maximum groove depth Hg of the circumferential main groove,

the center land portion comprising a circumferential narrow groove extending in the tire circumferential direction, and

a groove depth H 23 of the circumferential narrow groove being in a range 0.70≤H 23 /Hg≤0.90 with respect to the maximum groove depth Hg of the circumferential main groove.

15. A pneumatic tire comprising:

a pair of circumferential main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction, and

a pair of shoulder land portions and a single center land portion defined and formed by the circumferential main grooves,

the center land portion comprising a plurality of center narrow shallow grooves extending through the center land portion in a tire width direction,

a groove depth H 21 of the center narrow shallow groove being in a range 0.025≤H 21 /Hg≤0.150 with respect to a maximum groove depth Hg of the circumferential main groove,

the center land portion comprising center bent grooves having a bent shape or a curved shape and being open to the circumferential main groove at at least one end portion,

a groove depth H 22 of the center bent grooves being in a range 0.50≤H 22 /Hg≤0.90 with respect to the maximum groove depth Hg of the circumferential main groove, and

the center bent grooves comprising a raised bottom portion at an opening portion corresponding to the circumferential main groove.

16. A pneumatic tire comprising:

a pair of circumferential main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction, and

a pair of shoulder land portions and a single center land portion defined and formed by the circumferential main grooves,

the center land portion comprising a plurality of center narrow shallow grooves extending through the center land portion in a tire width direction,

a groove depth H 21 of the center narrow shallow groove being in a range 0.025≤H 21 /Hg≤0.150 with respect to a maximum groove depth Hg of the circumferential main groove,

the center land portion comprising a circumferential narrow groove extending in the tire circumferential direction and center bent grooves having a bent shape or a curved shape and being open to the circumferential narrow groove at one end portion, and

the center bent grooves comprising a raised bottom portion at an opening portion corresponding to the circumferential narrow groove.

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 3, 2022
From: MOTOMITSU, TAKAMASA
To: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 058881/0969 →