IP Library Granted Patent US 12,187,077
Granted Patent B2
US 12,187,077 · App. 17/643,744 · Granted Jan 7, 2025

Tire

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,187,077
App. No.
17/643,744
Granted
Jan 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A tire includes a mounting direction indicator that indicates a tire mounting direction with respect to a vehicle. The tire includes a first circumferential groove and a second circumferential groove extending intermittently or continuously in a tire circumferential direction. Additionally, the second circumferential groove is located further on an inner side than the first circumferential groove in a vehicle width direction in a state in which the tire is mounted on a vehicle. Additionally, a groove volume V 1 of the first circumferential groove and a groove volume V 2 of the second circumferential groove have the relationship V 1 <V 2.

Claims (45)

1. A tire comprising a mounting direction indicator configured to indicate a tire mounting direction with respect to a vehicle, the tire comprising:

a first circumferential groove and a second circumferential groove extending intermittently in a tire circumferential direction,

the second circumferential groove being located further on an inner side than the first circumferential groove in a vehicle width direction in a state in which the tire is mounted on the vehicle,

a groove volume V 1 of the first circumferential groove and a groove volume V 2 of the second circumferential groove having a relationship V 1 <V 2 , and

each of the first and second circumferential grooves including a plurality of groove portions arranged discontinuously in a row in the tire circumferential direction and extending intermittently in the tire circumferential direction, wherein

no other grooves or recess portions having an opening area of greater than 40 mm 2 are provided in a tire ground contact region,

each of opening areas of the groove portions constituting the first and second circumferential grooves is in a range of 200 mm 2 or more and 340 mm 2 or less,

a groove area ratio of a tire ground contact region is in a range of 3.0% or more and 5.0% or less,

maximum groove depths of the first and second circumferential grooves are in a range of 2.5 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less, and

distances D 1 , D 2 from a tire equatorial plane to groove center lines of the first and second circumferential grooves satisfy relationships 0.05<D 1 /TW<0.45 and 0.05<D 2 /TW<0.45 with respect to a tire ground contact width TW.

2. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein the groove volume V 1 of the first circumferential groove and the groove volume V 2 of the second circumferential groove have a relationship 1.11≤V 2 /V 1 ≤2.00.

3. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein a maximum groove width W 1 of the first circumferential groove and a maximum groove width W 2 of the second circumferential groove have relationships 0.020≤W 1 /TW≤0.080 and 0.020<W 2 /TW≤0.080 with respect to the tire ground contact width TW.

4. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein a groove area A 1 of the first circumferential groove and a groove area A 2 of the second circumferential groove have relationships 0.015≤Al/Sa≤0.100 and 0.015≤A 2 /Sa≤0.100 with respect to an area Sa of a tire ground contact region.

5. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein a groove area A 1 of the first circumferential groove and a groove area A 2 of the second circumferential groove have a relationship A 1 <A 2 .

6. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein a maximum depth H 1 of the first circumferential groove and a maximum depth H 2 of the second circumferential groove have a relationship H 1 <H 2 .

7. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein the first circumferential groove is disposed in an outer region in the vehicle width direction, and the second circumferential groove is disposed in an inner region in the vehicle width direction, the outer region and the inner region being demarcated by a tire equatorial plane.

8. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein a tire cross-sectional height SH has a relationship 0.20≤SH/SW≤0.70 with respect to a total tire width SW, and the tire ground contact width TW has a relationship 0.90≤TW/SW≤0.98 with respect to the total tire width SW.

9. The tire according to claim 1 , comprising a pair of bead cores, a carcass layer extended across the pair of bead cores, a pair of cross belts disposed on an outer circumference of the carcass layer, and tread rubber disposed on an outer side of the pair of cross belts in a radial direction, wherein a width Wb of a wider cross belt of the pair of cross belts has a relationship 0.98≤Wb/TW≤1.10 with respect to the tire ground contact width TW.

10. The tire according to claim 1 , comprising a pair of bead cores, a carcass layer extended across the pair of bead cores, a pair of cross belts disposed on an outer circumference of the carcass layer, and tread rubber disposed on an outer side of the pair of cross belts in a radial direction, wherein a gauge of the tread rubber is in a range of 30% or more and 60% or less of a total gauge of a tread portion on groove center lines of the first and second circumferential grooves.

11. A tire comprising a mounting direction indicator configured to indicate a tire mounting direction with respect to a vehicle, the tire comprising:

a first circumferential groove and a second circumferential groove extending intermittently in a tire circumferential direction,

the second circumferential groove being located further on an inner side than the first circumferential groove in a vehicle width direction in a state in which the tire is mounted on the vehicle,

a groove volume V 1 of the first circumferential groove and a groove volume V 2 of the second circumferential groove having a relationship V 1 <V 2 , a maximum groove width W 1 of the first circumferential groove and a maximum groove width W 2 of the second circumferential groove having relationships 0.020≤W 1 /TW≤0.080 and 0.020≤W 2 /TW≤0.080 with respect to a tire ground contact width TW,

each of the first and second circumferential grooves including a plurality of groove portions arranged discontinuously in a row in the tire circumferential direction and extending intermittently in the tire circumferential direction,

no other grooves or recess portions having an opening area of greater than 40 mm 2 are provided in a tire ground contact region,

each of opening areas of the groove portions constituting the first and second circumferential grooves is in a range of 200 mm 2 or more and 340 mm 2 or less,

a tire cross-sectional height SH having a relationship 0.20≤SH/SW≤0.70 with respect to a total tire width SW, and

a tire ground contact width TW having a relationship 0.90≤TW/SW≤0.98 with respect to the total tire width SW, wherein

maximum groove depths of the first and second circumferential grooves are in a range of 2.5 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less, and

distances D 1 , D 2 from a tire equatorial plane to groove center lines of the first and second circumferential grooves satisfy relationships 0.05≤D 1 /TW≤0.45 and 0.05≤D 2 /TW≤0.45 with respect to the tire ground contact width TW.

12. A tire comprising a mounting direction indicator configured to indicate a tire mounting direction with respect to a vehicle, the tire comprising:

a first circumferential groove and a second circumferential groove extending intermittently in a tire circumferential direction,

a pair of bead cores,

a carcass layer extended across the pair of bead cores,

a pair of cross belts disposed on an outer circumference of the carcass layer, and

tread rubber disposed on an outer side of the pair of cross belts in a radial direction,

the second circumferential groove being located further on an inner side than the first circumferential groove in a vehicle width direction in a state in which the tire is mounted on the vehicle,

a groove volume V 1 of the first circumferential groove and a groove volume V 2 of the second circumferential groove having a relationship V 1 <V 2 ,

a maximum groove width W 1 of the first circumferential groove and a maximum groove width W 2 of the second circumferential groove having relationships 0.020≤W 1 /TW≤0.080 and 0.020≤W 2 /TW≤0.080 with respect to a tire ground contact width TW,

a width Wb of a wider cross belt of the pair of cross belts having a relationship 0.98≤Wb/TW≤1.10 with respect to a tire ground contact width TW, and

each of the first and second circumferential grooves including a plurality of groove portions arranged discontinuously in a row in the tire circumferential direction and extending intermittently in the tire circumferential direction,

no other grooves or recess portions having an opening area of greater than 40 mm 2 being provided in a tire ground contact region, wherein

each of opening areas of the groove portions constituting the first and second circumferential grooves is in a range of 200 mm 2 or more and 340 mm 2 or less, wherein

maximum groove depths of the first and second circumferential grooves are in a range of 2.5 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less, and

distances D 1 , D 2 from a tire equatorial plane to groove center lines of the first and second circumferential grooves satisfy relationships 0.05≤D 1 /TW≤0.45 and 0.05≤D 2 /TW≤0.45 with respect to the tire ground contact width TW.

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 Dec 10, 2021
From: KANEKO, TAKESHI
To: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 058363/0569 →