IP Library Granted Patent US 12,583,263
Granted Patent B2
US 12,583,263 · App. 17/754,003 · Granted Mar 24, 2026

Pneumatic tire

Inventor: Hironori Wada (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
B60C11/04B60C11/0306B60C11/1204B60C11/1236B60C2011/0346B60C2011/1213B60C2011/1254B60C2200/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,583,263
App. No.
17/754,003
Granted
Mar 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a pneumatic tire including a plurality of main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction and land portions defined by the main grooves adjacent to each other, respectively. The land portions are ribs that are continuous in the tire circumferential direction, and include lug grooves having a semi-closed structure, respectively. Of the main grooves defining the land portions, at least one of the main grooves has a zigzag shape formed by alternately connecting long portions and short portions. Further, a circumferential length Lg2 of the long portion has a relationship 0.70≤Lg2/λ2≤0.90 with respect to a wavelength λ2 of the zigzag shape.

Claims (23)

1 . A pneumatic tire comprising:

a plurality of main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction; and

land portions defined by the main grooves adjacent to each other;

the land portions including a rib continuous in the tire circumferential direction and comprising lug grooves having a semi-closed structure,

of the main grooves defining the land portions, at least one main groove having a zigzag shape formed by alternately connecting long portions and short portions, and

a circumferential length Lg2 of the long portion having a relationship 0.70≤Lg2/λ2≤0.90 with respect to a wavelength λ2 of the zigzag shape, wherein

the main groove having the zigzag shape has a see-through-less structure when viewed in the tire circumferential direction,

of the main grooves defining the land portions, a main groove on a tire equatorial plane side has the zigzag shape formed by alternately connecting the long portions and the short portions,

a main groove on a tire ground contact edge side has a zigzag shape formed by connecting linear portions having an approximately identical length,

the linear portion of the main groove on the tire ground contact edge side has a circumferential length Lg1 that has a relationship 0.30≤Lg1/λ1≤0.70 with respect to a wavelength λ1 of the zigzag shape, and

the wavelength λ1 of the main groove on the tire ground contact edge side and the wavelength λ2 of the main groove on the tire equatorial plane side have a relationship 1.50≤λ2/λ1≤2.00.

2 . A pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein multiple of the main grooves defining the land portions have the zigzag shape formed by connecting the long portions and the short portions.

3 . A pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein an amplitude A2 of the zigzag shape has a relationship 0.03≤A2/TW≤0.05 with respect to a tire ground contact width TW.

4 . A pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the lug grooves are open at positions in an edge portion of the land portions, the positions being recessed with respect to the main groove.

5 . A pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein an extension length in a tire width direction of the lug grooves is in a range of 20% or more and 60% or less with respect to a maximum ground contact width of the land portions.

6 . A pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the lug grooves are disposed in the edge portions of left and right of the land portions and are disposed in a staggered manner in the tire circumferential direction.

7 . A pneumatic tire according to claim 6 , wherein an overlapping amount Wr of the lug grooves adjacent to each other when viewed in the tire circumferential direction has a relationship 0≤Wr/Wb3≤0.30 with respect to a maximum ground contact width Wb3 of the land portions.

8 . A pneumatic tire according to claim 6 , wherein a distance D3 in the tire circumferential direction between the lug grooves adjacent to each other has a relationship 0.20≤D3/λ2≤0.50 with respect to the wavelength λ2 of the zigzag shape.

9 . A pneumatic tire according to claim 7 , wherein an inclination direction of the lug grooves with respect to the tire circumferential direction is opposite to an inclination direction of the long portion of the main groove, the long portion having the zigzag shape.

10 . A pneumatic tire according to claim 7 , wherein a maximum groove depth of the lug grooves is in a range of 70% or more and 100% or less with respect to a maximum groove depth of the main groove.

11 . A pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , the pneumatic tire being a heavy duty tire mounted on a drive shaft of a vehicle.

12 . A pneumatic tire according to claim 8 , wherein an inclination direction of the lug grooves with respect to the tire circumferential direction is opposite to an inclination direction of the long portion of the main groove, the long portion having the zigzag shape.

13 . A pneumatic tire according to claim 8 , wherein a maximum groove depth of the lug grooves is in a range of 70% or more and 100% or less with respect to a maximum groove depth of the main 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 Mar 21, 2022
From: WADA, HIRONORI
To: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 059327/0166 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2019-174606 · Sep 25, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220339968A1 · Oct 27, 2022
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