IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,656,520
Granted Patent B2
US 9,656,520 · App. 14/558,930 · Granted May 23, 2017

Pneumatic tire

Inventor: Tsuyoshi Fujioka (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.
B60C11/125B60C2011/0358
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,656,520
App. No.
14/558,930
Granted
May 23, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A pneumatic tire includes a tread having a pattern formed thereon, in which the tread includes at least two main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction; a plurality of lateral slits that are each a groove extending in a direction intersecting the tire circumferential direction formed, in at least one of ribs excluding the shoulder ribs formed in the at least two main grooves, so as to be aligned in the tire circumferential direction; and a slit bottom lateral sipe formed at the bottom of every two in the tire circumferential direction of the plurality of lateral slits aligned in the tire circumferential direction.

Claims (34)

1. A pneumatic tire, comprising:

a tread having a pattern formed thereon, the tread including:

at least two main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction;

a plurality of lateral slits formed in at least one of ribs formed by the at least two main grooves excluding shoulder ribs, the lateral slits each being a groove extending in a direction intersecting the tire circumferential direction, and the plurality of lateral slits being formed to be aligned in the tire circumferential direction; and

a slit bottom lateral sipe formed at the bottom of every two in the tire circumferential direction of the plurality of lateral slits,

wherein the tread further includes a narrow groove extending in the tire circumferential direction in the rib in which the lateral slits are formed;

wherein the plurality of lateral slits are formed in one of regions on one side in the tire width direction of the rib in which the lateral slits are formed, with the narrow groove interposed therebetween;

wherein the plurality of lateral slits, the main grooves, and the narrow groove form a plurality of blocks aligned in the tire circumferential direction in the region on one side in the tire width direction;

wherein the plurality of lateral slits are formed in the other of the regions on the other side in the tire width direction of the rib in which the lateral slits are formed, with the narrow groove interposed therebetween;

wherein the plurality of lateral slits, the main grooves, and the narrow groove form a plurality of blocks aligned in the tire circumferential direction in the region on the other side in the tire width direction;

wherein the slit bottom lateral sipe is formed at the bottom of every two in the tire circumferential direction of the plurality of lateral slits located in at least one of the region on one side in the tire width direction and the region on the other side in the tire width direction; and

wherein the blocks located in the region on one side in the tire width direction and the blocks located in the region on the other side in the tire width direction are displaced in the tire circumferential direction from each other in the rib in which the lateral slits are formed.

2. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein:

the slit bottom lateral sipe is formed at the bottom of every two in the tire circumferential direction of the plurality of lateral slits located in the region on one side in the tire width direction and the region on the other side in the tire width direction of the rib in which the lateral slits are formed;

the narrow groove includes a narrow groove bottom sipe that is partially formed at its bottom; and

the narrow groove bottom sipe is formed to connect one slit bottom lateral sipe located in the region on one side in the tire width direction and another slit bottom lateral sipe located, at a position closest to the one slit bottom lateral sipe, in the region on the other side in the tire width direction.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the narrow groove is a groove linearly extending in the tire circumferential direction.

4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 3 , wherein

the narrow groove is a groove having a constant width.

5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the lateral slits each have a width larger than a width of the narrow groove.

6. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein:

the tread includes at least three main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction;

the lateral slits are formed in each of at least two of ribs formed between the at least three main grooves; and

the lateral slits formed in one of the at least two of ribs extend at a different angle with respect to the tire circumferential direction from the angle at which the lateral slits formed in the other of the at least two of ribs extend.

7. The pneumatic tire according to claim 6 , wherein:

the tread includes four main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction, one center rib, and two intermediate ribs formed with the center rib interposed therebetween, the center rib and the intermediate ribs being formed by the four main grooves; and

the lateral slits formed in the center rib have a different angle with respect to the tire circumferential direction from angles with respect to the tire circumferential direction of the lateral slits formed in the two intermediate ribs.

8. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein:

the tread includes at least three main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction;

the slit bottom lateral sipe formed in one of at least two ribs formed between the at least three main grooves and the slit bottom lateral sipe formed in the other rib that is adjacent to the one rib are aligned obliquely with respect to the tire width direction.

9. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the shoulder ribs located at both ends in the tire width direction of the tread do not include grooves configured to divide the shoulder ribs in the tire circumferential direction.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 3, 2014
From: FUJIOKA, TSUYOSHI
To: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 034363/0030 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2013-251013 · Dec 4, 2013 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150151585A1 · Jun 4, 2015