IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,148,471
Granted Patent B2
US 11,148,471 · App. 15/761,800 · Granted Oct 19, 2021

Pneumatic tire

Inventor: Hiroyuki Sato (Hiratsuka, JP)
B60C11/01B60C9/08B60C9/20B60C9/2006B60C9/28B60C11/0083B60C11/042B60C2009/1892B60C2009/2016B60C2009/2019B60C2011/013B60C2011/0355B60C2200/06Y02T10/86
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,148,471
App. No.
15/761,800
Granted
Oct 19, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a pneumatic tire are defined: a first imaginary line VL 1 passing through a ground contact surface in a meridian cross section of a tread portion, a second imaginary line VL 2 passing through a bottom portion of a shoulder main groove and parallel to VL 1 , an intersection point between VL 2 and a surface of a shoulder land portion outward of a ground contact edge T in a lateral direction, and an equatorial plane CL. Given A as a distance in the lateral direction between an intersection point P and CL, B as a groove depth of the shoulder main groove, and C as a distance in the lateral direction between T and CL, 0.80≤(B+C)/A≤1.15 is satisfied and, given E as a distance in the lateral direction between the bottom portion of the shoulder main groove and P, 2.0≤E/B≤5.0 is satisfied.

Claims (45)

1. A pneumatic tire that rotates about a rotation axis, comprising:

a tread portion that comprises a tread rubber; and

side portions provided to both sides in a tire lateral direction of the tread portion, each comprising a side rubber;

the tread portion further comprising a plurality of circumferential main grooves provided in the tire lateral direction, each extending in a tire circumferential direction, and a plurality of land portions that are defined by the circumferential main grooves and comprise a ground contact surface that comes into contact with a road surface;

the land portions comprising a shoulder land portion that is disposed outward of a shoulder main groove that is closest among the plurality of circumferential main grooves to a ground contact edge of the tread portion in the tire lateral direction, and comprises the ground contact edge; and

the shoulder land portion outward of the ground contact edge in the tire lateral direction comprising a surface connected to a surface of the side portion; wherein

there are defined:

a first imaginary line that passes through the ground contact surface in a meridian cross section of the tread portion that passes through the rotation axis;

a second imaginary line that passes through a bottom portion of the shoulder main groove and is parallel to the first imaginary line;

an intersection point between the second imaginary line and a surface of the shoulder land portion outward of the ground contact edge in the tire lateral direction; and

a tire equatorial plane that is orthogonal to the rotation axis and passes through a center of the tread portion in the tire lateral direction; and

given A as a distance in the tire lateral direction between the intersection point and the tire equatorial plane, B as a groove depth of the shoulder main groove, and C as a distance in the tire lateral direction between the ground contact edge and the tire equatorial plane, a condition 0.80≤(B+C)/A ≤1.15 is satisfied;

given E as a distance in the tire lateral direction between the bottom portion of the shoulder main groove and the intersection point, a condition 2.0≤E/B≤4.5 is satisfied;

the land portions include a center land portion provided at a position passing through the tire equatorial plane;

in the meridian cross section, given F as a distance between an opening end portion outward of the shoulder main groove in the tire lateral direction and the ground contact edge in the tire lateral direction; and

in the meridian cross section, given G as a dimension of the center land portion in the tire lateral direction, a condition 0.80≤F/G≤1.10 is satisfied.

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

given H as a distance between the tire equatorial plane in the tire lateral direction and a portion of the side portion most outward in the tire lateral direction, a condition 0.75≤A/H≤0.90 is satisfied.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a carcass; and

a belt layer disposed outward of the carcass in a tire radial direction;

the belt layer comprising a plurality of belt plies disposed in the tire radial direction; and

given S as a distance between the tire equatorial plane in the tire lateral direction and an end portion of the belt ply among the plurality of belt plies having a longest dimension in the tire lateral direction, a condition 0.75≤S/C≤1.10 is satisfied.

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

there are further defined a third imaginary line that passes through the ground contact edge and the intersection point in the meridian cross section, and a fourth imaginary line that is parallel with the tire equatorial plane and passes through the intersection point; and

given θa as an angle formed by the third imaginary line and the fourth imaginary line, a condition 5°≤θa≤50° is satisfied.

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

given D as a distance in the tire lateral direction between the tire equatorial plane and an opening end portion outward of the shoulder main groove in the tire lateral direction, a condition D/C ≤0.80 is satisfied.

6. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic tire is a heavy duty tire mounted on a truck or a bus.

7. The pneumatic tire according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a carcass; and

a belt layer disposed outward of the carcass in a tire radial direction;

the belt layer comprising a plurality of belt plies disposed in the tire radial direction; and

given S as a distance between the tire equatorial plane in the tire lateral direction and an end portion of the belt ply among the plurality of belt plies having a longest dimension in the tire lateral direction, a condition 0.75≤S/C≤1.10 is satisfied.

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

there are further defined a third imaginary line that passes through the ground contact edge and the intersection point in the meridian cross section, and a fourth imaginary line that is parallel with the tire equatorial plane and passes through the intersection point; and

given θa as an angle formed by the third imaginary line and the fourth imaginary line, a condition 5°≤θa≤50° is satisfied.

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

given D as a distance in the tire lateral direction between the tire equatorial plane and an opening end portion outward of the shoulder main groove in the tire lateral direction, a condition D/C≤0.80 is satisfied.

10. The pneumatic tire according to claim 9 , wherein the pneumatic tire is a heavy duty tire mounted on a truck or a bus.

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

given N as a distance between an end portion of a belt ply that is disposed outward in a tire radial direction among belt plies that form a cross ply belt layer and the ground contact surface of the shoulder land portion, a condition 1.0≤N/B≤1.4 is satisfied.

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

in a side surface of the shoulder land portion outward of the ground contact edge in the tire lateral direction, a plurality of recessed portions are provided in the tire circumferential direction and are disposed entirely outward in the tire lateral direction of the ground contact edge, and

given U as a dimension of each recessed portion in the tire circumferential direction and V as a dimension between the recessed portions adjacent in the tire circumferential direction, a condition 0.10≤U/V≤0.60 is satisfied.

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 20, 2018
From: SATO, HIROYUKI
To: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 045294/0904 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2015-198697 · Oct 6, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180272805A1 · Sep 27, 2018