Pneumatic tire

• US 10,639,936 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2016
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Inventors: Hatanaka, Shintaro, Kuwayama, Isao
• Primary Examiner(s): Minskey, Jacob T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsui, Melody
• Application Number:
  US15/747,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20180215207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/032 Patterns comprising isolated recesses
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/04 in which the raised area of the pattern consists only of continuous circumferential ribs, e.g. zig-zag B60C11/12, B60C11/13 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/1204 with special shape of the sipe
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/1236 with special arrangements in the tread pattern
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/0341 Circumferential grooves
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/1254 with closed sipe, i.e. not extending to a groove

Abstract

A pneumatic tire comprises, in a tread surface: at least two circumferential main grooves continuously extending in a tire circumferential direction; and at least one rib-like land portion each defined by two adjacent circumferential main grooves from among the at least two circumferential main grooves. The rib-like land portion has: a circumferential sipe including a circumferential sipe portion extending in the tire circumferential direction; and a both-end closed sipe having both ends terminating within the rib-like land portion. When a land portion width of the rib-like land portion is evenly divided by three where a region at a center in a tire width direction is a center region and regions on both sides of the center region in the tire width direction are side regions, the circumferential sipe portion is located only in the center region, and the both-end closed sipe is located in any of the side regions.

Claims

1. A pneumatic tire comprising, in a tread surface:

at least two circumferential main grooves continuously extending in a tire circumferential direction; and

at least one rib-like land portion each defined by two circumferential main grooves adjacent to each other from among the at least two circumferential main grooves,

wherein the rib-like land portion has;

a circumferential sipe including a circumferential sipe portion extending in the tire circumferential direction; and

a both-end closed sipe having both ends terminating within the rib-like land portion;

when a land portion width of the rib-like land portion is evenly divided by three where a region at a center in a tire width direction is a center region and regions on both sides of the center region in the tire width direction are side regions, the circumferential sipe portion is located only in the center region, and the both-end closed sipe is located in any of the side regions;

the rib-like land portion is a land portion in which no groove is provided that cuts across the land portion and has both ends open to the circumferential main grooves defining the rib-like land portion; and

a plurality of circumferential sipes are arranged with the pitch length L (mm) in the rib-like land portion, and the relationship between the pitch length L (mm) and a tire circumferential sipe component total length Ls (mm) of the plurality of the circumferential sipes and the both-end closed sipe within one pitch area of the pitch length L (mm) satisfies;

0.6L≤

Ls≤

3L.

2. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1,

wherein a region enclosed with a circle centering at a centroid of the both-end closed sipe and having a radius of 0.15W has no groove or sipe other than the both-end closed sipe in a tread surface developed view, where W is the land portion width of the rib-like land portion.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1,

wherein a region enclosed with a circle centering at a centroid of the both-end closed sipe and having a radius of 0.50W has, in addition to the both-end closed sipe, any of a groove and a sipe other than the both-end closed sipe in a tread surface developed view, where W is the land portion width of the rib-like land portion.

4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 2,

wherein a region enclosed with a circle centering at a centroid of the both-end closed sipe and having a radius of 0.50W has, in addition to the both-end closed sipe, any of a groove and a sipe other than the both-end closed sipe in a tread surface developed view, where W is the land portion width of the rib-like land portion.

5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1,

wherein the circumferential sipe includes a widthwise sipe portion extending from the circumferential sipe portion in the tire width direction and opens to the circumferential main groove defining the rib-like land portion.

6. The pneumatic tire according to claim 5,

wherein the widthwise sipe portion extends at an inclination angle of 60°

or less with respect to the tire width direction.

7. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1,

wherein the relationship between the land portion width W of the rib-like land portion and the tire widthwise sipe component total length Ws of the circumferential sipe within one pitch area of the pitch length L in the land portion satisfies:

0.4W≤

Ws≤

1.2W.

8. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1,

wherein the relationship between the pitch length L and the land portion width W of the rib-like land portion in the circumferential sipe satisfies:

0.5W≤

L≤

1.5W.

9. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1,

wherein the both-end closed sipe is a circular small hole in a tread surface view.

10. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1,

wherein at least one small hole is provided within one pitch area of the pitch length L (mm), where the opening area S (mm²) of one small hole to the tread surface T is in a range of 0.1≤

S≤

4.

11. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1,

wherein the relationship between the pitch length L (mm) and the number N of small holes within one pitch area of the pitch length L (mm) in the rib-like land portion is preferably 0.1≤

N/L≤

0.3.

12. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, further comprising

the circumferential sipe is a sipe whose opening width to the tread surface is 2 mm or less wherein,

the tire is attached to a rim, the tire has an internal pressure of 30 kPa which is such a pressure that maintains the tire shape, and the tire is placed under no load.