TIRE

• US 20110192516A1
• Filed: 10/08/2009
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Suguru, Hayashi, Michiharu
• Granted Patent: US 8,800,619 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 152/209.24
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/0306 Patterns comprising block rows or discontinuous ribs
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/0309 further characterised by the groove cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/1323 asymmetric
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/0341 Circumferential grooves
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/039 provided at the shoulder portion
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2200/06 for heavy duty vehicles

Abstract

The present invention provides a tire in which generation of partial wear and groove cracks are suppressed. Specifically, the present invention provides a tire having in a tread surface thereof plural circumferential grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction, characterized in that: each of respective circumferential grooves disposed on the outermost side in the tire widthwise direction is designed to have a section in the tire widthwise direction, in which an angle formed by a groove wall on the outer side in the tire widthwise direction, with respect to a straight line tangent to a tread contour at the opening edge on the outer side in the tire widthwise direction of said groove, is larger than an angle formed by a groove wall on the tire equatorial side in the tire widthwise direction, with respect to a straight line tangent to a tread contour at the opening edge on the tire equatorial side in the tire widthwise direction of said groove; and each of said angles is in the range of 90° to 100° (inclusive of 90° and exclusive of 100°).

Claims

1. A tire having in a tread surface thereof plural circumferential grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction, characterized in that:

each of respective circumferential grooves disposed on the outermost side in the tire widthwise direction, of the circumferential grooves, is designed to have a section in the tire widthwise direction in which an angle formed by a groove wall on the outer side in the tire widthwise direction, with respect to a straight line tangent to a tread contour at the opening edge on the outer side in the tire widthwise direction of said groove, is larger than an angle formed by a groove wall on the tire equatorial side in the tire widthwise direction, with respect to a straight line tangent to a tread contour at the opening edge on the tire equatorial side in the tire widthwise direction of said groove; and

each of said angles is in the range of 90°

to 100°

(inclusive of 90° and

exclusive of 100°

).

2. The tire of claim 1, wherein each of the circumferential grooves disposed on the outermost side in the tire widthwise direction is designed to have a section in the tire widthwise direction, in which a radius of curvature at a groove wall bottom portion on the outer side in the tire widthwise direction is larger than a radius of curvature at a groove wall bottom portion on the tire equatorial side in the tire widthwise direction.

3. The tire of claim 1, wherein each of the circumferential grooves disposed on the outermost side in the tire widthwise direction is a straight groove.

4. The tire of claim 1, wherein the number of the circumferential grooves is eight;

a width of each land portion located on the outermost side in the tire widthwise direction, of land portions demarcated by said circumferential grooves and respective tread ends, is 20 to 40% of a half width of the tread; and

a width of each of respective land portions adjacent to the respective land portions located on the outermost side in the tire widthwise direction, on the inner side in the tire widthwise direction thereof, is 60 to 80% of the width of each of the land portions located on the outermost side in the tire widthwise direction.

5. The tire of claim 1, wherein the groove wall on the outer side in the tire widthwise direction, of each of the circumferential grooves disposed on the outermost side in the tire widthwise direction, is a flat or curved face without any zigzag configuration.

6. The tire of claim 1, wherein each of the circumferential grooves disposed on the outermost side in the tire widthwise direction has a sectional shape in the tire widthwise direction, which is monotonously unchanged in the tire circumferential direction.