PNEUMATIC TIRE

• US 20140238566A1
• Filed: 02/21/2014
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TOYO Tire & Rubber Company Limited (Toyo Tire Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TOYO Tire & Rubber Company Limited (Toyo Tire Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Toshihiko
• Granted Patent: US 9,409,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 152/209.8
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/0304 Asymmetric patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/032 Patterns comprising isolated recesses
• 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 2011/0381 Blind or isolated grooves
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/0388 provided at the equatorial plane
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/1209 straight at the tread surface

Abstract

A pneumatic tire includes a tread having at least one main groove and a plurality of ribs extending in the tire-circumferential direction. At least one of the ribs has a plurality of narrow grooves formed at intervals in the tire-circumferential direction. At least one intermittent sipe is formed corresponding to at least one of the narrow grooves. The narrow grooves are grooves each having a portion extending substantially along the tire-circumferential direction and having a groove width smaller than the at least one main groove. The at least one intermittent sipe has a plurality of holes that are intermittently formed, and at least one solid part located between adjacent two of the holes. The holes and the solid part are arranged in a direction intersecting the narrow grooves. The intermittent sipe intersects the corresponding narrow groove in the at least one solid part.

Claims

1. A pneumatic tire comprising a tread with a rib pattern, wherein:

the tread includes at least one main groove extending in a tire-circumferential direction, and a plurality of ribs, formed by the at least one main groove, extending in the tire-circumferential direction;

at least one of the plurality of ribs has a plurality of narrow grooves formed at intervals in the tire-circumferential direction;

one or a plurality of intermittent sipes are formed corresponding to at least one of the plurality of narrow grooves;

the plurality of narrow grooves are a plurality of grooves each having a groove width smaller than the at least one main groove and having a part extending substantially along the tire-circumferential direction;

the intermittent sipes each have a plurality of holes that are intermittently formed, and one or a plurality of solid parts located between adjacent two of the plurality of holes;

the plurality of holes and the one or plurality of solid parts are arranged in a direction intersecting the plurality of narrow grooves; and

the one or plurality of intermittent sipes each intersect a corresponding narrow groove in one of the one or plurality of solid parts.

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

the tread has an asymmetrical pattern with respect to a tire equator;

at least part of each of the narrow grooves is formed of a sipe; and

the narrow grooves and the intermittent sipes are formed in one of the plurality of ribs which is located, when the tire is mounted on a vehicle, on an outer side of the vehicle with respect to the tire equator.

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

in one of the plurality of ribs which is located at the tire equator, a plurality of sets of one circumferential sipe extending substantially along the tire-circumferential direction and one or a plurality of continuous sipes extending to intersect the one circumferential sipe are formed at intervals in the tire-circumferential direction.

4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 3, wherein:

the circumferential sipe has a portion substantially parallel to one of the plurality of narrow grooves.

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

each of the narrow grooves has a first groove part and a second groove part;

the first groove part has an oblique angle of 3°

to 20°

with respect to the main groove adjacent to the narrow groove; and

the second groove part connects at least one of one end and the other end of the first groove part with the main groove.

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

one of the plurality of ribs which is located at least in a region on one side in a tire-width direction includes a plurality of grooves, each extending substantially along the tire-width direction, formed at a specific pitch in the tire-circumferential direction; and

the first groove part has a length in the tire-circumferential direction equal to or larger than a length corresponding to the specific pitch.

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

the tread has an asymmetrical pattern with respect to a tire equator;

the first groove part is oblique so that the one end comes close to the main groove adjacent to the first groove part on the outer side of the vehicle; and

the second groove part is connected to the main groove adjacent to the first groove part.

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

the tread has an asymmetrical pattern with respect to a tire equator;

in at least one of the plurality of ribs which is located, when the tire is mounted on a vehicle, on the inner side of the vehicle with respect to the tire equator, a plurality of F-shaped blocks formed into a substantially F-shape by being defined by a plurality of sipes or grooves are arranged adjacent to each other in the tire-circumferential direction;

each of the F-shaped blocks has a stem extending along the tire-circumferential direction in a region, on the tire equator side, of at least one rib located on an inner side of the vehicle, a first branch branching from a point in a course in the circumferential direction of the stem toward a side opposite to the tire equator, and a second branch branching from one end in the tire-circumferential direction of the stem toward a side opposite to the tire equator;

in the at least one rib located on the inner side of the vehicle with respect to the tire equator, a first small block is interposed between the first branch of one of each two of the F-shaped blocks that are adjacent in the circumferential direction and the second branch of the other of the F-shaped blocks, and a second small block is surrounded by the stem, the first branch, and the second branch of each of the F-shaped blocks;

the first branch and the second branch each have a relatively high stiffness; and

the first small block and the second small block each have a relatively low stiffness.

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

the tread has an asymmetrical pattern with respect to a tire equator;

the tread includes a plurality of main grooves each extending in the tire-circumferential direction; and

one of the plurality of main grooves which is located, when the tire is mounted on a vehicle, furthest from the tire equator on an outer side of the vehicle has a smaller groove width than one or a plurality of other main grooves.