Pneumatic Tire

• US 20180009270A1
• Filed: 01/22/2016
• Published: 01/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Nishino, Tomohisa
• Granted Patent: US 10,639,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/03 Tread patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/11 in which the raised area of the pattern consists only of isolated elements, e.g. blocks B60C11/12, B60C11/13 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/12 characterised by the use of narrow slits or incisions, e.g. sipes
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/1218 Three-dimensional shape with regard to depth and extending direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/1259 Depth of the sipe
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/13 characterised by the groove cross-section, e.g. for buttressing or preventing stone-trapping
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/1307 with special features of the groove walls
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/1392 with chamfered block edges
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/0365 characterised by width
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/1213 sinusoidal or zigzag at the tread surface
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/133 comprising recesses

Abstract

A pneumatic tire comprising circumferential main grooves, a land portion defined by the circumferential main grooves, and a plurality of lug grooves disposed in the land portion that open to the circumferential main grooves. The land portion comprises notch portions formed on opening portions of the lug grooves and chamfered portions formed on edge portions of the notch portions. The notch portions have an edge portion with a V-shape projecting in a tire circumferential direction. A maximum width W2 of the notch portions and a width W3 of the chamfered portions have the relationship 0.30≦W3/W2≦1.80.

Claims

1. A pneumatic tire, comprising:

a plurality of circumferential main grooves;

a land portion defined by a pair of the plurality of circumferential main grooves; and

a plurality of lug grooves disposed in the land portion that open to at least one of the plurality of circumferential main grooves;

the land portion comprising notch portions formed only on opening portions of the lug grooves, and chamfered portions formed on edge portions of the notch portions.

2. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a maximum width W2 of the notch portions and a width W3 of the chamfered portions have a relationship 0.30≦

W3/W2≦

1.80.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a width W3 of the chamfered portions is in a range 1.5 mm≦

W3≦

6.0 mm.

4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a maximum width W1 of the land portion and the maximum width W2 of the notch portions have a relationship 0.05≦

W2/W1≦

0.25.

5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a maximum groove depth D1 of the lug grooves and a maximum depth D2 of the notch portions have a relationship 0.30≦

D2/D1≦

1.00.

6. The pneumatic tire according to claim 5, wherein the lug grooves include wider lug grooves and narrower lug grooves, and wherein the maximum groove depth D1 of the narrower lug grooves and the maximum depth D2 of the notch portions have the relationship D2/D1≦

0.80.

7. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a circumferential length L1 of edge portions of the land portion defined by the lug grooves adjacent to one another and a circumferential length L2 of the notch portions formed on the edge portions have a relationship 0.30≦

L2/L1≦

0.80.

8. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the notch portions comprise an edge portion with a V-shape projecting in a tire circumferential direction.

9. The pneumatic tire according to claim 8, wherein a bend angle θ

of the V-shape of the notch portions is in a range 10 degrees≦

θ

≦

70 degrees.

10. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the notch portions are disposed intersecting the opening portions of the lug grooves.

11. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein

the land portion is a first land portion and land portions on an other side of the circumferential main grooves from the first land portion are second land portions, and

the second land portions each comprise a pair of lug grooves that incline at different inclination angles, and extension lines of groove center lines of the pair of lug grooves meet at the edge portion of the first land portions, and

the notch portions of the first land portion are formed surrounding the extension lines of the groove center lines of the pair of lug grooves.

12. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the land portion comprises a three-dimensional sipe that pass completely through the chamfered portion and opens to the circumferential main groove.

13. The pneumatic tire according to claim 12, wherein an opening portion of the three-dimensional sipe to the circumferential main groove and the notch portions are disposed spaced apart from one another in a tire circumferential direction at the edge portion of the land portion.

14. The pneumatic tire according to claim 12, wherein

the land portion comprises a three-dimensional sipe that terminates within the land portion at one end portion and opens to the edge portion of the land portion at an other end portion, and

the terminating end portion of the three-dimensional sipe and the chamfered portion are disposed spaced apart from one another.