TYRE

• US 20190308461A1
• Filed: 03/13/2019
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: OSAWA, Takaki, MISHIMA, Mari
• Granted Patent: US 11,179,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/0304 Asymmetric patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/0306 Patterns comprising block rows or discontinuous ribs
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/032 Patterns comprising isolated recesses
• 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 11/1384 with chamfered block corners
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/1392 with chamfered block edges
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 15/0027 with low ply turn-up, i.e. folded around the bead core and terminating at the bead core
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/0348 Narrow grooves, i.e. having a width of less than 4 mm
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/0351 Shallow grooves, i.e. having a depth of less than 50% of other grooves
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/0353 characterised by width
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/0355 characterised by depth
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/0365 characterised by width
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/0367 characterised by depth
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/0372 with particular inclination angles
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/0381 Blind or isolated grooves
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/0383 at the centre of the tread
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/0388 provided at the equatorial plane
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/1213 sinusoidal or zigzag at the tread surface
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2011/1227 having different shape within the pattern

Abstract

A tyre has a tread portion. The tread portion includes a land region defined between a first edge extending in a tyre circumferential direction and a second edge extending in the tyre circumferential direction. The land region is provided with a first lateral groove extending from the first edge toward the second edge and terminating within the land region, a vertical groove connected with the first lateral groove, extending in the tyre circumferential direction, and having both end portions terminating within the land region, and a sipe connected with the vertical groove and extending therefrom toward the second edge.

Claims

1. A tyre comprising a tread portion comprising a land region defined between a first edge extending in a tyre circumferential direction and a second edge extending in the tyre circumferential direction, wherein

the land region is provided with

a first lateral groove extending from the first edge toward the second edge and terminating within the land region,

a vertical groove connected with the first lateral groove, extending in the tyre circumferential direction, and having both end portions terminating within the land region, and

a sipe connected with the vertical groove and extending therefrom toward the second edge.

2. The tyre according to claim 1, wherein

the first lateral groove is inclined with respect to a tyre axial direction.

3. The tyre according to claim 1, wherein

the first lateral groove includes a portion in which a groove width thereof is increased as it goes toward the vertical groove.

4. The tyre according to claim 1, wherein

the vertical groove has a depth smaller than that of the first lateral groove.

5. The tyre according to claim 1, wherein

the sipe extends to the second edge.

6. The tyre according to claim 1, wherein

the sipe has a depth larger than that of the vertical groove.

7. The tyre according to claim 1, wherein

at least a part of the sipe is in a region obtained by extending the first lateral groove in a longitudinal direction thereof.

8. The tyre according to claim 1, wherein

the first lateral groove and the sipe are inclined in a same direction with respect to the tyre axial direction.

9. The tyre according to claim 1, wherein

the land region has a chamfered portion including an inclined surface positioned between a ground contacting surface and a side wall on a side of the second edge of the land region, and

the sipe extends to the chamfered portion.

10. The tyre according to claim 1, wherein

the tread portion includes another land region adjacent to the land region with a main groove arranged on a side of the second edge of the land region therebetween, and

said another land region is provided with a second lateral groove connected with the main groove.

11. The tyre according to claim 10, wherein

the sipe is connected with the main groove, and

a region obtained by extending the sipe along a longitudinal direction thereof overlaps with an end portion of the second lateral groove.

12. The tyre according to claim 1, wherein

when a position of the tread portion mounted on a vehicle is specified, the tread portion includes an outer tread edge positioned on an outer side of the vehicle,

the second edge extends in the tyre circumferential direction on a side of the outer tread edge of a tyre equator.

the first edge extends in the tyre circumferential direction between the outer tread edge and the second edge.

13. The tyre according to claim 12, wherein

the tread portion includes an outer shoulder land region positioned on a side of the outer tread edge of the land region,

the outer shoulder land region is provided with an outer shoulder chamfered portion, and

a region obtained by extending the outer shoulder chamfered portion in a tyre axial direction overlaps with an end portion of first lateral groove.

14. The tyre according to claim 13, wherein

the outer shoulder land region is provided with a first outer shoulder lateral groove and a second outer shoulder lateral groove,

the first outer shoulder lateral groove extends from the outer tread edge to completely cross the outer shoulder land region, and

the second outer shoulder lateral groove extends from the outer tread edge to have a terminating end terminating within the outer shoulder land region.

15. The tyre according to claim 14, wherein

the outer shoulder land region is provided with a shoulder sipe connecting between the outer shoulder chamfered portion and the terminating end of the second outer shoulder lateral groove.

16. The tyre according to claim 3, wherein

the first lateral groove has a constant width portion extending from the first edge at a constant groove width, and

the portion having the increased groove width connects between the constant width portion and the vertical groove.

17. The tyre according to claim 1, wherein

the vertical groove has a groove width smaller than that of the first lateral groove.

18. The tyre according to claim 1, wherein

when the vertical groove is divided into three groove portions having a same length in the tyre circumferential direction, the first lateral groove is connected with a center groove portion positioned at a center in the tyre circumferential direction of the three groove portions.

19. The tyre according to claim 18, wherein

a distance in the tyre circumferential direction between an end on a side of the second edge of a groove center line of the first lateral groove and a center position in the tyre circumferential direction of the vertical groove is smaller than a groove width of the first lateral groove.

20. The tyre according to claim 18, wherein

the sipe is connected with the center groove portion.