Pneumatic vehicle tire tread, especially radial-ply tire for trucks

• US 4,630,661 A
• Filed: 12/10/1984
• Issued: 12/23/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semperit Reifen AG
• Original Assignee: Semperit Reifen AG
• Inventors: Stelzer, Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): Ball, Michael
• Application Number:
  US06/680,186
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 152/209 R, 152/209 D, D12/142, D12/143
• US Class Current: 152/209.21
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/0309 further characterised by the groove cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/045 the groove walls having a three-dimensional shape
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 152/90 Tread pattern having no blocks and having circumferential ribs defined by zig-zag circumferential grooves

Abstract

The tire comprises a tread with central grooves between exterior grooves. Both types of grooves extend in a zig-zag shape in the circumferential direction and define ribs between them. Each one of the central grooves is bounded by sidewalls which define two opposite sidewall sections between angled regions of the central grooves. The two sidewall sections alternate from one angled region to the other in the circumferential direction of the tread. A first sidewall section of the two opposite sidewall sections extends at least approximately normally to the tread and a second sidewall section of the two sidewall sections comprises two sidewall portions extending substantially normally to the tread and an interconnecting flank portion therebetween which extends at an inclination in the range of 20° to 60° with respect to a line perpendicular to the tread. The angled regions are located between consecutive groove sections and each one of the angled regions comprises a protruding or salient angled region and a receding or reentrant angled region each of which, in turn, is constituted by a first corner section extending substantially normally to the tread and a second corner section extending at an inclination towards the base of the groove and forming two substantially triangularly shaped portion which converge to a common point in the direction towards the base of the groove.

Claims

1. A pneumatic vehicle tire, especially a radial-ply truck tire, comprising:

a tread defining a circumferential direction;

a predetermined number of ribs formed in said tread and extending in said circumferential direction thereof;

a predetermined number of zig-zag-shaped grooves separating said ribs from each other;

each one of said predetermined number of zig-zag-shaped grooves defining a base and having a cross-section which decreases towards said base;

each one of said predetermined number of zig-zag-shaped grooves being bounded by two opposite sidewalls and defining angled regions;

each one of said predetermined number of zig-zag-shaped grooves, when viewed in cross-section and between said angled regions, being bounded by a first sidewall section which extends at least approximately normally to said tread, and a second sidewall section located opposite said first sidewall section and constituting a dually-angled sidewall section;

each one of said predetermined number of zig-zag-shaped grooves comprising circumferentially consecutive groove sections;

said first sidewall sections and said second sidewall sections being disposed on alternating sides of each one of said grooves in said circumferentially consective groove sections of each one of said grooves;

each said angled region in each one of said predeterminded number of zig-zag-shaped grooves comprising a salient angled region and a reentrant angled region confronting said salient angled region across each one of said grooves; and

each one of said predetermined number of zig-zag-shaped grooves comprising a recessed corner region formed in each said salient angled region and a protuberant corner region formed in each said reentrant angled region.

2. The pneumatic vehicle tire as defined in claim 1, further including:

exterior grooves; and

said predetermined number of zig-zag-shaped grooves constitutes a predetermined number of central grooves extending between said exterior grooves.

3. The pneumatic vehicle tire as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said second, dually-angled sidewall section, when viewed in cross-section and between said angled regions of each one of said predetermined number of zig-zag-shaped grooves, is formed by two sidewall portions which extend substantially normally to said tread and which are interconnected by a flank portion extending at an inclination.

4. The pneumatic vehicle tire as defined in claim 3, wherein:

said flank portion extends at an angle of inclination in the range of 20°

to 60°

with respect to a line perpendicular to said tread.

5. The pneumatic vehicle tire as defined in claim 4, wherein:

said flank portion extends at an angle of inclination of about 40°

with respect to the line perpendicular to said tread.

6. The pneumatic vehicle tire as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said tread defines a top surface; and

each one of said protuberant corner regions and of said recessed corner regions, when viewed from said top surface of said tread, comprising a first corner section extending substantially in the same manner as said first sidewall section with respect to said tread.

7. The pneumatic vehicle tire as defined in claim 6, wherein:

first corner section extends substantially normally to said tread.

8. The pneumatic vehicle tire as defined in claim 6, wherein:

each one of said protuberant corner regions and of said recessed corner regions comprises two second corner sections following said first corner section thereof;

said two second corner sections extending at an inclination with respect to the base of a related one of said predetermined number of zig-zag-shaped grooves as well as with respect to said circumferential direction defined by said tread;

said two second corner sections each having a substantially triangular shape; and

said two second corner sections forming therebetween a predetermined angle and converging to a common point towards said base of said related groove.

9. The pneumatic vehicle tire as defined in claim 2, wherein:

said central grooves forming said predetermined number of zig-zag-shaped grooves are of substantially the same width; and

said exterior grooves having a predetermined width which is smaller than the width of said central grooves.

10. The pneumatic vehicle tire as defined in claim 9, wherein:

said exterior grooves have a predetermined width which amounts to about one-quarter of the width of said central grooves.

11. The pneumatic vehicle tire as defined in claim 2, further including:

a predetermined number of shoulder regions;

said tread having a predetermined width; and

each one of said shoulder regions having a predetermined width which, when measured from the outermost one of said central grooves, amounts to about one-quarter of said predetermined width of said tread.

12. A pneumatic vehicle tire, comprising:

a tread surface defining a circumferential direction, a radial direction and a lateral direction of the pneumatic vehicle tire;

at least one zig-zag tread groove formed in said tread surface and defining a groove base;

said at least one zig-zag tread groove having first and second mutually confronting lateral walls intersecting said tread surface and extending inwardly to said groove base;

said at least one zig-zag tread groove having a normal wall configuration and a doubly-angled wall configuration;

said normal wall configuration extending substantially in said radial direction from said tread surface to said groove base;

said double-angled wall configuration having an outer portion, an inner portion and an intermediate flank portion;

said outer portion extending substantially in said radial direction for intersecting said tread surface;

said inner portion extending substantially in said radial direction for meeting said groove base;

said intermediate flank portion intersecting said outer portion and said inner portion and extending therebetween at an inclination relative to said radial direction such that said outer portion defines at said tread surface an outer width of said at least one zig-zag tread groove which is greater in magnitude than an inner width of said at least one zig-zag tread groove defined at said groove base by said inner portion;

said at least one zig-zag tread groove having a succession of first regions and second regions mutually alternating in said circumferential direction and extending in successively alternating senses of obliquity thereto;

said normal wall configuration prevailing at said first lateral wall in said first regions and at said second lateral wall in said second regions;

said doubly-angled wall configuration prevailing at said second lateral wall in said first regions and at said first lateral wall in said second regions;

said first regions and said second regions meeting in angled regions;

said normal wall configurations of said first regions and said doubly-angled wall configurations of said second regions intersecting said tread surface to form alternating first salient angles and first reentrant angles;

said normal wall configurations of said second regions and said doubly angled wall configurations of said first regions intersecting said tread surface to form second reentrant angles confronting said first salient angles across said at least one zig-zag tread groove and second salient angles confronting said first reentrant angles across said at least one zig-zag tread groove;

each said salient angle of said first and second salient angles having an apex region interrupted by a reentrant recess between said normal wall configuration and said doubly-angled wall configuration; and

each said reentrant angle of said first and second reentrant angles having an apex region interrupted by a salient protuberance between said normal wall configuration and said doubly-angled wall configuration such that said salient protuberance of each said reentrant angle confronts a related one of said reentrant recesses of said salient angles across said at least one zig-zag tread groove.

13. The pneumatic vehicle tire as defined in claim 12, wherein:

said intermediate flank portion and said inner portion of said doubly-angled wall configuration and said normal wall configuration all mutually intersect at a salient conjunction point;

said salient protuberance having an outer portion corresponding to said outer portion of said doubly-angled wall configuration;

said outer portion of said salient protuberance comprising a first wall portion extending substantially parallel to said normal wall configuration and a second wall portion extending substantially parallel to said outer portion of said doubly-angled wall configuration;

said first wall portion and said second wall portion mutually intersecting to form a salient arris;

said salient protuberance having a transition portion corresponding to said intermediate flank portion of said doubly-angled wall configuration;

said transition portion comprising a first triangular flank intersecting said first wall portion and converging to said salient conjunction point and a second triangular flank intersecting said second wall portion and converging to said salient conjunction point; and

said first and second triangular flanks mutually intersecting to form a salient flank arris.

14. The pneumatic vehicle tire as defined in claim 12, wherein:

said intermediate flank portion and said inner portion of said doubly-angled wall configuration and said normal wall configuration all mutually intersect at a reentrant conjunction point;

said reentrant recess having an outer portion corresponding to said outer portion of said doubly-angled wall configuration;

said outer portion of said reentrant recess comprising a first wall portion extending substantially parallel to said normal wall configuration and a second wall portion extending substantially parallel to said outer portion of said doubly-angled wall configuration;

said first wall portion and said second wall portion mutually intersecting to form a reentrant corner;

said reentrant recess having a transition portion corresponding to said intermediate flank portion of said doubly-angled wall configuration;

said transition portion comprising a first triangular flank intersecting said first wall portion and converging to said reentrant conjunction point and a second triangular flank intersecting said second wall portion and converging to said reentrant conjunction point; and

said first and second triangular flanks mutually intersecting to form a reentrant flank corner.