PNEUMATIC TIRE

• US 20110041971A1
• Filed: 12/26/2008
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Inventors: Kuroishi, Kazuya
• Granted Patent: US 8,739,849 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 152/153
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 13/02 Arrangement of grooves or ribs
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2200/06 for heavy duty vehicles

Abstract

Provided is a pneumatic tire including at least a turbulent flow generation projection configured to generate a turbulent flow, the turbulent flow generation projection being arranged in a range from a maximum tire width position to an outside bead position, the maximum tire width position being a position on a tire surface with maximum tire width, and the outside bead position being a position on an outside of a bead portion in a tire radial direction, the bead portion configured to be in contact with a rim flange. The turbulent flow generation projection includes a radial projection extending along the tire radial direction, and a circumferential projection extending in an approximately circular arc shape along a tire circumferential direction.

Claims

1. A pneumatic tire comprising at least a turbulent flow generation projection configured to generate a turbulent flow, the turbulent flow generation projection being arranged in a range from a maximum tire width position to an outside bead position, the maximum tire width position being a position on a tire surface with maximum tire width, and the outside bead position being a position on an outside of a bead portion in a tire radial direction, the bead portion configured to be in contact with a rim flange, wherein

the turbulent flow generation projection includes a radial projection extending along the tire radial direction, and a circumferential projection extending in an approximately circular arc shape along a tire circumferential direction.

2. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the radial projection and the circumferential projection are separately provided.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a projection width (w) which is a width of a lower side of a cross section of the turbulent flow generation projection is set to 2 to 10 mm, the cross section being taken approximately perpendicular to an extending direction of the turbulent flow generation projection.

4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a projection height (h) from the tire surface to a most protruded position of the turbulent flow generation projection is set to 3 to 20 mm.

5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 4, wherein the projection height (h) is set to 7.5 to 15 mm.

6. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a projection-to-rim distance (d) from an innermost position of the circumferential projection to an outermost position of the rim flange in the tire radial direction in a cross section in a tread width direction is set to 30 to 200 mm.

7. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the turbulent flow generation projection is formed with an approximately quadrangular shape in a cross section approximately perpendicular to the extending direction.

8. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the turbulent flow generation projection is formed with an approximately trapezoidal shape in a cross section approximately perpendicular to the extending direction.

9. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the turbulent flow generation projection is formed with an approximately triangular shape in a cross section approximately perpendicular to the extending direction.

10. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the turbulent flow generation projection is formed with a stepped shape having a step in a cross section approximately perpendicular to the extending direction.

11. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the turbulent flow generation projection has a through hole formed to penetrate therein in a direction approximately perpendicular to the extending direction.

12. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein relationships of 1.0≦

p/h≦

20.0 and 1.0≦

(p−

w)/w≦

100.0 are satisfied where “

h”

is a projection height from the tire surface to the most protruded position of the turbulent flow generation projection, “

p”

is a pitch between adjacent turbulent flow generation projections, and “

w”

is the projection width.

13. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a projection-to-radial direction inclined angle (θ

1), which is an inclined angle of the radial projection to the tire radial direction, satisfies a range of −

30°

≦

θ

1≦

30°

.

14. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a projection-to-circumferential direction inclined angle (θ

2), which is an inclined angle of the circumferential projection to the tire circumferential direction satisfies a range of −

20°

≦

θ

2≦

20°

.

15. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a relationship of 1.0≦

h/w≦

10.0 is satisfied where “

h”

is a projection height from the tire surface to the most protruded position of the turbulent flow generation projection, and “

w”

is a width of a lower side of a cross section approximately perpendicular to the extending direction of the turbulent flow generation projection.

16. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the pneumatic tire is a heavy-duty tire.