Tire for winter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10427466-B2
Application number	US-201415039998-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2014
Priority date	Dec 20, 2013
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

Provided is a tire for winter of which on-snow performance can be improved without compromising anti-wandering performance. A tire for winter comprises a tread part The tread part is provided with: a plurality of first inclined major grooves extending at an incline from one tread end beyond a tire equator and ending without reaching another tread end; first inclined minor grooves provided between the first inclined major grooves; a plurality of second inclined major grooves extending at an incline from the other tread end, in a direction opposite the first inclined major grooves, beyond the tire equator and ending without reaching the one tread end; second inclined minor grooves provided between the second inclined major grooves; a plurality of first longitudinal grooves dividing first land parts; and a plurality of second longitudinal grooves dividing second land parts.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tire for winter comprising:
a tread portion being provided with
a plurality of first main inclined grooves extending obliquely from a first tread edge toward a tire equator and terminating at first inner ends beyond the tire equator without reaching a second tread edge, wherein the plurality of first main inclined grooves has an arc shape in which an inclination angle relative to an axial direction of the tire decreases continuously from the first inner ends to the first tread edge without increasing from the inner ends to the first tread edge,
a first sub inclined groove provided between the first main inclined grooves, the first sub inclined groove extending obliquely from the first tread edge toward the tire equator in the same direction as the first main inclined grooves and terminating not beyond the tire equator,
a plurality of second main inclined grooves extending obliquely from the second tread edge toward the tire equator in an opposite direction to the first main inclined grooves and terminating at second inner ends beyond the tire equator without reaching the first tread edge, wherein the plurality of second main inclined grooves has an arc shape in which an inclination angle relative to the axial direction of the tire decreases continuously from the second inner ends to the second tread edge without increasing from the inner ends to the first tread edge,
a second sub inclined groove provided between the second main inclined grooves, the second sub inclined groove extending obliquely from the second tread edge toward the tire equator in the same direction as the second main inclined grooves and terminates not beyond the tire equator,
a plurality of first longitudinal grooves dividing first land portions formed between the first main inclined grooves,
wherein the plurality of first longitudinal grooves arranged between adjacent first main inclined grooves comprises
at least one axially outer first longitudinal groove that is inclined in a same direction as the plurality of first main inclined grooves and that connects adjacent first main inclined grooves, and
at least one axially inner first longitudinal groove that is inclined in a same direction as the plurality of first main inclined grooves and that connects one of the adjacent first main inclined grooves and one second main inclined groove extending between the adjacent first main inclined grooves, and
a plurality of second longitudinal grooves dividing second land portions formed between the second main inclined grooves and inclining in the same direction as the second main inclined grooves,
wherein the first inner ends terminate at the intersection with the second main inclined grooves, the second inner ends terminate at the intersection with the first main inclined grooves, and
the first main inclined grooves and the second main inclined grooves are alternately provided in a circumferential direction of the tire.

2. The tire for winter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first inner ends terminate in communication with the second main inclined grooves, the second inner ends terminate in communication with the first main inclined grooves, and the first main inclined grooves and the second main inclined grooves are alternately provided in a circumferential direction of the tire.

3. The tire for winter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first longitudinal grooves adjacent through the first main inclined grooves communicate with the first main inclined grooves at different positions in the axial direction of the tire.

4. The tire for winter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first longitudinal grooves comprise inner first longitudinal grooves and outer first longitudinal grooves disposed axially outward of the inner first longitudinal grooves.

5. The tire for winter according to claim 4 ,
wherein the first sub inclined grooves terminate beyond the inner first longitudinal groove.

6. The tire for winter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second longitudinal grooves adjacent through the second main inclined grooves communicate with the second main inclined grooves at different positions in the axial direction of the tire.

7. The tire for winter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second longitudinal grooves comprise inner second longitudinal grooves and outer second longitudinal grooves disposed axially outward of the inner second longitudinal grooves.

8. The tire for winter according to claim 7 ,
wherein the second sub inclined grooves terminate beyond the inner second longitudinal grooves.

9. The tire for winter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the tread portion comprises a plurality of grooves and a plurality of blocks defined by the grooves, and at least one of the blocks is provided with a stud pin or a hole for a stud pin.

10. The tire for winter according to claim 9 ,
wherein the blocks comprise a plurality of central blocks provided on the tire equator, and at least one of the central blocks is provided with the stud pin or the hole.

11. The tire for winter according to claim 9 ,
wherein the blocks comprise a plurality of shoulder blocks provided on the sides nearest the tread edges, and the shoulder blocks adjacent in the circumferential direction of the tire are different width in the axial direction of the tire.

12. The tire for winter according to claim 11 ,
wherein the shoulder blocks have an axial edge extending in a zigzag manner in the axial direction of the tire.

13. The tire for winter according to claim 9 ,
wherein the first longitudinal grooves and the second longitudinal grooves have tie bars with bulging groove bottoms, and the stud pin or the hole is provided at only one of the blocks in a pair positioned on the both sides of the tie bars in the axial direction of the tire.

14. The tire for winter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of first longitudinal grooves arranged between adjacent first main inclined grooves comprises at least one first longitudinal groove that connects the adjacent first main inclined grooves.

15. The tire for winter according to claim 14 ,
wherein the plurality of first longitudinal grooves arranged between adjacent first main inclined grooves comprises at least one first longitudinal groove that connects one of the adjacent first main inclined grooves and one second main inclined groove extending between the adjacent first main inclined grooves.

16. The tire for winter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of second longitudinal grooves arranged between adjacent second main inclined grooves comprises at least one second longitudinal groove that connects the adjacent second main inclined grooves.

17. The tire for winter according to claim 16 ,
wherein the plurality of second longitudinal grooves arranged between adjacent second main inclined grooves comprises at least one second longitudinal groove that connects one of the adjacent second main inclined grooves and one first main inclined groove extending between the adjacent second main inclined grooves.

18. The tire for winter according to claim 1 ,
wherein only one first sub inclined groove is provided between adjacent first main inclined grooves.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Rubber Ind

Inventors

• Abe Shotaro
• HIGASHIURA Kazuki

Classifications

• B60C11/16

  of plug form, e.g. made from metal, textile · CPC title

• B60C11/13

  characterised by the groove cross-section, e.g. for buttressing or preventing stone-trapping · CPC title

• B60C11/1625

  Arrangements thereof in the tread patterns, e.g. irregular · CPC title

• B60C11/0304

  Asymmetric patterns · CPC title

• B60C11/0302 Primary

  directional pattern, i.e. with main rolling direction · CPC title