Pneumatic tire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11040578-B2
Application number	US-201615575412-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2016
Priority date	Jun 3, 2015
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

A pneumatic tire comprises: a first block 71 located on a tire equatorial plane and having a recess 62 that inclines with respect to a tire width direction; and a second block 72 located to face the recess of the first block.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pneumatic tire comprising:
on a tread surface, one or more land portions each of which is sandwiched between a plurality of circumferential main grooves continuously extending in a tire circumferential direction,
wherein at least one of the one or more land portions is partitioned into a plurality of blocks by auxiliary grooves including at least an inclined groove extending while being inclined with respect to a tire width direction, and
in a developed view of the tread surface, the plurality of blocks include:
a first block located on a tire equatorial plane and having a recess that is inclined with respect to the tire width direction; and
a second block located to face the recess of the first block,
wherein the second block has a stepped recess having one end open to one of the plurality of circumferential main grooves and having, at a bottom thereof, a step portion protruding in a tire radial direction, and
the step portion extends connectively between two sidewalls of two block portions of the second block defining the stepped recess,
wherein a sidewall portion of one block portion from among two block portions that define the recess of the first block, is located in an extending direction of the inclined groove inclined with respect to the tire width direction, the sidewall portion being adjacent to the recess, and
wherein the inclined groove is sandwiched between another first block, adjacent to the first block, and the second block, and
a sidewall of the second block defined by the inclined groove has a step portion protruding toward the inclined groove.

2. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second block has an end extending toward the recess of the first block, and
the end of the second block extending toward the recess of the first block is configured such that its sidewall facing the recess of the first block is chamfered on a tread surface side.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 ,
wherein in the one block portion and an other block portion of the first block that define the recess of the first block, respective sidewalls defining the recess of the first block are chamfered on a tread surface side, and
in the developed view of the tread surface, a connecting portion connecting, in the recess of the first block, the respective sidewalls of the one block portion and the other block portion defining the recess of the first block has a curved shape.

4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 ,
wherein a tire circumferential dimension of the second block increases outward in the tire width direction relative to its tire width direction central portion.

5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first block has a depression formed in a sidewall, opposite to a sidewall where the recess is formed, and depressed inward, and
the depression faces a protrusion of a sidewall of another first block, adjacent to the first block, where the depression is formed.

6. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second block has an end extending to inside of the recess of the first block along a side surface of the recess.

7. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 ,
wherein in the developed view of the tread surface, the recess of the first block has a triangular shape.

8. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 ,
wherein in the developed view of the tread surface, an end of the second block extending toward the recess of the first block extends from an opening position of the recess of the first block to inside of the recess of the first block by at least ⅓ of a distance between the opening position of the recess of the first block and a wall portion of the recess farthest from the opening position.

9. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first block has a sipe having one end open to the recess of the first block.

10. The pneumatic tire according to claim 9 ,
wherein in the developed view of the tread surface, the sipe has a bent portion, and has an other end open to the auxiliary groove.

11. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of blocks further include
a third block located to face a first sidewall portion of an other block portion, from among the two block portions that define the recess of the first block, the first sidewall portion being adjacent to the recess.

12. The pneumatic tire according to claim 11 ,
wherein a tire circumferential length of a sidewall, defining the recess, of the one block portion, from among the two block portions that define the recess of the first block, is longer than a tire circumferential length of a sidewall, defining the recess, of the other block portion.

13. The pneumatic tire according to claim 11 ,
wherein the second block has an end extending toward the recess of the first block, and
the end of the second block extending toward the recess of the first block is configured such that its sidewall facing the recess of the first block is chamfered on a tread surface side.

14. The pneumatic tire according to claim 11 ,
wherein in the one block portion and the other block portion of the first block that define the recess of the first block, respective sidewalls defining the recess of the first block are chamfered on a tread surface side, and
in the developed view of the tread surface, a connecting portion connecting, in the recess of the first block, the respective sidewalls of the one block portion and the other block portion defining the recess of the first block has a curved shape.

15. The pneumatic tire according to claim 11 ,
wherein a tire circumferential dimension of the second block increases outward in the tire width direction relative to its tire width direction central portion.

16. The pneumatic tire according to claim 11 ,
wherein the first block has a depression formed in a sidewall, opposite to a sidewall where the recess is formed, and depressed inward, and
the depression faces a protrusion of a sidewall of another first block, adjacent to the first block, where the depression is formed.

17. A pneumatic tire comprising:
on a tread surface, one or more land portions each of which is sandwiched between a plurality of circumferential main grooves continuously extending in a tire circumferential direction,
wherein at least one of the one or more land portions is partitioned into a plurality of blocks by auxiliary grooves including at least an inclined groove extending while being inclined with respect to a tire width direction, and
in a developed view of the tread surface, the plurality of blocks include:
a first block located on a tire equatorial plane and having a recess that is inclined with respect to the tire width direction; and
a second block located to face the recess of the first block,
wherein the second block has a stepped recess having one end open to one of the plurality of circumferential main grooves and having, at a bottom thereof, a step portion protruding in a tire radial direction, and
the step portion extends connectively between two sidewalls of two block portions of the second block defining the stepped recess, and
wherein the first block has a depression formed in a sidewall, opposite to a sidewall where the recess is formed, and depressed inward, and
the depression faces a protrusion of a sidewall of another first block, adjacent to the first block, where the depression is formed.

18. A pneumatic tire comprising:
on a tread surface, one or more land portions each of which is sandwiched between a plurali

Assignees

• Bridgestone Corp

Inventors

• Hayashi Shintaro
• Fujita Shungo

Classifications

• B60C11/1384 Primary

  with chamfered block corners · CPC title

• B60C2011/0383

  at the centre of the tread · CPC title

• B60C11/12

  characterised by the use of narrow slits or incisions, e.g. sipes · CPC title

• B60C2011/1213

  sinusoidal or zigzag at the tread surface · CPC title

• B60C11/0309

  further characterised by the groove cross-section · CPC title