Tire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11865870-B2
Application number	US-202217934081-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2022
Priority date	Sep 28, 2021
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

Center land portions of a tire each include a circumferential narrow groove extending in a tire circumferential direction, and a first lateral groove opening to one edge portion of each of the center land portions at one end and connecting to the circumferential narrow groove at the other end, and a second lateral groove opening to the other edge portion of the center land portion at one end and connecting to the circumferential narrow groove at the other end. Further, the circumferential narrow groove has a zigzag shape formed by repeatedly connecting a first long portion, a first short portion, a second long portion, and a second short portion. Furthermore, the first lateral groove connects to the first long portion of the circumferential narrow groove having the zigzag shape, and the second lateral groove connects to the second long portion of the circumferential narrow groove having the zigzag shape.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tire, comprising:
a pair of shoulder main grooves and one or more center main grooves; and
a pair of shoulder land portions and two or more center land portions defined and formed by the shoulder main grooves and the center main grooves;
at least one center land portion of the center land portions comprising:
a circumferential narrow groove extending in a tire circumferential direction;
a first lateral groove opening to one edge portion of the center land portion at one end and connecting to the circumferential narrow groove at an other end; and a second lateral groove opening to an other edge portion of the center land portion at one end and connecting to the circumferential narrow groove at the other end;
the circumferential narrow groove having a zigzag shape formed by repeatedly connecting a first long portion, a first short portion, a second long portion, and a second short portion,
the first lateral groove connecting to the first long portion of the circumferential narrow groove having the zigzag shape, and
the second lateral groove connecting to the second long portion of the circumferential narrow groove having the zigzag shape.

2. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein a groove width Ws of the circumferential narrow groove is in a range 0.1 mm≤Ws≤2.0 mm.

3. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein an amplitude As1 of the zigzag shape in the first short portion with respect to an amplitude As2 of the zigzag shape in the second short portion is in a range 0.10≤As1/As2≤0.90.

4. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein a maximum amplitude As of the zigzag shape with respect to a ground contact width Wb2 of the center land portion is in a range 0.05≤As/Wb2≤0.20.

5. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein a pitch length Ps of the zigzag shape formed of the first long portion, the first short portion, the second long portion, and the second short portion with respect to a ground contact width Wb2 of the center land portion is in a range 0.50≤Ps/Wb2≤1.10.

6. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein an inclination angle θs2B of the second short portion with respect to the tire circumferential direction with respect to an inclination angle θs2A of the first short portion is in a range 10 degrees≤θs2B−θs2A≤50 degrees.

7. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein groove widths of the first and second lateral grooves are in a range of 0.1 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less.

8. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second lateral grooves comprises an inclined portion inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction, an inclination angle of the inclined portion is in a range of 40 degrees or more and 80 degrees or less, and the inclined portions of the first and second lateral grooves are inclined mutually in a same direction with respect to the tire circumferential direction.

9. The tire according to claim 8 , wherein a groove depth H21 of the inclined portion with respect to a groove depth Hg1 of the shoulder main groove is in a range 0.05≤H21/Hg 1 ≤0.15.

10. The tire according to claim 8 , wherein the inclined portion of each of the first and second lateral grooves is inclined in an opposite direction with respect to the long portion of the circumferential narrow groove having the zigzag shape.

11. The tire according to claim 8 , wherein an extension length D21 of the inclined portion in a tire width direction with respect to a ground contact width Wb2 of the center land portion is in a range 0.10≤D21/Wb2≤0.50.

12. The tire according to claim 8 , wherein each of the first and second lateral grooves comprises an axial direction portion connecting the inclined portion to an edge portion of the center land portion, and an inclination angle of the axial direction portion with respect to the tire circumferential direction is in a range of 80 degrees or more and 110 degrees or less.

13. The tire according to claim 12 , wherein an amplitude As1 of the zigzag shape in the first short portion with respect to an amplitude As2 of the zigzag shape in the second short portion is in a range 0.10≤As1/As2≤0.90.

14. The tire according to claim 13 , wherein a maximum amplitude As of the zigzag shape with respect to a ground contact width Wb2 of the center land portion is in a range 0.05≤As/Wb2≤0.20.

15. The tire according to claim 14 , wherein a pitch length Ps of the zigzag shape formed of the first long portion, the first short portion, the second long portion, and the second short portion with respect to a ground contact width Wb2 of the center land portion is in a range 0.50≤Ps/Wb2≤1.10.

16. The tire according to claim 15 , wherein an inclination angle θs2B of the second short portion with respect to the tire circumferential direction with respect to an inclination angle θs2A of the first short portion is in a range 10 degrees≤θs2B−θs2A≤50 degrees.

17. The tire according to claim 16 , wherein groove widths of the first and second lateral grooves are in a range of 0.1 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less.

18. The tire according to claim 17 , wherein each of the first and second lateral grooves comprises an inclined portion inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction, an inclination angle of the inclined portion is in a range of 40 degrees or more and 80 degrees or less, and the inclined portions of the first and second lateral grooves are inclined mutually in a same direction with respect to the tire circumferential direction.

19. The tire according to claim 18 , wherein a groove depth H21 of the inclined portion with respect to a groove depth Hg1 of the shoulder main groove is in a range 0.05≤H21/Hg1≤0.15.

20. The tire according to claim 19 , wherein:
the inclined portion of each of the first and second lateral grooves is inclined in an opposite direction with respect to the long portion of the circumferential narrow groove having the zigzag shape;
an extension length D21 of the inclined portion in a tire width direction with respect to a ground contact width Wb2 of the center land portion is in a range 0.10≤D21/Wb2≤0.50; and,
each of the first and second lateral grooves comprises an axial direction portion connecting the inclined portion to an edge portion of the center land portion, and an inclination angle of the axial direction portion with respect to the tire circumferential direction is in a range of 80 degrees or more and 110 degrees or less.

Assignees

• Yokohama Rubber Co Ltd

Inventors

• Noritake Masashi

Classifications

• B60C11/13 Primary

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

• B60C2011/0346

  with zigzag shape · CPC title

• B60C2011/0348

  Narrow grooves, i.e. having a width of less than 4 mm · CPC title

• B60C2011/0355

  characterised by depth · CPC title

• B60C2011/0372

  with particular inclination angles · CPC title