Utility vehicle tyres

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11945262-B2
Application number	US-201816758946-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2018
Priority date	Nov 3, 2017
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

The invention relates to a utility vehicle tire tyre having a tread with at least one circumferential channel (2, 2′, 2″) with a channel base (5) and channel walls (4, 4′).Base elevations are formed on the channel base. A top surface (8, 8′, 8″) of the base elevations (7, 7′, 7″) slopes downward uniformly toward the surface edge, wherein the channel walls (4, 4′) have, to the side of the base elevations (7, 7′, 7″), wall sections (4b, 4′b) which are convexly curved toward one another.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle tire comprising: a tread having a circumferential channel with a channel base and channel walls and having a tread depth; base elevations formed on the channel base as stone ejectors; the base elevations each comprise an upper part and a base part, the upper part having a top surface and the base part having a base surface; the base elevations having a maximum height at a top of the upper part of 25% to 60% of the tread depth in a radial direction, the top surface connects with the base surface at an encircling surface edge of the base elevation, the top surface having a plurality of planed surfaces that slope downwardly uniformly to the encircling surface edge to distribute forces from stones; the base surface connects with the encircling surface edge and is substantially vertical in the radial direction; the base elevations are at distances of greater than zero and up to 4.0 mm from the channel walls, wall sections of the channel walls adjacent to the base elevations have a downward slope and converge toward each other, and the wall sections have a concave curvature in plan view that opens toward the base elevations, the downward slope and the concave curvature of the wall sections being at least over a majority of a radial extent of the wall sections as viewed in cross-section of the circumferential channel; the encircling surface edge follows the concave curvature of the wall sections so that an axial width of the base elevations, as viewed in plan view, decreases toward circumferential ends of the base elevations corresponding to the concave curvature of the wall sections, and the base elevations are elongated to have a greater extent in the circumferential direction than in the axial direction; wherein the base elevations are elongated along a circumferential centerline of the channel, and the plurality of planed surfaces include a first plurality of planed surfaces on one side of the centerline, and a second plurality of planed surfaces on an opposite side of the centerline; and wherein the first plurality of planed surfaces and the second plurality of planed surfaces are angled obliquely relative to the circumferential centerline.

2. The tire of claim 1 , the base elevations each having an elongated diamond shape with rounded corners.

3. The tire of claim 2 , the base part having a constant height at the encircling surface edge.

4. The tire of claim 3 , the base part having a height from 35% to 90% of the maximum height of the base elevations.

5. The tire of claim 1 , the upper part having a dome shape in which the top surface of the upper part forms a central ridge extending along a circumferential centerline of the channel, the central ridge having a first portion that slopes downwardly in a first circumferential direction, and having a second portion that slopes downwardly in a second circumferential direction that is opposite the first circumferential direction, wherein the first portion and the second portion together constitute a majority of the circumferential extent of the central ridge.

6. The tire of claim 1 , further comprising a groove path of the circumferential channel that runs between the wall sections and the base elevations, wherein the groove path narrows as it runs from a first position adjacent to a first circumferential end of each base elevation to a second position adjacent an axially widest part of each base elevation, and the groove path widens as it runs from the second position to a third position adjacent to a second circumferential end of each base elevation, and wherein a narrowest point of the groove path has a width of 15% to 45% the width of the circumferential channel.

7. The tire of claim 1 , the channel walls defining opposite sides of the channel are identical symmetrical mirror images of each other with respect to a plane defined by the circumferential direction.

8. The tire of claim 7 , the channel walls further comprising a plurality of flat lug like projections arranged between wall sections at regular intervals over the entire extent of the circumferential channel, the flat lug like projections each sloping downwardly along a majority of a radial extent of the flat lug like projection as viewed in cross-section of the circumferential channel.

9. The tire of claim 8 ,
the channel walls further comprising lateral wall regions between the flat lug like projections and the wall sections, the lateral wall regions having flat surfaces as viewed in cross-section of the circumferential channel and being sloped downwardly, wherein the downward slope of the flat lug like projections is at a different angle than the downward slope of the lateral wall regions, and
the wall sections adjacent the base elevations having a curved surface as viewed in cross- section of the circumferential channel and having a sickle-shape as viewed in plan view.

10. The tire of claim 9 ,
wherein the downward slope of the flat lug like projections has an angle in a range from 10-degrees to 30-degrees relative to the radial direction,
wherein the downward slope of the lateral wail regions has an angle in a range from 5-degrees to 25-degrees relative to the radial direction, and
wherein the downward slope of the lateral wall regions is less than the downward slope of the fiat lug like projections.

11. The tire of claim 1 , wherein: a first planed surface of the first plurality of planed surfaces is oriented obliquely to face both in a first circumferential direction of the tire and a first axial direction of the tire, a second planed surface of the first plurality of planed surfaces is oriented obliquely to face both in a second circumferential direction of the tire and the first axial direction of the tire, a third planed surface of the second plurality of planed surfaces is oriented obliquely to face both in the first circumferential direction of the tire and a second axial direction of the tire, and a fourth planed surface of the second plurality of planed surfaces is oriented obliquely to face both in the second circumferential direction of the tire and the second axial direction of the tire.

12. The tire of claim 1 , wherein the channel walls on opposite sides of the circumferential channel are each defined by the wall sections and wail regions arranged between the wall sections at regular intervals over an entire circumferential extent of the circumferential channel, and wherein an entirety of each channel wall is bounded continuously and uninterruptedly over the entire circumferential extent of the circumferential channel.

13. The tire of The tire of further comprising a groove path of the circumferential channel that runs between the wall sections and the base elevations, wherein the groove path narrows as it runs from a first position adjacent to a first circumferential end of each base elevation to a second position adjacent an axially widest part of each base elevation, and the groove path widens as it runs from the second position to a third position adjacent to a second circumferential end of each base elevation; wherein the channel walls on opposite sides of the circumferential channel are each defined by the wall sections and wall regions arranged between the wall sections at regular intervals over an entire circumferential extent of the circumferential channel, and wherein an entirety of each channel wall extends continuously and uninterruptedly over the entire circumferential extent of the circumferential channel; wherein the channel walls defining opposite sides of the circumferential channel are identical symmetrical mirror images of each other with respect to a plane defined by the circumferential directi

Assignees

• Continental Reifen Deutschland Gmbh

Inventors

• Lutz Andre
• Kristen Florian

Classifications

• B60C11/0309 Primary

  further characterised by the groove cross-section · CPC title

• B60C11/1315

  having variable inclination angles, e.g. warped groove walls · CPC title

• B60C2011/0341

  Circumferential grooves · CPC title

• B60C11/047 Primary

  the groove bottom comprising stone trapping protection elements, e.g. ribs · CPC title

• B60C2011/1338

  comprising protrusions · CPC title