Truck tire tread with J shaped sipe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12138964-B2
Application number	US-201917781516-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2019
Priority date	Dec 19, 2019
Publication date	Nov 12, 2024
Grant date	Nov 12, 2024

Abstract

A tread (10) for a heavy truck tire is provided that has an upper surface for engaging the ground, a leading edge, and a trailing edge forward of the leading edge in a rolling direction. The tread also has a J shaped sipe (30) that has a main portion (32) that extends from the upper surface. The main portion (32) has an opening at the upper surface and a bottom end (36) opposite the opening in a radial direction. A curved portion (38) extends from the bottom end (36) and has a bottom curved wall (40) that has a radius (r1). The curved portion (38) extends from the bottom end (36) forward in the rolling direction (24), and has a curved portion end (42).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tread for a heavy truck tire, comprising:
an upper surface that is configured for engaging ground, wherein the tread has a radial direction, an axial direction, and a circumferential direction, wherein the tread is directional such that the tread is configured for having a rolling direction that extends in the circumferential direction;
a J shaped sipe, comprising:
a trailing edge;
a leading edge, wherein the trailing edge is forward of the leading edge in the rolling direction;
a main portion that extends from the upper surface, wherein the main portion has an opening at the upper surface and a bottom end opposite the opening in the radial direction; and
a curved portion that extends from the bottom end of the main portion, wherein the curved portion has a bottom curved wall that has a radius r 1 , wherein the curved portion extends from the bottom end of the main portion forward in the rolling direction, wherein the curved portion has a curved portion end, wherein the curved portion has a top curved wall that faces the bottom curved wall wherein the curved portion has a curved portion thickness t 2 that is a distance from the top curved wall to the bottom curved wall and is less than or equal to 1 millimeter;
wherein the J shaped sipe has a teardrop located at the curved portion end, wherein the teardrop has a circular cross-sectional shape;
wherein the main portion is defined by a forward wall and a rearward wall that face one another, wherein the forward wall is forward of the rearward wall in the rolling direction, wherein a main portion thickness t 1 is a distance from the forward wall to the rearward wall,
wherein the J shaped sipe has an extension distance d 1 that is the distance from the rearward wall to the farthest point of the teardrop from the rearward wall;
wherein the teardrop has a diameter d 2 ;
wherein:
0.2 millimeters≤t 1 ≤2.0 millimeters;
0.0 millimeters≤t 2 ≤1.0 millimeters;
1.0 millimeters≤r 1 ≤10 millimeters;
t 1 ≤d 2 ≤(4.0×t 1 );
r 1 ≤d 1 ≤(1.1×(r 1 +d 2 ));
t 2 ≤t 1 .

2. The tread as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
t 1 =0.6 millimeters;
t 2 =0.2 millimeters;
r 1 =3.0 millimeters;
d 2 =1.5 millimeters.

3. The tread as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the curved portion has the same cross-sectional shape and size along an entire axial width of the J shaped sipe.

Assignees

• Abarotin Victor
• Hicks Daniel Mceachern
• Michelin & Cie

Inventors

• Abarotin Victor
• Hicks Daniel Mceachern

Classifications

• B60C11/124

  inclined with regard to a plane normal to the tread surface · CPC title

• B60C2200/06

  for heavy duty vehicles · CPC title

• B60C2011/1213

  sinusoidal or zigzag at the tread surface · CPC title

• B60C11/1281

  different within the same sipe, i.e. enlarged width portion at sipe bottom or along its length · CPC title

• B60C11/0302

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