Tire having circumferential tread with reinforced ribs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12227030-B2
Application number	US-201917273153-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2019
Priority date	Oct 9, 2018
Publication date	Feb 18, 2025
Grant date	Feb 18, 2025

Abstract

A pneumatic tire includes a pair of sidewalls, a pair of bead portions, and a circumferential tread having a plurality of circumferential ribs and a plurality of circumferential grooves. A reinforcing layer is disposed in at least one of the plurality of circumferential ribs. No part of the reinforcing layer extends directly below a bottom surface of any of the plurality of circumferential grooves. The reinforcing layer has a consistent gauge along its entire lateral width. A top surface of the reinforcing layer is located radially higher than the bottom surface of each of the plurality of circumferential grooves.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pneumatic tire comprising:
a pair of sidewalls;
a pair of bead portions;
a carcass ply extending between the pair of bead portions;
a circumferential tread having a plurality of circumferential ribs and a plurality of circumferential grooves, including a first circumferential rib having a first rib width defined by a first circumferential groove and one of a second circumferential groove and a tread edge,
wherein the first circumferential rib includes a reinforcing layer having a width less than the first rib width, such that the reinforcing layer is enclosed by the first circumferential rib,
wherein the reinforcing layer includes multiple sub-layers, including a first sub-layer of reinforcing organic cords and a second sub-layer of reinforcing steel cords, and
wherein a top surface of the reinforcing layer is located radially higher than a bottom of the first circumferential groove and radially higher than a bottom of the second circumferential groove; and

a single belt ply disposed between the carcass ply and the circumferential tread.

2. The pneumatic tire of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing organic cord is a circumferentially extending cord.

3. The pneumatic tire of claim 1 , wherein a material of the reinforcing organic cord is nylon.

4. The pneumatic tire of claim 1 , wherein the first circumferential rib includes tread rubber disposed directly above the reinforcing layer,
wherein the reinforcing layer further includes a matrix rubber embedding the reinforcing cord, and
wherein the tread rubber and the matrix rubber are different rubber materials.

5. The pneumatic tire of claim 4 , wherein the matrix rubber has a higher modulus than that of the tread rubber.

6. The pneumatic tire of claim 4 , wherein the tread rubber further forms the bottoms of the plurality of circumferential grooves, and wherein the tread rubber is made of a single rubber material.

7. The pneumatic tire of claim 1 , wherein the first circumferential groove has a groove depth between 3 mm and 25 mm, and wherein a gauge between the single belt ply and the bottom of the first circumferential groove is between 2 mm and 20 mm.

8. The pneumatic tire of claim 1 , wherein the first circumferential groove has a groove depth between 3 mm and 10 mm, and wherein a gauge between the single belt ply and the bottom of the first circumferential groove is between 4 mm and 6 mm.

Assignees

• Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations Llc

Inventors

• Asper Robert W

Classifications

• B60C2011/0386

  Continuous ribs · CPC title

• B60C9/18

  Structure or arrangement of belts or breakers, crown-reinforcing or cushioning layers · CPC title

• B60C2011/0355

  characterised by depth · CPC title

• B60C2011/0025

  Modulus or tan delta · CPC title

• B60C11/0008

  characterised by the tread rubber · CPC title