Tire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12358325-B2
Application number	US-202318110027-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2023
Priority date	Mar 14, 2022
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

A tire has a tread portion including a first shoulder land region. The first shoulder land region is provided with first shoulder sipes. Each of the first shoulder sipes is provided with a chamfered portion over an entire lengthwise range from a first longitudinal edge to a first tread edge. Each of the chamfered portions includes a first chamfered portion defined between a shoulder center position and the first longitudinal edge and a second chamfered portion defined between the shoulder center position and the first tread edge. The second chamfered portion has a chamfer volume smaller than a chamfer volume of the first chamfered portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tire having a tread portion comprising:
a first tread edge;
a plurality of circumferential grooves extending continuously in a tire circumferential direction; and
a first shoulder land region, wherein
the circumferential grooves include a first shoulder circumferential groove extending continuously in the tire circumferential direction closest to the first tread edge among the circumferential grooves,
the first shoulder land region is demarcated outside the first shoulder circumferential groove in a tire axial direction and includes a first longitudinal edge located on the first shoulder circumferential groove side and a shoulder center position,
the shoulder center position is a center position in the tire axial direction between the first longitudinal edge and the first tread edge,
the first shoulder land region is provided with a plurality of first shoulder sipes extending from the first longitudinal edge to at least the first tread edge,
each of the first shoulder sipes is provided with a chamfered portion over an entire lengthwise range from the first longitudinal edge to the first tread edge,
each of the chamfered portions includes a first chamfered portion defined between the shoulder center position and the first longitudinal edge and a second chamfered portion defined between the shoulder center position and the first tread edge,
the second chamfered portion has a chamfer volume (V 2 ) smaller than a chamfer volume (V 1 ) of the first chamfered portion,
the chamfered portion has a cross-sectional area increasing continuously from the first tread edge to the first longitudinal edge,
the first shoulder land region is provided with a plurality of shoulder terminating sipes,
each of the shoulder terminating sipes extends at least from the first tread edge toward the first longitudinal edge and terminates within the first shoulder land region to have a closed terminating end,
each of the shoulder terminating sipes is provided with a chamfered portion over an entire lengthwise range thereof, and
the chamfered portion of each of the shoulder terminating sipes has a cross-sectional area continuously increasing from the first tread edge to the closed terminating end thereof.

2. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein the chamfer volume (V 2 ) of the second chamfered portion is 20% or more and 70% or less of the chamfer volume (V 1 ) of the first chamfered portion.

3. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first shoulder sipes has an angle with respect to the tire circumferential direction increasing continuously from the first longitudinal edge to the first tread edge.

4. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first shoulder sipes has an angle of 30 degrees or more and 70 degrees or less with respect to the tire circumferential direction at the first longitudinal edge.

5. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first shoulder sipes has an angle of 80 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less with respect to the tire circumferential direction at the first tread edge.

6. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein a ground contacting surface of the first shoulder land region is provided with only sipes between the first longitudinal edge and the first tread edge.

7. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein
the tread portion includes a plurality of land regions demarcated by the circumferential grooves,
the land regions include the first shoulder land region, and
each of the land regions is provided with only sipes each having a width of 2.0 mm or less excluding the chamfered portion and not provided with a groove having a width larger than 2 mm excluding the chamfered portion.

8. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein
each of sipe walls of the first shoulder sipes has a sloped surface and a main body,
the sloped surface is connected with a ground contacting surface of the first shoulder land region on an inner side in a tire radial direction and inclined with respect to the tire radial direction so as to form the chamfered portion,
the main body is connected with the sloped surface on the radially inner side and extends radially inward therefrom,
the sloped surface has an angle with respect to the tire radial direction larger in the first chamfered portion than in the second chamfered portion.

9. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein the first shoulder sipes and the shoulder terminating sipes are arranged alternately one by one in the tire circumferential direction.

10. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein
the tread portion includes a second tread edge opposite to the first tread edge,
the circumferential grooves include a second shoulder circumferential groove extending continuously in the tire circumferential direction closest to the second tread edge among the circumferential grooves,
the tread portion includes a second shoulder land region demarcated between the second shoulder circumferential groove and the second tread edge,
the second shoulder land region is provided with a plurality of second shoulder sipes, and
each of the second shoulder sipes extends in the tire axial direction from the second tread edge to the second shoulder circumferential groove.

11. The tire according to claim 10 , wherein
each of the second shoulder sipes is provided with a chamfered portion over an entire lengthwise range from the second shoulder circumferential groove to the second tread edge, and
the chamfered portion of each of the second shoulder sipes has a cross-sectional area increasing from the second tread edge to the second shoulder circumferential groove.

12. The tire according to claim 10 , wherein
the circumferential grooves include a first crown circumferential groove extending continuously in the tire circumferential direction between the first shoulder circumferential groove and a tire equator,
the tread portion includes a first middle land region demarcated between the first shoulder circumferential groove and the first crown circumferential groove,
the first middle land region is provided with first middle sipes each completely crossing the first middle land region in the tire axial direction, and
each of the first middle sipes is provided with a chamfered portion over an entire lengthwise range thereof.

13. The tire according to claim 12 , wherein each of the first middle sipes has a cross-sectional area continuously increasing from an axial center of the each of the first middle sipes to both axial ends thereof.

14. The tire according to claim 12 , wherein
the circumferential grooves include a second crown circumferential groove extending continuously in the tire circumferential direction between the second shoulder circumferential groove and the tire equator,
the tread portion includes a second middle land region demarcated between the second shoulder circumferential groove and the second crown circumferential groove,
the second middle land region is provided with a plurality of outer second middle sipes and a plurality of inner second middle sipes,
each of the outer second middle sipes extends axially outward from the second crown circumferential groove and terminates within the second middle land region to have a closed terminating end,
each of the inner second middle sipes extends axially inward from the second shoulder circumferential groove and terminates within the second middle land region to have a closed terminating end,
each of the outer second middle sipes is provided with a chamfered portion over an entire lengthwise range thereof, and
the inner second middle sipes are not chamfered.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Rubber Ind

Inventors

• Bamba Nozomi
• Abe Shotaro
• Sanae Ryuhei
• Nakajima Sho

Classifications

• B60C11/1236

  with special arrangements in the tread pattern · CPC title

• B60C11/0304

  Asymmetric patterns · CPC title

• B60C11/0302

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

• B60C11/033

  by the void or net-to-gross ratios of the patterns · CPC title

• B60C2011/039

  provided at the shoulder portion · CPC title