Tire with improved snow performance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12420595-B2
Application number	US-202218282565-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2022
Priority date	Mar 19, 2021
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tire ( 1 ) having an external surface ( 10 ) with innovative profile at perimetral walls ( 2, 3, 4, 5 ) of the tread blocks (a, b), for improving snow performances. The perimetral walls present a 3-dimensional voids/protrusions ( 9, 8 ) pattern, configured to improve snow digging and snow trapping effects.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tire presenting a circumferential direction, a radial direction, and a transversal direction, and comprising:
an external tread portion which comprises a tread block, the tread block comprising a plurality of lateral external perimetral walls;
wherein at least one of the external perimetral walls bears a three-dimensional pattern of recesses and/or protrusions along the length of the external perimetral wall;
wherein the recesses and/or protrusions alternate to each other according to at least two spatial directions of the external surface
wherein the three-dimensional pattern of alternating recesses and/or protrusions is realized using a wavy generatrix swept along a wavy directrix, the wavy generatrix and the wavy directrix each comprising crest points, which are most external points of a respective external surface of the external perimetral wall, and trough points, which are most internal points of the respective external surface of the external perimetral wall, and
wherein the external perimetral wall bearing the three-dimensional pattern of recesses and/or protrusions is not a wall defining a sipe.

2. The tire of claim 1 , wherein the at least two spatial directions are perpendicular to each other.

3. The tire of claim 1 , wherein a distance between consecutive recesses and/or protrusions, measured according to a direction parallel to the external surface, is constant.

4. The tire of claim 1 , wherein a whole external surface of one of the perimetral walls bears the three-dimensional pattern of alternating recesses and/or protrusions.

5. The tire of claim 1 , wherein a whole external surface of two opposing ones of the perimetral walls bears the three-dimensional pattern of alternating recesses and/or protrusions.

6. The tire of claim 1 , wherein a whole external surface of two consecutive ones of the perimetral walls bears the three-dimensional pattern of alternating recesses and/or protrusions.

7. The tire of claim 1 , wherein a whole external surface of three of the perimetral walls bears the three-dimensional pattern of alternating recesses and/or protrusions.

8. The tire of claim 1 , wherein a whole external surface of all the perimetral walls bears the three-dimensional pattern of alternating recesses and/or protrusions.

9. The tire of claim 1 , wherein a distance between consecutive crest points and trough points, measured according to a direction parallel to the external surface, is constant.

10. The tire of claim 1 , wherein a height of the crest points with respect to the external surface is constant.

11. The tire of claim 1 , wherein a depth of the trough points with respect to the external surface is constant.

12. The tire of claim 1 , wherein a height of the crest points with respect to the external surface is from 0 to 4 mm.

13. The tire of claim 12 , wherein the height of the crest points with respect to the external surface is from 0.25 to 3 mm.

14. The tire of claim 1 , wherein a depth of the trough points with respect to the external surface is from 0 to 4 mm.

15. The tire of claim 1 , wherein a distance between consecutive crest points and trough points, measured according to a direction parallel to the external surface, is from 0.5 to 7.5 mm.

16. The tire of claim 1 , wherein a height of the crest points with respect to the trough points, measured according to a direction orthogonal to the external surface, is equal to or less than 8 mm.

17. The tire of claim 1 , wherein the wavy generatrix and/or the wavy directrix present a bend radius equal to 0.2 mm at each of the crest points and trough points.

18. The tire of claim 1 , wherein the alternating recesses and/or protrusions presents a prismatic or pyramidal shape.

19. The tire of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional pattern of alternating recesses and/or protrusions is realized via a zigzag generatrix swept along a zigzag directrix.

Assignees

• Bridgestone Europe NV/SA [BE/BE]
• Bridgestone Europe Nv Sa

Inventors

• Rodriquez Guiseppe
• Ruggiero Davy

Classifications

• B60C2011/1338

  comprising protrusions · CPC title

• B60C2011/133

  comprising recesses · CPC title

• B60C11/1307 Primary

  with special features of the groove walls · CPC title