Pneumatic tire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016297249-A1
Application number	US-201615074718-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 18, 2016
Priority date	Apr 9, 2015
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A pneumatic tire includes a tread portion being provided with a plurality of inclined main grooves extending beyond a tire equator from one of a first tread edge and a second tread edge and terminating without reaching the other one of the first tread edge and the second tread edge. Each of the inclined main grooves includes an outer portion and an inner portion. The outer portion extends from the first tread edge or the second tread edge without reaching the tire equator while increasing an angle relative to an axial direction of the tire. The inner portion is connected to the outer portion and traverses the tire equator at a smaller angle relative to the axial direction of the tire than the angle of the outer portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A pneumatic tire comprising:
a tread portion being provided with a plurality of inclined main grooves extending beyond a tire equator from one of a first tread edge and a second tread edge and terminating without reaching the other one of the first tread edge and the second tread edge; each of the inclined main grooves comprising an outer portion and an inner portion; the outer portion extending from the first tread edge or the second tread edge without reaching the tire equator while increasing an angle relative to an axial direction of the tire; and the inner portion being connected to the outer portion and traversing the tire equator at a smaller angle relative to the axial direction of the tire than the angle of the outer portion.

2 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 ,
wherein the inclined main grooves comprise a plurality of first inclined main grooves extending from the first tread edge, and a plurality of second inclined main grooves extending from the second tread edge, the inner portions of the first inclined main grooves are communicated with the outer portions of the second inclined main grooves, and the inner portions of the second inclined main grooves are communicated with the outer portions of the first inclined main grooves.

3 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 ,
wherein the inner portion comprises a width increasing gradually toward the outer portion.

4 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 ,
wherein the tread portion comprises a plurality of inclined land portions each of which is disposed between a pair of circumferentially adjacent inclined main grooves, each of the inclined land portions is provided with a longitudinal groove to separate the inclined land portion into an axially inner block and an axially outer block, the inner block is provided with a plurality of inner sipes inclined in an opposite direction to the inclined main grooves adjacent to the inner block, and the outer block is provided with a plurality of outer sipes inclined in the same direction as the first inclined main grooves adjacent to the outer block.

5 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 4 ,
wherein the inner block is provided with a lug groove that comprises a first end communicated with one of the inclined main grooves and a second end terminating within the inner block.

6 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 5 ,
wherein the inclined main grooves comprise a plurality of first inclined main grooves extending from the first tread edge, and a plurality of second inclined main grooves extending from the second tread edge, the inner portions of the first inclined main grooves are communicated with the outer portions of the second inclined main grooves, the inner portions of the second inclined main grooves are communicated with the outer portions of the first inclined main grooves, and the lug groove comprises a first lug groove that is smoothly continuous to the inner portion of one of the second inclined main grooves through one of the first inclined main grooves, and a second lug groove that is smoothly continuous to the inner portion of one of the first inclined main grooves through one of the second inclined main grooves.

7 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 6 ,
wherein the inner block comprises a protruding portion in an axial direction of the tire between the inner portion of one of the first inclined main grooves and the inner portion of one of the second inclined main grooves.

8 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 7 ,
wherein the inner block has a tapered shape.

9 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 ,
wherein the outer portion extends in an arc shape and the inner portion extends in a substantially straight shape.

10 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 2 ,
wherein the inner portions of the first inclined main grooves are inclined in an opposite direction to the inner portions of the second inclined main grooves.

11 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 2 ,
wherein the first inclined main grooves and the second inclined main grooves are arranged alternately in a circumferential direction of the tire.

12 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 ,
wherein the tread portion is not provided with any circumferentially and continuously extending straight grooves.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Rubber Ind

Inventors

• Ishino Hiroyuki

Classifications

• B60C11/03

  Tread patterns · CPC title

• B60C11/0302 Primary

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

• B60C11/1315

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

• B60C11/11 Primary

  in which the raised area of the pattern consists only of isolated elements, e.g. blocks (B60C11/12, B60C11/13 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60C2011/0381

  Blind or isolated grooves · CPC title