Pneumatic tire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024383285-A1
Application number	US-202418624861-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 2, 2024
Priority date	May 19, 2023
Publication date	Nov 21, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A pneumatic tire provided on a tread with an outer center circumferential groove, an inner center circumferential groove, an outer shoulder circumferential groove that extend linearly in a tire circumferential direction, and an inner shoulder circumferential groove extending in a zig-zag pattern in the tire circumferential direction. The groove width of the outer center circumferential groove and the groove width of inner center circumferential groove are narrower than the groove width of the outer shoulder circumferential groove and the groove width of the inner shoulder circumferential groove, respectively.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A pneumatic tire comprising on a tread:
an outer center circumferential groove that is positioned on an outer side with respect to a tire equator in an axle direction in an vehicle-mounted state, and that extends in a tire circumferential direction; an inner center circumferential groove that is positioned on an inner side with respect to the tire equator in the axle direction in the vehicle-mounted state, and that extends in the tire circumferential direction; an outer shoulder circumferential groove that is positioned on an outer side with respect to the outer center circumferential groove in the axle direction in the vehicle-mounted state, and that linearly extends in the tire circumferential direction; and an inner shoulder circumferential groove that is positioned on an inner side with respect to the inner center circumferential groove in the axle direction in the vehicle-mounted state, and that extends in a zig-zag pattern in the tire circumferential direction, wherein the outer center circumferential groove and the inner center circumferential groove have groove widths narrower than a groove width of the outer shoulder circumferential groove and a groove width of the inner shoulder circumferential groove, respectively.

2 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the groove width of the outer shoulder circumferential groove and the groove width of the inner shoulder circumferential groove are 1.2 times or more and 4.0 times or less a groove width of the outer center circumferential groove and the inner center circumferential groove, respectively.

3 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 2 , wherein each of the outer center circumferential groove and the inner center circumferential groove has a groove width of 3.0 mm or more and 9.0 mm or less.

4 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the groove width of the outer shoulder circumferential groove is narrower than the groove width of the inner shoulder circumferential groove.

5 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , further comprising on the tread:
a plurality of inner quarter lateral grooves that are positioned spaced apart from each other in the tire circumferential direction, and that extend in the tire axis direction, between the inner shoulder circumferential groove and the inner center circumferential groove; a plurality of inner shoulder lateral grooves that are positioned spaced apart from each other in the tire circumferential direction, and that that extend in the tire axis direction, between the inner shoulder circumferential groove and an axle-direction inner grounding end of the tread; an outer shoulder rib that is defined on an outer side with respect to the outer shoulder circumferential groove in the axle direction by the outer shoulder circumferential groove; an outer quarter rib that is defined between the outer shoulder circumferential groove and the outer center circumferential groove; a plurality of inner quarter blocks that are defined between the inner shoulder circumferential groove and the inner center circumferential groove, and defined in the tire circumferential direction by the plurality of inner quarter lateral grooves; and a plurality of inner shoulder blocks that are defined on an inner side with respect to the inner shoulder circumferential groove in the axle direction by the inner shoulder circumferential groove, and defined in the tire circumferential direction by the plurality of inner shoulder lateral grooves.

6 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 5 , wherein the inner center circumferential groove has a groove width narrower than a groove width of the outer center circumferential groove.

7 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of inner shoulder blocks has an inner shoulder sipe extending inwardly in the axle direction from the inner shoulder circumferential groove, and terminated at a position spaced apart from the axle-direction inner grounding end.

8 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 5 , wherein the outer quarter rib includes:
a plurality of outer quarter sipes that are positioned spaced apart from each other in the tire circumferential direction, that extend in the tire axis direction, and that connect the outer shoulder circumferential groove and the outer center circumferential groove; and an outer quarter notch recessed inwardly in the axle direction from the outer shoulder circumferential groove, between the plurality of outer quarter sipes.

9 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 8 , wherein groove depths of the plurality of outer quarter sipes are shallower at a center in the tire axis direction than groove depths on respective ends in the tire axis direction.

10 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of outer quarter sipes includes:
a deep groove portion having a groove depth of 60% or more and 90% or less the groove depths of the outer shoulder circumferential groove and the outer center circumferential groove; and a shallow groove portion having a groove depth of 20% or more and 40% or less the groove depths of the outer shoulder circumferential groove and the outer center circumferential groove.

11 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 5 , wherein the outer shoulder rib includes:
a plurality of first outer shoulder slits that extend from the outer shoulder circumferential groove in the tire axis direction and that are terminated inside the outer shoulder rib; and a plurality of second outer shoulder slits that extend in the tire axis direction from an axle-direction outer grounding end of the tread and that are terminated inside the outer shoulder rib.

12 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 11 , wherein the plurality of first outer shoulder slits have groove depths of 50% or more and 100% or less the groove depth of the outer shoulder circumferential groove.

13 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 11 , wherein the plurality of second outer shoulder slits have groove depths of 20% or more and 40% or less the groove depth of the outer shoulder circumferential groove.

14 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 11 , wherein lengths of the plurality of first outer shoulder slits and the plurality of second outer shoulder slits along the tire axis direction are 20% or more and 60% or less the width of the outer shoulder rib.

15 . The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , further comprising on the tread:
a plurality of center lateral grooves that are positioned spaced apart from each other in the tire circumferential direction, and that connect the inner center circumferential groove and the outer center circumferential groove in the tire axis direction; a plurality of inner quarter lateral grooves that are positioned spaced apart from each other in the tire circumferential direction, and that connect the inner center circumferential groove and the inner shoulder circumferential groove in the tire axis direction; a plurality of inner shoulder lateral grooves that are positioned spaced apart from each other in the tire circumferential direction, and that connect the inner shoulder circumferential groove and an axle-direction inner grounding end of the tread, in the tire axis direction; a plurality of center blocks that are defined between the inner center circumferential groove and the outer center circumferential groove, and defined in the tire circumferential direction by the plurality of center lateral grooves; a plurality of inner quarter blocks that are defined between the inner center circumferential groove and the inner shou

Assignees

• Toyo Tire Corp

Inventors

• Nakaishi Ayaki

Classifications

• B60C2011/1268

  being different from sipe to sipe · CPC title

• B60C2011/1286

  being different from sipe to sipe · CPC title

• B60C11/03

  Tread patterns · CPC title

• B60C11/01

  Shape of the shoulders between tread and sidewall, e.g. rounded, stepped or cantilevered · CPC title

• B60C11/1259

  Depth of the sipe · CPC title