Heavy duty tire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9586445-B2
Application number	US-201113698878-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2011
Priority date	May 20, 2010
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

In a pneumatic tire 1 , a side surface ( 101 ), on a buttress portion ( 14 ) side, of a land portion block ( 100 ) is inclined to the inside of the land portion block ( 100 ). The length (Lb 1 ), in a tread width direction, of an and portion ( 100 B) of the land portion block ( 100 ) is smaller than the length (La 1 ), in the tread width direction, of an end portion ( 100 A). The end portion ( 100 B) is located at a rear side in a rotational direction (R) in which the pneumatic tire ( 1 ) installed on a vehicle rotates when the vehicle moves forward, and the end portion ( 100 A) is located at a front side in the rotational direction (R).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heavy duty tire comprising:
bead portions;
sidewall portions continuous to the respective bead portions;
a tread portion to be in contact with a road surface; and
buttress portions each extending inward in a tire radial direction from a corresponding tread end portion of the tread portion and continuous to a corresponding one of the sidewall portions, the tread end portion being located on an outer side, in a width direction, of the tread portion, wherein
in the tread portion, a plurality of lateral groove portions intersecting with a tire circumferential direction and land portions defined by the lateral groove portions are formed, at least one end portion in the tread width direction of each lateral groove portion opens to a tread end, the land portions each having a side surface intersecting with the width direction of the tread portion,
a length, in the tread width direction, of each of the land portions decreases from one side to an other side in the tire circumferential direction,
the length, in the tread width direction, of the land portion is a length from a groove end reference line extending in the tire circumferential direction to the tread end, and
the groove end reference line is defined by inner ends, in the tread width direction, of the respective lateral groove portions adjacent to each other in the tire circumferential direction with the land portion interposed therebetween, wherein:
the side surface is a surface on an outer side in the tread width direction of each of the land portion,
an end portion on the other side in the tire circumferential direction of the side surface is located on an inner side in the tread width direction of an end portion on the one side in the tire circumferential direction of the side surface,
an extending direction of the lateral groove portion formed on the other side in the tire circumferential direction of the land portion, is inclined with respect to a tread width direction line which extends along the tread width direction,
in a plan view of the tread portion, an angle between the extending direction of the lateral groove portion and the tread width direction line is smaller than an angle between the side surface and the tread width direction line, and
wherein a curved surface portion configured to abut on the groove bottom portions of the lateral groove portions is formed on a portion having a vertex of a surface of the tread portion, the side surface formed on the outer side of the land portion, and a side surface formed on the other side in the tire circumferential direction of the land portion,
wherein the vertex has an obtuse angle between the side surface of the land portion and the wall surface of a corresponding one of the lateral groove portions,
wherein the land portions comprises:
a first land portion provided at a first end in the tire width direction and having a first side surface; and
a second land portion provided at a second end opposite to the first end in the tire width direction and having a second side surface, and

wherein the first and the second side surfaces extend in a substantially parallel direction with each other.

2. The heavy duty tire according to claim 1 , wherein
a circumferential groove portion extending in the tire circumferential direction is formed, and
the lateral groove portions communicate with the circumferential groove portion.

3. The heavy duty tire according to claim 1 , wherein
a circumferential groove portion extending in the tire circumferential direction is formed, and
a groove depth of the circumferential groove portion is larger than a groove width of the circumferential groove portion.

4. The heavy duty tire according to claim 1 , wherein
a circumferential groove portion extending in the tire circumferential direction is formed, and
a groove width of each of the lateral groove portions is larger than a groove width of the circumferential groove portion.

5. The heavy duty tire according to claim 1 , wherein
in a plan view of the tread portion, the side surface of the land portion intersecting with the width direction of the tread portion is a curved line.

6. The heavy duty tire according to claim 5 , wherein
in a plan view of the tread portion, the side surface of the land portion intersecting with the width direction of the tread portion is a curved line having an inflection point.

7. The heavy duty tire according to claim 1 , wherein
an area of the land portion at its surface in the tread portion to be in contact with the road surface is smaller than an area of the land portion at portions continuous to groove bottom portions of the lateral groove portions.

8. The heavy duty tire according to claim 1 , wherein
the lateral groove portions are inclined with respect to a tread width direction line extending in the tread width direction,
a length, in the tread width direction, of one of end portions, in the tire circumferential direction, of the land portion is larger than a length, in the tread width direction, of an end portion of the land portion having an obtuse angle between the side surface of the land portion and the wall surface of a corresponding one of the lateral groove portions.

9. The heavy duty tire according to claim 1 , wherein the heavy duty tire is a tire for a construction vehicle.

10. The heavy duty tire according to claim 1 , wherein:
the buttress portions comprising a first buttress portion and a second buttress portion provided opposite to the first buttress portion along the tread width direction,
a length, in the tread width direction, of the first land portion is smaller than a length, in the tread width direction, at a corresponding position along the tire circumferential direction of the second land portion.

Assignees

• Oogane Shun
• Bridgestone Corp

Inventors

• Oogane Shun

Classifications

• B60C11/1384

  with chamfered block corners · CPC title

• B60C2200/065

  for construction vehicles · CPC title

• B60C2200/06

  for heavy duty vehicles · CPC title

• B60C11/01

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

• B60C11/11

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