Tire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9649888-B2
Application number	US-201214234817-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2012
Priority date	Jul 27, 2011
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A tire wherein a first bulge part and a second bulge part are formed in a circumferential direction groove. The first bulge part has a narrow-tip shape such that, in the tire tread plan view, the size in the tread width direction diminishes along a first direction in the tire circumferential direction. The second bulge part has a narrow-tip shape such that, in the tire tread plan view, the size in the tread width direction diminishes along a second direction opposite to the first direction in the tire circumferential direction. A plurality of first bulge parts and second bulge parts are provided at predetermined intervals in the tire circumferential direction. A groove part which extends in the tire circumferential direction is provided between the first bulge part and the second bulge part which opposes the first bulge part in the tread width direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tire comprising:
a circumferential groove extending in a tire circumferential direction; and
a land portion that is adjacent to the circumferential groove and that extends in the tire circumferential direction, wherein
the circumferential groove is formed with:
a first swelling portion that swells from one lateral wall of the circumferential groove toward a center in a widthwise direction of the circumferential groove; and
a second swelling portion that swells from the other lateral wall of the circumferential groove toward the center in the widthwise direction of the circumferential groove,
the first swelling portion has, in a tread surface view of the tire, a tapered shape in which a size in the tread widthwise direction is narrower as it goes in a first direction in the tire circumferential direction,
the second swelling portion has, in the tread surface view of the tire, a tapered shape in which a size in the tread widthwise direction is narrower as it goes in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction in the tire circumferential direction,
the first swelling portion and the second swelling portion are formed in plural with a predetermined interval in the tire circumferential direction, and
a groove extending in the tire circumferential direction is formed between the first swelling portion and the second swelling portion opposite to the first swelling portion in the tread widthwise direction,
wherein the groove is formed to be inclined relative to the tire circumferential direction in the tread surface view of the tire, and
wherein a width of the groove between a first outward end of the groove at one lateral wall and a leading edge of the groove becomes narrower in the tread widthwise direction along the entire first outward end as the groove extends in the first direction.

2. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein
a lateral surface along the one lateral wall of the first swelling portion has, in a cross section along the tread widthwise direction and the tire radial direction, an arc-like shaped portion recessed toward the one lateral wall, and
a lateral surface along the other lateral wall of the second swelling portion has, in the cross section along the tread widthwise direction and the tire radial direction, an arc-like shaped portion recessed toward the other lateral wall.

3. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein
ends at a wider width side in the tread widthwise direction of the first swelling portion and the second swelling portion are located inside from a tread surface of the land portion adjacent to the circumferential groove in the tire radial direction, and
ends at a narrower width side in the tread widthwise direction of the first swelling portion and the second swelling portion are located at the approximately same height as the tread surface of the land portion in the tire radial direction.

4. The tire according to claim 2 , wherein
a bottom surface of the groove is communicated, as one seamless surface, to a lateral surface of the first swelling portion, and communicated, as one seamless surface, to a lateral surface of the second swelling portion.

5. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein
the circumferential groove is formed with:
the upper surface of the first swelling portion being parallel to the tread surface from one lateral wall of the circumferential groove toward a center in a widthwise direction of the circumferential groove in a cross section along the tread widthwise direction and the tire radial direction; and
the upper surface of the second swelling portion being parallel to the tread surface from the other lateral wall of the circumferential groove toward the center in the widthwise direction of the circumferential groove in a cross section along the tread widthwise direction and the tire radial direction.

6. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein a position of the groove is offset in the tire circumferential direction from a position of a groove provided in an adjacent circumferential groove.

7. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein the groove comprises a plurality of grooves, and
wherein an inclination direction of all of the plurality of grooves is in the same direction.

Assignees

• Kiwaki Yukihiro
• Kato Keiichi
• Bridgestone Corp

Inventors

• Kiwaki Yukihiro
• Kato Keiichi

Classifications

• B60C2011/133

  comprising recesses · CPC title

• B60C2011/0341

  Circumferential grooves · CPC title

• B60C11/1307

  with special features of the groove walls · CPC title

• B60C11/13

  characterised by the groove cross-section, e.g. for buttressing or preventing stone-trapping · CPC title

• B60C11/042

  further characterised by the groove cross-section · CPC title