Tire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9676235-B2
Application number	US-201213985512-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2012
Priority date	Feb 17, 2011
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

A tire 1 according to the present invention comprises: a circumferential groove 12 formed in a tread portion; a land portion 22 divided by the circumferential groove 12 ; and transverse grooves formed in the land portion. The transverse grooves comprise a first transverse groove 32 dividing the land portion into several blocks, and a second transverse groove 51 dividing a block 42 divided by the first transverse groove into a first block portion 61 and a second block portion 62 . A groove depth of the circumferential groove contacting the second block is smaller than the groove depth of the circumferential groove contacting the first block.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tire comprising:
a tread portion which comprises a ground contact surface to contact a road surface, and an asymmetric pattern around a tire equator line;
a circumferential groove which is formed in the tread portion, and extends in a tire circumferential direction;
a land portion which is divided by the circumferential groove, and extends in the tire circumferential direction; and
a plurality of transverse grooves which are formed in the land portion, communicate with the circumferential groove, and extend in a tread width direction, wherein
the circumferential groove is located in an outer area that is an area outside of the tire equator line in a state that the tire is mounted on a vehicle,
the transverse grooves comprise a first transverse groove that divides the land portion into several blocks, and a second transverse groove that divides a block divided by the first transverse groove into a first block portion and a second block portion,
an area of a ground contact surface of the first block portion is configured to be larger than an area of a ground contact surface of the second block portion,
the circumferential groove comprises a first area contacting the first block portion, and a second area contacting the second block portion,
in a length of the circumferential groove in a tire circumferential direction, a length of the second area is configured to be larger than a length of the first area,
a groove depth from a ground contact surface to a groove bottom surface of the circumferential groove varies along a tire circumferential direction,
a groove depth of at least a part of the second area is smaller than the groove depth of the first area,
a groove depth of at least the part of the second area is greater than 70% and 90% or less of a groove depth of the first area, and
a groove width of the second area is smaller than a groove width of the first area.

2. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein a groove depth of the circumferential groove is 60% to 90% of a groove depth of the first area over an entire area of the second area.

3. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein:
a shoulder land portion constituting a shoulder portion is provided outside the circumferential groove in a tread width direction,
a shoulder transverse groove extending in a tread width direction is formed in the shoulder land portion, and
the transverse groove and the shoulder transverse groove are continuously disposed via the circumferential groove on the ground contact surface.

4. The tire according to claim 3 , wherein:
an inner end of the shoulder transverse groove in a tread width direction opens to the circumferential groove, and
an outer end of the shoulder transverse groove in a tread width direction opens to outside of a tread portion in a tread width direction.

Assignees

• Sugiyasu Shinpei
• Nakamura Takamitsu
• Bridgestone Corp

Inventors

• Sugiyasu Shinpei
• Nakamura Takamitsu

Classifications

• B60C2011/1361

  with protrusions extending from the groove bottom · CPC title

• B60C2011/1338

  comprising protrusions · CPC title

• B60C2011/0381

  Blind or isolated grooves · CPC title

• B60C2011/0374

  Slant grooves, i.e. having an angle of about 5 to 35 degrees to the equatorial plane · CPC title

• B60C2011/0358

  Lateral grooves, i.e. having an angle of 45 to 90 degees to the equatorial plane · CPC title