# US 10,864,775 B2 · Tire > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,864,775 B2 - Document ID: US10864775B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/964,826 - Filed: 2018-04-27 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-02 - Assignees: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. - Applicants: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. - Inventors: Ryo Oba - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864775B2 ## CPC - B60C 11/0304: {Asymmetric patterns} - B60C 11/0302: {directional pattern, i.e. with main rolling direction} - B60C 11/0306: {Patterns comprising block rows or discontinuous ribs} - B60C 11/0332: {by the footprint-ground contacting area of the tyre tread} - B60C 11/1204: {with special shape of the sipe} - B60C 11/1236: {with special arrangements in the tread pattern} - B60C 11/1263: {different within the same sipe} - B60C 11/1281: {different within the same sipe, i.e. enlarged width portion at sipe bottom or along its length} - B60C 2011/0334: {Stiffness} - B60C 2011/0344: {provided at the equatorial plane} - B60C 2011/0353: {characterised by width} - B60C 2011/0358: {Lateral grooves, i.e. having an angle of 45 to 90 degees to the equatorial plane} - B60C 2011/0365: {characterised by width} - B60C 2011/0372: {with particular inclination angles} - B60C 2011/039: {provided at the shoulder portion} - B60C 2011/1209: {straight at the tread surface} - B60C: VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES ## Abstract A tire tread is provided with a crown main groove, and outboard and inboard shoulder main grooves to divide the tread portion into an outboard crown land portion, an inboard crown land portion, an outboard shoulder land portion and an inboard shoulder land portion. The inboard shoulder land portion is provided with inboard shoulder lateral grooves connecting an inboard tread edge and the inboard shoulder main groove. The outboard shoulder land portion is provided with outboard shoulder lateral grooves extending axially inwardly from an outboard tread edge and terminating within the outboard shoulder land portion. The inboard crown land portion is provided with inboard crown lateral grooves extending from the inboard shoulder main groove and terminating within the inboard crown land portion. The outboard crown land portion is provided with outboard crown lateral grooves extending from the crown main groove and terminating within the outboard crown land portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A tire comprising: a tread portion having a predetermined orientation for mounting on a vehicle to define an outboard tread edge to be located outwardly of the vehicle and an inboard tread edge to be located inwardly of the vehicle upon being mounted to the vehicle; the tread portion being provided with one circumferentially extending crown main groove, one circumferentially extending outboard shoulder main groove, and one circumferentially extending inboard shoulder main groove to divide the tread portion into an outboard crown land portion, an inboard crown land portion, an outboard shoulder land portion and an inboard shoulder land portion; the inboard shoulder land portion being provided with inboard shoulder lateral grooves connecting the inboard tread edge and the inboard shoulder main groove; the outboard shoulder land portion being provided with outboard shoulder lateral grooves extending axially inwardly from the outboard tread edge and terminating within the outboard shoulder land portion; the inboard crown land portion being provided with inboard crown lateral grooves extending from the inboard shoulder main groove and terminating within the inboard crown land portion; and the outboard crown land portion being provided with outboard crown lateral grooves extending from the crown main groove and terminating within the outboard crown land portion, wherein the outboard crown land portion is provided with semi-opened sipes extending from the crown main groove toward the outboard tread edge and terminating within the outboard crown land portion, and the semi-opened sipes extend from the outboard crown land portion past a midway point between the crown main groove and the outboard shoulder main groove. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein a ratio W1/W2 of an axial width W1 of the outboard shoulder land portion to an axial width W2 of the outboard crown land portion is in a range of from 1.0 to 2.0. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein each of the inboard crown land portion and the outboard crown land portion comprises a rib region on an outboard tread edge side, and the rib region extends continuously in a tire circumferential direction without being divided by any lateral grooves having widths equal to or more than 2 mm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The tire according to claim 3, wherein axial lengths of the semi-opened sipes are greater than axial lengths of the outboard crown lateral grooves. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein the inboard crown land portion is provided with inboard connecting sipes connecting the crown main groove and the inboard crown lateral grooves. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein the outboard crown land portion is provided with outboard connecting sipes connecting the outboard shoulder main groove and the outboard crown lateral grooves. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The tire according to claim 6, wherein axial lengths of the semi-opened sipes are greater than axial lengths of the outboard crown lateral grooves. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein each of the inboard crown land portion and the outboard crown land portion is provided with a circumferentially extending crown longitudinal sipe. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein axial lengths of the outboard crown lateral grooves are smaller than axial lengths of the inboard crown lateral grooves. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein the inboard crown land portion is provided with full-opened sipes traversing completely the inboard crown land portion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The tire according to claim 10, wherein the inboard crown lateral grooves and the full-opened sipes are arranged alternately in the tire circumferential direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the outboard shoulder land portion and the inboard shoulder land portion is provided with a circumferentially extending shoulder longitudinal sipe. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein angles θ1 of the inboard crown lateral grooves to the tire axial direction are in a range of from 10 to 60 degrees. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein angles θ2 of the outboard crown lateral grooves to the tire axial direction are in a range of from 10 to 60 degrees. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein the inboard crown lateral grooves have axial lengths L1 in a range of from 0.55 to 0.92 times an axial width W4 of the inboard crown land portion. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein the outboard crown lateral grooves have axial lengths L2 in a range of from 0.45 to 0.70 times an axial width W2 of the outboard crown land portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein axial lengths of the semi-opened sipes are greater than axial lengths of the outboard crown lateral grooves. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein the semi-opened sipes have axial lengths in a range of 0.70 to 0.85 times an axial width of the outboard crown land portion. ### Claim 19 A tire comprising: a tread portion having a predetermined orientation for mounting on a vehicle to define an outboard tread edge to be located outwardly of the vehicle and an inboard tread edge to be located inwardly of the vehicle upon being mounted to the vehicle; the tread portion being provided with one circumferentially extending crown main groove, one circumferentially extending outboard shoulder main groove, and one circumferentially extending inboard shoulder main groove to divide the tread portion into an outboard crown land portion, an inboard crown land portion, an outboard shoulder land portion and an inboard shoulder land portion; the inboard shoulder land portion being provided with inboard shoulder lateral grooves connecting the inboard tread edge and the inboard shoulder main groove; the outboard shoulder land portion being provided with outboard shoulder lateral grooves extending axially inwardly from the outboard tread edge and terminating within the outboard shoulder land portion; the inboard crown land portion being provided with inboard crown lateral grooves extending from the inboard shoulder main groove and terminating within the inboard crown land portion; and the outboard crown land portion being provided with outboard crown lateral grooves extending from the crown main groove and terminating within the outboard crown land portion, wherein at least one of the inboard and outboard crown land portions is provided with crown chamfered portions each of which is a portion recessed partly of a corner portion between a ground contact surface of the concerned land portion and a sidewall of the concerned land portion, and the crown chamfered portions are arranged at greater pitches in the tire circumferential direction than that of the inboard crown lateral grooves. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The tire according to claim 19, wherein the crown chamfered portions each have an axial width W7 of from 1.0 to 3.0 mm and a depth d10 of from 1.0 to 2.5 mm.