# US 11,077,722 B2 · Tire > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,077,722 B2 - Document ID: US11077722B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/275,443 - Filed: 2019-02-14 - Published: 2019-08-29 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-28 - Assignees: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. - Applicants: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. - Inventors: Koichi Nakajima - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11077722B2 ## CPC - B60C 13/001: {Decorating, marking or the like} - B60C: VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES ## Abstract A mark indicating portion provided on a sidewall portion comprises a reference surface provided on a surface of the sidewall portion and marks formed on the reference surface. A surface of each mark 4 includes a first inclined surface portion having a height from the reference surface increasing outwardly in a tyre radial direction from an inner end in the tyre radial direction, and a second inclined surface portion having a height from the reference surface increasing inwardly in the tyre radial direction from an outer end in the tyre radial direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A tire comprising a sidewall portion provided with a mark indicating portion having one or more marks, wherein the mark indicating portion comprises a reference surface provided on a surface of the sidewall portion and the marks formed on the reference surface, a surface of the or each mark includes a first inclined surface portion having a height from the reference surface increasing outwardly in a tire radial direction from an inner end thereof in the tire radial direction, and a second inclined surface portion having a height from the reference surface increasing inwardly in the tire radial direction from an outer end thereof in the tire radial direction, a middle surface portion extending parallel to the reference surface that is interposed between the first inclined surface portion and the second inclined surface portion, and a width in the tire radial direction of the middle surface portion is not more than 0.2 times a length in the tire radial direction of the entire surface of the or each mark. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The tire to claim 1, wherein a length (La) in the tire radial direction of the first inclined surface portion is in a range of from 0.8 to 1.2 times a length (Lb) in the tire radial direction of the second inclined surface portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein in the mark indicating portion, either the reference surface or the surface of the or each mark is provided with a plurality of small protruding portions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The tire according to claim 3, wherein each of the small protruding portions is a truncated conical protrusion having a smaller diameter on a side of an upper end thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The tire according to claim 4, wherein each of the truncated conical protrusions has a maximum diameter in a range of from 50 to 1000 micro meters and a protruding height in a range of from 50 to 1000 micro meters, and a distance between centers of the truncated conical protrusions adjacent to each other is in a range of from 200 to 1000 micro meters. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein the mark indicating portion is provided with a base portion projecting from the surface of the sidewall portion at a constant height, and a surface of the base portion forms the reference surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The tire according to claim 6, wherein a maximum height of the surface of the or each mark from the reference surface is larger than the height of the base portion from the surface of the sidewall portion. ### Claim 8 A tire comprising a sidewall portion provided with a mark indicating portion having one or more marks, wherein the mark indicating portion comprises a reference surface provided on a surface of the sidewall portion and the marks formed on the reference surface, a surface of the or each mark includes a first inclined surface portion having a height from the reference surface increasing outwardly in a tire radial direction from an inner end thereof in the tire radial direction, and a second inclined surface portion having a height from the reference surface increasing inwardly in the tire radial direction from an outer end thereof in the tire radial direction, a top portion of the surface of the or each mark is formed by a ridge line where the first inclined surface portion and the second inclined surface portion intersect, and the ridge line is curved in an arc shape with a tire axis as a center thereof. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The tire to claim 8, wherein a length (La) in the tire radial direction of the first inclined surface portion is in a range of from 0.8 to 1.2 times a length (Lb) in the tire radial direction of the second inclined surface portion. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The tire according to claim 8, wherein in the mark indicating portion, either the reference surface or the surface of the or each mark is provided with a plurality of small protruding portions. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The tire according to claim 10, wherein each of the small protruding portions is a truncated conical protrusion having a smaller diameter on a side of an upper end thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The tire according to claim 11, wherein each of the truncated conical protrusions has a maximum diameter in a range of from 50 to 1000 micro meters and a protruding height in a range of from 50 to 1000 micro meters, and a distance between centers of the truncated conical protrusions adjacent to each other is in a range of from 200 to 1000 micro meters. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The tire according to claim 8, wherein the mark indicating portion is provided with a base portion projecting from the surface of the sidewall portion at a constant height, and a surface of the base portion forms the reference surface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The tire according to claim 13, wherein a maximum height of the surface of the or each mark from the reference surface is larger than the height of the base portion from the surface of the sidewall portion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The tire according to claim 8, wherein a plurality of the marks is formed on the reference surface. ### Claim 16 A tire comprising a sidewall portion provided with a mark indicating portion having one or more marks, wherein the mark indicating portion comprises a reference surface provided on a surface of the sidewall portion and the marks formed on the reference surface, a surface of the or each mark includes a first inclined surface portion having a height from the reference surface increasing outwardly in a tire radial direction from an inner end thereof in the tire radial direction, and a second inclined surface portion having a height from the reference surface increasing inwardly in the tire radial direction from an outer end thereof in the tire radial direction, the mark indicating portion is provided with a base portion projecting from the surface of the sidewall portion at a constant height, a surface of the base portion forms the reference surface, a maximum height of the surface of the or each mark from the reference surface is larger than the height of the base portion from the surface of the sidewall portion, and a minimum height of the surface of the or each mark from the reference surface is not more than the height of the base portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The tire to claim 16, wherein a length (La) in the tire radial direction of the first inclined surface portion is in a range of from 0.8 to 1.2 times a length (Lb) in the tire radial direction of the second inclined surface portion. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The tire according to claim 16, wherein in the mark indicating portion, either the reference surface or the surface of the or each mark is provided with a plurality of small protruding portions. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The tire according to claim 18, wherein each of the small protruding portions is a truncated conical protrusion having a smaller diameter on a side of an upper end thereof. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The tire according to claim 19, wherein each of the truncated conical protrusions has a maximum diameter in a range of from 50 to 1000 micro meters and a protruding height in a range of from 50 to 1000 micro meters, and a distance between centers of the truncated conical protrusions adjacent to each other is in a range of from 200 to 1000 micro meters.