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US 11,167,595 B2Granted
Tire tread with reduced rolling resistance
AssigneePACCAR Inc
InventorJeffrey P. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tire comprising a plurality of tread blocks. At least one tread block includes one or more piers for stiffening the tread blocks while allowing normal lateral (tangential) or circumferential strain for normal braking and motive traction. The piers can extend the entire length dimension of the tread block or portions thereof.
Claims22
A tire comprising:
- a tread including first and second tread shoulders and a plurality of tread blocks positioned in between the first and second tread shoulders, each tread block of the plurality of tread blocks being distinct and separated from each other by circumferential grooves and lateral grooves transverse to the circumferential grooves, the plurality of tread blocks each having a first stiffness value, the plurality of tread blocks each having an end surface, each respective tread block of the plurality of tread blocks having a first lateral dimension extending between respective sidewalls of each of the respective tread blocks;
- and
- a plurality of elongate stiffening piers that are distinct and separated from each other, each one of the plurality of elongate stiffening piers being positioned at and extending into a corresponding center portion of one of the plurality of tread blocks, the elongate stiffening piers have a second stiffness value that is greater than the first stiffness value, each of the plurality of elongate stiffening piers having a T-shape, each of the elongate stiffening piers including:
- a first portion having a second lateral dimension less than the first lateral dimension;
- and
- a second portion having a third lateral dimension less than the first lateral dimension and greater than the second lateral dimension, the second portion being transverse to the first portion.
3 more elements
A tire comprising:
- a tread including first and second tread shoulders and a plurality of tread blocks positioned in a spaced apart manner between the first and second tread shoulders, each tread block of the plurality of tread blocks being distinct and separated from each other by a plurality of circumferential grooves and a plurality of lateral grooves transverse to the plurality of circumferential grooves, the plurality of tread blocks having a first stiffness value, each of the plurality of tread blocks including:
- an end surface;
- a first lateral sidewall transverse to the end surface;
- and
- a second lateral sidewall transverse to the end surface, opposite to the first lateral sidewall, and spaced apart from the first lateral sidewall;
- a plurality of stiffeners, each stiffener of the plurality of stiffeners being positioned in a respective tread block of the plurality of tread blocks, the plurality of stiffeners each have a second stiffness value that is greater than the first stiffness value of the plurality of tread blocks, each stiffener extends from the first lateral sidewall of the respective tread block to the second lateral sidewall of the respective tread block, each stiffener is separate and distinct from other ones of the plurality of stiffeners, each stiffener of the plurality of stiffeners having a T-shape and including:
- a first surface being exposed at and coplanar with the first lateral sidewall of a respective tread block of the plurality of tread blocks, the first surface separates a first portion of the first lateral sidewall of the respective tread block from a second portion of the first lateral sidewall of the respective tread block;
- a second surface exposed at and coplanar with the second lateral sidewall the respective tread block, the second surface separates a first portion of the second lateral sidewall of the respective tread block from a second portion of the second lateral sidewall of the respective tread block;
- and
- a third surface exposed at and coplanar with the end surface the respective tread block;
- a first portion having a first lateral dimension extending in a lateral direction that is directed from the first lateral sidewall to the second lateral sidewall;
- and
- a second portion transverse to the first portion, the second portion having a second lateral dimension extending in the lateral direction, the second lateral dimension of the second portion being greater than the first lateral dimension of the first portion, and the second portion being spaced further away from the end surface of the respective tread block than the first portion.
10 more elements
A tire comprising:
- a tread including first and second tread shoulders and a plurality of tread blocks positioned in a spaced apart manner between the first and second tread shoulders, each tread block of the plurality of tread blocks being distinct and separated from each other by a plurality of circumferential grooves and a plurality of lateral grooves transverse to the plurality of circumferential grooves, each of the plurality of tread blocks including:
- an end surface;
- a first lateral sidewall transverse to the end surface;
- and
- a second lateral sidewall transverse to the end surface, opposite to the first lateral sidewall, and spaced apart from the first lateral sidewall;
- one or more piers extending into a first number of the plurality of tread blocks, the one or more piers are for stiffening the first number of the plurality of tread blocks, each of the one or more piers being distinct and separated from each other, the first number of the plurality of tread blocks with the one or more piers having a first stiffness value that is greater than a second stiffness value of a second number of the plurality of tread blocks without the one or more piers, each of the one or more piers being positioned in the first number of the plurality of tread blocks and extending from the first lateral sidewall to the second lateral sidewall of the first number of the plurality of tread blocks, each of the one or more piers having a T-shape and including:
- a first portion having a first lateral dimension extending in a lateral direction that is directed from the first lateral sidewall to the second lateral sidewall;
- and
- a second portion transverse to the first portion, the second portion having a second lateral dimension extending in the lateral direction, the second lateral dimension of the second potion being greater than the first lateral dimension of the first portion, and the second portion being spaced further away from the end surface of the respective tread block than the first portion.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.