Pneumatic tire
AssigneeThe Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
InventorHaruna Mizushima
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pneumatic tire includes first and second main grooves, and first sipes and auxiliary grooves on second land portions between the first and second main grooves, the auxiliary grooves opening to the second main grooves and terminating in the second land portions. The auxiliary grooves bend at a bend point and include a first portion extending from an opening end to the bend point, and a second portion extending from the bend point to a terminating end. A groove width of the first portion gradually reduces from the opening end to the bend point. Second sipes have an end that opens to each of the second main grooves and another end that opens to each of the terminating ends. Third sipes have an end that opens to the first main grooves and another end that opens to the first portions. The sipes are parallel to each other.
Claims18
A pneumatic tire, comprising:
- a pair of first main grooves formed on both outer sides, in a tire lateral direction, of a first land portion including a tire equatorial plane, the pair of first main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction;
- a pair of second main grooves lying outside, in the tire lateral direction, of the first main grooves, the pair of second main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction;
- auxiliary grooves formed on each of second land portions between one of the first main grooves and one of the second main grooves, the auxiliary grooves each opening to each of the second main grooves, the auxiliary grooves each terminating in one of the second land portions;
- and
- first sipes inclined in a direction identical to a direction of the auxiliary grooves, the first sipes crossing each of the second land portions, wherein
- the auxiliary grooves are each formed into a shape bending at a bend point, and each comprise:
- a first groove portion extending from an opening end portion at which each of the auxiliary grooves opens to the bend point;
- and
- a second groove portion extending from the bend point to a terminating end portion at which each of the auxiliary grooves terminates,
- a groove width of each of the first groove portions gradually reduces from the opening end portion to the bend point,
- the pneumatic tire further comprises:
- second sipes inclined in a direction identical to the direction of the auxiliary grooves, the second sipes each having an end that opens to each of the second main grooves, and another end that opens to each of the terminating end portions at which each of the second groove portions terminates;
- and
- third sipes inclined in a direction identical to the direction of the auxiliary grooves, the third sipes each having an end that opens to each of the first main grooves, and another end that opens to each of the first groove portions, the first sipes, the second sipes, and the third sipe are parallel to each other, and
- a ratio between a distance between each of the third sipes and each of the second sipes and a distance between each of the third sipes and each of the first sipes ranges from 0.7 or higher to 1.2 or lower.
A pneumatic tire, comprising:
- a pair of first main grooves formed on both outer sides, in a tire lateral direction, of a first land portion including a tire equatorial plane, the pair of first main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction;
- a pair of second main grooves lying outside, in the tire lateral direction, of the first main grooves, the pair of second main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction;
- auxiliary grooves formed on each of second land portions between one of the first main grooves and one of the second main grooves, the auxiliary grooves each opening to each of the second main grooves, the auxiliary grooves each terminating in one of the second land portions;
- and
- first sipes inclined in a direction identical to a direction of the auxiliary grooves, the first sipes crossing each of the second land portions, wherein
- the auxiliary grooves are each formed into a shape bending at a bend point, and each comprise:
- a first groove portion extending from an opening end portion at which each of the auxiliary grooves opens to the bend point;
- and
- a second groove portion extending from the bend point to a terminating end portion at which each of the auxiliary grooves terminates,
- a groove width of each of the first groove portions gradually reduces from the opening end portion to the bend point,
- the pneumatic tire further comprises:
- second sipes inclined in a direction identical to the direction of the auxiliary grooves, the second sipes each having an end that opens to each of the second main grooves, and another end that opens to each of the terminating end portions at which each of the second groove portions terminates;
- and
- third sipes inclined in a direction identical to the direction of the auxiliary grooves, the third sipes each having an end that opens to each of the first main grooves, and another end that opens to each of the first groove portions, the first sipes, the second sipes, and the third sipe are parallel to each other, and
- ratios among an area of a first region surrounded by each of the first sipes, each of the second sipes, each of the third sipes, and each of the auxiliary grooves in the second land portions, an area of a second region surrounded by each of the second sipes and each of the auxiliary grooves in the second land portions, and an area of a third region surrounded by each of the first sipes, each of the third sipes, and each of the first groove portions in the second land portions are specified such that the area of the second region ranges from 1.0 times or more to 2.0 times or less of the area of the third region, and the area of the third region ranges from 1.0 times or more to 2.0 times or less of the area of the first region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.