# US 11,298,984 B2 · Pneumatic tire

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- Number: US 11,298,984 B2
- Document ID: US11298984B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/303,728
- Filed: 2017-02-17
- Published: 2019-09-05
- Granted: 2022-04-12
- Earliest claimed: 2016-06-03
- Assignees: Bridgestone Corporation
- Applicants: Bridgestone Corporation
- Inventors: Nobuyuki Yamamoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11298984B2

## CPC

- B60C 11/1259: {Depth of the sipe}
- B60C 11/03: Tread patterns
- B60C 11/0306: {Patterns comprising block rows or discontinuous ribs}
- B60C 11/04: in which the raised area of the pattern consists only of continuous circumferential ribs, e.g. zig-zag (B60C11/12, B60C11/13 take precedence)
- B60C 11/11: in which the raised area of the pattern consists only of isolated elements, e.g. blocks (B60C11/12, B60C11/13 take precedence)
- B60C 11/12: characterised by the use of narrow slits or incisions, e.g. sipes
- B60C 11/1204: {with special shape of the sipe}
- B60C 11/1236: {with special arrangements in the tread pattern}
- B60C 2011/0346: {with zigzag shape}
- B60C 2011/1209: {straight at the tread surface}
- B60C 2011/1213: {sinusoidal or zigzag at the tread surface}
- B60C 2011/1268: {being different from sipe to sipe}
- B60C 2200/06: for heavy duty vehicles
- Y02T 10/86: Optimisation of rolling resistance, e.g. weight reduction
- B60C: VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

In the pneumatic tire, at least one main groove is formed in each tread portion on either side of the tire equator to form plural land portions, a microgroove that extends in the width direction and closes at a time of grounding, and a crossing microgroove that crosses the microgroove and closes at the time of grounding are formed in at least one of the land portions, such that block groups, each consisting of plural blocks aligned along the microgroove, are arranged in at least one of the land portions repeatedly in the circumferential direction, and widthwise sidewalls of blocks in a block group arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction are displaced from each other along the microgroove by a distance L corresponding to from ⅓ to ½ of the arrangement pitch P of the blocks.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A pneumatic tire comprising:
at least one main groove formed in each tread portion on either side of a tire equator S to form a plurality of land portions,
a microgroove that extends in a width direction and closes at a time of grounding, and
a crossing microgroove that crosses the microgroove and closes at the time of grounding,
wherein the microgroove and the crossing microgroove are formed in at least one of the land portions, such that block groups, each consisting of a plurality of blocks aligned along the microgroove, are arranged in the at least one of the land portions repeatedly in a circumferential direction,
wherein widthwise sidewalls of blocks in a block group arranged adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction are displaced from each other along the microgroove by a distance L corresponding to from ⅓ to ½ of an arrangement pitch P of the blocks,
wherein both the microgroove and the crossing microgroove are on the tire equator S,
wherein both the microgroove and the crossing microgroove are linear, with the microgroove being linear from one main groove to another main groove,
wherein the microgroove and the crossing microgroove are formed in a proximal land portion in closest proximity to the tire equator S, and
wherein a microgroove and a crossing microgroove are also formed in a land portion other than the proximal land portion, and a groove depth H of the microgroove and the crossing microgroove formed in the proximal land portion is larger than a groove depth J of the microgroove and the crossing microgroove formed in the land portion other than the proximal land portion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the groove depth H of the microgroove and the crossing microgroove formed in the proximal land portion is larger than a groove depth F of a main groove that comes into contact with the proximal land portion at a widthwise outer side.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a groove depth H of the microgroove and the crossing microgroove formed in the proximal land portion is larger than a groove depth F of a main groove that comes into contact with the proximal land portion at a widthwise outer side; and
the microgroove is inclined with respect to a tire meridian G.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of blocks includes only two blocks.

### Claim 5

A pneumatic tire comprising:
at least one main groove formed in each tread portion on either side of a tire equator S to form a plurality of land portions,
a microgroove that extends in a width direction and closes at a time of grounding, and
a crossing microgroove that crosses the microgroove and closes at the time of grounding,
wherein the microgroove and the crossing microgroove are formed in at least one of the land portions, such that block groups, each consisting of a plurality of blocks aligned along the microgroove, are arranged in the at least one of the land portions repeatedly in a circumferential direction,
wherein widthwise sidewalls of blocks in a block group arranged adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction are displaced from each other along the microgroove by a distance L corresponding to from ⅓ to ½ of an arrangement pitch P of the blocks,
wherein both the microgroove and the crossing microgroove are on the tire equator S,
wherein both the microgroove and the crossing microgroove are linear, with the microgroove being linear from one main groove to another main groove,
wherein the microgroove and the crossing microgroove are formed in a proximal land portion in closest proximity to the tire equator S;
wherein a microgroove and a crossing microgroove are also formed in a land portion other than the proximal land portion, and a groove depth H of the microgroove and the crossing microgroove formed in the proximal land portion is larger than a groove depth J of the microgroove and the crossing microgroove formed in the land portion other than the proximal land portion; and
wherein the microgroove is inclined with respect to a tire meridian G.