# US 11,305,590 B2 · Tire > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,305,590 B2 - Document ID: US11305590B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/249,401 - Filed: 2019-01-16 - Published: 2019-08-08 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-05 - Assignees: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. - Applicants: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. - Inventors: Yuichi Ishigaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305590B2 ## CPC - B60C 11/1218: {Three-dimensional shape with regard to depth and extending direction} - B60C 11/0323: {tread comprising channels under the tread surface, e.g. for draining water} - B60C 11/1272: {Width of the sipe} - B60C 11/1281: {different within the same sipe, i.e. enlarged width portion at sipe bottom or along its length} - B60C 11/032: {Patterns comprising isolated recesses} - B60C 11/124: {inclined with regard to a plane normal to the tread surface} - B60C 2011/1213: {sinusoidal or zigzag 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 tyre includes a tread portion including a land portion having a ground contact surface and at least one sidewall. The land portion is provided with a radial channel extending from a radially outer end opened at the ground contact surface to a radially inner end, an internal lateral channel extending under the ground contact surface within the land portion and having one end opened at the at least one sidewall and communicating with the radially inner end of the radial channel, and a sipe opened at the ground contact surface and communicating with the radial channel and the internal lateral channel. The radially outer end of the radial channel has an axial opening width in a range of from 5% to 20% of an axial width of the land portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A tire comprising: a tread portion comprising at least one land portion, the at least one land portion having a ground contact surface and at least one sidewall; and the at least one land portion being provided with at least one radial channel extending to a radially inner end thereof from a radially outer end thereof opened at the ground contact surface, at least one internal lateral channel provided under the ground contact surface of the land portion, the at least one internal lateral channel extending from one end thereof opened at the at least one sidewall to the at least one radial channel, and at least one sipe extending radially inwardly from the ground contact surface to communicate with both the at least one radial channel and the at least one internal lateral channel, wherein the radially outer end of the at least one radial channel has an axial opening width in a range of from 5% to 20% of an axial width of the at least one land portion, wherein the at least one radial channel comprises a plurality of radial channels, wherein the at least one internal lateral channel comprises a plurality of internal lateral channels, and wherein the plurality of radial channels is spaced in a tire circumferential direction without being in communication with each other, or the plurality of internal lateral channels is spaced in the tire circumferential direction without being in communication with each other, wherein the at least one radial channel comprises a first radial channel and a second radial channel that extends in a direction crossing to the first radial channel, and the first radial channel and the second radial channel are communicated with a same lateral channel in the at least one lateral channel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein the at least one internal lateral channel is inclined at an angle offset from a tire axial direction by an angle equal to or less than 45 degrees with respect to a tire axial direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The tire according to claim 2, wherein the at least one internal lateral channel comprises a first internal lateral channel and a second internal lateral channel extending in a direction crossing the first internal lateral channel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein the at least one internal lateral channel comprises a first internal lateral channel and a second internal lateral channel extending in a direction crossing the first internal lateral channel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The tire according to claim 4, wherein the at least one land portion comprises axially spaced two sidewalls, and the at least one internal lateral channel is opened at the respective sidewalls. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein the at least one internal lateral channel has a channel cross-section having a maximum diameter of from 3 to 8 mm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein the at least one land portion comprises axially spaced two sidewalls, and the at least one internal lateral channel is opened at the respective sidewalls. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein the first internal lateral channel and the second internal lateral channel are inclined in the tire axial direction in an opposite direction with each other. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The tire according to claim 8, wherein the first internal lateral channel and the second internal lateral channel are inclined at an angle offset from the tire axial direction by an angle equal to or less than 45 degrees. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The tire according to claim 8, wherein the at least one sidewall comprises two sidewalls located both sides in the tire axial direction of the at least one land portion, and the first internal lateral channel is opened at one of the two sidewall and the second internal lateral channel is opened at the other one of the two sidewalls. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein the at least one radial channel has a cross-section area that increases continuously inwardly in a tire radial direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein an opening of the at least one internal lateral channel has an elliptic shape having a minor axis extending in a tire radial direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein an area of an opening of the at least one internal lateral channel is in a range of from 120% to 150% of an area of an opening of the at least one radial channel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein the at least one radial channel comprises a first radial channel and a second radial channel that extends in a direction crossing to the first radial channel, and wherein the first radial channel is directly connected to the second radial channel such that the at least one radial channel is bent. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein the at least one internal lateral channel comprises a first internal lateral channel and a second internal lateral channel, wherein both the first internal lateral channel and the second internal lateral channel are communicated with a same radial channel in the at least one radial channel, and wherein the first internal lateral channel and the second internal lateral channel extend from the same radial channel toward a circumferential first side. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein the at least one radial channel has a circumferential opening width smaller than the axial opening width thereof.