# US 11,897,290 B2 · Tire > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,897,290 B2 - Document ID: US11897290B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/960,348 - Filed: 2022-10-05 - Published: 2023-04-27 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2022-10-05 - Assignees: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. - Applicants: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. - Inventors: Yuya Meguro - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897290B2 ## CPC - B60C 11/125: {arranged at the groove bottom} - B60C 11/01: Shape of the shoulders between tread and sidewall, e.g. rounded, stepped or cantilevered - B60C 11/1369: {Tie bars for linking block elements and bridging the groove} - B60C 11/1392: {with chamfered block edges} - B60C 11/0304: {Asymmetric patterns} - B60C 11/032: {Patterns comprising isolated recesses} - B60C 2011/0365: {characterised by width} - B60C 2011/0367: {characterised by depth} - B60C 2011/0372: {with particular inclination angles} - B60C 2011/0381: {Blind or isolated grooves} - B60C 2011/0386: {Continuous ribs} - B60C 2011/0388: {provided at the equatorial plane} - 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 A tire includes a tread portion including a first tread edge, a first shoulder circumferential groove, and a first shoulder land portion demarcated by the first shoulder circumferential groove to include the first tread edge. The first shoulder land portion is provided with first shoulder lateral grooves extending from the first shoulder circumferential groove to the first tread edge. One of the first shoulder lateral grooves includes first and second groove walls which face each other, and a tie-bar. The tie-bar includes an outer surface extending along a ground contact surface of the first shoulder land portion, the outer surface being connected to the first and second groove walls. The outer surface includes a first edge connected to the first groove wall, and a second edge connected to the second groove wall, the second edge having a length smaller than a length of the first edge. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A tire comprising: a tread portion comprising a first tread edge, a first shoulder circumferential groove extending in a tire circumferential direction adjacent to the first tread edge, and a first shoulder land portion demarcated by the first shoulder circumferential groove to include the first tread edge, wherein the first shoulder land portion is provided with a plurality of first shoulder lateral grooves extending from the first shoulder circumferential groove to at least the first tread edge, at least one of the plurality of first shoulder lateral grooves comprises a first groove wall and a second groove wall which face each other and extend in a tire radial direction, and a tie-bar in which a groove bottom portion raises locally, the tie-bar comprises an outer surface extending along a ground contact surface of the first shoulder land portion, the outer surface being connected to the first groove wall and the second groove wall, the outer surface comprises a first edge connected to the first groove wall, and a second edge connected to the second groove wall, the second edge having a length smaller than a length of the first edge, and the length of the second edge is in a range from 30% to 50% of the length of the first edge. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the plurality of first shoulder lateral grooves is provided with chamfer portions, the chamfer portions comprise a first inclined surface extending from the ground contact surface to the first groove wall, and a second inclined surface extending from the ground contact surface to the second groove wall, and in a tread plan view, a maximum width of the second inclined surface is greater than a maximum width of the first inclined surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The tire according to claim 2, wherein the maximum width of the second inclined surface is 2.0 to 3.0 times the maximum width of the first inclined surface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The tire according to claim 3, wherein an inclination angle of the second inclined surface with respect to a tire normal line is greater than an inclination angle of the first inclined surface with respect to a tire normal line. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The tire according to claim 3, wherein the tie-bar is provided on an end of the at least one of the plurality of first shoulder lateral grooves on a first shoulder circumferential groove side. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The tire according to claim 3, wherein in a tread plan view, the outer surface of the tie-bar has a trapezoidal shape. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The tire according to claim 2, wherein an inclination angle of the second inclined surface with respect to a tire normal line is greater than an inclination angle of the first inclined surface with respect to a tire normal line. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The tire according to claim 7, wherein the tie-bar is provided on an end of the at least one of the plurality of first shoulder lateral grooves on a first shoulder circumferential groove side. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The tire according to claim 7, wherein in a tread plan view, the outer surface of the tie-bar has a trapezoidal shape. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The tire according to claim 2, wherein the tie-bar is provided on an end of the at least one of the plurality of first shoulder lateral grooves on a first shoulder circumferential groove side. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The tire according to claim 2, wherein in a tread plan view, the outer surface of the tie-bar has a trapezoidal shape. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein the tie-bar is provided on an end of the at least one of the plurality of first shoulder lateral grooves on a first shoulder circumferential groove side. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The tire according to claim 12, wherein in a tread plan view, the outer surface of the tie-bar has a trapezoidal shape. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein in a tread plan view, the outer surface of the tie-bar has a trapezoidal shape. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein an area of the outer surface of the tie-bar is in a range from 20% to 30% of an opening area of the at least one of the plurality of first shoulder lateral grooves between the first tread edge and the first shoulder circumferential groove. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the plurality of first shoulder lateral grooves is provided with a groove bottom sipe opening at the outer surface of the tie-bar. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1, wherein the tread portion comprises a first middle land portion adjacent to the first shoulder land portion via the first shoulder circumferential groove, the first middle land portion is provided with a plurality of first middle shallow grooves extending from the first shoulder circumferential groove and terminate within the first middle land portion, a total depth of the plurality of first middle shallow grooves is in a range from 70% to 90% of a maximum depth of the first shoulder lateral grooves, and areas where ends of the respective first shoulder lateral grooves on the first shoulder circumferential groove side are extended parallel to the tire axial direction overlap more than 50% of groove widths of ends of the respective first middle shallow grooves on the first shoulder circumferential groove side.