# US 11,993,102 B2 · Truck tire having water flow orienting tread feature > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,993,102 B2 - Document ID: US11993102B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/275,449 - Filed: 2019-10-16 - Published: 2022-02-17 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2018-11-09 - Assignees: Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin - Applicants: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin - Inventors: Paul Andrew Mayni; Daniel McEachern Hicks - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993102B2 ## CPC - B60C 11/0323: {tread comprising channels under the tread surface, e.g. for draining water} - B60C 11/0302: {directional pattern, i.e. with main rolling direction} - B60C 11/0306: {Patterns comprising block rows or discontinuous ribs} - B60C 11/032: {Patterns comprising isolated recesses} - B60C 11/12: characterised by the use of narrow slits or incisions, e.g. sipes - B60C 11/124: {inclined with regard to a plane normal to the tread surface} - B60C 11/1281: {different within the same sipe, i.e. enlarged width portion at sipe bottom or along its length} - 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 2011/1209: {straight at the tread surface} - B60C 2011/1245: {being arranged in crossing relation, e.g. sipe mesh} - B60C 2200/06: for heavy duty vehicles - B60C: VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES ## Abstract A heavy truck tire tread (12) is provided that has a partially hidden longitudinal groove (22) with an undersurface channel (24) engaged by a longitudinal sipe (26). The partially hidden longitudinal groove (22) has a surface opening (28) that extends from a surface of the tread to the undersurface channel (24). The tread (12) has at least one of two features. The first feature is that the surface opening (28) extends from the surface to the undersurface channel (24) at an angle to the thickness direction such that the surface opening (28) at the surface is forward of the surface opening (28) at the undersurface channel (24) in the rolling direction (20). The second feature is that a lateral sipe (32) engages the surface opening (28) so that the first end is at the surface opening (28), and the second end is forward of the first end in the rolling direction (20). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A heavy truck tire tread, comprising: a longitudinal direction, a lateral direction, and a thickness direction, wherein the tread has a rolling direction that is in the longitudinal direction; a partially hidden longitudinal groove that has an undersurface channel and a longitudinal sipe that engages the undersurface channel, wherein the partially hidden longitudinal groove has a surface opening that extends from a surface of the tread to the undersurface channel; wherein the surface opening extends from the surface to the undersurface channel at an angle to the thickness direction such that the surface opening at the surface is forward of the surface opening at the undersurface channel in the rolling direction when the surface opening at the surface is in a contact patch of the tread; and a first lateral sipe that has a first end and an opposite second end in the lateral direction, wherein the first lateral sipe engages the surface opening and the first end of the first lateral sipe is at the surface opening, wherein the second end of the first lateral sipe is forward of the first end of the first lateral sipe in the rolling direction; a second lateral sipe that engages the surface opening and extends from the surface opening with a longitudinal component of extension that is in the same direction in the longitudinal direction as is the longitudinal direction of a longitudinal component of extension of the first lateral sipe upon extension from the surface opening and is farther than the surface opening in the longitudinal direction, and wherein the second lateral sipe has a lateral component of extension from the surface opening that is inboard in the lateral direction; wherein a transition is present from the surface opening to the undersurface channel, wherein the transition has a convex surface portion and has a concave surface portion located forward of the convex surface portion in the rolling direction when the surface opening is in the contact patch of the tread, wherein empty space is present between the convex and concave surface portions, and wherein the convex surface portion has a convex cross-sectional shape and wherein the concave surface portion has a concave cross-sectional shape. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The tread as set forth in claim 1, wherein all of the surface opening at the surface is forward of all of the surface opening at the undersurface channel in the rolling direction when all of the surface opening at the surface is in the contact patch. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The tread as set forth in claim 1, wherein the angle of the surface opening is from 3 degrees to 15 degrees to the thickness direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The tread as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tread has a lateral undersurface channel that engages the first lateral sipe and the surface opening. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The tread as set forth in claim 4, wherein the lateral undersurface channel is wider than the first lateral sipe. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The tread as set forth in claim 5, wherein the first lateral sipe extends in a straight line from the first end to the second end. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The tread as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tread has a shoulder edge, and wherein the first lateral sipe extends to the shoulder edge in the lateral direction such that the second end of the first lateral sipe opens up out of the shoulder edge. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The tread as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first lateral sipe extends from the first end to the second end in an outboard direction of the lateral direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The tread as set forth in claim 1, wherein the undersurface channel and the longitudinal sipe extend in the longitudinal direction and do not have a component of extension in the lateral direction, wherein the first lateral sipe extends in both the longitudinal and lateral directions so as to have components of extension in both the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The tread as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tread has a circumferential groove, and wherein the tread has an intermediate rib located between the circumferential groove and the partially hidden longitudinal groove in the lateral direction, wherein the first lateral sipe extends across an entire width of the intermediate rib such that the second end of the first lateral sipe opens up into the circumferential groove. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A heavy truck tire that has the tread of claim 1. ### Claim 12 A heavy truck tire tread, comprising: a longitudinal direction, a lateral direction, and a thickness direction, wherein the tread has a rolling direction that is in the longitudinal direction; a partially hidden longitudinal groove that has an undersurface channel and a longitudinal sipe that engages the undersurface channel, wherein the partially hidden longitudinal groove has a surface opening that extends from a surface of the tread to the undersurface channel, wherein the surface opening extends from the surface to the undersurface channel at an angle to the thickness direction such that the surface opening at the surface is forward of the surface opening at the undersurface channel in the rolling direction when the surface opening at the surface is in a contact patch of the tread; wherein a transition is present from the surface opening to the undersurface channel, wherein the transition has a convex surface portion and has a concave surface portion located forward of the convex surface portion in the rolling direction when the surface opening is in a contact patch of the tread, wherein empty space is present between the convex and concave surface portions, and wherein the convex surface portion has a convex cross-sectional shape and wherein the concave surface portion has a concave cross-sectional shape. ### Claim 13 A heavy truck tire tread, comprising: a longitudinal direction, a lateral direction, and a thickness direction, wherein the tread has a rolling direction that is in the longitudinal direction; a partially hidden longitudinal groove that has an undersurface channel and a longitudinal sipe that engages the undersurface channel, wherein the partially hidden longitudinal groove has a surface opening that extends from a surface of the tread to the undersurface channel; a lateral sipe that has a first end and an opposite second end in the lateral direction, wherein the lateral sipe engages the surface opening and the first end of the lateral sipe is at the surface opening, wherein the second end of the lateral sipe is forward of the first end of the lateral sipe in the rolling direction; wherein the lateral sipe extends from the first end to the second end in an outboard direction of the lateral direction; wherein a transition is present from the surface opening to the undersurface channel, wherein the transition has a convex surface portion and has a concave surface portion located forward of the convex surface portion in the rolling direction when the surface opening is in a contact patch of the tread, wherein empty space is present between the convex and concave surface portions, and wherein the convex surface portion has a convex cross-sectional shape and wherein the concave surface portion has a concave cross-sectional shape.