# US 11,999,194 B2 · Tire > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,999,194 B2 - Document ID: US11999194B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/940,043 - Filed: 2022-09-08 - Published: 2023-04-06 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-10-04 - Assignees: Toyo Tire Corporation - Applicants: Toyo Tire Corporation - Inventors: Yoshiki Sato - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11999194B2 ## CPC - B60C 11/01: Shape of the shoulders between tread and sidewall, e.g. rounded, stepped or cantilevered - B60C 13/02: Arrangement of grooves or ribs - B60C 2011/013: {provided with a recessed portion} - B60C 2200/14: for off-road use - 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 a tire, a first side block comprises a first recess which opens so as to be directed toward a first circumferential direction, and a second recess which opens so as to be directed toward a second circumferential direction which is opposite the first circumferential direction in a tire circumferential direction. The first side block comprises a first region, a second region, and a first step which is between the first region and the second region and which is formed by a difference in heights by which the first region and the second region protrude. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A tire comprising a first side block that protrudes in a tire axial direction from a sidewall reference surface, wherein: the first side block comprises a first recess which opens so as to be directed toward a first circumferential direction, and a second recess which opens so as to be directed toward a second circumferential direction which is opposite the first circumferential direction in a tire circumferential direction; the first recess comprises a first outer recess edge which is inclined with respect to a tire radial direction, and a first inner recess edge which is inclined with respect to the tire radial direction and which is arranged toward an interior in the tire radial direction from the first outer recess edge; the first outer recess edge extends so as to be increasingly disposed in the first circumferential direction as one proceeds toward an exterior in the tire radial direction; the first inner recess edge extends so as to be increasingly disposed in the first circumferential direction as one proceeds toward the interior in the tire radial direction; the second recess comprises a second outer recess edge which is inclined with respect to the tire radial direction, and a second inner recess edge which is inclined with respect to the tire radial direction and which is arranged toward the interior in the tire radial direction from the second outer recess edge; the second outer recess edge extends so as to be increasingly disposed in the second circumferential direction as one proceeds toward the exterior in the tire radial direction; the second inner recess edge extends so as to be increasingly disposed in the second circumferential direction as one proceeds toward the interior in the tire radial direction; the first side block comprises a first region, a second region, and a first step which is between the first region and the second region and which is formed by a difference in heights by which the first region and the second region protrude; the first region is arranged toward the interior in the tire radial direction from the second region; the first region comprises a first apical surface which is an outer surface in the tire axial direction; the second region comprises a second apical surface which is an outer surface in the tire axial direction; the first step comprises a first connecting surface which connects the first apical surface and the second apical surface; the first connecting surface comprises a first contiguous portion which is contiguous with the first apical surface, and a second contiguous portion which is contiguous with the second apical surface; a height by which the first contiguous portion protrudes is greater than a height by which the second contiguous portion protrudes; the first recess is arranged so as to extend across the first region and the second region; and the second recess is arranged at a location which is in the first region but is separated from the second region. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1 wherein the first side block further comprises a reinforcing region which is contiguous with the second recess; the second recess is arranged at a location which is in the first region but is separated from the second region; and the first side block further comprises a second step which is formed by a difference in heights by which the first region and the reinforcing region protrude. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The tire according to claim 2 wherein the reinforcing region comprises a third apical surface which is an outer surface in the tire axial direction; the second step comprises a second connecting surface which connects the first apical surface and the third apical surface; the second connecting surface comprises a third contiguous portion which is contiguous with the first apical surface, and a fourth contiguous portion which is contiguous with the third apical surface; and a height by which the third contiguous portion protrudes is greater than a height by which the fourth contiguous portion protrudes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The tire according to claim 1 wherein a center in the tire radial direction of the second recess is arranged so as to be nearer than a center in the tire radial direction of the first recess to a tire maximum width location; and the second outer recess edge is contiguous with the second inner recess edge. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The tire according to claim 4 wherein an entirety of the first outer recess edge is arranged toward the exterior in the tire radial direction from an entirety of the second outer recess edge. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The tire according to claim 5 wherein an entirety of the first inner recess edge is arranged toward the exterior in the tire radial direction from an entirety of the second inner recess edge. ### Claim 7 A tire comprising a first side block that protrudes in a tire axial direction from a sidewall reference surface, wherein: the first side block comprises a first recess which opens so as to be directed toward a first circumferential direction, and a second recess which opens so as to be directed toward a second circumferential direction which is opposite the first circumferential direction in a tire circumferential direction; the first recess comprises a first outer recess edge which is inclined with respect to a tire radial direction, and a first inner recess edge which is inclined with respect to the tire radial direction and which is arranged toward an interior in the tire radial direction from the first outer recess edge; the first outer recess edge extends so as to be increasingly disposed in the first circumferential direction as one proceeds toward an exterior in the tire radial direction; the first inner recess edge extends so as to be increasingly disposed in the first circumferential direction as one proceeds toward the interior in the tire radial direction; the second recess comprises a second outer recess edge which is inclined with respect to the tire radial direction, and a second inner recess edge which is inclined with respect to the tire radial direction and which is arranged toward the interior in the tire radial direction from the second outer recess edge; the second outer recess edge extends so as to be increasingly disposed in the second circumferential direction as one proceeds toward the exterior in the tire radial direction; the second inner recess edge extends so as to be increasingly disposed in the second circumferential direction as one proceeds toward the interior in the tire radial direction; the first side block comprises a first region, a second region, and a first step which is between the first region and the second region and which is formed by a difference in heights by which the first region and the second region protrude; and the first side block further comprises a reinforcing region which is contiguous with the second recess. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The tire according to claim 7 wherein the reinforcing region comprises a third recess which opens so as to be directed toward the second circumferential direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The tire according to claim 8 wherein a dimension in the tire radial direction of the second recess is greater than a dimension in the tire radial direction of the third recess. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The tire according to claim 8 wherein the third recess comprises a third outer recess edge which is inclined with respect to the tire radial direction, and a third inner recess edge which is inclined with respect to the tire radial direction and which is arranged toward the interior in the tire radial direction from the third outer recess edge. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The tire according to claim 10 wherein the third outer recess edge is contiguous with the third inner recess edge. ### Claim 12 A tire comprising a first side block that protrudes in a tire axial direction from a sidewall reference surface, wherein: the first side block comprises a first recess which opens so as to be directed toward a first circumferential direction, and a second recess which opens so as to be directed toward a second circumferential direction which is opposite the first circumferential direction in a tire circumferential direction; the first recess comprises a first outer recess edge which is inclined with respect to a tire radial direction, and a first inner recess edge which is inclined with respect to the tire radial direction and which is arranged toward an interior in the tire radial direction from the first outer recess edge; the first outer recess edge extends so as to be increasingly disposed in the first circumferential direction as one proceeds toward an exterior in the tire radial direction; the first inner recess edge extends so as to be increasingly disposed in the first circumferential direction as one proceeds toward the interior in the tire radial direction; the second recess comprises a second outer recess edge which is inclined with respect to the tire radial direction, and a second inner recess edge which is inclined with respect to the tire radial direction and which is arranged toward the interior in the tire radial direction from the second outer recess edge; the second outer recess edge extends so as to be increasingly disposed in the second circumferential direction as one proceeds toward the exterior in the tire radial direction; the second inner recess edge extends so as to be increasingly disposed in the second circumferential direction as one proceeds toward the interior in the tire radial direction; the first side block comprises a first region, a second region, and a first step which is between the first region and the second region and which is formed by a difference in heights by which the first region and the second region protrude; a center in the tire radial direction of the first recess is arranged toward the exterior in the tire radial direction from a center in the tire radial direction of the second recess; the first recess further comprises an intermediate recess edge which is arranged between the first outer recess edge and the first inner recess edge; and the intermediate recess edge extends so as to be parallel to the tire radial direction and is respectively connected to the first outer recess edge and the first inner recess edge. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The tire according to claim 12 further comprising a second side block that protrudes in the tire axial direction from the sidewall reference surface, wherein the second side block is arranged so as to be separated and in the first circumferential direction from the first recess; an inner end in the tire radial direction of the second side block is arranged toward the exterior in the tire radial direction from an inner end in the tire radial direction of the first inner recess edge; and a common tire meridional plane is respectively intersected by the first side block and the second side block. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The tire according to claim 13 wherein the first side block further comprises a circumferential edge which extends in the first circumferential direction from an inner end in the tire radial direction of the first recess; and the circumferential edge intersects the common tire meridional plane. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The tire according to claim 13 wherein an outer end in the tire radial direction of the second side block is arranged toward the interior in the tire radial direction from an outer end in the tire radial direction of the first side block. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The tire according to claim 15 wherein an outer end in the tire radial direction of the second side block is arranged toward the interior in the tire radial direction from an outer end in the tire radial direction of the first outer recess edge. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The tire according to claim 13 wherein the second side block comprises a high region which appears to protrude by a height greater than that of the first side block as viewed in the tire circumferential direction. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The tire according to claim 17 further comprising an annular projection that extends in the tire circumferential direction from the first side block to the second side block, wherein the high region is arranged toward the exterior in the tire radial direction from the annular projection.