# US 11,999,197 B2 · Pneumatic tire

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- Number: US 11,999,197 B2
- Document ID: US11999197B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/042,045
- Filed: 2019-03-22
- Published: 2021-01-28
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2018-03-26
- Assignees: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
- Inventors: Daisuke Watanabe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11999197B2

## CPC

- B60C 11/0304: {Asymmetric patterns}
- B60C 11/1236: {with special arrangements in the tread pattern}
- B60C 11/0318: {irregular patterns with particular pitch sequence}
- B60C 11/0327: {characterised by special properties of the tread pattern}
- B60C 11/033: {by the void or net-to-gross ratios of the patterns}
- B60C 11/12: characterised by the use of narrow slits or incisions, e.g. sipes
- B60C 11/0306: {Patterns comprising block rows or discontinuous ribs}
- B60C 2011/0341: {Circumferential grooves}
- B60C 2011/0381: {Blind or isolated grooves}
- B60C 2011/0383: {at the centre of the tread}
- B60C 2011/0386: {Continuous ribs}
- B60C 2011/1254: {with closed sipe, i.e. not extending to a groove}
- B60C: VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES

## Abstract

In a pneumatic tire, an intermediate land portion is provided with a plurality of lug grooves having acute bent portions and a plurality of sipes extending in a direction that intersects with the lug grooves. The lug grooves are disposed so as not to overlap one another in the tire circumferential direction, and each have one end that opens to an outer main groove and an other end that terminates in the intermediate land portion. When pitches, which serve as reference positions, are defined based on end points at which the lug grooves open to the outer main groove, the sipes each are disposed to be located inside one of the pitches, and the groove area ratio in the pitches in the intermediate land portion is in the range from 15% to 25%.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A pneumatic tire comprising: an annular tread portion extending in a tire circumferential direction; a pair of sidewall portions disposed on both sides of the tread portion; and a pair of bead portions disposed inward of the sidewall portions in a tire radial direction, the tread portion being provided with four main grooves including a pair of inner main grooves and a pair of outer main grooves, the main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction, a center land portion, a pair of intermediate land portions located outward of the center land portion, and a pair of shoulder land portions located outward of the intermediate land portions being divided via the main grooves, wherein
the intermediate land portions are each provided with a plurality of lug grooves each having an acute bent portion, and a plurality of sipes extending in a direction that intersects with the lug grooves, the lug grooves are disposed so as not to overlap one another in the tire circumferential direction, and each have one end that opens to the outer main groove and an other end that terminates in the intermediate land portions,
when pitches are defined parallel to a tire width direction based on end points, which serve as reference positions, at which the lug grooves open to the outer main groove, the sipes each are disposed to be located inside one of pitches, and a groove area ratio in the pitches in the intermediate land portions is in a range from 15% to 25%, and
each of the sipes and the lug grooves are disposed to not span across a plurality of the pitches.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a distance A in the tire circumferential direction from an apex of a bent portion of one of the lug grooves to a pitch adjacent to a pitch where the one of the lug grooves is included, and a pitch length P in the tire circumferential direction of the pitch where the one of the lug grooves is included satisfy a relationship 0≤A≤P×0.05.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a distance in a tire lateral direction from an apex of the bent portions of the lug grooves to the inner main grooves is in a range from ⅕ to ¼ of a width of the center land portion.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a difference between a groove area ratio of the intermediate land portions and a groove area ratio of the shoulder land portions in a ground contact region is 3% or less.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The pneumatic tire according to claim 2, wherein a distance in a tire lateral direction from an apex of the bent portions of the lug grooves to the inner main grooves is in a range from ⅕ to ¼ of a width of the center land portion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The pneumatic tire according to claim 5, wherein a difference between a groove area ratio of the intermediate land portions and a groove area ratio of the shoulder land portions in a ground contact region is 3% or less.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the pitches comprise a repeating pattern of five pitch lengths, in order of decreasing pitch length, disposed around an entire circumference of the pneumatic tire.