# US 11,999,198 B2 · Pneumatic tire > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,999,198 B2 - Document ID: US11999198B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/614,748 - Filed: 2020-05-27 - Published: 2022-07-21 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-14 - Assignees: Bridgestone Corporation - Applicants: Bridgestone Corporation - Inventors: Tatsuya Tomida - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11999198B2 ## CPC - B60C 11/0306: {Patterns comprising block rows or discontinuous ribs} - B60C 11/1281: {different within the same sipe, i.e. enlarged width portion at sipe bottom or along its length} - B60C 11/0008: {characterised by the tread rubber} - B60C 11/005: {with cap and base layers} - B60C 11/0323: {tread comprising channels under the tread surface, e.g. for draining water} - 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 11/1259: {Depth of the sipe} - B60C 1/0016: {Compositions of the tread} - B60C 2011/0025: {Modulus or tan delta} - B60C 2011/0365: {characterised by width} - B60C 2011/0367: {characterised by depth} - B60C 2011/0381: {Blind or isolated grooves} - B60C 2011/0386: {Continuous ribs} - B60C 2200/04: for road vehicles, e.g. passenger cars - 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 pneumatic tire includes, on a tread surface, a plurality of circumferential main grooves extending in the tread circumferential direction, and a plurality of land portions each defined between circumferential main grooves adjacent in the tread width direction among the plurality of circumferential main grooves, or by a circumferential main groove and a tread edge. A widthwise groove (widthwise sipe) (circumferential sipe) includes a widened portion, on the groove bottom side (sipe bottom side), at which the groove width (sipe width) is larger than on the tread surface side. The storage modulus of tread rubber located in a tire radial direction region including at least a reference depth position is larger than a storage modulus of tread rubber located in regions inward and outward in the tire radial direction from the tire radial direction region. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pneumatic tire comprising, on a tread surface, a plurality of circumferential main grooves extending in a tread circumferential direction, and a plurality of land portions, each land portion being between circumferential main grooves adjacent in a tread width direction among the plurality of circumferential main grooves, or between one of the circumferential main grooves and a tread edge, wherein at least one of the land portions includes a plurality of widthwise grooves extending in the tread width direction, the widthwise grooves include a widened portion, on a groove bottom side, at which a groove width is larger than on the tread surface side, when the pneumatic tire is mounted on an applicable rim, filled to a prescribed internal pressure, and under no load, a groove depth position, farthest outward in a tire radial direction, at which the groove width of the widened portion of the widthwise groove is 2.5 or more times an opening width of the widthwise groove at the tread surface is a reference depth position, a storage modulus of tread rubber only in a tire radial direction region including the reference depth position is larger than a storage modulus of tread rubber in regions inward and outward in the tire radial direction from the tire radial direction region, the tire radial direction region includes a region extending 0.5 mm inward and 0.5 mm outward in the tire radial direction from the reference depth position, and a thickness of the tread rubber in the tire radial direction region including the reference depth position is constant. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire of claim 1, wherein the storage modulus of the tread rubber in the tire radial direction region is 1.5 or more times the storage modulus of the tread rubber in regions inward and outward in the tire radial direction from the tire radial direction region. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire of claim 1, wherein the storage modulus of the tread rubber in the tire radial direction region is 1.8 or more times the storage modulus of the tread rubber in regions inward and outward in the tire radial direction from the tire radial direction region. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the land portions is the land portion between the one of the circumferential main grooves and the tread edge. ### Claim 5 A pneumatic tire comprising, on a tread surface, a plurality of circumferential main grooves extending in a tread circumferential direction, and a plurality of land portions, each land portion being between circumferential main grooves adjacent in a tread width direction among the plurality of circumferential main grooves, or between one of the circumferential main grooves and a tread edge, wherein at least one of the land portions includes a plurality of widthwise sipes extending in the tread width direction, the widthwise sipes include a widened portion, on a sipe bottom side, at which a sipe width is larger than on the tread surface side, when the pneumatic tire is mounted on an applicable rim, filled to a prescribed internal pressure, and under no load, a sipe depth position, farthest outward in a tire radial direction, at which the sipe width of the widened portion of the widthwise sipe is 2.5 or more times an opening width of the widthwise sipe at the tread surface is a reference depth position, a storage modulus of tread rubber only in a tire radial direction region including the reference depth position is larger than a storage modulus of tread rubber located in regions inward and outward in the tire radial direction from the tire radial direction region, the tire radial direction region includes a region extending 0.5 mm inward and 0.5 mm outward in the tire radial direction from the reference depth position, and a thickness of the tread rubber in the tire radial direction region including the reference depth position is constant. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The pneumatic tire of claim 5, wherein the at least one of the land portions is the land portion between the one of the circumferential main grooves and the tread edge. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The pneumatic tire of claim 5, wherein the storage modulus of the tread rubber in the tire radial direction region is 1.5 or more times the storage modulus of the tread rubber in regions inward and outward in the tire radial direction from the tire radial direction region. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The pneumatic tire of claim 5, wherein the storage modulus of the tread rubber in the tire radial direction region is 1.8 or more times the storage modulus of the tread rubber in regions inward and outward in the tire radial direction from the tire radial direction region. ### Claim 9 A pneumatic tire comprising, on a tread surface, a plurality of circumferential main grooves extending in a tread circumferential direction, and a plurality of land portions, each land portion being between circumferential main grooves adjacent in a tread width direction among the plurality of circumferential main grooves, or between one of the circumferential main grooves and a tread edge, wherein at least one of the land portions includes at least one circumferential sipe extending in the tread circumferential direction, the circumferential sipe includes a widened portion, on a sipe bottom side, at which a sipe width is larger than on the tread surface side, when the pneumatic tire is mounted on an applicable rim, filled to a prescribed internal pressure, and under no load, a sipe depth position, farthest outward in a tire radial direction, at which the sipe width of the widened portion of the circumferential sipe is 2.5 or more times an opening width of the circumferential sipe at the tread surface is a reference depth position, a storage modulus of tread rubber only in a tire radial direction region including at least the reference depth position is larger than a storage modulus of tread rubber in regions inward and outward in the tire radial direction from the tire radial direction region, the tire radial direction region includes a region extending 0.5 mm inward and 0.5 mm outward in the tire radial direction from the reference depth position, and a thickness of the tread rubber in the tire radial direction region including the reference depth position is constant. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The pneumatic tire of claim 9, wherein the at least one of the land portions is the land portion between the one of the circumferential main grooves and the tread edge. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The pneumatic tire of claim 9, wherein the storage modulus of the tread rubber in the tire radial direction region is 1.5 or more times the storage modulus of the tread rubber in regions inward and outward in the tire radial direction from the tire radial direction region. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The pneumatic tire of claim 9, wherein the storage modulus of the tread rubber in the tire radial direction region is 1.8 or more times the storage modulus of the tread rubber in regions inward and outward in the tire radial direction from the tire radial direction region.