Surface texture for a tire tread
AssigneeCompagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin
InventorsXavier Neau, Romain Berthier, Thomas Lescur
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Abstract
The surface state of the treads of tires cured in a vulcanization mold manufactured by 3D printing represents an optimal compromise between cost, appearance, and grip performance of the tire. The texture is formed by an arrangement of contiguous elements of pyramidal shape, each element of pyramidal shape having a base of parallelogram type positioned on the tread surface, and an apex situated at a normal distance H from the base in the range 0.15 mm to 0.5 mm.
Claims6
A tire provided with a tread of which portions of a tread surface that are intended to be in contact with a ground comprise a texture formed by an arrangement of contiguous elements of pyramidal shape, each element of pyramidal shape having a base of parallelogram type positioned on the tread surface, and an apex situated at a radial distance H from the base, the base being defined by:
- a first pair of mutually parallel sides spaced apart from one another by a first pitch P1, and forming an angle alpha with a circumferential direction of the tire;
- and
- a second pair of mutually parallel sides spaced apart from one another by a second pitch P2, and forming an angle beta with the circumferential direction, a side of the second pair of mutually parallel sides meeting a side of the first pair of mutually parallel sides to form an acute angle,
- wherein the first pair of parallel sides and the second pair of parallel sides form, at an intersection, vertices of the bases of parallelogram type, constituting a mesh of the portions of the tread surface,
- wherein the angle alpha is in a range from 15° to 75°,
- wherein the angle beta is in a range from −75° to −15°, and
- wherein a normal distance from the apex to the base is in a range from 0.15 mm to 0.5 mm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.