Tire sipe design with variable teardrop size having larger lateral midpoint

A heavy truck tire tread that has a lateral direction, a thickness direction, and a circumferential direction, comprising:

• a rib having a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface, wherein the rib has an upper surface;
• and
• a sipe located in the rib that extends from the first lateral surface to the second lateral surface, wherein the sipe has a body and a teardrop, wherein a first end of the teardrop is located at and engages the first lateral surface, wherein a second end of the teardrop is located at and engages the second lateral surface, and wherein the teardrop has a middle section that is located between the first end of the teardrop and the second end of the teardrop in the lateral direction, and wherein a lateral midpoint of the teardrop in the lateral direction is located at the middle section;
• wherein a cross-section of the teardrop of the middle section at the lateral midpoint is greater in size than a cross-section of the teardrop of the first end, and wherein the cross-section of the teardrop of the middle section at the lateral midpoint is greater in size than a cross-section of the teardrop of the second end;
• wherein the body engages the teardrop and has a consistent width completely from the first end of the teardrop to the second end of the teardrop, and wherein the cross-section of the teardrop continuously decreases in size from the middle section at the lateral midpoint to the first end;
• wherein a bottom of the teardrop extends from the first lateral surface to the second lateral surface and is a portion of the teardrop that is farthest from the upper surface in the thickness direction, wherein the bottom of the teardrop is farthest from the upper surface in the thickness direction at the lateral midpoint;
• wherein the bottom extends continuously closer to the upper surface in the thickness direction upon extension from the lateral midpoint to the first lateral surface;
• and
• wherein the bottom of the teardrop extends continuously closer to the upper surface in the thickness direction upon extension from the lateral midpoint to the second lateral surface;
• wherein the rib is a shoulder rib, and wherein the tread has a shoulder groove next to the shoulder rib in the lateral direction and wherein the second lateral surface faces the shoulder groove;
• further comprising a sacrificial rib that is located outboard from the shoulder rib in the lateral direction, and wherein a sacrificial rib groove is located between the shoulder rib and the sacrificial rib in the lateral direction, and wherein the first lateral surface faces the sacrificial rib groove, and wherein a bottom of the sacrificial rib groove is a portion of the sacrificial rib groove that is farthest from the upper surface in the thickness direction;
• wherein the first end extends along ⅓ of a lateral length of the teardrop, wherein the second end extends along ⅓ of the lateral length of the teardrop, and wherein the middle section extends along ⅓ of the lateral length of the teardrop;
• wherein a distance from the upper surface to a portion of the first end in the thickness direction is farther than a distance from the upper surface to the bottom of the sacrificial rib groove in the thickness direction.