Tread and the method of designing the tread having circumferentially elongated central arrays

Abstract

A tread 20 has an equatorial centerplane and a plurality of tread elements 40, 42, 44 oriented into a first shoulder row 22, a second shoulder row 24 and a central array 30. The central array 30 forms a repeating pattern of tread elements 40 wherein each array 30 has at least five tread elements 40 distinct in size, shape or orientation relative to adjacent tread elements 40 within the array. The array 30 extends circumferentially adjacent the first or second shoulder row 22, 24 and has a centerline L inclined less than 45° relative to the equatorial centerplane. Each array 30 forms a large distinctive mosaic pattern repeating around the tread circumference, the array 30 having at least two rows of tread elements 40 oriented with at least one tread element 40 being on each side of the centerline L at the equatorial centerplane of the tread 20.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.