High performance tire for vehicles
AssigneePirelli Pneumatici S.p.A.
InventorsRiccardo Cesarini, Gianfranco Colombo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A very high performance tire (1, 101) for vehicles comprises a tread (14) provided with a plurality of transversal grooves (15) circumferentially distributed along the tread (14) in groups alternately extending from opposite shoulder zones (F, G) of the tread (14). The transversal grooves (15) define in an equatorial zone (E) of the tread (14) a substantially isotropic matrix of substantially continuous portions (18) of the tread (14) terminating at an equatorial portion (17) of a same transversal groove (15) of the axially opposite group of grooves.
Claims38
A tire (1, 101) for vehicles having a curvature ratio not greater than 0.1, comprising:
- a carcass structure (2) including a central crown portion (3) and two sidewalls (4, 5) ending in a couple of beads (9, 10) for anchoring to a rim (11) of a wheel;
- a belt structure (12), coaxially associated to the carcass structure (2);
- a tread (14), coaxially extending around the belt structure (12), on the tread being defined:
- i) an equatorial zone (E) extending on either side of the equatorial plane (Y-Y) of the tire (1, 101), and
- ii) two shoulder zones (F, G) in axially opposite positions with respect to said equatorial zone;
- said tread (14) comprising a plurality of transversal grooves (15) including a first shoulder portion (16) and a second equatorial portion (17),
- characterized in that said transversal grooves (15) are circumferentially distributed along the tread (14) in groups alternately extending from said shoulder zones (F, G) of the tread (14), said groups of grooves (15) defining in the equatorial zone (E) of the tread (14) a plurality of substantially continuous portions (18) of the tread (14) ending at the equatorial portion (17) of a same transversal groove (15) of the axially opposed group of grooves (15).
A tread (14) for vehicle tires, comprising a plurality of transversal grooves (15) including a first shoulder portion (16) and a second equatorial portion (17) formed in an equatorial zone (E) of the tread (14) extending on either side of the equatorial plane (Y-Y) of the tire (1, 101) and along at least one of two shoulder zones (F, G) defined on the tread (14) in axially opposite parts with respect to said equatorial zone (E),
- characterized in that said transversal grooves (15) are circumferentially distributed in groups alternately extending from said shoulder zones (F, G) of the tread (14), said groups of grooves (15) defining in the equatorial zone (E) of the tread (14) a plurality of substantially continuous portions (18) of the tread (14) terminating at the equatorial portion (17) of a same transversal groove (15) of the axially opposed group of grooves (15).
A set of tires (1, 101), comprising a first couple of tires (101) adapted to be mounted on the front wheels of a vehicle and a second couple of tires (1) adapted to be mounted on the rear wheels of a vehicle, said first and second couple of tires (1, 101) comprising a first and, respectively, a second tread (14) on each of which are defined:
- i) an equatorial zone (E) extending on either side of the equatorial plane (Y-Y) of the tire (1, 101), and
- ii) two shoulder zones (F, G) in axially opposite positions with respect to said equatorial zone (E);
- said first and second treads (14) being provided with a plurality of transversal grooves (15) including a first shoulder portion (16) and a second equatorial portion (17),
- characterized in that:
- 1) in the front tires (101) said transversal grooves (15) are circumferentially distributed along the first tread (14) in groups alternately extending from opposite shoulder zones (F, G) of the tread (14), each of said groups including from 3 to 5 grooves (15),
- 2) in the rear tires (1) said transversal grooves (15) are circumferentially distributed along the second tread (14) in groups alternately extending from opposite shoulder zones (F, G) of the tread (14), each of said groups including from 5 to 7 grooves (15),
- said groups of grooves (15) defining in the equatorial zone (E) of said first and second treads (14) a corresponding plurality of substantially continuous portions (18) of the tread (14) terminating at the equatorial portion (17) of a same transversal groove (15) of the axially opposite group of grooves (15).
A method of optimizing the road behavior of a vehicle equipped with a set of tires (1, 101), comprising the following steps:
- a) mounting on the front steering axis of the vehicle a couple of tires (101) comprising a first tread (14) allowing a substantially neutral behavior to lateral and longitudinal stresses and combinations thereof;
- b) mounting on the rear and tractive axis of the vehicle a couple of tires (1) comprising a second tread (14) having a preferred releasing direction of longitudinal stresses with respect to lateral stresses.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.