# US 2018/0022167 A1 · Truck tire tread and truck tire

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- Number: US 2018/0022167 A1
- Document ID: US20180022167A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/537,457
- Filed: 2015-12-09
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2014-12-18
- Assignees: Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin
- Applicants: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin
- Inventors: Stefan VOSS
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180022167A1

## CPC

- B60C 11/0323: {tread comprising channels under the tread surface, e.g. for draining water}
- B60C 11/03: Tread patterns
- B60C 11/032: {Patterns comprising isolated recesses}
- 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

Heavy truck tire tread having a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction and a thickness direction, said tread having a ground engaging surface and comprising a series of similar tread features repeated along its longitudinal direction, each tread feature comprising: two ducts extending from the ground-engaging surface in the thickness direction, said ducts being apart one from the other and having a duct section area of at least 10 mm2 and a length comprised between 50% and 100% of a thickness of said tread; one void being in fluidic connection with said two ducts, said void extending substantially parallel to the ground-engaging surface of the tread and at a distance therefrom and having a void section area of at least 10 mm; and one sipe joining said two ducts and said void; wherein said feature is otherwise blind and said series comprises 50 of said similar tread features.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A heavy truck tire tread having a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction and a thickness direction, said tread having a ground-engaging surface and comprising a series of similar tread features repeated along its longitudinal direction, each said tread feature of said series comprising:
two ducts extending from the ground-engaging surface in the thickness direction, said ducts being apart one from the other and having a duct section area of at least 10 mm2 and a length comprised between 50% and 100% of a thickness of said tread;
one void being in fluidic connection with said two ducts, said void extending substantially parallel to the ground-engaging surface of the tread and at a distance therefrom and having a void section area of at least 10 mm2; and
one sipe joining said two ducts and said void;
wherein said tread feature is otherwise blind and said series comprises at least 50 of said similar tread features.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The heavy truck tire tread of claim 1 wherein the two ducts of said tread feature are apart by a distance at least equal to 4 mm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The heavy truck tire tread of claim 2 wherein the two ducts have a duct section area at least equal to 12.6 mm2 and at most equal to 78.6 mm2.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The heavy truck tire tread of claim 1 wherein the void has a void section area at least equal to 12.6 mm2 and at most equal to 78.6 mm2.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The heavy truck tire tread of claim 1 wherein the tread features of said series are such that the two ducts of each feature are offset in the longitudinal direction of the tread.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The heavy truck tire tread of claim 5 wherein the tread features of said series are such that the two ducts of each feature are offset in the transverse direction of the tread.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The heavy truck tire tread of claim 1 wherein the tread features of said series are such that the sipe of each feature is undulated.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The heavy truck tire tread of claim 1 comprising a plurality of said series of said tread features across the width direction of the tread, said series being arranged parallel one to the other.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The heavy truck tire tread of claim 8 comprising at least four series of said tread features arranged parallel one to the other.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The heavy truck tire tread of claim 8 comprising at least six series of said tread features arranged parallel one to the other.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The heavy truck tire tread of claim 1 comprising less than three longitudinal open groves.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The heavy truck tire tread of claim 11 comprising less than two longitudinal open groves.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The heavy truck tire tread of claim 11 not comprising any longitudinal open grove.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

A heavy truck tire tread of claim 1 being operably attached to a heavy truck tire.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

A heavy truck tire comprising a heavy truck tire tread of claim 1.