# US 2019/0168545 A1 · Tire

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- Number: US 2019/0168545 A1
- Document ID: US20190168545A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/206,588
- Filed: 2018-11-30
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-01
- Assignees: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
- Applicants: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
- Inventors: Tatsuya SASAKI; Emi UEDA; Masatoshi TANAKA; Ken MIYAZAWA; Sawa OGIHARA; Ryuhei SANAE
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168545A1

## CPC

- B60C 11/0318: {irregular patterns with particular pitch sequence}
- B60C 11/0306: {Patterns comprising block rows or discontinuous ribs}
- B60C 11/0332: {by the footprint-ground contacting area of the tyre tread}
- B60C 11/11: in which the raised area of the pattern consists only of isolated elements, e.g. blocks (B60C11/12, B60C11/13 take precedence)
- B60C 2011/0341: {Circumferential grooves}
- B60C 2011/0358: {Lateral grooves, i.e. having an angle of 45 to 90 degees to the equatorial plane}
- B60C: VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES

## Abstract

A tire has a tread pattern comprising a series of a number N of tread design units arranged repeatedly and circumferentially of the tire in a sequence. The tread design units have at least two different circumferential lengths. Viewing the tread design units as pulses, a pulse train is defined. Magnitudes of the pulses are proportional to the circumferential lengths of the tread design units. The average of the magnitudes corresponding to the different circumferential lengths is limited to 1.00. Maximum value Fmax of amplitude F(k) of k-th order (k=1 to 2N) of frequencies obtained by Fourier transforming the pulse train is limited to be 4.52−0.0125 N. The amplitudes F(k) and F(k+1) of every two of the adjacent orders (k) and (k+1) are limited so as not to satisfy a condition that both of the amplitudes F(k) and F(k+1) are 2/3 or more times the Fmax.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A tire comprising:
a tread portion provided with a tread pattern,
the tread pattern comprising a series of a number N of tread design units arranged repeatedly and circumferentially of the tire in a sequence,
the tread design units having at least two different circumferential lengths, wherein when viewing the tread design units as the number N of pulses having magnitudes proportional to the respective circumferential lengths of the tread design units, and
defining a pulse train such that the number N of the pulses are arranged in the same sequence as the tread design units at intervals which are defined by the circumferential lengths of the corresponding tread design units expressed in term of a ratio to one of said at least two different circumferential lengths, and further
expressing magnitudes of the pulses by the respective circumferential lengths in term of a ratio to the median value of said at least two different circumferential lengths,
the average of the magnitudes of the pulses corresponding to said at least two different circumferential lengths is limited to 1.00,
a maximum value Fmax of amplitude F(k) of k-th order (k=1 to 2N) of frequencies obtained by Fourier transforming said pulse train with the following formula (1) is limited to satisfy the following condition: Fmax<=4.52−0.0125 N,
F

(
k
)
=
10
k
2

c
k
2
+
d
k
2


c
k
=
∑
j
=
1
N
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
p
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(
j
)
·
sin

(
2


π


k
l
·
X

(
j
)
)


d
k
=
∑
j
=
1
N


p

(
j
)
·
cos

(
2
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
π
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
k
l
·
X
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(
j
)
)
,
(
1
)
wherein
P(j) is the magnitude of the j-th pulse (j=1 to N) counted from a beginning of the pulse train,
X(j) is the position of the j-th pulse from the beginning of the pulse train, and
l is a circumference length parameter equal to the sum of said ratios expressing the circumferential lengths of all the tread design units in a series, and
the amplitudes F(k) of every two of the adjacent orders (k) and (k+1) are limited so as not to satisfy a condition that both of the amplitudes F(k) and F(k+1) have values of 2/3 or more times said maximum value Fmax.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The tire according to claim 1, wherein the amplitude F(1) of the 1st order is not more than 0.6.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The tire according to claim 1, wherein the amplitude F(1) of the 1st order is not more than 0.5.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The tire according to claim 1, wherein the number N of the tread design units in a series is not less than 30 and not more than 90.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The tire according to claim 1, wherein the increasing rate of the circumferential lengths of every two of the tread design units arranged adjacently to each other in the tire circumferential direction is a range from 0.08 to 0.25.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The tire according to claim 1, wherein the maximum value Fmax is not more than 4.37−0.0125 N.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The tire according to claim 1, wherein the maximum value Fmax is not more than 4.22−0.0125 N.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The tire according to claim 2, wherein the number N of the tread design units in a series is not less than 30 and not more than 90.

### Claim 9 (depends on 3)

The tire according to claim 3, wherein the number N of the tread design units in a series is not less than 30 and not more than 90.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The tire according to claim 2, wherein the increasing rate of the circumferential lengths of every two of the tread design units arranged adjacently to each other in the tire circumferential direction is a range from 0.08 to 0.25.

### Claim 11 (depends on 3)

The tire according to claim 3, wherein the increasing rate of the circumferential lengths of every two of the tread design units arranged adjacently to each other in the tire circumferential direction is a range from 0.08 to 0.25.

### Claim 12 (depends on 4)

The tire according to claim 4, wherein the increasing rate of the circumferential lengths of every two of the tread design units arranged adjacently to each other in the tire circumferential direction is a range from 0.08 to 0.25.

### Claim 13 (depends on 2)

The tire according to claim 2, wherein the maximum value Fmax is not more than 4.37−0.0125 N.

### Claim 14 (depends on 3)

The tire according to claim 3, wherein the maximum value Fmax is not more than 4.37−0.0125 N.

### Claim 15 (depends on 4)

The tire according to claim 4, wherein the maximum value Fmax is not more than 4.37−0.0125 N.

### Claim 16 (depends on 5)

The tire according to claim 5, wherein the maximum value Fmax is not more than 4.37−0.0125 N.

### Claim 17 (depends on 2)

The tire according to claim 2, wherein the maximum value Fmax is not more than 4.22−0.0125 N.

### Claim 18 (depends on 3)

The tire according to claim 3, wherein the maximum value Fmax is not more than 4.22−0.0125 N.

### Claim 19 (depends on 4)

The tire according to claim 4, wherein the maximum value Fmax is not more than 4.22−0.0125 N.

### Claim 20 (depends on 5)

The tire according to claim 5, wherein the maximum value Fmax is not more than 4.22−0.0125 N.