# US 2021/0260931 A1 · Pneumatic tire for an agricultural vehicle

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- Number: US 2021/0260931 A1
- Document ID: US20210260931A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/251,201
- Filed: 2019-06-17
- Published: 2021-08-26
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-25
- Assignees: Bridgestone Corporation
- Applicants: Bridgestone Corporation
- Inventors: Takashi KODAMA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210260931A1

## CPC

- B60C 11/0311: {Patterns comprising tread lugs arranged parallel or oblique to the axis of rotation}
- B60C 11/0302: {directional pattern, i.e. with main rolling direction}
- B60C 11/033: {by the void or net-to-gross ratios of the patterns}
- B60C 11/1323: {asymmetric}
- B60C 2011/0313: {directional type}
- B60C 2011/0388: {provided at the equatorial plane}
- B60C 2200/08: for agricultural vehicles
- B60C: VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES

## Abstract

A pneumatic tire for an agricultural vehicle, comprising: a center rib and lugs that are joined integrally with two end surfaces of the center rib, and that are disposed respectively on one side and on another side of the center rib in the width direction thereof so as to be at intervals from each other in the tire circumferential direction on both the one side and the other side, wherein: the center rib has a width of from 30% to 50% of a tread width of the tread portion, and within a range where the lugs are disposed at 25% or greater of the tread width from the equator, the lugs are formed at an angle of from 20° to 50°, relative to a tire rotation axis direction, on an opposite side from a tire rotation direction, and a sum total of a surface area of ground-contacting surfaces of all of the lugs is from 4.5% to 15% of a surface area of the tread portion in a case in which the tread portion is unrolled as a flat surface and seen in plan view.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A pneumatic tire for an agricultural vehicle, the pneumatic tire comprising:
a center rib that is provided on an outer circumference of a tread portion, that protrudes towards an outer side in a tire radial direction, that has width on both sides sandwiching a tire equator, and that extends in a tire circumferential direction; and
lugs that are provided on the outer circumference of the tread portion, that protrude towards the outer side in the tire radial direction on both sides in a width direction of the center rib, that are joined integrally with two end surfaces of the center rib, and that are disposed respectively on one side and on another side of the center rib in the width direction thereof so as to be at intervals from each other in the tire circumferential direction on both the one side and the other side, wherein:
the center rib has a width of from 30% to 50% of a tread width of the tread portion, and
within a range where the lugs are disposed at 25% or greater of the tread width from the equator, the lugs are formed at an angle of from 20° to 50°, relative to a tire rotation axis direction, on an opposite side from a tire rotation direction, and
a sum total of a surface area of ground-contacting surfaces of all of the lugs is from 4.5% to 15% of a surface area of the tread portion in a case in which the tread portion is unrolled as a flat surface and seen in plan view.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The pneumatic tire for an agricultural vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, of lugs that are mutually adjacent in the tire circumferential direction, a number of lugs within a tire ground-contact area in the tread portion that are in contact with the ground is three or to four in a case in which the tire is fitted onto a standard rim as stipulated in the JATMA YEAR BOOK, 2018 edition, and is filled to an internal pressure of 100% of an air pressure that corresponds to a maximum load capability at an applicable size/ply rating as per the JATMA YEAR BOOK, and in a case in which a load that corresponds to this maximum load capability is applied thereto.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The pneumatic tire for an agricultural vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the two end surfaces are formed so as to be parallel with the tire equator.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The pneumatic tire for an agricultural vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the two end surfaces are formed in a concave-convex configuration relative to the tire equator.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The pneumatic tire for an agricultural vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the two end surfaces are inclined so as to slope respectively in a direction towards the tire equator as the two end surfaces approach the outer side in the tire radial direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The pneumatic tire for an agricultural vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the lugs each have an inner end portion that is joined to the center rib, and an outer end portion that forms an outer end in a width direction of the tread portion, and a width of the lugs in the tire circumferential direction is from 20 mm to 50 mm at the inner end portion, and from 15 mm to 30 mm at the outer end portion.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The pneumatic tire for an agricultural vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the width of the lugs in the tire circumferential direction is smaller at the outer end portion than at the inner end portion.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The pneumatic tire for an agricultural vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the lugs each have a ground-contacting surface, a first surface that is inclined on a tire rotation direction side so as to slope from an end portion on a tire rotation direction side of the ground-contacting surface towards the outer circumference, and a second surface that is inclined on the opposite side from the tire rotation direction so as to slope from an end portion on the opposite side from the tire rotation direction side of the ground-contacting surface towards the outer circumference, and the first surfaces are formed at an angle of from 21° to 31° on the tire rotation direction side, relative to a perpendicular line extending from the end portion on the tire rotation direction side of the ground-contacting surface towards the outer circumference, and the second surfaces are formed at an angle of from 18° to 27° on the opposite side from the tire rotation direction, relative to a perpendicular line extending from the end portion on the opposite side from the tire rotation direction of the ground-contacting surface towards the outer circumference.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The pneumatic tire for an agricultural vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the two end surfaces are formed so as to be parallel with the tire equator.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The pneumatic tire for an agricultural vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the two end surfaces are formed in a concave-convex configuration relative to the tire equator.

### Claim 11 (depends on 2)

The pneumatic tire for an agricultural vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the two end surfaces are inclined so as to slope respectively in a direction towards the tire equator as the two end surfaces approach the outer side in the tire radial direction.

### Claim 12 (depends on 2)

The pneumatic tire for an agricultural vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the lugs each have an inner end portion that is joined to the center rib, and an outer end portion that forms an outer end in a width direction of the tread portion, and a width of the lugs in the tire circumferential direction is from 20 mm to 50 mm at the inner end portion, and from 15 mm to 30 mm at the outer end portion.

### Claim 13 (depends on 2)

The pneumatic tire for an agricultural vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the lugs each have a ground-contacting surface, a first surface that is inclined on a tire rotation direction side so as to slope from an end portion on a tire rotation direction side of the ground-contacting surface towards the outer circumference, and a second surface that is inclined on the opposite side from the tire rotation direction so as to slope from an end portion on the opposite side from the tire rotation direction side of the ground-contacting surface towards the outer circumference, and the first surfaces are formed at an angle of from 21° to 31° on the tire rotation direction side, relative to a perpendicular line extending from the end portion on the tire rotation direction side of the ground-contacting surface towards the outer circumference, and the second surfaces are formed at an angle of from 18° to 27° on the opposite side from the tire rotation direction, relative to a perpendicular line extending from the end portion on the opposite side from the tire rotation direction of the ground-contacting surface towards the outer circumference.