Stabilizer structure for a tread of a tire
AssigneeThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
InventorsEttore Passante Spaccapietra, Philippe Joseph Auguste Muller, Marco Nicolò Coccon, Lionel Jean-Marie Bortolet
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Abstract
A tread for a tire includes a first circumferential main groove, a second circumferential main groove, a third circumferential main groove, and a fourth circumferential main groove. The fourth main groove has a stabilizing structure for increasing tread stiffness. The stabilizing structure has a circumferentially extending subgroove in a radially innermost bottom of the fourth circumferential main groove. The subgroove is axially offset a predetermined amount from a centerline of the fourth circumferential main groove.
Claims18
A tread for a tire comprising:
- a first circumferential main groove;
- a second circumferential main groove;
- a third circumferential main groove;
- and
- a fourth circumferential main groove, the fourth main groove having a stabilizing structure for increasing tread stiffness, the stabilizing structure having a circumferentially extending subgroove in a radially innermost bottom of the fourth circumferential main groove, the subgroove being axially offset a predetermined amount from a centerline of the fourth circumferential main groove.
A method for stiffening a tire tread comprising the steps of:
- extending a first circumferential main groove across the tire tread;
- extending a second circumferential main groove across the tire tread;
- circumferentially extending a subgroove across a radially innermost cylindrical bottom surface of the first main groove;
- axially offsetting the subgroove a predetermined amount from a centerline of the first main circumferential main groove;
- and
- curving a radially innermost surface of the subgroove, the radially innermost surface of the subgroove being radially inside the radially innermost cylindrical bottom surface of the first main groove.
A system for increasing cornering stiffness of a tire tread comprising:
- a first circumferential main groove;
- a second circumferential main groove;
- and
- a stabilizing structure for increasing tread stiffness, the stabilizing structure having a circumferentially extending subgroove in a radially innermost bottom of the first main groove, the subgroove being axially offset a predetermined amount from a centerline of the first circumferential main groove.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.