# US 5,345,988 A · Pneumatic radial tire for heavy loads

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- Number: US 5,345,988 A
- Document ID: US5345988A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/035,034
- Filed: 1993-03-22
- Granted: 1994-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 1992-05-27
- Assignees: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Kazuyuki Kabe; Hajime Tomoda
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5345988A

## CPC

- B60C 11/042: {further characterised by the groove cross-section}
- B60C 11/0306: {Patterns comprising block rows or discontinuous ribs}
- B60C 11/0309: {further characterised by the groove cross-section}
- B60C 11/124: {inclined with regard to a plane normal to the tread surface}
- B60C 2011/0388: {provided at the equatorial plane}
- B60C 2011/1213: {sinusoidal or zigzag at the tread surface}
- B60C 2011/1254: {with closed sipe, i.e. not extending to a groove}
- B60C: VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES

## Abstract

A pneumatic radial tire for heavy loads, having steel belt layers provided on the inner side of a tread, and a tread pattern having a plurality of divisional ribs separated by a plurality of main grooves extending in the circumferential direction of the tire, characterized in that at least the inner vertical surfaces of left and right outermost main grooves out of the main grooves are formed so as to extend zigzag in the circumferential direction of the tire, narrow grooves which extend continuously in the circumferential direction of the tire being provided at the shoulder side edge portions of ribs internally adjacent to the outermost main grooves, the width W.sub.4 of the narrow grooves being set to a level in the range of 0.5-1 mm, the axes of the narrow grooves which extend in the direction of the depth thereof being inclined in the downwardly inward direction with respect to a normal of the tread surface, the narrow grooves forming laterally separated rib bodies and narrow ribs the height of which is smaller than that of the rib bodies, a ratio of a maximum width W.sub.2 of the narrow ribs to a total width W.sub.1 of the ribs on the inner side of the outermost main grooves being set to a level satisfying the relation W.sub.2 /W.sub.1 .ltoreq.0.3, an angle .alpha..sub.1 between the side surface which faces the relative outermost main groove of a maximum width portion of each narrow rib and a normal of the tread surface being set smaller than an angle .alpha..sub.2 between the side surface which faces the relative outermost main groove of a minimum width portion of each narrow rib and the same normal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A pneumatic radial tire for heavy loads, having steel belt layers provided on the inner side of a tread, and a tread pattern having a plurality of divisional ribs separated by a plurality of main grooves extending in the circumferential direction of said tire, characterized in that at least the axially inner vertical surfaces of left and right outermost main grooves out of said main grooves are formed so as to extend zigzag in the circumferential direction of said tire, straight narrow grooves which extend continuously in the circumferential direction of said tire being provided at the shoulder side edge portions of ribs axially inward and adjacent to said outermost main grooves, the width W.sub.4 of said narrow grooves being set to a level in the range of 0.5-1 mm, the axes of said narrow grooves which extend in the direction of the depth thereof being inclined in the downwardly inward direction with respect to a normal of said tread surface, said narrow grooves forming laterally separate rib bodies and narrow ribs having a height which is smaller than that of said rib bodies and an axially outer edge which extends in a zigzag line in the circumferential direction of the tire, a ratio of a maximum width W.sub.2 of said narrow ribs to a total width W.sub.1 of said ribs on the axially inner side of said outermost main grooves being set to a level satisfying the relation W.sub.2 /W.sub.1 .ltoreq.0.3, an angle .alpha..sub.1 between the side surface which faces the relative outermost main groove of a maximum width portion of each narrow rib and a normal of said tread surface being set smaller than an angle .alpha..sub.2 between the side surface which faces the relative outermost main groove of a minimum width portion of each narrow rib and said normal whereby a circumferential tangential line of which a zigzag side surface on each said outermost main groove meets a bottom surface thereof extends linearly.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A pneumatic radial tire for heavy loads according to claim 1, wherein an angle .theta..sub.2 of each of said narrow grooves with respect to a normal of said tread surface is set to more than 0.degree. and not more than 10.degree..

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A pneumatic radial tire for heavy loads according to claim 1, wherein a difference between the height of each of said narrow ribs and that of each of said rib bodies is set to 2-4 mm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A pneumatic radial tire according to claim 1, wherein said angle .alpha..sub.1 is set larger than an angle .theta..sub.1 between the side surface on the side of the main groove of the shoulder rib and a normal of the tread surface.