Tread for pneumatic tire and tire comprising such a tread
AssigneeThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
InventorLeo J. Hitzky
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pneumatic tire having a block design suited for off-road use modified to improve rolling resistance and noise properties when used on paved surfaces has a tread design having angled lateral groove between the blocks in each circumferential row of blocks in the tread. Narrow grooves separate the blocks in several of the rows of blocks, and tie bars are present in the lateral grooves separating blocks in other rows of blocks. Void areas in the shoulder area of the tire enhance traction in mud and sand.
Claims16
A pneumatic tire having at least a pair of annular beads, at least one carcass ply wrapped around said beads, a ground contacting tread portion disposed over said carcass plies in a crown area of said tire and sidewalls disposed between said tread and said beads, wherein said ground contacting tread portion comprises five rows of blocks comprising two rows of shoulder blocks, a center row of blocks and two intermediate rows of blocks wherein said center row of said blocks corresponds substantially with the equatorial plane (EP) of the tire and wherein narrow grooves between blocks in said center row have a width of 1% to 5% of the length of said block, wherein narrow grooves separate at least a portion of said blocks in said shoulder rows of blocks, and wherein grooves between blocks in said intermediate row of blocks have a width of 8% to 25% of the block length and contain tie bars.
A tire tread having five (5) rows of blocks comprising two (2) rows of shoulder blocks, a center row of blocks and two (2) intermediate rows of blocks wherein said center row of said blocks corresponds substantially with the center line of the tread and wherein narrow grooves between blocks in said center row have a width of 1% to 5% of the length of said block, and wherein narrow grooves separate at least a portion of said blocks in said shoulder rows of blocks and wherein grooves between blocks in said intermediate row of blocks have a width of 8% to 25% of the block length and contain tie bars.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.