Design pattern for a tire
AssigneeMichelin Recherche et Techniques S.A.
InventorsPreston Butler Kemp, Todd Stanton Ramsey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An opaque article having a surface and substantially asymmetric striae extending along the surface. A portion of the striae reside in a first area and have an orientation. Another portion of the striae reside in a second area and have an orientation substantially opposite the striae in the first area. The first area striae and the second area striae create an optical contrast therebetween at a wide range of viewing angles and illumination angles. The opaque article can be a tire. The striae can reside at numerous locations on the tire, including, for example, the sidewall, tread ribs or blocks, and stone ejectors.
Claims23
A tire having visible indicia, comprising:
- a plurality of substantially asymmetric striae extending along a surface of a sidewall of the tire, each of said striae having a first face and a second face, said faces having mutually different widths in cross section and being at mutually different angles with respect to the surface,
- a first portion of said plurality of striae residing in a first area of said surface with the respective first and second surfaces having a first orientation, and
- a second portion of said plurality of striae residing in a second area with the respective first and second surfaces having a second orientation substantially opposite said first orientation;
- wherein, said first area striae and said second area striae create an optical contrast therebetween at a plurality of viewing angles and at a plurality of illumination angles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.