High performance tire for vehicles

A tire for a vehicle, comprising:

• a carcass structure;
• a belt structure coaxially associated to the carcass structure;
• and
• a tread coaxially extending around the belt structure;
• wherein the tire comprises a curvature ratio not greater than 0.1,
• wherein the carcass structure comprises a central crown portion and two sidewalls,
• wherein each sidewall ends in a bead for anchoring the tire to a rim of a wheel,
• wherein the tread comprises an equatorial zone, extending on both sides of an equatorial plane of the tire, and two shoulder zones in axially-opposite positions with respect to the equatorial zone,
• wherein the tread further comprises two longitudinal slots circumferentially extending on opposite sides of the equatorial plane of the tire along the shoulder zones,
• wherein the tread further comprises a plurality of transversal grooves,
• wherein each transversal groove comprises an equatorial groove portion in the equatorial zone and a shoulder groove portion in one of the shoulder zones,
• wherein the transversal grooves are circumferentially distributed in groups alternately extending from the axially-opposite shoulder zones,
• wherein the groups of transversal grooves define a plurality of substantially-continuous tread portions in the equatorial zone,
• wherein each substantially-continuous tread portion ends at an equatorial groove portion of a same transversal groove of an axially-opposed group of transversal grooves,
• wherein each of the transversal grooves ends at a predetermined distance from the equatorial groove portion of a longest transversal groove of the axially-opposed group of transversal grooves so that all of the transversal grooves end within the equatorial zone,
• wherein each substantially-continuous tread portion comprises a width wider than an adjacent transversal groove, and
• wherein the substantially-continuous tread portions alternately extend from opposite shoulder zones towards the equatorial plane of the tire to form a substantially-continuous grid.

A set of tires, comprising:

• two tires for mounting on front wheels of a vehicle;
• and
• two tires for mounting on rear wheels of the vehicle;
• wherein the tires for mounting on the front wheels each comprise a first tread,
• wherein the tires for mounting on the rear wheels each comprise a second tread,
• wherein each tire comprises a curvature ratio not greater than 0.1,
• wherein the first and second treads each comprise an equatorial zone, extending on both sides of an equatorial plane of a respective tire, and two shoulder zones in axially-opposite positions with respect to the equatorial zone of the respective tire,
• wherein the first and second treads each further comprise two longitudinal slots circumferentially extending on opposite sides of the equatorial plane of the respective tire along the shoulder zones,
• wherein the first and second treads each further comprise a plurality of transversal grooves,
• wherein, in the first and second treads, each transversal groove comprises an equatorial groove portion in an equatorial zone of the respective tire and a shoulder groove portion in one of the shoulder zones of the respective tire,
• wherein, in the first treads, the transversal grooves are circumferentially distributed in groups alternately extending from axially-opposite shoulder zones of the respective front tire, each group comprising three to five transversal grooves,
• wherein, in the second treads, the transversal grooves are circumferentially distributed in groups alternately extending from axially-opposite shoulder zones of the respective rear tire, each group comprising five to seven transversal grooves,
• wherein, in the first and second treads, the groups of transversal grooves define a plurality of substantially-continuous tread portions in the equatorial zone of the respective tire,
• wherein, in the first and second treads, each substantially-continuous tread portion ends at an equatorial groove portion of a same transversal groove of an axially-opposed group of transversal grooves of the respective tire,
• wherein, in the first and second treads, each of the transversal grooves ends at a predetermined distance from the equatorial groove portion of a longest transversal groove of the axially-opposed group of transversal grooves so that all of the transversal grooves end within the equatorial zone of the respective tire, and
• wherein, in the first and second treads, the substantially-continuous tread portions alternately extend from opposite shoulder zones towards the equatorial plane of the respective tire to form a substantially-continuous grid.

A tire for a vehicle, comprising:

• a carcass structure;
• a belt structure coaxially associated to the carcass structure;
• and
• a tread coaxially extending around the belt structure;
• wherein the tire comprises a curvature ratio not greater than 0.1,
• wherein the carcass structure comprises a central crown portion and two sidewalls,
• wherein each sidewall ends in a bead for anchoring the tire to a rim of a wheel,
• wherein the tread comprises an equatorial zone, extending on both sides of an equatorial plane of the tire, and two shoulder zones in axially-opposite positions with respect to the equatorial zone,
• wherein the tread further comprises a plurality of transversal grooves,
• wherein each transversal groove comprises an equatorial groove portion in the equatorial zone and a shoulder groove portion in one of the shoulder zones,
• wherein the transversal grooves are circumferentially distributed in groups alternately extending from the axially-opposite shoulder zones,
• wherein the groups of transversal grooves define a plurality of substantially-continuous tread portions in the equatorial zone,
• wherein each of the transversal grooves ends at a predetermined distance from the equatorial groove portion of a longest transversal groove of the axially-opposed group of transversal grooves so that all of the transversal grooves end within the equatorial zone,
• wherein the substantially-continuous tread portions alternately extend from opposite shoulder zones towards the equatorial plane of the tire to form a substantially-continuous grid,
• wherein the tread further comprises a central depression formed astride the equatorial plane of the tire,
• wherein the central depression comprises a maximum depth comprised between 40% and 60% of a depth of the transversal grooves, and
• wherein the central depression comprises a width greater than or equal to 15 mm and less than or equal to 25 mm.

A tread for a vehicle tire, comprising:

• a plurality of transversal grooves;
• wherein the tire comprises a curvature ratio not greater than 0.1,
• wherein the tread comprises an equatorial zone, extending on both sides of an equatorial plane of the tire, and two shoulder zones in axially-opposite positions with respect to the equatorial zone,
• wherein each transversal groove comprises an equatorial groove portion in the equatorial zone and a shoulder groove portion in one of the shoulder zones,
• wherein the transversal grooves are circumferentially distributed in groups alternately extending from the axially-opposite shoulder zones,
• wherein the groups of transversal grooves define a plurality of substantially-continuous tread portions in the equatorial zone,
• wherein each of the transversal grooves ends at a predetermined distance from the equatorial groove portion of a longest transversal groove of the axially-opposed group of transversal grooves so that all of the transversal grooves end within the equatorial zone,
• wherein the substantially-continuous tread portions alternately extend from opposite shoulder zones towards the equatorial plane of the tire to form a substantially-continuous grid,
• wherein the tread further comprises a central depression formed astride the equatorial plane of the tire,
• wherein the central depression comprises a maximum depth comprised between 40% and 60% of a depth of the transversal grooves, and
• wherein the central depression comprises a width greater than or equal to 15 mm and less than or equal to 25 mm.

A set of tires, comprising:

• two tires for mounting on front wheels of a vehicle;
• and
• two tires for mounting on rear wheels of the vehicle;
• wherein the tires for mounting on the front wheels each comprise a first tread,
• wherein the tires for mounting on the rear wheels each comprise a second tread,
• wherein each tire comprises a curvature ratio not greater than 0.1,
• wherein the first and second treads each comprise an equatorial zone, extending on both sides of an equatorial plane of a respective tire, and two shoulder zones in axially-opposite positions with respect to the equatorial zone of the respective tire,
• wherein the first and second treads each further comprise a plurality of transversal grooves,
• wherein, in the first and second treads, each transversal groove comprises an equatorial groove portion in an equatorial zone of the respective tire and a shoulder groove portion in one of the shoulder zones of the respective tire,
• wherein, in the first treads, the transversal grooves are circumferentially distributed in groups alternately extending from axially-opposite shoulder zones of the respective front tire, each group comprising three to five transversal grooves,
• wherein, in the second treads, the transversal grooves are circumferentially distributed in groups alternately extending from axially-opposite shoulder zones of the respective rear tire, each group comprising five to seven transversal grooves,
• wherein, in the first and second treads, the groups of transversal grooves define a plurality of substantially-continuous tread portions in the equatorial zone of the respective tire,
• wherein, in the first and second treads, each of the transversal grooves ends at a predetermined distance from the equatorial groove portion of a longest transversal groove of the axially-opposed group of transversal grooves so that all of the transversal grooves end within the equatorial zone of the respective tire,
• wherein, in the first and second treads, the substantially-continuous tread portions alternately extend from opposite shoulder zones towards the equatorial plane of the respective tire to form a substantially-continuous grid, and
• wherein each of the first treads further comprises a central depression formed astride the equatorial plane of the respective tire.

A method of optimizing road behavior of a vehicle equipped with a set of tires, the method comprising:

• mounting two tires on a front, steering axis of the vehicle;
• and
• mounting two tires on a rear, tractive axis of the vehicle;
• wherein each tire comprises a curvature ratio not greater than 0.1,
• wherein each front tire comprises a first tread,
• wherein each rear tire comprises a second tread,
• wherein each tread comprises an equatorial zone, extending on both sides of an equatorial plane of a respective tire, and two shoulder zones in axially-opposite positions with respect to the equatorial zone of the respective tire,
• wherein each tread further comprises a plurality of transversal grooves,
• wherein each transversal groove comprises an equatorial groove portion in the equatorial zone of the respective tire and a shoulder groove portion in one of the shoulder zones of the respective tire,
• wherein the transversal grooves are circumferentially distributed in groups of transversal grooves alternately extending from the axially-opposite shoulder zones of the respective tire,
• wherein the groups of transversal grooves define a plurality of substantially-continuous tread portions in the equatorial zone of the respective tire,
• wherein the transversal grooves of a first group of transversal grooves are inclined in an opposite direction with respect to the equatorial plane of the respective tire relative to the transversal grooves of an axially-opposed group of transversal grooves of the respective tire,
• wherein each of the transversal grooves ends at a predetermined distance from the equatorial groove portion of a longest transversal groove of the axially-opposed group of transversal grooves of the respective tire so that all of the transversal grooves end within the equatorial zone of the respective tire,
• wherein the substantially-continuous tread portions alternately extend from opposite shoulder zones towards the equatorial plane of the respective tire to form a substantially-continuous grid,
• wherein, in each first tread, equatorial groove portions of the transversal grooves form a fifth angle substantially equal to 45° with respect to the equatorial plane of the respective tire,
• wherein each first tread comprises a central depression formed astride the equatorial plane of the respective tire, and
• wherein, in each second tread, equatorial groove portions of the transversal grooves form a sixth angle greater than or equal to 30° and less than or equal to 50° with respect to the equatorial plane of the respective tire.