# US 8,739,845 B2 · Pneumatic tire > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,739,845 B2 - Document ID: US8739845B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/046,613 - Filed: 2011-03-11 - Published: 2011-09-15 - Granted: 2014-06-03 - Earliest claimed: 2010-03-12 - Assignees: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Hiroshi Furusawa - Inventors: Hiroshi Furusawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8739845B2 ## CPC - B60C 11/11: in which the raised area of the pattern consists only of isolated elements, e.g. blocks (B60C11/12, B60C11/13 take precedence) - B60C 11/12: characterised by the use of narrow slits or incisions, e.g. sipes - B60C 11/1376: {Three dimensional block surfaces departing from the enveloping tread contour} - B60C 11/1259: {Depth of the sipe} - B60C 2011/1213: {sinusoidal or zigzag at the tread surface} - B60C: VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES ## Abstract A pneumatic tire including, on a tread surface, rib-like land portions partitioned by a plurality of main grooves and/or a plurality of block-like land portions partitioned by lug grooves extending in a tire width direction, wherein sipes or small holes are provided in the land portions, multiple protrusions are disposed having a height that is less than a depth of the sipes or small holes, and the multiple protrusions are disposed so as to form a shape wherein a flow path width increases at a flow path convergence point where flow paths formed in a mesh-like shape between the protrusions converge from at least three directions, and a ratio of an area of the multiple protrusions to an area of a block-like land portion is 0.5 or greater and 0.9 or less. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pneumatic tire comprising, on a tread surface, rib-like land portions partitioned by a plurality of main grooves, and/or a plurality of block-like land portions partitioned by lug grooves extending in a tire width direction, wherein sipes or small holes are provided in the land portions, multiple protrusions are disposed on the land portions having a height that is less than a depth of the sipes or small holes, the multiple protrusions are disposed on the land portions so as to form a plurality of flow paths there between, wherein a width of an individual flow path increases at a flow path convergence point where flow paths between the protrusions converge from at least three directions, and a ratio of an area of the multiple protrusions to an area of a block land portion is 0.5 or greater and 0.9 or less. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the height of the protrusions is from 0.1 to 0.5 mm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a minimum distance between adjacent protrusions is from 0.2 to 1.0 mm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a road contact surface area of the protrusions is from 0.03 to 20 mm2. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a shape of the road contact surface of the protrusions is roughly circular. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the flow paths converge from at least four directions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a shape of the road contact surface of the protrusions is a polygonal shape having roundly chamfered corners. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a shape of the road contact surface of the protrusions is a polygonal shape having at least six sides. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a shape of the road contact surface of the protrusions is an elliptical shape. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the sipes or small holes comprise sipes having a wave-like shape or a shape that changes in a depth direction of the pneumatic tire. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the sipes or small holes comprise small holes that are roughly circular or polygonal in shape. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the area of the multiple protrusions to the area of the block-like land portions is 0.6 or greater and 0.8 or less. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a height of the multiple protrusions is from 0.20 to 0.35 mm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a road contact surface area of each of the protrusions is from 0.07 to 10 mm2. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the multiple protrusions are regularly disposed in a lattice-like form. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the multiple protrusions are regularly disposed in an inclined lattice-like form. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the multiple protrusions have a square road contact surface shape having rounded corners and are arranged in an inclined lattice-like form. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the multiple protrusions have an equiangular hexagonal road contact surface shape and are arranged in an inclined lattice-like form. ### Claim 19 (depends on 2) The pneumatic tire according to claim 2, wherein a minimum distance between adjacent protrusions is from 0.2 to 1.0 mm. ### Claim 20 (depends on 2) The pneumatic tire according to claim 2, wherein a road contact surface area of each of the protrusions is from 0.03 to 20 mm2.