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US 8,973,630 B2Granted
Tire including concave recesses in a circumferential tread
AssigneeBridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
InventorsFrancis J. Byrne, Keith Dumigan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tire having an equatorial plane and a circumferential tread is provided. The tread includes at least one recess defined by at least one concave surface having a plurality of sipes formed therein. Optionally, the at least one concave surface can include one or more channel disposed therein.
Claims20
A tire having an equatorial plane, the tire comprising:
- a circumferential tread having an outer tread surface;
- a plurality of grooves disposed in the circumferential tread, including at least a first groove and a second groove;
- at least one recess disposed in the circumferential tread extending from the first groove to the second groove, the at least one recess defined by a bottom surface, a first curved side surface extending in a concave manner from the bottom surface to the outer tread surface, and a second curved surface extending in a concave manner from the bottom surface to the outer tread surface, each of the first curved side surface and the second curved side surface having at least one sipe formed therein, wherein the at least one sipe does not extend into any of the outer tread surface of the circumferential tread and the bottom surface of the at least one recess;
- and
- a channel disposed in the bottom surface of the at least one recess, the channel extending from the first groove to the second groove without extending into either of the first curved side surface and the second curved side surface, wherein the channel is defined by a bottom surface and at least two substantially straight sidewalls disposed in a substantially radial direction.
2 more elements
A circumferential tread of a tire having an equatorial plane, the circumferential tread comprising:
- a plurality of concave recesses, including a first concave recess that extends from a first slot to a second slot, and a second concave recess that extends from the second slot to a third slot,
- wherein each of the plurality of concave recesses is defined by at least two concave curved side surfaces and a substantially flat bottom surface, and
- wherein each of the plurality of concave recesses has a longitudinal axis oriented at an acute angle relative to the equatorial plane of the tire;
- a first channel disposed in the substantially flat bottom surface of the first concave recess extending from the first slot to the second slot without extending into a concave curved side surface, wherein the first channel is defined by a bottom surface and at least two substantially straight sidewalls disposed substantially perpendicular to the substantially flat bottom surface of the first concave recess;
- and
- a second channel disposed in the substantially flat bottom surface of the second concave recess extending from the second slot to the third slot without extending into a concave curved side surface, wherein the second channel is defined by a bottom surface and at least two substantially straight sidewalls disposed substantially perpendicular to the substantially flat bottom surface of the second concave recess.
3 more elements
A tire comprising:
- a plurality of first recesses, each of the plurality of first recesses having a longitudinal axis, at least two side surfaces, a substantially flat bottom surface extending from the at least two side surfaces, and a channel disposed in the substantially flat bottom surface without extending into either of the at least two side surfaces;
- and
- a plurality of second recesses, each of the plurality of second recesses having a longitudinal axis, at least two side surfaces, a substantially flat bottom surface extending from the at least two side surfaces, and a channel disposed in the substantially flat bottom surface without extending into either of the at least two side surfaces,
- wherein the plurality of first and second recesses are arranged in a series circumferentially about the tire in an alternating pattern,
- wherein the channel in each of the plurality of first recesses has a longitudinal axis oriented at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the first recess and the channel in each of the plurality of second recesses has a longitudinal axis oriented at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the second recess, and
- wherein the longitudinal axis of each channel is oriented at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the channel disposed in the substantially flat bottom surface of each adjacent recess.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.