Tire with improved resistance to sidewall damage
AssigneesMichelin Recherche et Technique S.A., Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin
InventorsFang Zhu, Drew R. Howlett, Craig Jurs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tire with improved resistance to sidewall damage such as splitting or puncture is provided. More particularly, the present invention provides a tire with tread features positioned along the sidewall in a manner that improves the protection of the sidewall against damage when contacting obstacles during operation of the tire.
Claims20
A tire having a sidewall and improved protection against obstacles damaging the sidewall, the tire having an equator, an LPN, and an LPG, the tire also having tread blocks and tread grooves positioned along a shoulder of the tire, the tire comprising:
- a plurality of block-based tread features located along the sidewall of the tire, each said block-based tread features positioned along the sidewall of the tire at a location that is radially-outward of the equator, radially below the LPN, and within a first area in which an obstacle would move along the sidewall of the tire if the obstacle slipped off a tread block as the tire moved past the obstacle;
- and
- a plurality of groove-based tread features located along the sidewall of the tire, each said groove-based tread features positioned along the sidewall of the tire at a location that is radially above the LPN, radially below the LPG, and within a second area in which an obstacle would move along the sidewall of the tire if the obstacle slipped off a tread groove as the tire moved past the obstacle.
A tire having a sidewall and improved protection against obstacles damaging the sidewall, the tire defining a radial direction and having an equator, an LPN, and an LPG, the tire having tread blocks and tread grooves positioned along a shoulder of the tire, the tire comprising:
- a plurality of block-based tread features located along the sidewall of the tire, each of said block-based features positioned radially below respective tread blocks located along the shoulder of the tire at a location that is radially above the equator, radially below the LPN, and within a first area in which an obstacle would move along the sidewall of the tire if the obstacle slipped off a respective tread block as the tire moved past the obstacle;
- a plurality of groove-based tread features located along the sidewall of the tire, each of said groove-based features positioned radially below respective tread grooves located along the shoulder of the tire at a location radially that is radially above the LPN, radially below the LPG, and within a second area in which an obstacle would move along the sidewall of the tire if the obstacle slipped off a respective tread groove as the tire moved past the obstacle;
- and
- wherein said groove-based tread features are positioned closer to the tread blocks of the tire than said block-based tread features.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.