US 11,912,068 B2
Tyre
Oliver Knispel, Kobe (JP); Daniel Kunkel, Kobe (JP); and Jaap Leendertse, Kobe (JP)
Assigned to SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD., Kobe (JP)
Filed by Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd., Kobe (JP)
Filed on Feb. 7, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/665,658.
Claims priority of application No. 21156882 (EP), filed on Feb. 12, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0258539 A1, Aug. 18, 2022
Int. Cl. B60C 11/03 (2006.01); B60C 11/12 (2006.01)
CPC B60C 11/0304 (2013.01) [B60C 11/0306 (2013.01); B60C 11/1204 (2013.01); B60C 11/1236 (2013.01); B60C 2011/1213 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tyre comprising a tread portion comprising:
a first tread edge and a second tread edge,
a crown groove extending continuously in a tyre circumferential direction in a crown portion of the tyre,
a first land portion defined between the first tread edge and the crown groove, and
a second land portion extending from the crown groove towards the second tread edge,
wherein
the first land portion is provided with a plurality of first lateral grooves connected to the crown groove and extending from the crown groove in a first direction to the first tread edge,
the second land portion is provided with a plurality of second lateral grooves connected to the crown groove and extending from the crown groove in a second direction to the second tread edge,
the first land portion is divided into a plurality of first blocks by the crown groove and the plurality of first lateral grooves,
the second land portion is divided into a plurality of second blocks by the crown groove and the plurality of second lateral grooves,
each of the first blocks has a first edge and a second edge located at the intersections of the crown groove and the first lateral grooves defining the respective block, and a lateral wall extending from the first edge to the second edge and forming part of a first lateral wall of the crown groove,
each of the second blocks has a first edge and a second edge located at the intersections of the crown groove and the second lateral grooves defining the respective block, and a lateral wall extending from the first edge to the second edge and forming part of a second lateral wall of the crown groove,
the first edge of the first block circumferentially faces to a same direction as the first edge of the second block,
a first angle between the first lateral wall of the crown groove and the first lateral groove at each of the first edges of the first blocks is an acute angle,
a second angle between the second lateral wall of the crown groove and the second lateral groove at each of the first edges of the second blocks is an obtuse angle,
the first edge of each of the first blocks has a first larger axial distance from the first tread edge than the second edge of the respective first block,
the first edge of each of the second blocks has a second larger axial distance from the second tread edge than the second edge of the respective second block,
the crown groove extends continuously at least substantially positioned at an axial center of the tyre,
the first lateral wall of the crown groove is inclined in a first inclined direction with respect to the tyre circumferential direction and the second lateral wall of the crown groove is inclined in a second inclined direction opposite to the first inclined direction with respect to the tyre circumferential direction,
the lateral wall of each of the first blocks forming part of the first lateral wall of the crown groove includes three segments including a first segment adjacent to the first edge, a third segment adjacent to the second edge, and a second segment extending between the first segment and the third segment,
the first segment and the third segment are inclined in the first inclined direction with respect to the tyre circumferential direction, and the second segment is inclined in the second direction opposite to the first inclined direction with respect to the tyre circumferential direction, and
the first lateral wall of the crown groove and the second lateral wall of the crown groove are continuous in the tyre circumferential direction.
 
8. A tyre comprising a tread portion comprising:
a first tread edge and a second tread edge,
a crown groove extending continuously in a tyre circumferential direction in a crown portion of the tyre,
a first land portion defined between the first tread edge and the crown groove, and
a second land portion extending from the crown groove towards the second tread edge,
wherein
the first land portion is provided with a plurality of first lateral grooves connected to the crown groove and extending from the crown groove in a first direction to the first tread edge,
the second land portion is provided with a plurality of second lateral grooves connected to the crown groove and extending from the crown groove in a second direction to the second tread edge,
the first land portion is divided into a plurality of first blocks by the crown groove and the plurality of first lateral grooves,
the second land portion is divided into a plurality of second blocks by the crown groove and the plurality of second lateral grooves,
the first land portion comprises a plurality of connecting grooves each connecting two first lateral grooves located adjacent to each other in the tyre circumferential direction,
the plurality of connecting grooves includes first pairs of circumferentially adjacent connecting grooves having at least a partial overlap in the tyre circumferential direction, and second pairs of circumferentially adjacent connecting grooves not overlapping with each other in the tyre circumferential direction,
the overlapping pairs and not overlapping pairs of connecting grooves are alternately arranged in the tyre circumferential direction,
the connecting grooves are provided with central sipes extending along a reference line of the connecting grooves,
the first blocks of the first land portion are on a first side of the crown groove and the second blocks of the second land portion are on a second side of the crown groove,
each of the plurality of first lateral grooves is continuous and non-linear, with multiple bend portions between the crown groove and the first tread edge, and
the crown groove is the only crown groove of the tyre.
 
17. A tyre comprising a tread portion comprising:
a first tread edge and a second tread edge,
a crown groove extending continuously in a tyre circumferential direction in a crown portion of the tyre,
a first land portion defined between the first tread edge and the crown groove,
a second land portion extending from the crown groove towards the second tread edge,
wherein
the first land portion is provided with a plurality of first lateral grooves connected to the crown groove and extending from the crown groove in a first direction to the first tread edge,
the second land portion is provided with a plurality of second lateral grooves connected to the crown groove and extending from the crown groove in a second direction to the second tread edge,
the first land portion is divided into a plurality of first blocks by the crown groove and the plurality of first lateral grooves,
the second land portion is divided into a plurality of second blocks by the crown groove and the plurality of second lateral grooves,
each of the first blocks has a first edge and a second edge located at the intersections of the crown groove and the first lateral grooves defining the respective block, and a lateral wall extending from the first edge to the second edge and forming part of a first lateral wall of the crown groove,
each of the second blocks has a first edge and a second edge located at the intersections of the crown groove and the second lateral grooves defining the respective block, and a lateral wall extending from the first edge to the second edge and forming part of a second lateral wall of the crown groove,
the first edge of the first block circumferentially faces to a same direction as the first edge of the second block,
a first angle between the first lateral wall of the crown groove and the first lateral groove at each of the first edges of the first blocks is an acute angle,
a second angle between the second lateral wall of the crown groove and the second lateral groove at each of the first edges of the second blocks is an obtuse angle,
the first edge of each of the first blocks has a first larger axial distance from the first tread edge than the second edge of the respective first block,
the first edge of each of the second blocks has a second larger axial distance from the second tread edge than the second edge of the respective second block,
the crown groove extends continuously at least substantially positioned at an axial center of the tyre,
the first angle between the first lateral wall of the crown groove and the first lateral groove at each of the first edges of the first blocks is within a first range from 30 to 55 degrees and/or the second angle between the second lateral wall of the crown groove and the second lateral groove at each of the first edges of the second blocks is within a second range from 110 to 140 degrees and/or a third angle with respect to the tyre circumferential direction of the first lateral groove at each of the first edges of the first blocks is within a third range between 30 and 65 degrees,
the first blocks of the first land portion are on a first side of the crown groove and the second blocks of the second land portion are on a second side of the crown groove, and
each of the plurality of first lateral grooves is continuous and non-linear, with multiple bend portions between the crown groove and the first tread edge.