US 12,275,276 B2
Tyre
Koichi Nakajima, Kobe (JP); Naoki Ishida, Kobe (JP); and Masayuki Fujita, Kobe (JP)
Assigned to Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd., Hyogo (JP)
Filed by Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd., Hyogo (JP)
Filed on Sep. 21, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/480,662.
Application 17/480,662 is a continuation of application No. 16/297,762, filed on Mar. 11, 2019, granted, now 11,148,472.
Claims priority of application No. 2018-074061 (JP), filed on Apr. 6, 2018; and application No. 2018-132542 (JP), filed on Jul. 12, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0001698 A1, Jan. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. B60C 11/03 (2006.01); B60C 11/01 (2006.01); B60C 11/04 (2006.01); B60C 11/12 (2006.01); B60C 11/13 (2006.01)
CPC B60C 11/01 (2013.01) [B60C 11/0304 (2013.01); B60C 11/032 (2013.01); B60C 11/0323 (2013.01); B60C 11/0327 (2013.01); B60C 11/042 (2013.01); B60C 11/045 (2013.01); B60C 11/1236 (2013.01); B60C 11/1281 (2013.01); B60C 2011/013 (2013.01); B60C 2011/0334 (2013.01); B60C 2011/0341 (2013.01); B60C 2011/0365 (2013.01); B60C 2011/0374 (2013.01); B60C 2011/0381 (2013.01); B60C 2011/133 (2013.01); B60C 2011/1338 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tyre comprising:
a tread portion comprising a first tread edge and a tread surface provided with lateral grooves that open at the first tread edge,
at least one of the lateral grooves comprising a widening-width portion at least partially; and
the widening-width portion comprising a first groove portion extending inwardly in a tyre radial direction from the tread surface, and a second groove portion located inwardly in the tyre radial direction of the first groove portion and having a groove width greater than that of the first groove portion,
wherein
the first groove portion, upon receiving a maximum tyre load, has a gap between two groove walls thereof,
a length in the tyre radial direction of the second groove portion is in a range of from 0.20 to 0.70 times a maximum groove depth of the widening-width portion,
in the widening-width portion, a groove bottom thereof has an innermost portion in the tyre radial direction, the innermost portion being located on a middle region in a groove width direction of the widening-width portion,
the first groove portion and the second groove portion extend at respective constant groove widths in a longitudinal direction of the widening-width portion,
the second groove portion includes a pair of curved surfaces having a radius of curvature, the pair of curved surfaces being dented outwardly in the groove width direction so as to include a maximum groove width position of the second groove portion,
the first groove portion is connected to the second groove portion through a neck portion that has a pair of groove walls having a radius of curvature and protruding inwardly in the groove width direction, and
the radius of curvature of the neck portion is greater than the radius of curvature of the curved surface of the second groove portion.