US 12,434,511 B2
Tire sipe for heavy truck tread having handlebar shape
Jeremy David Trowbridge, Greenville, SC (US); Victor Abarotin, Greer, SC (US); and Arthur Rade, Greenville, SC (US)
Assigned to Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin, Clermont-Ferrand (FR)
Appl. No. 18/553,762
Filed by COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, Clermont-Ferrand (FR)
PCT Filed Jun. 10, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/036820
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 3, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/260674, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 15, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0181814 A1, Jun. 6, 2024
Int. Cl. B60C 11/12 (2006.01); B60C 11/03 (2006.01)
CPC B60C 11/1218 (2013.01) [B60C 11/1263 (2013.01); B60C 11/1281 (2013.01); B60C 2011/0348 (2013.01); B60C 2011/0397 (2013.01); B60C 2011/1213 (2013.01); B60C 2200/06 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A heavy truck tire tread that has a lateral direction, a thickness direction, and a circumferential direction, comprising:
a rib having a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface, wherein the rib has an upper surface; and
a sipe located in the rib that extends from the first lateral surface to the second lateral surface, wherein the sipe has a body and a teardrop, wherein a first end of the teardrop is located at the first lateral surface, wherein a second end of the teardrop is located at the second lateral surface, and wherein the teardrop has a middle section that is located between the first end of the teardrop and the second end of the teardrop in the lateral direction, and wherein a lateral midpoint of the teardrop in the lateral direction is located at the middle section;
wherein the teardrop has a first transition that is located between the first end and the middle section and extends in both the lateral direction and the thickness direction;
wherein the teardrop has a second transition that is located between the second end and the middle section and extends in both the lateral direction and the thickness direction;
wherein the entire middle section is farther from the upper surface in the thickness direction than any portion of the first end is to the upper surface in the thickness direction, and wherein the entire middle section is farther from the upper surface in the thickness direction than any portion of the second end is to the upper surface in the thickness direction;
wherein a farthest portion of the teardrop to the upper surface in the thickness direction is at the lateral midpoint and continuously extends towards the upper surface upon continuous extension of the teardrop in the lateral direction from the lateral midpoint to the first end wherein a cross-sectional size of the teardrop is smaller at the first end than at the lateral midpoint.
 
11. A heavy truck tire tread that has a lateral direction, a thickness direction, and a circumferential direction, comprising:
a rib having a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface, wherein the rib has an upper surface; and
a sipe located in the rib that extends from the first lateral surface to the second lateral surface, wherein the sipe has a body and a teardrop, wherein a first end of the teardrop is located at the first lateral surface, wherein a second end of the teardrop is located at the second lateral surface, and wherein the teardrop has a middle section that is located between the first end of the teardrop and the second end of the teardrop in the lateral direction, and wherein a lateral midpoint of the teardrop in the lateral direction is located at the middle section;
wherein the teardrop has a first transition that is located between the first end and the middle section and extends in both the lateral direction and the thickness direction;
wherein the teardrop has a second transition that is located between the second end and the middle section and extends in both the lateral direction and the thickness direction;
wherein the entire middle section is farther from the upper surface in the thickness direction than any portion of the first end is to the upper surface in the thickness direction, and wherein the entire middle section is farther from the upper surface in the thickness direction than any portion of the second end is to the upper surface in the thickness direction;
wherein the first end and the second end have cross-sections that are circular in shape with the same diameter along entire lengths of the first end and the second end;
wherein the middle section has a cross-section that is circular in shape with the same diameter along an entire length of the middle section, wherein the diameter of the middle section is greater than the diameter of the first end and second end;
wherein the first transition and the second transition have cross-sections that are circular in shape with varying diameters along entire lengths of the first and second transitions.