US 12,447,774 B2
Tire
Yohei Maeda, Kobe (JP)
Assigned to SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD., Kobe (JP)
Filed by Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd., Kobe (JP)
Filed on May 2, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/142,293.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-091094 (JP), filed on Jun. 3, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0391142 A1, Dec. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. B60C 11/00 (2006.01); B60C 11/03 (2006.01); B60C 11/12 (2006.01); B60C 11/13 (2006.01)
CPC B60C 11/005 (2013.01) [B60C 11/0008 (2013.01); B60C 11/0302 (2013.01); B60C 11/1204 (2013.01); B60C 11/1307 (2013.01); B60C 11/1323 (2013.01); B60C 2011/0025 (2013.01); B60C 2011/1213 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tire comprising a tread portion and having a tire equator, wherein
the tread portion includes a ground contacting surface, and at least one first groove opening at the ground contacting surface,
the tread portion is formed from a tread rubber that includes a first rubber layer not exposed at the ground contacting surface and a second rubber layer connected to the first rubber layer on an outer side in a tire radial direction,
the second rubber layer has a complex elastic modulus E*2 smaller than a complex elastic modulus E*1 of the first rubber layer,
the or each first groove has a groove width decreasing from a respective one of tread edges toward the tire equator and includes a first groove edge that is one of two groove edges of the or each first groove appearing on the ground contacting surface, a groove bottom surface located radially inside the second rubber layer, and a first groove wall connecting the first groove edge and the groove bottom surface,
in a lateral cross section of the or each first groove, the first groove wall includes a first wide top portion between the first groove edge and the groove bottom surface,
the first wide top portion is located outside the first groove edge in a groove width direction of the or each first groove, and
the first wide top portion is positioned in the second rubber layer.