US 12,472,776 B2
Low-noise tire
Arnaud Delbast, Clermont-Ferrand (FR); Bruno Guimard, Clermont-Ferrand (FR); and Frederic Bourgeois, Clermont-Ferrand (FR)
Assigned to COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, Clermont-Ferrand (FR)
Appl. No. 18/009,147
Filed by COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, Clermont-Ferrand (FR)
PCT Filed Apr. 22, 2021, PCT No. PCT/FR2021/050697
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 8, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/250331, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 16, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2006097 (FR), filed on Jun. 11, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0249497 A1, Aug. 10, 2023
Int. Cl. B60C 11/03 (2006.01)
CPC B60C 11/033 (2013.01) [B60C 11/0318 (2013.01); B60C 2011/0355 (2013.01); B60C 2200/04 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tire for a passenger vehicle having an outside diameter OD and comprising a tread intended to come into contact with a ground, when the tire is running, via a tread surface axially delimited by first and second axial edges of the tread surface, the tread comprising:
an axially central portion comprising main circumferential grooves having a depth greater than or equal to 50% of a tread pattern height comprising at least first and second main circumferential grooves, which are arranged axially one on each side of a median plane of the tire, the first and second main circumferential grooves being main circumferential grooves axially furthest toward an outside of the tread, the axially central portion extending axially from an axially outside edge of the first main circumferential groove as far as an axially outside edge of the second main circumferential groove, the axially central portion having a surface-area void ratio ranging from 35% to 45%, and the axially central portion comprising at least one central rib, the or each central rib being axially delimited by two main circumferential grooves having a depth greater than or equal to 50% of the tread pattern height;
first and second axially lateral portions arranged axially on an outside of the axially central portion, axially one on each side of the axially central portion with respect to the median plane of the tire and arranged in such a way that:
the first axially lateral portion extends axially from a first axial edge of the tread surface as far as the axially outside edge of the first main circumferential groove,
the second axially lateral portion extends axially from a second axial edge of the tread surface as far as the axially outside edge of the second main circumferential groove,
at least one of the or each central rib, the first axially lateral portion, and the second axially lateral portion comprises one or more axial portions, at least one of the one or more axial portions having one or more transverse cuts,
wherein a volume void ratio of each first and second axially lateral portion ranges from 5% to 10%,
wherein a surface-area void ratio of each first and second axially lateral portion ranges from 20% to 30%,
wherein a ratio of a volume void ratio of the or each central rib to the volume void ratio of each first and second axially lateral portion is from 0.10 to 0.15, and
wherein the at least one of the one or more axial portions satisfies only one of the following conditions I, II, III, and an axial width of a whole of the at least one of the one or more axial portions of the or each central rib and of each first and second axially lateral portion each satisfy only one of conditions I, II, III being greater than or equal to 70% of an axial width of the or each central rib and of each first and second axially lateral portion:
(I) the at least one of the one or more axial portions comprises no transverse cut having a depth greater than or equal to 20% of the tread pattern height and an axial length greater than or equal to 20% of the axial width of the or each central rib, of the first axially lateral portion, or of the second axially lateral portion,
(II) the at least one of the one or more axial portions comprises N1 transverse cuts having a depth greater than or equal to 20% of the tread pattern height and an axial length greater than or equal to 20% of the axial width of the or each central rib, of the first axially lateral portion, or of the second axially lateral portion, a collection of the N1 transverse cuts of the at least one of the one or more axial portions having the depth greater than or equal to 20% of the tread pattern height and the axial length greater than or equal to 20% of the axial width of the or each central rib, of the first axially lateral portion, or of the second axially lateral portion being arranged in such a way that π×OD/N1≥40 mm,
(III) the at least one of the one or more axial portions comprises N2 transverse cuts having a depth greater than or equal to 20% of the tread pattern height and an axial length greater than or equal to 20% of the axial width of the or each central rib, of the first axially lateral portion, or of the second axially lateral portion, a whole of the N2 transverse cuts of the or each central rib or of the at least one of the one or more axial portions having the depth greater than or equal to 20% of the tread pattern height and the axial length greater than or equal to 20% of the axial width of the or each central rib, of the first axially lateral portion, or of the second axially lateral portion being arranged in such a way that π×OD/N2≤24 mm, and
condition I or II being satisfied at least by one of the one or more axial portions of the or each of the central ribs or by one of the one or more axial portions of the first axially lateral portion or by one of the one or more axial portions of the second axially lateral portion, and
condition III being satisfied at least by the one of the one or more axial portions of the or each of the central ribs or by the one of the one or more axial portions of the first axially lateral portion or by the one of one or more axial portions of the second axially lateral portion.