In a pneumatic tire according to an embodiment, a pattern is formed in a pattern forming area provided on a surface of a sidewall. The pattern includes ridges protruding from a reference surface in the pattern forming area, grooves recessed from the reference surface, and flat surfaces interposed between the ridges and the grooves adjacent to each other and extending along the reference surface.

In a pneumatic tire provided with a pattern on a surface of a sidewall, the pattern has a plurality of annular figures that are longer in a tire circumferential direction than in a tire radial direction. The plural annular figures have different sizes from one another, which are arranged so that a larger annular figure is placed on an outer side of a smaller annular figure without crossing each other, and so that intervals of the annular figures differ on one side and the other side in the tire circumferential direction.

A tire vulcanization mold includes a molding surface for molding a tire during vulcanization molding. The molding surface can include a first region in which a plurality of recesses for forming a plurality of projections on a surface of the tire can be provided. In the first region, at least two of the recesses can be arranged per mm.sup.2. Each of the recesses can include a side wall surface, a bottom surface, and a virtual recess central axis extending in a depth direction of the recess. In a cross-sectional view of the recess including the recess central axis, the bottom surface can include a bottom projection projecting outward in the depth direction, and the side wall surface can include an arc-shaped surface smoothly connected to the bottom surface.

A tire includes a pattern portion on a surface of a sidewall portion. The pattern portion includes an outer pattern and an inner pattern. The outer pattern includes a plurality of outer ridges disposed concentrically around a first point on a tire circumferential line on an outer side in a tire radial direction and extending toward a second point, on the tire circumferential line, which is different from the first point. The inner pattern includes a plurality of inner ridges disposed concentrically around the second point on an inner side in the tire radial direction and extending toward the first point. Each of the outer ridges connects with one of the inner ridges on the tire circumferential line.

A pneumatic tire according to the present invention includes a first marking part provided on a surface of a first sidewall on one side in a tire axial direction and a second marking part provided on a surface of a second sidewall on the other side in the tire axial direction. The first marking part has a concave shape recessed from the surface of the first sidewall and the second marking part has a convex shape protruding from the surface of the second sidewall. The second marking part is provided at a position overlapping with the first marking part in the tire axial direction.

A pneumatic tire includes a serration region provided in a predetermined region of a sidewall portion, the serration region being formed by arranging a plurality of ridges, the plurality of ridges protruding from a base surface in parallel to each other and periodically, when a length along a contour of the ridge per cycle in a cross-sectional view along a direction orthogonal to an extension direction of the plurality of ridges is defined as a length Lr and a length of one cycle of the plurality of ridges along the base surface is defined as a length Lb, a ratio (Lr/Lb) of the length Lr to the length being 1.2 or more and 2.0 or less, and the length Lb being 0.5 mm or more and 0.7 mm or less.

Disclosed herein are devices and methods for determining the identity of markings on tires. A portable tire scanner can comprise one or more light sources and detector that reflect light off tire markings and capture imagery of them. The scanner is operable to process the imagery to determine the identity of the markings. The marking can be the same color as the area of the tire around the marking (e.g., black-on-black) and the scanner can identify the marking by determining angular edges of the markings. Plural light sources and/or detectors can be used to provide plural perspectives to better determine the edges of the markings. The housing can have a form factor that allows the scanner to be hand-held, such that a user can aim the scanner at tires even while on a vehicle or in hard to reach positions. The scanner can be used to scan and identify several tire marking in succession.

At least one mark formed by a character or a figure and a surface geometry arrangement region disposed adjacent to the mark outside the mark can be formed on a surface of a sidewall portion of a tire. The surface geometry arrangement region can have a plurality of micro projections. The surface geometry arrangement region can include a first region formed in at least a part of the surface geometry arrangement region such that the greater a distance from the mark is, the less a height of the micro projection can be.

Tire or wheel for use on a vehicle, machine, equipment, toy or the like. The tire or wheel has an illuminable feature including at least one optical fiber.

The present disclosure provides a tire having excellent durability during high speed running. A tire including a sidewall portion including a thermoplastic elastomer composition having a specific heat capacity of 1.7 J/ (g .Math.K) or less, the tire having a depression with a depth of 0.2 to 3.0 mm and/or a projection with a height of 0.2 to 3.0 mm between the tread ground contact edge and the tire maximum width position of the sidewall portion.