A tire comprises a tread portion provided with zigzag circumferential grooves and lateral grooves so that hexagonal blocks are formed between the zigzag circumferential grooves. Corners of the hexagonal blocks adjacent to each other through the lateral grooves are partially chamfered to have chamfered parts, with respect to each of the lateral grooves, the chamfered part of the corner of the hexagonal block abutting on the lateral groove on one side in the tire circumferential direction is located in a different position in the longitudinal direction of the lateral groove than the chamfered part of the corner of the hexagonal block abutting on the lateral groove on the other side in the tire circumferential direction.

A tyre includes a tread portion provided with an outer main groove, an inner main groove, and a middle main groove. Each of the main grooves has a pair of groove edges arranged on both sides in a tyre axial direction and extending in a tyre circumferential direction. At least one of the groove edges includes circumferential portions extending in the tyre circumferential direction and axial portions inclined at larger angles than the circumferential portions with respect to the tyre circumferential direction. When an axial portion total length is a sum of axial lengths of the axial portions included in the main grooves, an axial portion total lengths L1, L2, and L3 of the outer main groove, the middle main groove, and the inner main groove, respectively, satisfy Expressions (1) and (2) shown below;
L1>L3  Ex. (1)
L1≥L2≥L3  Ex. (2).

A tire tread includes a plurality of circumferential grooves, each of the plurality extending continuously in a tire circumferential direction. The plurality of circumferential grooves define a circumferentially extending shoulder rib. The shoulder rib has a plurality of shoulder elements. Each shoulder element is defined by two lateral shoulder grooves. Each shoulder element has an axially outer shoulder element and a corresponding axially adjacent and axially inner shoulder element separated by a circumferential groove. The axially outer shoulder elements each have a pair of angled outer lateral S-shaped blind grooves extending axially away from the inner shoulder elements.

The invention relates to a pneumatic vehicle tyre having a tread with at least one, in particular straight, circumferential groove (1) which is formed at profile depth (T.sub.1), is delimited by groove flanks (5, 6) and a groove base (4) of U-shaped cross section, and has a width (B.sub.1) which is ascertained at the tread periphery in the axial direction, wherein a number of projections (7), which are arranged distributed over the circumference of the circumferential groove (1) and are situated opposite one another in pairs in the axial direction, is formed on the groove base (4), possibly with connection to the groove flanks (5, 6), a groove path (8) of the circumferential groove (1), which groove path reaches profile depth (T.sub.1), has a constriction and is of symmetrical configuration with respect to a plane (E.sub.1) which is spanned by the radial direction and a vertical to the centre line of the circumferential groove (1), running between respective projections.

In a tyre of this kind, the projections should be configured in a more expedient manner with respect to the water discharge capacity of the circumferential groove.

This is achieved by way of the projections (7) ending at the groove flanks (5, 6) or at the groove base (4) in the circumferential direction and running in such a way that the groove path (8) runs symmetrically with respect to a second plane (E.sub.2), which is spanned by the centre line of the circumferential groove (1) and the radial direction, and is made up of two Venturi sections (10) which narrow in the manner of a funnel to form the constriction.

In the pneumatic tire, the ratio TW/SW of the ground contact width TW of the tire and the maximum width SW of the tire is 0.75 to 0.95. The tire width direction outside end of the belt layer extends in the tire circumferential direction and is positioned outside in the tire width direction than the circumferential direction groove formed most outside in the tire width direction. A width direction sipe extending in the tire width direction and closest to the tire circumferential direction end portion of the block and a width direction sipe adjacent to the width direction sipe and extending in the tire width direction are formed in the block, and a distance from the tire circumferential direction end portion to the width direction sipe along the tire circumferential direction is longer than a distance from the width direction sipe to the width direction sipe along the tire circumferential direction.

A tread portion includes a groove having first and second groove walls opposing each other, at least one first recess formed by partially recessing the first groove wall, and at least one second recess formed by partially recessing the second groove wall. A depth of each of the first and second recess from a ground contact surface is less than a groove depth of the groove. The first recess includes a first opening disposed at the first groove wall, and a first end portion extending substantially parallel to the first opening at a position farthest from the first opening. The second recess includes a second opening disposed at the second groove wall, and a second end portion extending substantially parallel to the second opening at a position farthest from the second opening. The first and second end portions are disposed so as not to oppose each other through the groove.

To provide a narrow and large-diameter tire capable of improving noise performance at high speeds without compromising handling performance at low temperatures.

The tire has a tread portion formed of an elastomer composition. A relationship between a tire outer diameter (Dt) and a tire cross-sectional width (Wt) satisfy a following expression (1). The tread portion includes at least one circumferential groove extending in a tire circumferential direction. A rubber thickness at a groove bottom of the circumferential groove is 0.05 to 0.25 times a maximum thickness of the tread portion. The elastomer composition has a phase difference δ of 5.0×10.sup.−2π [rad] or less between a maximum value of strain and a maximum value of stress when repeatedly deformed at a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius and a frequency of 10 Hz in a dynamic viscoelasticity test;

1963.4≤(Dt.sup.2×π/4)/Wt≤2827.4  (1).

A tire includes a tread formed with: circumferential grooves extending continuously in a tire circumferential direction; lateral grooves connecting the circumferential grooves in a tire axial direction; and blocks divided by the circumferential grooves and the lateral grooves. In the lateral groove, a groove bottom is raised to form a tie bar connecting the blocks in the tire circumferential direction. The tie bar is formed with a groove portion penetrating the tie bar in the tire axial direction. In a state where the tire is assembled to a regular rim, filled with a regular internal pressure, loaded with a regular load, and contacting a flat surface at a camber angle 0°, a side wall formed on the tie bar by the groove portion on one side in the tire circumferential direction does not contact a side wall on the other side in the tire circumferential direction.

The tire includes a tread portion 2 having at least one groove 3 that includes two groove walls 6. At least one of the groove walls 6 has a protrusion 10 that protrudes from the groove wall 6. The protrusion 10 includes at least two ribs 11 that extend in a length direction of the groove 3 and are spaced from each other in the tire radial direction, and a joining portion 12 for joining the ribs 11 to each other. Each rib 11 protrudes from the groove wall 6 so as to form such an inclination that the rib 11 is inclined outward from the groove wall 6 in a tire radial direction.

A tyre tread (10) has a groove (12) having a snow trapping device in the form of a dam (14) in it. The dam (14) is attached to a bottom wall (16) of the groove (12), and to side walls (18, 20) of the groove (12). The dam (14) has a first, snow trapping surface (22) and a second, inclined surface (24) which face in opposite sides in the groove longitudinal direction. The second, inclined surface (24) directs the flow of water away from the bottom wall (16). A hole (32) and a sipe (34) form a passageway (30) for water through the dam (14) in the groove longitudinal direction. The passageway reduces water flow recirculation. The whole of the dam (14) is between the side walls (18, 20) of the groove (12).