The pneumatic tire according to the present embodiment includes a central land portion that is formed on the other side of the shoulder main groove in the tire width direction, and a plurality of inclined grooves that are provided in the central land portion at intervals in the tire circumferential direction. The inclined groove is a groove in which one end is open to the shoulder main groove and the other end terminates in the central land portion, and extends in a direction inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction, and a length along the tire circumferential direction is 90% or more and 180% or less of a ground contact length on the tire equator when a normal load is applied.

The pneumatic tire according to the present embodiment includes a shoulder land portion that is formed between a ground contact end and the shoulder main groove, a central land portion that is formed on the other side of the shoulder main groove in the tire width direction, a plurality of first inclined grooves that are provided in the central land portion at intervals in the tire circumferential direction, and a plurality of second inclined grooves that are provided in the shoulder land portion at intervals in the tire circumferential direction. The first inclined groove of which one end is open to the shoulder main groove and the other end terminates in the central land portion extends in a direction inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction, and the second inclined groove is open to the shoulder main groove and provided on an extension of the first inclined groove.

The present invention includes tire treads having a plurality of sipes (14) where at least one of the opposing sides of the sipe thickness includes a plurality of projections (18, 36) and recesses (20, 38) and a method for forming the same.

The present invention includes tire treads having a sipe (18) and a void feature (22) in fluid communication with the sipe. Particular embodiments of the present invention also include methods for forming the same. In various embodiments, the sipe has a length, a height, and a thickness that is variable across the length and height of the sipe. The thickness of the sipe includes a thick portion (24) and a thin portion (26), the thick portion at least partially extending around a perimeter of the thin portion. In particular embodiments, the void feature (22) which is in fluid communication with the sipe extends primarily in a direction of the sipe length and has a width extending in the direction of the sipe thickness equal to or greater than substantially 1 millimeter.

The present invention includes tire treads having a plurality of lateral voids and methods of forming a tire tread having a plurality of lateral voids. The lateral voids of the tire treads each have a length extending primarily in the lateral direction of the tread, and where each of the plurality of lateral void features include a groove portion (18) and a sipe portion (26). Arranged at the bottom of each of the plurality of lateral void features is a submerged groove (28). Additionally or alternatively, each of the plurality of lateral void features include a groove bumper (32).

It is an object of the present invention to provide a tire that can achieve both wet grip performance and abrasion resistance. Provided is a pneumatic tire comprising a tread part, wherein the tread part is composed of a rubber composition comprising 50 parts by mass or more of silica based on 100 parts by mass of a rubber component, wherein the rubber component comprises 80% by mass or more of a butadiene rubber, and wherein, when A.sub.BR represents a content, in % by mass, of the butadiene rubber in the rubber component and L represents a land ratio, in %, of a tread surface of the tread part, A.sub.BR and L satisfy the following inequality:

[00001]$\begin{array}{cc}{A}_{\mathrm{BR}}L>4800.& \left(1\right)\end{array}$

A heavy truck tire tread is provided that has an outer surface and a circumferential groove (24) that extends in the circumferential direction completely around the tread. A rib (26) is present that has a rib element (28) that defines a portion of the circumferential groove (24) and has an upper surface (30) in the radial direction. The upper surface has a leading edge (32) and a tailing edge (34) in the circumferential direction. The leading edge (32) and the tailing edge (34) are at different distances to the central axis in the radial direction. A first micro sipe (40) extends into the rib and opens into the circumferential groove (24), and a second micro sipe (42) extends into the rib (26) and opens into the circumferential groove (24). The rib element (28) extends from the first micro sipe (40)) to the second micro sipe (42) in the circumferential direction.

A method of forming a tire that includes providing a mold configured to mold a tire tread and having a sipe-forming element, spaced apart inwardly from an outermost molding surface, that includes a knife edge oriented towards the outermost molding surface and a submerged void-forming portion extending from the knife edge, arranging an uncured tire tread within the mold, molding the tire tread arranged within the mold, and demolding the tire tread from the mold such that the sipe-forming element forms a sipe by the knife edge (48) lacerating a thickness of the tire tread as the sipe-forming element is pulled in a direction toward the outermost molding surface and forms a submerged void arranged below the sipe within the tire tread. A tire including a sipe (30) and a submerged void (32) as described above is also disclosed.

A tire and a method of making a tire having a plurality of sipes (14), each sipe is arranged between opposing surfaces (16) of the tread (10) within the tread thickness and each sipe having a thicker frame portion (15) which meets with and extends beyond and into the ground engaging surface of the tire tread and a thinner portion forming a plurality of projections on at least one of opposing sides (16) of the sipe thickness, the plurality of projections being spaced apart, each projection has a height no greater than the thickness of the frame portion of the sipe.