Pneumatic tire
11338619 · 2022-05-24
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
B60C11/1218
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B60C2011/1213
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B60C2011/129
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B60C2011/1227
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B60C11/0306
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
Abstract
Provided is pneumatic tire in which a land portion includes a width direction sipe extending in a tread width direction, the width direction sipe includes, in a cross section along a depth direction, a linear portion extending from an opening of the width direction sipe toward a bottom of the width direction sipe, and a bent portion connected to the linear portion, bending and extending from a connecting portion with the linear portion to the bottom of the width direction sipe, and the linear portion of the width direction sipe has a length in the depth direction increasing as the linear portion extends from a center portion of the width direction sipe in the tread width direction toward an end portion in the tread width direction.
Claims
1. A pneumatic tire comprising, in a tread surface, two or more circumferential main grooves extending in a tread circumferential direction, and a land portion partitioned between the circumferential main grooves or by one of the circumferential main grooves and a tread edge, wherein the land portion comprises a width direction sipe extending in a tread width direction, the width direction sipe comprises, in a cross section along a depth direction, a linear portion extending from an opening of the width direction sipe toward a bottom of the width direction sipe, and a bent portion connected to the linear portion, bending and extending from a connecting portion with the linear portion to the bottom of the width direction sipe, the linear portion of the width direction sipe has a length in the depth direction increasing as the linear portion extends from a center portion of the width direction sipe in the tread width direction toward an end portion in the tread width direction, and wherein for the bent portion of the width direction sipe, in the center portion of the width direction sipe in the tread width direction, an amplitude that is a distance between an extension line of the linear portion and the apex of the bent portion or an end portion of the width direction sipe on a bottom side varies to be larger on the bottom side of the width direction sipe than on an opening side of the width direction sipe, and in the end portion of the width direction sipe in the tread width direction, the amplitudes are constant.
2. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein in the cross section along the depth direction, the bent portion of the width direction sipe includes two or more apexes in the center portion of the width direction sipe in the tread width direction, and in the end portion of the width direction sipe in the tread width direction, a number of apexes is smaller than a number of the apexes in the center portion in the tread width direction.
3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the width direction sipes are arranged in a tread circumferential direction, and a ratio l/d of a sipe interval 1 in the tread circumferential direction between the width direction sipes that are adjacent in the tread circumferential direction to a sipe depth d of each of the width direction sipes satisfies 2≤l/d≤4.
4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 2, wherein the land portion comprises two shoulder land portions located on outermost sides in the tread width direction, and internal land portions located on inner sides of the two shoulder land portions in the tread width direction, and a ratio Wc/Dc of a width We of each of the internal land portions in the tread width direction to a tread gauge Dc of the internal land portion satisfies Wc/Dc≥3.
5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 2, wherein the land portion comprises two shoulder land portions located on outermost sides in the tread width direction, and internal land portions located on inner sides of the two shoulder land portions in the tread width direction, and a ratio Ws/Ds of a width Ws of each of the shoulder land portions in the tread width direction to a tread gauge Ds of the shoulder land portion satisfies Ws/Ds≥5.
6. The pneumatic tire according to claim 2, wherein the land portion comprises two shoulder land portions located on outermost sides in the tread width direction, and internal land portions located on inner sides of the two shoulder land portions in the tread width direction, a tread gauge Dc of each of the internal land portions and a tread gauge Ds of each of the shoulder land portions are 8.5 mm or less.
7. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the width direction sipes are arranged in a tread circumferential direction, and a ratio l/d of a sipe interval 1 in the tread circumferential direction between the width direction sipes that are adjacent in the tread circumferential direction to a sipe depth d of each of the width direction sipes satisfies 2≤l/d≤4.
8. The pneumatic tire according to claim 7, wherein the land portion comprises two shoulder land portions located on outermost sides in the tread width direction, and internal land portions located on inner sides of the two shoulder land portions in the tread width direction, and a ratio Wc/Dc of a width We of each of the internal land portions in the tread width direction to a tread gauge Dc of the internal land portion satisfies Wc/Dc≥3.
9. The pneumatic tire according to claim 7, wherein the land portion comprises two shoulder land portions located on outermost sides in the tread width direction, and internal land portions located on inner sides of the two shoulder land portions in the tread width direction, and a ratio Ws/Ds of a width Ws of each of the shoulder land portions in the tread width direction to a tread gauge Ds of the shoulder land portion satisfies Ws/Ds≥5.
10. The pneumatic tire according to claim 7, wherein the land portion comprises two shoulder land portions located on outermost sides in the tread width direction, and internal land portions located on inner sides of the two shoulder land portions in the tread width direction, a tread gauge Dc of each of the internal land portions and a tread gauge Ds of each of the shoulder land portions are 8.5 mm or less.
11. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the land portion comprises two shoulder land portions located on outermost sides in the tread width direction, and internal land portions located on inner sides of the two shoulder land portions in the tread width direction, and a ratio Wc/Dc of a width We of each of the internal land portions in the tread width direction to a tread gauge Dc of the internal land portion satisfies Wc/Dc≥3.
12. The pneumatic tire according to claim 11, wherein the land portion comprises two shoulder land portions located on outermost sides in the tread width direction, and internal land portions located on inner sides of the two shoulder land portions in the tread width direction, and a ratio Ws/Ds of a width Ws of each of the shoulder land portions in the tread width direction to a tread gauge Ds of the shoulder land portion satisfies Ws/Ds≥5.
13. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the land portion comprises two shoulder land portions located on outermost sides in the tread width direction, and internal land portions located on inner sides of the two shoulder land portions in the tread width direction, and a ratio Ws/Ds of a width Ws of each of the shoulder land portions in the tread width direction to a tread gauge Ds of the shoulder land portion satisfies Ws/Ds≥5.
14. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the land portion comprises two shoulder land portions located on outermost sides in the tread width direction, and internal land portions located on inner sides of the two shoulder land portions in the tread width direction, a tread gauge Dc of each of the internal land portions and a tread gauge Ds of each of the shoulder land portions are 8.5 mm or less.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) In the accompanying drawings:
(2)
(3)
(4)
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(5) Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be illustratively described in detail with reference to the drawings.
(6)
(7) As illustrated in
(8) Here, a groove width of each of the circumferential main grooves 2 is not especially limited, but can be from 5 to 20 mm. Furthermore, in the present disclosure, a groove depth (a maximum depth) of the circumferential main groove 2 is preferably 6.5 mm or less, and further preferably 6.0 mm or less. This is because rigidity of the land portion 3 can be obtained, and wear resistance can further improve. Note that in view of a drainage performance, a groove depth (a maximum depth) of the circumferential main groove 2 is preferably 5.5 mm or more.
(9) Here, as illustrated in
(10) As illustrated in
(11) The land portion 3b includes width direction sipe 4b extending across the land portion 3b in the tread width direction, and a plurality of width direction sipes 4b are arranged via a predetermined pitch interval (in the example illustrated in
(12) The land portion 3c includes width direction groove 5 extending inwardly from the tread edge TE in the tread width direction while inclining relative to the tread width direction, to terminate in the land portion 3c, and width direction sipe 4c which extends from a terminal end of the width direction groove 5 inclining inwardly in the tread width direction and relative to the tread width direction, to communicate with the circumferential main groove 2b. A plurality of width direction grooves 5 and a plurality of width direction sipes 4c are arranged via a predetermined pitch interval (in the example illustrated in
(13) In this example, the width direction groove 5 does not communicate with the circumferential main groove 2a, and terminates in the land portion 3c, and the pitch interval in the tread circumferential direction is set to be larger than in the land portions 3a, 3b in which only the width direction sipes 4a, 4b are arranged as described above. Consequently, rigidity of the land portion 3c is obtained. Furthermore, a difference in rigidity from the land portion 3a or the land portion 3b that does not include the width direction grooves 5 is decreased, to obtain wear resistance and uneven wear resistance.
(14) The land portion 3d includes width direction groove 6 extending inwardly from the tread edge TE in the tread width direction while inclining relative to the tread width direction, to terminate in the land portion 3c. Furthermore, the land portion 3d includes width direction sipe 4d extending from the tread edge TE inwardly in the tread width direction while inclining relative to the tread width direction, to communicate with the circumferential main groove 2a. A plurality of width direction grooves 5 and a plurality of width direction sipes 4c are arranged alternately in the tread circumferential direction via a predetermined pitch interval (in the example illustrated in
(15) In this example, the width direction groove 6 does not communicate with the circumferential main groove 2c, but terminates in the land portion 3d. Furthermore, the width direction grooves 6 and the width direction sipes 4d are arranged alternately in the tread circumferential direction. Consequently, the rigidity of the land portion 3d can be obtained. Furthermore, a difference in rigidity from the land portion 3a or the land portion 3b that does not include the width direction groove 6 is decreased, to obtain wear resistance and uneven wear resistance.
(16) Here, the width direction sipes 4a, 4b will be described in more detail.
(17)
(18) As illustrated in
(19) Note that when “a length of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b in the depth direction increases from the center portion of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b in the tread width direction toward the end portion (the opposite end portions) in the tread width direction”, it is meant that the width direction sipe does not include a region where the length of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b in the depth direction decreases from the center portion of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b in the tread width direction toward the end portion (the opposite end portions) in the tread width direction. For example, in the present disclosure, the linear portion 41c, 41e of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b can be configured in such a manner that the length of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b in the depth direction gradually increases from the center portion of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b in the tread width direction toward the end portion (the opposite end portions) in the tread width direction.
(20) As illustrated in
(21) As illustrated in
(22) Hereinafter, operations and effects of the pneumatic tire of the present embodiment will be described.
(23) According to the pneumatic tire of the present embodiment, a length of the linear portion 41c in the depth direction of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b is relatively small in the center portion of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b along the tread width direction, in which a swelling amount of a rubber of a block piece partitioned by the width direction sipe 4a, 4b, when the tire is loaded. Consequently, a contact amount between sipe wall surfaces can increase, and an effect of engaging the sipe wall surfaces with each other can be enhanced. Therefore, the rigidity of the land portion 3a, 3b can be increased, and the wear resistance of the tire can be improved. Particularly according to the present embodiment, in the bent portion 42c, 42e, the number of the apexes in the center portion of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b in the tread width direction is larger than in the end portion in the tread width direction. Consequently, the above contact amount between the sipe wall surfaces can increase, and the effect of engaging the sipe wall surfaces with each other can be further enhanced. Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, in the bent portion 42c, 42e of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b, in the center portion of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b in the tread width direction, the above amplitude varies to be larger on the bottom side of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b than on the opening side of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b. Consequently, the above contact amount between the sipe wall surfaces can increase, and the effect of engaging the sipe wall surfaces with each other can be further enhanced.
(24) Thus, according to the pneumatic tire of the present embodiment, the wear resistance of the tire can be improved.
(25) According to the present disclosure, as in the above embodiment, in the cross section along the depth direction, the bent portion 42c, 42e of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b preferably includes two or more apexes in the center portion of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b in the tread width direction, and in the end portion of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b in the tread width direction, the number of the apexes is preferably smaller than the number of the apexes in the center portion in the tread width direction. This is because the above contact amount between the sipe wall surfaces can increase, the effect of engaging the sipe wall surfaces with each other can be further enhanced, and the wear resistance of the tire can further improve. In the above embodiment, the width direction sipe includes the center portion including four apexes in the tread width direction, and the end portion including three apexes in the tread width direction. However, various modifications are possible to such an extent that the number of the apexes does not increase from the center portion in the tread width direction toward the end portion in the tread width direction. As an example, the center portion in the tread width direction may be further divided into two regions, to form a region where the number of the apexes is, for example, five and a region where the number of the apexes is, for example, four (the region including five apexes is a region closer to a tread center side). Furthermore, the end portion in the tread width direction may be further divided into two regions, to form a region where the number of the apexes is, for example, three and a region where the number of the apexes is, for example, two (the region including three apexes is a region closer to the tread center side).
(26) According to the present disclosure, as in the above embodiment, in the bent portion 42c, 42e of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b, in the center portion of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b in the tread width direction, the amplitude that is the distance between the extension line of the linear portion 41c, 41e and the apex of the bent portion 42c, 42e or the end portion of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b on the bottom side preferably varies to be larger on the bottom side of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b than on the opening side of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b. This is because the above contact amount between the sipe wall surfaces can increase, the effect of engaging the sipe wall surfaces with each other can be further enhanced, and the wear resistance of the tire can further improve. In the present embodiment, in the center portion along the tread width direction, the amplitude may gradually increase from the opening side of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b toward the bottom side of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b, as long as the amplitude does not decrease from the opening side of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b toward the bottom side of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b. As an example, a region having a constant first amplitude can be formed closer to the opening side, and a region having a constant second amplitude larger than the first amplitude can be formed closer to the bottom side.
(27) In the present disclosure, a plurality of width direction sipes 4a, 4b are arranged in the tread circumferential direction, and a ratio l/d of a sipe interval 1 in the tread circumferential direction between the width direction sipes 4a, 4b that are adjacent in the tread circumferential direction to a sipe depth d of each of the width direction sipes 4a, 4b preferably satisfies 2≤l/d≤4.
(28) This is because if the ratio l/d is 2 or more, rigidity of the block piece partitioned by the width direction sipe can be obtained, and wear resistance can be obtained. On the other hand, if the ratio l/d is 4 or less, a number of sipes can be obtained, and a wet performance can be obtained.
(29) In the present disclosure, the land portion 3 includes two shoulder land portions 3c, 3d located on outermost sides in the tread width direction, and internal land portions 3a, 3b located on inner sides of the two shoulder land portions 3c, 3d in the tread width direction, and a ratio Wc/Dc of a width We of each of the internal land portions 3a, 3b in the tread width direction to a tread gauge Dc of the internal land portion 3a, 3b preferably satisfies Wc/Dc≥3.
(30) This is because if the ratio Wc/Dc is 3 or more, rigidity of the internal land portion 3a, 3b can be obtained, and the wear resistance can be further obtained.
(31) In the present disclosure, the land portion 3 includes two shoulder land portions 3c, 3d located on the outermost sides in the tread width direction, and the internal land portions 3a, 3b located on the inner sides of the two shoulder land portions 3c, 3d in the tread width direction, and a ratio Ws/Ds of a width Ws of each of the shoulder land portions 3c, 3d in the tread width direction to a tread gauge Ds of the shoulder land portion 3c, 3d preferably satisfies Ws/Ds≥5.
(32) This is because if the ratio Ws/Ds is 5 or more, rigidity of the shoulder land portion 3c, 3d can be obtained, and the wear resistance can be further obtained.
(33) In the present disclosure, the land portion 3 includes two shoulder land portions 3c, 3d located on the outermost sides in the tread width direction, and the internal land portions 3a, 3b located on the inner sides of the two shoulder land portions 3c, 3d in the tread width direction. The tread gauge Dc of each of the internal land portions 3a, 3b and the tread gauge Ds of each of the shoulder land portions 3c, 3d are preferably 6.5 mm or less, and further preferably 6.0 mm or less. This is because in this range, the rigidities of the internal land portions 3a, 3b and the shoulder land portions 3c, 3d can be obtained, and the wear resistance can further improve.
(34) As above, the embodiment of the present disclosure has been described, and the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, according to the above embodiment, the linear portion 41c, 41e of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b had a length in the depth direction increasing as the linear portion 41c, 41e extends from the center portion of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b in the tread width direction toward the opposite end portions in the tread width direction. However, the length of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b in the depth direction may increase from the center portion of the width direction sipe 4a, 4b in the tread width direction toward only either one end portion in the tread width direction. Furthermore, it is preferable to apply such a sipe shape as illustrated in
(35) Furthermore, for example, in the land portion 3a, 3b, the width direction sipe 4a, 4b extends across the land portion 3a, 3b, but may terminate in the land portion 3a, 3b. Furthermore, the width direction sipe 4a, 4b may extend in the tread width direction in various shapes such as linear, curved and zigzag shapes.
(36) Hereinafter, examples of the present disclosure will be described, but the present disclosure is not limited to the following examples.
EXAMPLES
(37) To check effects of the present disclosure, tires according to an example of the present disclosure and a comparative example were experimentally produced, and a test to evaluate wear resistance was performed. Table 1 illustrates specifications of the respective tires together with evaluation results as follows.
(38) <Wear Resistance>
(39) Each of the tires according to the example of the present disclosure and the comparative example was mounted to a rim, charged with a prescribed internal pressure, mounted to a vehicle, and run on a dry road surface of a general road in various running modes. A wear amount of a block during a run along 40000 km was measured, and the wear resistance was evaluated from the measured wear amount. The evaluation result of the tire of the comparative example was set to 100, and index evaluation was performed. Table 1 illustrates the evaluation results. Note that Table 1 illustrates that a larger index indicates more excellent wear resistance.
(40) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Example of the present Comparative disclosure Example Tread pattern FIG. 1 FIG. 1 Sipe shape FIG. 2 FIG. 3 Sipe width 0.3 mm 0.4 mm Sipe depth 5.5 mm 3.9 mm Tread width Linear 1.5 mm 1.5 mm direction center portion portion length Number 5 apexes 3 apexes of apexes Amplitude Gradually Constant increase toward groove bottom side Tread width Linear 2 mm 1.5 mm direction opposite portion end portions length Number 3 apexes 3 apexes of apexes Amplitude Constant Constant Wear resistance 104 100
(41) As illustrated in Table 1, it is seen that the wear resistance of the tire of the example of the present disclosure is more improved than that of the tire of the comparative example.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
(42) 1 tread surface 2, 2a, 2b and 2c circumferential main groove 3, 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d land portion 4, 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d width direction sipe 41c and 41e linear portion 42c and 42e bent portion 5 and 6 width direction groove TE tread edge CL tire equatorial plane