GB2229974A

GB2229974A - Tyre treads

Info

Publication number: GB2229974A
Application number: GB9004700A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Jansen
Original assignee: Uniroyal GmbH
Current assignee: Uniroyal GmbH
Priority date: 1989-03-04
Filing date: 1990-03-02
Publication date: 1990-10-10
Also published as: DE3907074A1; IT9020730U1; GB9004700D0; FR2643856A1; IT9020730V0; IT1240922B; IT9019548A0; IT9019548A1

Description

- 1 A Pneumatic Vehicle Tyre The invention relates to a pneumatic vehicle

tyre of a belted5 radial carcase construction, having a small cross-section and a tread surface profile, which comprises profile elements, which extend angularly or diagonally relative to the central plane of the tyre and are angled or bent in the shoulder region of the tyre, said profile elements extending in an S-shaped manner from one tread edge to the other tread surface edge and being separated from one another by angular or diagonal grooves with an angular or diagonal configuration.

Such pneumatic vehicle tyres are well suited to high travel speeds. Thus, they have the advantage of a high drainage capacity. These pneumatic vehicle tyres are capable of further improvement in respect of their nonskid performance, stability and noise emission on wet roadways.

The object- of the invention is to further improve such a pneumatic vehicle tyre in respect of a high drainage capacity, without circumferential grooves being used. Furthermore, the non-skid performance in the wet and the noise emission should generally be improved and the shoulder regions should be of an advantageous configuration in respect of a uniform ground pressure.

According to the invention, this is achieved by means of angular or diagonal profile elements and angular or diagonal grooves, which extend at a relatively sharp angle of 150 to 250, and the profile elements have a widened configuration at angular or bent locations in the shoulder regions. The widened portion of the profile element is formed advantageously by a short additional groove in the tyre shoulder.

Because the profile elements and diagonal grooves are disposed at an acute angle, the drainage and noise emission are improved.

There are preferably always at least two angular or diagonal groovesq which are defined by angular or diagonal profile elements and extend continuously in a straight manner in the supporting area of the tyre. In consequence, the drainage is brought to a high level without the assistance of circumferential grooves.

In addition, the angular or diagonal profile elements have fine incisions which extend either transversely and/or longitudinally relative to the central plane of the tyre or relative to the travel direction of the tyre. The longitudinally extending fine incisions are advantageous for a relatively high non-skid performance in the wet when travelling around corners. The transversely extending fine incisions are advantageous for a relatively high non-skid performance in the wet with improved stability relative to lateral driving forces.

The breaking behaviour and travel behaviour around corners are generally improved by this profile configuration, without the high drainage capacity of the profile being adversely affected. The profile elements have an individual freedom of movement because of the fine i - 3 incisions which are provided, and they increase the nonskid performance in the wet for pneumatic vehicle tyres which are particularly suited to high travel speeds.

To improve the noise emission further, the ends of the fine incisions are provided with recesses. These extend from the profile surface to the base of the groove and are in the form of small recesses.

The pneumatic vehicle tyres with angular or diagonal profiling are preferably disposed in pairs in such a manner that the tyre profiles of one pair of tyres are mirror images of one another. In such a case, they form a V-shaped profile in the travel direction of the tyre, the profile elements or profile grooves of such Vshaped profile intersecting one another in imaginary extensions. This arrangement additionally ensures a relatively high level of track maintenance It also improves travel over rails and the aquaplaning behaviour.

The present invention will be further illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a pneumatic vehicle tyre profile in angular or diagonal disposition; Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the profile shown in Fig.1, provided with transversely extending fine incisions; Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of a profile shown in Fig. 1, provided with longitudinally extending fine incisions; 1 wheels.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a pair of wheels fitted with pneumatic vehicle tyres; and Fig. 5 is a plan view of a pair of double The tread surface profile 2 of a pneumatic vehicle tyre 1 shown in Fig. 1 with a small cross-section so-called wide tyres with a height: width ratio of approximately 0.6 to 0.35 - has angularly or diagonally extending, straight profile ribs 3 of a width b. In the shoulder region 5, these ribs have an angular or bent configuration and have a widened portion 6. These diagonal ribs 3 are separated from one another by straight angular or diagonal grooves 4. The groove is axially angled in the shoulder region 5; c.f. at 8. The widened portion 6 is formed by an additional groove 7. In this respect, the profiling has an S-shaped configuration extending from the tread surface edge 9 1 to the tread surface edge 9 r.

The diagonal ribs 3 and diagonal grooves 4 are disposed at an acute angle, of e.g. ok = 210, thereby ensuring that there are always at least two diagonal grooves, e.g. 4a,4b.with a fully continuously straight configuration in the supporting area A of the tyre. This arrangement ensures a very high drainage capacity. Large volumes of water are rapidly diverted into the shoulder regions in a direct manner The tyre profile 12 shown in Fig. 2 has diagonal profile elements 13 and diagonal grooves 14. The profile -elements have fine incisions 15, which extend transversely i relative to the central plane x-x of the tyre. The ends 18 of these fine incisions are provided with small recesses 169 which extend from the upper surface 17 of the tread surface profile to the base of the groove (not shown).

The tread surface profile 22 shown in Fig. 3 has diagonal profile elements 23 and diagonal grooves 24. The profile elements have fine incisions 25, which extend longitudinally relative to the central plane x- x of the tyre. The ends 28 of these fine incisions are provided with small recesses 26, which extend from the upper surface 27 of the tread surface to the base of the groove (not shown).

A pair of wheels 31, 32 is shown in Fig. 4. The direction of travel is denoted by L. The wheel 31 has a pneumatic vehicle tyre with a diagonal profile 33, and the wheel 32 on the same wheel axle 30 has a pneumatic vehicle tyre with a diagonal profile 34. The tyre profiles 33 and 34 are mirror images,of one another in such a manner that their imaginary extensions intersect one another at V and. in this respect, form a Vshaped profile 35.

Fig. 5 shows an arrangement with pairs of wheels 41 and 42. In such a case. the tyre profiles 43 and 44 are so disposed that they also form a Vshaped profile 45. The wheel axle is denoted by 40. A comparable pair of wheels is situated at the other end of this axle.

Claims

1. A pneumatic vehicle tyre of a belted, radial carcase construction, having a small cross-section and a tread surface profile, which comprises profile elements which extend angularly or diagonally relative to the central plane of the tyre and are angled or bent in the shoulder region of the tyre, said profile elements extending in an S-shaped manner from one tread surface edge to the other tread surface edge and being separated from one another by angular or diagonal grooves with an angular or diagonal configuration wherein the profile elements are disposed at an angle oXin the range of 150 to 250 and, in the shoulder region have a profile element widened portion which has a width up to three times the profile element width shoulder groove.

and is formed by an additional 1

2. A pneumatic vehicle tyre as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are always at least two angular or diagonal grooves which are. separated by angular or diagonal profile elements and extend in a continuously straight manner in the supporting area of the tyre.

3. A pneumatic vehicle tyre as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the profile elements have fine incisions which extend transversely relative to the central plane of the tyre.

4. A pneumatic vehicle tyre as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the profile elements have fine incisions -which extend parallel to the central plane of the tyre.

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5. A pneumatic vehicle tyre as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the profile elements have, at the fine incision ends a small recess which extends from the profile surface to the base of the groove.

6. A pneumatic vehicle tyre as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein two pneumatic vehicle tyres are used in such a manner that they are disposed on vehicle wheels of a wheel axle and such tyres are a pair of vehicle tyres with a tread surface profile which is disposed in a mirror-image arrangement, and form a V shaped prof ile in the travel direction of the vehicle wheel, the diagonal profile elements or diagonal grooves of said V-shaped profile intersecting one another in imaginary extensions.

7. A pneumatic vehicle tyre, or a pair of pneumatic vehicle tyres, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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