JP2023066482A - pneumatic tire - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a pneumatic tire that can enhance snow-traction performance and effect of suppressing side-slipping during steering, as well as, enhance drainage performance of a shoulder land part.SOLUTION: A tire 1 includes shoulder land parts whose inner ends in a tire width direction are defined by circumferential grooves and which are formed at portions including grounding ends on an outer side in the tire width direction thereof. The tire further includes: a plurality of lug grooves extending from a first side toward a second side in the tire width direction, between the plurality of shoulder land parts or in the shoulder land parts; lateral sipes, provided between the two lug grooves arranged adjacently in a circumferential direction in the shoulder land parts, whose width is the same over the whole length in the longitudinal direction and is smaller than the maximum width of the lug grooves; and narrow grooves 109 and 110, inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction over the whole length and connected to the lateral sipes, at a side closer to the outer side in the tire width direction than the grounding ends T, whose widths are smaller than the maximum width of the lug grooves. The narrow grooves are away from the two lug grooves, over the whole length in the shoulder land parts.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 20

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire, and more particularly to a pneumatic tire having a tread including circumferential grooves and shoulder land portions formed in portions including ground contact edges on the outer side in the tire width direction.

Conventionally, a pneumatic tire is known that includes a tread including a plurality of land portions separated by a plurality of circumferential grooves (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the tire disclosed in Patent Document 1, the inner end in the tire width direction is defined by the circumferential groove on the outer side in the tire width direction, and the shoulder land portion is formed in the portion including the ground contact edge on the outer side in the tire width direction. The shoulder land portion is formed with a lug groove extending in the tire width direction and a lateral sipe that is adjacent to the lug groove in the tire circumferential direction and is narrower than the maximum width of the lug groove. Further, in the shoulder land portion, a thin groove having a portion inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction and narrower than the lug groove is formed outside the ground contact edge in the tire width direction (Figs. 3 to 5 of Patent Document 1). .

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0162170

In the shoulder land portion, the outer side in the tire width direction from the ground contact edge is a region called a buttress. It is conceivable to improve the snow traction performance by forming narrow grooves inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction in the buttress. In addition, by forming the narrow grooves inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction, when the ground contact width is widened to the buttress when the vehicle is turning, there is a possibility that the drainage performance during turning can be improved. In addition, the formation of narrow grooves that are inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction may have the effect of suppressing lateral slippage (skidding) of the vehicle due to the edge effect during cornering. However, in Patent Literature 1, in the structure in which the narrow grooves having portions inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction intersect with the lug grooves, the rigidity of the buttresses of the shoulder land portions is likely to decrease. Therefore, there is room for improvement in terms of improving snow traction performance. In addition, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, there is room for improvement in terms of suppressing the side slip of the vehicle due to the edge effect during turning when the contact width to the buttress is widened when the vehicle is turning due to the reduced rigidity of the buttress. . In addition, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, part of the narrow grooves extends in the tire width direction, and the lateral sipes to which the narrow grooves are connected are shortened accordingly. There is room for improvement. In addition, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, since a part of the narrow groove extends in the tire width direction, the water discharged from the sipe during turning is more efficiently guided to the narrow groove, thereby improving the drainage performance of the shoulder land portion during turning. There is room for improvement in terms of improving

Patent Document 1 also describes a configuration in which a narrow groove having a portion inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction does not cross the lug groove in the shoulder land portion (Fig. 7 of Patent Document 1). However, even with this configuration, part of the narrow grooves extends in the tire width direction, and the lateral sipes to which the narrow grooves are connected are shortened. Also, this configuration also has room for improvement in terms of more efficiently guiding the water discharged from the sipes during turning to the narrow grooves and improving the drainage performance of the shoulder land portion during turning.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a pneumatic tire capable of improving snow traction performance and suppressing effect of skidding during cornering, and improving drainage of the shoulder land portion including during cornering.

A pneumatic tire according to the present invention includes a circumferential groove, and a shoulder land portion whose inner end in the tire width direction is defined by the circumferential groove and which is formed in a portion including a ground contact edge on the outer side in the tire width direction. A tire comprising a plurality of lug grooves extending from a first side in a tire width direction to a second side in a shoulder land portion or between a plurality of shoulder land portions, and two lug grooves adjacent in the tire circumferential direction in the shoulder land portion. A lateral sipe that is provided between and has the same width over the entire length in the longitudinal direction and is thinner than the maximum width of the lug groove, and a lateral sipe that is inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction over the entire length and is connected to the lateral sipe outside the ground contact end in the tire width direction, a narrow groove narrower than the maximum width of the lug groove, the narrow groove being separated from the two lug grooves over the entire length within the shoulder land portion.

According to the above pneumatic tire, the narrow grooves inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction are formed in the region called the buttress of the shoulder land portion, and the narrow grooves are not connected to the adjacent lug grooves, so that the rigidity of the buttress can be increased. . As a result, the snow traction performance can be improved, and the edge effect during cornering can be enhanced, thereby improving the effect of suppressing side slip of the vehicle. Furthermore, since the narrow grooves are connected to the lateral sipes, drainage can be improved. Furthermore, since the narrow grooves are inclined in the same direction with respect to the tire circumferential direction over the entire length, the drainage in the narrow grooves can be improved. , the lateral groove can be lengthened, which makes it easy to increase the depth. Thereby, the drainage performance of the shoulder land portion can be improved. Furthermore, since the water discharged from the sipes during turning can be guided to the narrow grooves more efficiently, the drainage performance of the shoulder land portion during turning can be improved. As a result, the drainage performance of the shoulder land portion can be improved, including during turning.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION The pneumatic tire according to the present invention can improve the snow traction performance and the effect of suppressing sideslip during turning, and can improve the drainage performance of the shoulder land portion including during turning.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a perspective view of the pneumatic tire which is an example of embodiment. 1 is a plan view of a pneumatic tire that is an example of an embodiment, showing a part of a tread; FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an enlarged part of the center region of the tread; 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a recess in the oblique circumferential groove of FIG. 3; FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an enlarged recess portion shown in FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a cross section taken along line A1-A1 in FIG. 5; FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 showing another example of recesses; FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 showing another example of recesses; FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 showing another example of recesses; FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an enlarged part of the center region of the tread in one example of the embodiment. FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view showing a connecting portion between the first circumferential groove in FIG. 9 and the lug groove between the center blocks, which is the first land portion; FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view showing FIG. 9 cut along line BB. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an enlarged portion C of FIG. 9; FIG. 13 is a view showing a DD line cross section of FIG. 12; FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the EE line cross section of FIG. 9; FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view showing FIG. 9 cut along the FF line in one example of the embodiment; FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a bridge corresponding to the second raised portion in the G section of FIG. 9; 16 is an enlarged view of the cross section taken along the line HH of FIG. 15; FIG. FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a third raised portion in the third circumferential groove of FIG. 9; FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to part I of FIG. 9 showing another example of the third raised portion; FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of a shoulder block, which is a fifth land portion on the vehicle width direction outer side of FIG. 2 ; FIG. 21 is an enlarged perspective view of an outer end in the tire width direction of the shoulder block of FIG. 20; FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing the shoulder block of FIG. 20 cut along a plane including the ground contact edge;

Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of a pneumatic tire according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, the present invention encompasses selective combinations of constituent elements of the multiple embodiments and modifications described below.

In this specification, the terms wet road surface, snow-covered road surface, and dry road surface are used. A wet road surface means a road surface wet with rainwater or a road surface wet with melted snow and ice. A snow-covered road surface means a road surface covered with snow. A dry road surface means a dry road surface without snow or ice. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the wet road surface and the snow-covered road surface may be collectively referred to as "snow and ice road surface". In the following, no particular reference is made to running performance (ice performance) on frozen road surfaces, but the pneumatic tire that is an example of the embodiment has excellent ice performance in addition to excellent wet performance, snow performance, and dry performance. have

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pneumatic tire 1 that is an example of an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the pneumatic tire 1 showing part of the tread. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pneumatic tire 1 has a tread 10 which is a portion that contacts the road surface. Hereinafter, the "pneumatic tire 1" is referred to as "tire 1". The tread 10 has a tread pattern including a plurality of blocks and is formed in an annular shape along the tire circumferential direction. The tire 1 does not limit the "main rotation direction", which is the rotation direction of the vehicle on which the tire 1 is mounted, when the vehicle is traveling forward. explain.

In this specification, the terms "left and right" are used for the tire 1 and its components for convenience of explanation. The "right side" of the tire 1 means the right side of the tire 1 when viewed from the front of the vehicle when mounted on the vehicle, and the "left side" means the tire 1 mounted on the vehicle when viewed from the front of the vehicle. means the left side when viewed from

As for the tire 1 of the embodiment, the front and back mounting directions of the tire 1 with respect to the vehicle are designated. That is, in the tire 1, the outer side and the inner side in the vehicle width direction are designated. In FIG. 1, the tire 1 is attached to the vehicle so that the right side is the outside in the width direction of the vehicle (OUT side) and the left side is the inside in the width direction of the vehicle (IN side). When the tire 1 is used as the right wheel of the vehicle and when it is used as the left wheel, the main rotation direction and the left/right direction of the tire 1 can be reversed to use the common tire 1 for the left and right wheels.

The tread 10 has a plurality of circumferential grooves 20 , 21 , 22 and a plurality of lug grooves 25 , 26 extending while curving from the left side, which is the first side in the tire width direction, to the right side, which is the second side. The tread 10 includes a plurality of blocks divided in the tire circumferential direction and in the tire width direction by being partitioned by a plurality of circumferential grooves 20 , 21 , 22 and a plurality of lug grooves 25 , 26 .

A block is an island-shaped area protruding outward in the tire radial direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the tread 10 has a plurality of center blocks 50, a plurality of intermediate blocks 60 and 70, and a plurality of shoulder blocks 80 and 90, which will be described later. A tire equator CL, which will be described later, passes through the center block 50 . The intermediate block 60 and the shoulder block 80 are arranged on the left side in the width direction of the tread 10 , and the intermediate block 70 and the shoulder block 90 are arranged on the right side in the width direction of the tread 10 .

The plurality of circumferential grooves 20, 21, and 22 include a first circumferential groove 20 formed near the center in the width direction of the tread 10, and second circumferential grooves provided on both left and right sides of the first circumferential groove 20. A directional groove 21 and a third circumferential groove 22 are included. Furthermore, between the first circumferential grooves 20 and the second circumferential grooves 21 of the tread 10, a plurality of oblique circumferential grooves 31, which will be described later, are formed. The "tire width direction" and the "width direction of the tread 10" are the same direction, and both terms will be used appropriately hereinafter.

The first circumferential groove 20 and the second circumferential groove 21 are provided so as to sandwich the center in the tire width direction. The first circumferential groove 20 is provided closest to the tire equator CL at the center in the tire width direction among the plurality of circumferential grooves 20 , 21 , 22 . The tire equator CL means a line along the tire circumferential direction passing through the center in the tire width direction.

Furthermore, the tread 10 is provided with a center region 40 that is a predetermined region in the tire width direction defined by the first circumferential grooves 20 and the second circumferential grooves 21 . The center region 40 is divided into right and left center blocks 50 and intermediate blocks 60 at a plurality of positions in the tire circumferential direction by a plurality of oblique circumferential grooves 31, which will be described later. The center block 50 is arranged adjacent to the central side of the first circumferential groove 20 in the tire width direction. The center block 50 corresponds to a first land portion as a center land portion. A center block row 41 is formed by a plurality of center blocks 50 arranged in the tire circumferential direction.

The mediate block 60 corresponds to the second land portion. A plurality of intermediate blocks 60 arranged in the tire circumferential direction form an intermediate block row 44 .

Furthermore, the tread 10 is formed with a shoulder block row 45 including a plurality of shoulder blocks 80 whose inner ends in the tire width direction are defined by the second circumferential grooves 21 . Further, the tread 10 is formed with intermediate block rows 46 including a plurality of intermediate blocks 70 partitioned by the first circumferential grooves 20 and the third circumferential grooves 22 . Furthermore, the tread 10 is formed with a shoulder block row 47 including a plurality of shoulder blocks 90 whose inner ends in the tire width direction are defined by the third circumferential grooves 22 . The shoulder block 80 corresponds to a third land portion as a shoulder land portion. The intermediate block 70 corresponds to the fourth land portion. The shoulder block 90 corresponds to a fifth land portion as a shoulder land portion. The circumferential grooves 20, 21, 22 extend along the tire circumferential direction and have substantially the same width.

The plurality of lug grooves 25 and 26 extend while curving from the left side in the tire width direction to the right side, and are spaced apart from each other in the tire circumferential direction. The plurality of lug grooves 25, 26 are inclined to the same side with respect to the tire width direction between adjacent blocks in the tire circumferential direction in each of the plurality of block rows 41, 44-47. The lug grooves 25, 26 in the center block row 41 and the intermediate block row 44 are more inclined with respect to the tire width direction than the lug grooves 25, 26 in the other block rows 45-47. This makes it easier to improve snow traction performance in the lateral direction at the central portion in the tire width direction. Further, the plurality of lug grooves 25 and 26 are shallower than each of the plurality of circumferential grooves 20-22.

Furthermore, the plurality of lug grooves 25 and 26 includes a plurality of first lug grooves 25 and a plurality of second lug grooves 26 separated in the tire circumferential direction. In the tread 10, one or more first lug grooves 25 and one or more second lug grooves 26 are alternately arranged in the tire circumferential direction. Hereinafter, a case where the first lug grooves 25 and the second lug grooves 26 are alternately arranged in the tire circumferential direction on the tread 10 will be described. They may be alternately arranged with the second lug grooves 26 . The first lug grooves 25 are lug grooves that are traversed in the tire circumferential direction in the center region 40 by intermediate portions of oblique circumferential grooves 31 to be described later. On the other hand, the second lug grooves 26 are lug grooves that are connected by both ends of the oblique circumferential grooves 21 . The widths of the lug grooves 25 and 26 are basically the same, but the ends of the lug grooves 25 and 26 in the intermediate block row 46 on the side of the first circumferential groove 20 are narrower than the other portions. .

In this embodiment, blocks of the same type with the same reference numerals are arranged in a row along the tire circumferential direction. Also, a plurality of blocks of the same number are arranged side by side along the plurality of lug grooves 25 and 26 of the tread 10, divided into a plurality of positions in the tire circumferential direction. That is, the tread 10 is formed with the same number of center blocks 50, intermediate blocks 60, 70, and shoulder blocks 80, 90. As shown in FIG.

A plurality of fine line-shaped sipes extending substantially in the tire width direction or substantially in the tire circumferential direction are formed on the contact surface of each block. Each sipe is a fine linear groove narrower than the circumferential grooves 20 to 22 and the lug grooves 25 and 26, and enhances the edge effect of scratching snow and ice, and provides good braking and driving performance and steering stability on snowy and icy road surfaces. Realize your sexuality. A tire 1 having such a tread pattern is suitable, for example, as an all-season tire.

The tire 1 has sidewalls 12 that are annularly formed along the tire circumferential direction on both sides of the tread 10 in the width direction, similarly to the tread 10 .

On the other hand, the shoulder blocks 80 and 90 arranged at both ends in the width direction of the tread 10 include the ground contact edge T ( FIG. 2 ), which is the edge of the ground contact surface on the outer side in the tire width direction. Each of the shoulder blocks 80 and 90 has an end portion in the tire width direction protruding outward from the ground contact edge T in the tire width direction, and is gently curved inward in the tire radial direction so that the outer peripheral surface thereof protrudes outward. A portion of each of the shoulder blocks 80, 90 protruding outward in the tire width direction from the ground contact edge T is called a buttress.

In the present specification, the ground contact edge T refers to a state where an unused tire 1 is mounted on a regular rim and inflated to a regular internal pressure, and 70% of the regular load (maximum load capacity) at the regular internal pressure. It means both ends in the tire width direction of the portion that touches the flat road surface when a load is applied.

Here, the "regular rim" is a rim defined by tire standards, such as "standard rim" for JATMA, "design rim" for TRA, and "measuring rim" for ETRTO. The "regular internal pressure" is the "maximum air pressure" for JATMA, the maximum value described in the table "TIRE LOAD LIMITS AT VARIOUS COLD INFLATION PRESSURES" for TRA, and the "INFLATION PRESSURE" for ETRTO. The "regular load" is the "maximum load capacity" for JATMA, the maximum value described in the table "TIRE LOAD LIMITS AT VARIOUS COLD INFLATION PRESSURES" for TRA, and the "LOAD CAPACITY" for ETRTO.

A reinforcing structure (not shown) is provided on the inner peripheral side of the tire 1 . The reinforcing structure comprises a carcass, which is a layer of rubber-coated cords, and a belt arranged between the tread pattern and the carcass. The carcass is composed of, for example, two carcass plies, and forms a tire skeleton that can withstand load, impact, air pressure, and the like. The belt is a reinforcing band stretched in the tire circumferential direction, and tightens the carcass to increase the rigidity of the tread 10 . An inner liner, which is a rubber layer for retaining air pressure, is attached to the inner peripheral surface of the carcass.

Further, the tire 1 is provided with a bead 13 that is continuous with the inner peripheral end of the sidewall 12 , extends inward in the tire radial direction, and is curved so as to protrude toward the inside of the tire 1 . The bead 13 is located inside the sidewall 12 in the width direction of the tire 1 (toward the tire equator CL). The bead 13 is a portion fixed to the rim of the wheel, and has a bead core and a bead filler inside.

Furthermore, in the embodiment, oblique circumferential grooves 31 are formed at a plurality of positions in the tire circumferential direction in the center region 40 . The oblique circumferential grooves 31 can improve the snow traction performance of the tire 1 . The oblique circumferential grooves 31 will be described later in detail.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, bridges 100 and 101 are formed as raised portions in the lug grooves 25 and 26 between the center blocks 50 in the center block row 41 . The bridges 100 and 101 improve the rigidity of the center blocks 50 adjacent in the tire circumferential direction. Raised portions 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 are also provided in the lug grooves 25 , 26 between the intermediate block row 44 , the shoulder block row 45 , the intermediate block row 46 , and the shoulder block row 47 . The raised portions 102 to 105 improve the rigidity of adjacent blocks in the tire circumferential direction.

Further, both ends of the bridge 100 formed in the second lug grooves 26 between the center blocks 50 are formed with tapered surfaces that slope downward toward the corresponding ends. As will be described later, this makes it possible to increase the rigidity of the center block 50 and suppress the deterioration of drainage performance in the central portion in the tire width direction while suppressing the influence of the tire rotation direction.

Furthermore, in the second circumferential groove 21, two first raised portions are provided on the groove bottom at positions sandwiching the second circumferential groove 21 side ends of the lug grooves 25 and 26 between the shoulder blocks 80 of the shoulder block row 45. Raised portions 106 and 107 are formed as. Furthermore, in the second circumferential groove 21, at the intersection with the extension of the lug grooves 25, 26, the three sides are surrounded by the two raised portions 106, 107 and the raised portion 103 as the second raised portion. A raised portion 108 is formed as a third raised portion at the groove bottom of the recessed portion. As a result, as will be described later, it is possible to improve the snow traction performance, reduce the rolling resistance, and reduce the air pumping noise.

Furthermore, thin grooves 109 and 110, which are described later and are inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction, are formed in portions of the shoulder block 90 outside the ground contact edge T in the tire width direction. As a result, the snow traction performance can be improved. Further, the fine grooves 109, 110 are connected to the sipes 81, 82 as lateral sipes, but are not connected to the lug grooves 25, 26, thereby improving the drainage performance of the shoulder block 90 including during turning. Furthermore, since the rigidity of the shoulder blocks 90 can be improved, it is possible to further improve the snow traction performance and the effect of suppressing side slipping during turning.

Next, the oblique circumferential groove 31, the first circumferential groove 20 side portion of the second lug groove 26, the first circumferential groove 20, the second and third circumferential grooves 21, 22, and the lug grooves 25, 26 The configuration of the connecting portion and the fine grooves 109 and 110 of the shoulder block 90 will be described in detail. First, the oblique circumferential grooves 31 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an enlarged part of the center region 40 of the tread 10. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the recess 31a in the oblique circumferential groove 31 of FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an enlarged recess 31a. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a cross section taken along line A1-A1 in FIG.

The oblique circumferential grooves 31 are provided at a plurality of positions in the tire circumferential direction in the center region 40 . Each oblique circumferential groove 31 is a groove that traverses the first lug groove 25 in the tire circumferential direction, and the first longitudinal end K1 extends from the tire equator CL at the center in the tire width direction from the longitudinal second end K2. It is inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction so as to be closer. The oblique circumferential groove 31 crosses the first lug groove 25 and connects the two second lug grooves 26 .

A concave portion 31a is formed in the first end K1 of the oblique circumferential groove 31 at a position where the first end K1 passes through the second lug groove 26. The concave portion 31a enters the wall surface 50a of the center block 50 (FIG. 5). The recessed portion 31a extends along the second lug groove 26, and has a substantially isosceles triangular shape when viewed from the outside in the tire radial direction, that is, recessed from the ground contact surface of the center block 50 as shown in FIG. is the part.

More specifically, the shape of the concave portion 31a in plan view is an isosceles triangular vertex P1 having three vertices P1, P2, and P3, a first long side L1, a second long side L2, and a short side L3. is a shape with one rounded corner corresponding to . The lengths of the first long side L1 and the length of the second long side L2 are substantially the same and are greater than the length of the short side L3. The first long side L1 extends along the longitudinal direction of the second lug groove 26 . Also, the apex P1 of the isosceles triangle, which is the intersection of the second long side L2 and the short side L3, enters the wall surface 50a. Also, the vertex P is located farther from the tire equator CL at the center in the tire width direction than the vertex P2 of the isosceles triangle that is the intersection of the first long side L1 and the second long side L2. One corner corresponding to the vertex P1 of the isosceles triangle is the intersection of the second long side L2 and the short side L3.

Furthermore, an inclined surface 31b is formed on the bottom surface of the recess 31a so as to approach the ground contact surface 50b of the center block 50 toward the inside of the center block 50. As shown in FIG. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the left end of the lower edge DL adjacent to the second lug groove 26 on the bottom surface of the recess 31a is inclined toward the left end of the recess 31a so as to slightly approach the ground surface. there is The left end of the recess 31a is recessed slightly inside the center block 50 to form an inclined surface 31b connecting the upper edge UL and the lower edge DL on the ground plane 50b. As a result, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 6, the cross section of the bottom surface of the recess 31a is directed toward the inside (left side in FIG. 6) of the center block 50 in which the recess 31a is formed, and the contact surface 50b of the center block 50. It has a linear shape that is inclined linearly so that it approaches. Therefore, a relatively large space is formed inside the recess 31a entering from the wall surface 50a of the center block 50, into which water from the second lug groove 26 and the oblique circumferential groove 31 can enter. In this specification, when using the terms "upper" and "lower", the higher side in the rising direction of the raised portion such as a block or protrusion is "upper", and the lower side is "lower". explain.

Although not shown, in the A2-A2 line cross section and the A3-A3 line cross section of FIG. It has a linear shape that is linearly inclined so as to approach the ground surface 50b.

Then, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of oblique circumferential grooves 31 are connected over the entire circumference via portions of the second lug grooves 26 formed at a plurality of positions in the tire circumferential direction, thereby forming a zigzag shape. It is formed. As shown in FIG. 4 , the portions of the oblique circumferential grooves 31 excluding the recesses 31 a are deeper than the portions of the lug grooves 25 and 26 excluding the intersections with the oblique circumferential grooves 31 . The depth of the oblique circumferential groove 31 excluding the concave portion 31a may be substantially the same as the depth of each of the lug grooves 25 and 26 .

As a result, oblique circumferential grooves 31 that are inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction are formed across the first lug grooves 25 provided in the center region 40 of the tread 10 . Also, the recess 31a provided at the first end K1 of the oblique circumferential groove 31 enters the center block 50, and the first end K1 is closer to the tire equator CL at the center in the tire width direction than the second end K2. Therefore, it is possible to improve the steering stability and turning performance of the vehicle on snow. For example, the portions of the oblique circumferential groove 31 other than the recessed portion 31a are inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction, so that snow and ice are easily caught in the circumferential and lateral directions of the tire. In addition, snow or ice in the lateral direction of the tire 1 can be caught easily in the depressed portion at the left end of the recessed portion 31a near the center in the tire width direction of the oblique circumferential groove 31 . As a result, it is possible to improve the snow traction performance of the tire 1 in the circumferential direction and the lateral direction. Furthermore, since the first end K1 where the recessed portion 31a of the oblique circumferential groove 31 is provided is closer to the center in the tire width direction than the second end K2 is, the steering on snow is easier than when the recessed portion is farther outward in the tire width direction. Stability and turning performance can be improved.

Furthermore, a recessed portion 31 a provided at the first end K<b>1 of the oblique circumferential groove 31 extends along the second lug groove 26 . As a result, when the tire 1 rotates so that water flows from the second end K2 side to the first end K1 side in the oblique circumferential groove 31 when the vehicle is running on a wet road surface, the recessed portion 31a and the road surface are in contact with each other. Since the space between them is widened, it is possible to suppress the wall surface or the bottom surface of the concave portion 31a from acting as resistance to the water flow. Furthermore, since the bottom surface of the recess 31a is formed with an inclined surface 31b that approaches the ground contact surface 50b of the center block 50 toward the inside of the center block 50, it is possible to prevent water from stagnation within the recess 31a. Furthermore, unlike the case where the deep portion of the concave portion 31c is a right-angled corner portion as indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. As a result, the drainage from the grooves of the tire 1 is excellent, so that the tire 1 that is excellent in the effect of suppressing hydroplaning and in which the decrease in rigidity of the center block 50 can be suppressed can be realized.

For example, when the tire 1 rotates in the direction of the arrow α in FIG. 3 while the vehicle is running, the tire 1 rotates along the second lug groove 26 from the center in the tire width direction to the outer side in the tire width direction, as indicated by the arrow β in FIG. It is conceivable that the flowing water flows and the flowing water flowing rearward in the rotational direction of the tire 1 along the oblique circumferential grooves 31 as indicated by the arrow γ in FIG. 3 merge. In this case, since the volume of the space at the confluence can be increased by the recess 31a, the resistance of the water flow can be suppressed and the drainage performance can be improved.

Furthermore, in the tire 1, the shape of the concave portion 31a in a plan view is a shape in which one corner corresponding to the vertex P1 of the isosceles triangle is rounded, so that turbulence occurs in the water flow deep inside the concave portion 31a. can be suppressed, the water flow in the groove leading to the concave portion 31a can be made smoother, and the drainage performance can be improved. Further, unlike the case where the concave portion 31a has a rectangular shape in plan view, it is possible to prevent the concave portion 31a from becoming excessively large while suppressing the resistance of the water flow at the confluence portion of the water flow. can be suppressed.

FIG. 7A shows a first example of another example of recesses. In the configuration shown in FIG. 7A, the upper end position of the inclined surface 31e formed on the bottom surface of the recessed portion 31d is located inside the ground contact surface 50b in the tire radial direction (lower side in FIG. 7A). In this configuration, there is a possibility that the rigidity of the center block 50 is slightly reduced compared to the configurations shown in FIGS. You can make it higher.

FIG. 7B shows a second example of another example of the recess. In the configuration shown in FIG. 7B, a convex surface 31g having a curved cross-section that protrudes outward toward the inside of the center block 50 so as to approach the ground contact surface 50b of the center block 50, and a rear surface of the convex surface 31g. A concave surface 31h having an arcuate cross section with rounded corners is formed continuously from the end. Even with this configuration, there is a possibility that the rigidity of the center block 50 will be slightly reduced compared to the configurations shown in FIGS. can be high Furthermore, the water flow between the concave portion 31a and the groove can be made smooth to improve the drainage performance.

FIG. 8 shows a third example of another example of the recess. In the structure shown in FIG. 8, unlike the structures shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the shape of the concave portion 31i in plan view is an isosceles triangular shape in which each corner is not rounded, and the bottom surface of the concave portion 31a is , and a second long side L2 connecting the vertices P1 and P2 is defined as an upper edge UL, and an inclined surface 31j is formed so as to connect the upper edge UL and the lower edge DL on the bottom side of the groove. In the case of this configuration, the area of the wall surface 31k at the left end of the recess 31i can be increased, so that the lateral snow traction performance can be further enhanced.

Next, the configuration of the first circumferential groove 20 side portion of the second lug groove 26 and the first circumferential groove 20 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 9 to 14. FIG. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing an enlarged part of the center region 40 of the tread 10. As shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view showing the connecting portion between the first circumferential groove 20 of FIG. 9 and the second lug groove 26 between the center blocks 50. As shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view showing FIG. 9 cut along line BB. 12 is a plan view showing an enlarged portion C of FIG. 9. FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a DD line cross section of FIG. FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of the EE line cross section of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 9 to 14, a plurality of center blocks 50 are arranged adjacent to each other on the center side in the tire width direction of the first circumferential groove 20 near the center in the tire width direction. The lug grooves 25 and 26 between the center blocks 50 extend rightward in the tire width direction and open to the first circumferential groove 20 side. A bridge 100 having a raised bottom surface is formed in a portion of the second lug groove 26 between the center blocks 50 on the side of the first circumferential groove 20 . In FIG. 12, the bridge 100 is indicated by a sanded area.

Bridge 100 is provided to increase the rigidity of adjacent center blocks 50 . As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the bridge 100 has a substantially trapezoidal cross section. Specifically, the bridge 100 has a substantially planar upper surface 100a along the tire circumferential direction, and the side surfaces of the second lug groove 26 longitudinally central side end and the first circumferential groove 20 side end are bridges. It has tapered surfaces 100b, 100c that slope downward toward corresponding longitudinal ends of 100, respectively. In FIG. 12, arrows J1 and J2 shown on both side surfaces of the bridge 100 indicate that the corresponding side surfaces are inclined downward from the top surface toward the tip of the arrow.

In the second lug groove 26, the width in the tire circumferential direction is larger on the side of the first circumferential groove 20 than on the center side of the lug groove in the tire circumferential direction range W in FIG. Also, a wide portion 111 is formed which is a substantially triangular space in a plan view. The tapered surface 100 c of the bridge 100 on the side of the first circumferential groove 20 is provided within the wide portion 111 .

As shown in FIG. 10, the widthwise end of the bridge 100 is connected to the wall surface of the center block 50 via an R portion 123 having an arcuate cross section. On the other hand, the end of the bridge 100 in the width direction may be directly connected to the wall surface without the R portion. As shown in FIG. 13 , the maximum height HB of the bridge 100 can be, for example, in the range of 30% or more and 40% or less of the depth HL of the second lug grooves 26 .

Although detailed description is omitted, as shown in FIG. 9, a bridge 101 with a raised bottom surface is also formed in the intermediate portion of the first lug groove 25 between the center blocks 50 adjacent to the second lug groove 26. be. Similarly to the bridge 100, the bridge 101 also has a cross-sectional trapezoidal shape in which both side surfaces of the bridge 101 have tapered surfaces that slope downward toward the corresponding ends in the longitudinal direction of the bridge 101. FIG.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 and 14, the bottom surface of the first circumferential groove 20 is adjacent to the first side in the tire circumferential direction of the wide portion 111 (lower side in FIG. 9, left side in FIG. 10). Together, a tapered protrusion 112 is formed. The tapered protrusion 112 has a substantially triangular shape in a plan view and is formed so as to protrude outward in the tire radial direction. 11 and 14, on the upper surface of the tapered projection 112, the left side on the lug groove 25, 26 side between the center blocks 50 is higher than the right side on the intermediate block 70 side. A ramp 113 is provided.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the entire side surface of the tapered protrusion 112 on the second side in the tire circumferential direction (the upper side in FIG. 9 and the right side in FIG. 10) is provided with the wide portion 111 in the tire width direction. A second inclined surface 114 inclined toward the second side in the tire circumferential direction is formed. As shown in FIG. 9, the second inclined surface 114 substantially extends along the wall surface 111a of the wide portion 111 on the tapered projection 112 side.

Furthermore, in the tapered projection 112, the side surface of the first side in the tire circumferential direction (the lower side in FIG. 9, the left side in FIG. 10) is generally provided in the tire circumferential direction toward the center block 50 in the tire width direction. A third inclined surface 115 inclined to the second side is formed. The third inclined surface 115 is arranged adjacent to the second side in the tire circumferential direction from the opening of the first lug groove 25 on the side of the first circumferential groove 20 . The third inclined surface 115 is inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction so as to substantially follow the longitudinal direction of the first lug groove 25 .

According to the above configuration, since the bridges 100 and 101 are provided in the lug grooves 25 and 26 between the center blocks 50, the rigidity of the center blocks 50 can be increased. Further, when the vehicle runs on a wet road surface, even if the tire rotates in the direction in which water flows from the first circumferential groove 20 near the center in the tire width direction to the lug grooves 25 and 26 between the center blocks 50, The tapered surfaces 100c of the bridges 100 and 101 facilitate the flow of water from the first circumferential groove 20 to the lug grooves 25 and 26. As shown in FIG.

Specifically, when the tire 1 rotates in the direction of the arrow α in FIG. 9, the tapered surface 100c (FIG. 12) of the bridge 100 causes the first circumferential groove 20 to rotate along the direction indicated by the arrow M1 in FIG. , water can easily flow into the second lug grooves 26. 9, the tapered surface 100b (FIG. 12) of the bridge 100 moves from the second lug groove 26 to the first circumferential groove 20. Water can easily flow in the direction indicated by the arrow M2 of 9. As a result, the rigidity of the center block 50 can be increased, and it is possible to realize the tire 1 capable of suppressing the deterioration of drainage performance in the central portion in the tire width direction while suppressing the influence of the tire rotation direction.

Furthermore, since the bottom surface of the first circumferential groove 20 is formed with a tapered projection 112 having a first inclined surface 113 with a higher surface on the side of the lug grooves 25 and 26 between the center blocks 50, the tire 1 is formed as shown by the arrow in FIG. When rotating in the α direction, it becomes easier for water to flow from the first circumferential groove 20 to the second lug groove 26 between the center blocks 50 along the first inclined surface 113 . As a result, it is possible to further suppress the deterioration of the drainage performance in the central portion in the tire width direction.

Further, a wide portion 111 is formed at the end of the second lug groove 26 on the side of the first circumferential groove 20, and a tapered protrusion 112 is arranged adjacent to the wide portion 111 on the first side in the tire circumferential direction. A second inclined surface 114 is formed on a side surface of the second side of the tire 112 in the tire circumferential direction. As a result, when the tire rotates in a direction opposite to the direction of arrow α in FIG. and the inclination of the second inclined surface 114, regardless of the presence of the tapered protrusion 112, a large amount of water flows into the first circumferential groove 20 through the right side of the first circumferential groove 20 in the tire width direction to drain water. be able to.

Further, a third inclined surface 115 is formed on the side surface of the tapered protrusion 112 on the first side in the tire circumferential direction. The third inclined surface 115 is inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction along the longitudinal direction of the first lug groove 25 . As a result, when the tire 1 rotates in the direction of arrow α in FIG. 9 , water can flow easily from the first circumferential groove 20 to the first lug groove 25 by the third inclined surface 115 of the tapered protrusion 112 . Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the deterioration of drainage performance in the central portion in the width direction of the tire.

In addition, in the case of this example, the bridge 101 having a trapezoidal cross section provided in the intermediate portion of the first lug groove 25 between the center blocks 50 can increase the rigidity of the center blocks 50 on both sides in the tire circumferential direction. Furthermore, like the bridge 100, the drainage performance from the first circumferential grooves 20 to the first lug grooves 25 can be improved.

Next, the configuration of the connecting portions between the second and third circumferential grooves 21 and 22 and the lug grooves will be described in detail. FIG. 15 is an enlarged perspective view showing FIG. 9 cut along line FF in one example of the embodiment. FIG. 16 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the raised portion 103, which is the second raised portion, in the G portion of FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of the cross section taken along the line HH of FIG. 15. FIG.

9 and 15, in the second circumferential groove 21, each lug groove 25 is located at the groove bottom at a position sandwiching the second circumferential groove 21 side end of each of the lug grooves 25 and 26. , 26 are formed with two raised portions 106 and 107 as first raised portions. Each raised portion 106, 107 is formed to protrude outward in the tire radial direction. As shown in FIG. 9, the raised portions 106 and 017 have a substantially triangular shape in plan view, with the base connected to the wall surface of the shoulder block 80 and the vertex connected to the wall surface of the mediate block 60 side. .

Further, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 , the upper surfaces of the raised portions 106 and 107 form inclined surfaces S that are inclined outward toward the shoulder blocks 80 in the tire radial direction. As a result, when the vehicle runs on a wet road surface and the tire 1 rotates in the direction of the arrow α in FIG. Water can easily flow from the two circumferential grooves 21 to the lug grooves 25 and 26 between the shoulder blocks 80.例文帳に追加Therefore, even when the lug grooves 25 and 26 are provided with raised portions 103 as the second raised portions as will be described later, the drainage performance can be improved.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 16 , the groove bottoms of the lug grooves 25 and 26 between the shoulder blocks 80 on the side of the second circumferential groove 21 are provided with raised portions that are raised outward in the tire radial direction. A section 103 is provided. Like the bridges 100 and 101 provided in the lug grooves 25 and 26 between the center blocks 50, the raised portion 103 has a substantially trapezoidal cross section. Specifically, the raised portion 103 has a substantially planar upper surface along the tire circumferential direction, and both side surfaces of the lug grooves 25 and 26 in the longitudinal direction are lowered toward the corresponding ends of the raised portion 103 . It has two tapered surfaces 103a and 103b that are inclined so as to The raised portions 103 are provided to increase the rigidity of the shoulder blocks 80, and both ends in the width direction are connected to the wall surfaces of the shoulder blocks 80 adjacent in the tire circumferential direction.

As described above, the inclined surfaces S are formed on the upper surfaces of the raised portions 106 and 107 in the second circumferential grooves 21 . As a result, when the vehicle travels on a wet road surface, regardless of the presence of the bridge 100, water can be easily drained from the second circumferential groove 21 to the lug grooves 25 and 26, thereby enhancing the drainage performance.

On the other hand, when the two raised portions 106 and 107 are formed in the second circumferential groove 21 and the raised portion 103 is provided in the lug grooves 25 and 26, the lug groove in the second circumferential groove 21 If the space at the intersection with the extensions of 25 and 26 is relatively large, air tends to accumulate in this space. As a result, when the vehicle equipped with the tire 1 runs on a dry road surface, air pumping noise is likely to be generated due to the air accumulated in the space at the intersection.

In this example, in order to eliminate such inconvenience, as shown in FIGS. A raised portion 108 is formed as a third raised portion at the bottom of the groove surrounded on three sides by the raised portions 106 and 107 and the raised portion 103 . Using the lowest portion of the second circumferential groove 21 as a reference surface 21a (FIGS. 15 and 17), the raised portion 108 protrudes radially outward so as to be higher than the reference surface 21a.

In FIG. 9 , the raised portion 108 is shown by the sanded portion of the second circumferential groove 21 . As shown in FIG. 9, the raised portion 108 has a substantially trapezoidal shape in plan view, and both edges in the tire circumferential direction are connected to the wall surfaces of the two raised portions 106 and 107 on both sides in the tire circumferential direction. It is

Further, as shown in FIG. 17, the upper surface of the raised portion 108 has a substantially planar shape with a constant vertical height from the reference surface 21a. Both tire width direction edges of the raised portion 108 are connected to the wall surface of the second circumferential groove 21 . Further, as shown in FIG. 15, the upper surface of raised portion 108 is lower than the upper surfaces of raised portions 106 and 107 . In this example, the height positions of the lowest end of the inclined surface S of the raised portions 106 and 107 and the upper surface of the raised portion 108 substantially match.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, the ends of the lug grooves 25 and 26 between the shoulder blocks 80 on the side of the second circumferential groove 21 are located on the extension lines of the lug grooves 25 and 26 and at the groove bottoms of the second circumferential groove 21. It faces the wall surface at the end in the tire width direction of the intermediate block 60 via the portion where the raised portion 108 is provided.

According to the above configuration, in the second circumferential groove 21, two raised portions 106 and 107 are formed in the groove bottom at positions sandwiching the ends of the lug grooves 25 and 26 on the second circumferential groove 21 side. Further, raised portions 103 are formed on the groove bottoms of the lug grooves 25 and 26 on the side of the second circumferential groove 21 . Thereby, the rigidity of the shoulder block 80 adjacent to the raised portions 106 and 107 of the second circumferential grooves 21 and the shoulder block 80 adjacent to the raised portions 103 of the lug grooves 25 and 26 can be increased. Therefore, the rigidity of shoulder block 80 is enhanced by one of raised portions 106 and 107 and raised portion 103 . Therefore, it is possible to reduce the energy loss caused by the deformation of the blocks while the vehicle is running, so that the rolling resistance of the tire 1 can be reduced. Furthermore, the shear force acting on the snow compacted in the grooves during driving on the snowy road surface increases the resistance between the tire 1 and the road surface, thereby improving the snow traction performance.

Furthermore, in the second circumferential groove 21, at the intersection with the extension of the lug grooves 25, 26 between the shoulder blocks 80, the two raised portions 106, 107 and the raised portion 103 are surrounded on three sides. A raised portion 108 is formed at the groove bottom of the portion. As a result, the volume of the space at the crossing portion is reduced, so the amount of trapped air can be reduced. Therefore, the air pumping noise during running can be reduced.

Further, the ends of the lug grooves 25 and 26 between the shoulder blocks 80 on the side of the second circumferential groove 21 are provided with a raised portion 108 at the bottom of the second circumferential groove 21 on the extension line of the lug grooves 25 and 26. It faces the wall surface of the mediate block 60 via the part where the As a result, the crossing portion of the second circumferential groove 21 is surrounded on all sides by the three raised portions 106 , 107 , 108 and the wall surface of the intermediate block 60 . For this reason, air tends to be more difficult to be discharged from the intersection when the vehicle is running. However, since the amount of air accumulation can be reduced by the raised portion 108, the effect of providing the raised portion 108 becomes more remarkable. .

Further, in this example, as shown in FIG. Two substantially triangular raised portions 116 and 117 in plan view are formed. Further, a raised portion 105 is formed at the bottom of the lug grooves 25 and 26 between the shoulder blocks 90 on the side of the third circumferential groove 22 . The raised portion 105 has a tapered surface that becomes lower toward the end only on the side surfaces of the central ends in the longitudinal direction of the lug grooves 25 and 26 , and the end on the side of the third circumferential groove 22 is the wall surface of the third circumferential groove 22 . and no tapered surface is formed.

Furthermore, in the third circumferential groove 22, the groove bottom of the portion surrounded on three sides by the three raised portions 116, 117, 105 at the intersection with the extended portions of the lug grooves 25, 26 between the shoulder blocks 90 A raised portion 118 is formed in the . In FIG. 9 , the raised portion 118 is indicated by a sanded portion within the third circumferential groove 22 .

FIG. 18 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the raised portion 118 in the third circumferential groove 22. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 18, the upper surface of the raised portion 118 also has a constant vertical height from the reference surface 22a of the third circumferential groove 22, similarly to the raised portion 108 in the second circumferential groove 21. It has a substantially planar shape. Both tire width direction edges of the raised portion 118 are connected to the wall surface of the second circumferential groove 21 .

This also makes it possible to reduce the amount of air trapped in the third circumferential grooves 22 at the intersections with the extensions of the lug grooves between the shoulder blocks 90 . Therefore, the air pumping noise during running can be reduced. As shown in FIG. 9, unlike the intersection of the second circumferential grooves 21, this intersection is different from the second circumferential groove 21 side end of the lug groove between the shoulder blocks 90 and the intermediate block 70. The ends of the lug grooves on the second circumferential groove 21 side face each other on extension lines of the respective lug grooves. Therefore, air is more easily discharged at the intersections of the third circumferential grooves 22 than at the intersections of the second circumferential grooves 21 . The effect of providing the raised portion 108 is higher at the intersecting portion of the second circumferential grooves 21 .

FIG. 19 is a view corresponding to part I in FIG. 9, showing another example of the third raised portion. Raised portion 119 as the third raised portion shown in FIG. 19 has a thin line shape extending in the tire width direction in plan view, and both ends in the tire circumferential direction are connected to the wall surfaces of the two raised portions 106 and 107. not For this reason, although inferior to the effect of the raised portion 108 of FIG. Since the effect that can be obtained is obtained, the effect of reducing the air pumping noise during running can be obtained. In this way, the third raised portion is a portion of the circumferential groove surrounded on three sides by the two first raised portions and the second raised portion at the intersection with the extended portion of the lug groove. It may be configured such that it is formed only on a part of the groove bottom.

Next, the fine grooves 109 and 110 of the shoulder block 90 will be described with reference to FIGS. 20-22. FIG. 20 is an enlarged view of a portion of the shoulder block 90 of FIG. FIG. 21 is an enlarged perspective view of the outer end portion of the shoulder block 90 in the tire width direction. 22 is a perspective view showing the shoulder block 90 cut along a plane including the grounding end T. FIG.

A plurality of lug grooves 25 and 26 are formed between the plurality of shoulder blocks 90 in the shoulder block row 47 so as to extend from the left side to the right side in the tire width direction. The multiple shoulder blocks 90 are divided in the tire circumferential direction by the lug grooves 25 and 26 . When the tire 1 is mounted on a vehicle, the shoulder block 90 is provided at an end located on the outside in the vehicle width direction.

Sipes 81 and 82 that are two lateral sipes extending from the left side to the right side in the tire width direction are provided on the contact surface of each shoulder block 90 . Therefore, each sipe 81, 82 is provided between two lug grooves 25, 26 adjacent in the tire circumferential direction. In the shoulder block 90, each of the sipes 81, 82 has the same width over the entire longitudinal length, and is narrower than the maximum width of the two lug grooves 25, 26 provided at positions sandwiching the sipes 81, 82.

Ends 81a and 82a of the sipes 81 and 82, which are the inner ends in the tire width direction, are opened in the wall surface of the shoulder block 90 at the inner end in the tire width direction. Ends 81 b and 82 b of the sipes 81 and 82 , which are outer ends in the tire width direction, terminate within the shoulder block 90 and do not open on the wall surface of the shoulder block 90 . Some of the sipes 81 and 82 are provided with meandering portions, but the meandering portions may be omitted.

Furthermore, in the shoulder block row 47, between the two lug grooves 25 and 26 sandwiching the sipes 81 and 82, i.e., outside the ground contact edge T on the upper surface of the shoulder block 90 in the tire width direction, the same groove is formed over the entire length in the tire circumferential direction. Two narrow grooves 109, 110 inclined to the side are formed. The narrow groove 109 is longer than the narrow groove 110 , and the tire width direction inner end of the narrow groove 109 is connected to the end 81 b of the sipe 81 .

The narrow groove 110 and the narrow groove 109 are inclined outward in the tire width direction on the same side with respect to the tire circumferential direction. The tire width direction inner end of the narrow groove 110 is connected to the sipe 82 so that the narrow groove 110 branches from the vicinity of the tire width direction outer end of the sipe 82 .

Each of the fine grooves 109 and 110 is shallower than each of the sipes 81 and 82, and has, for example, an arcuate cross section and widens toward the opening end. The shape of the narrow groove is not limited to this, but may be a substantially rectangular cross section with an open top end, or a shape in which the wall surfaces on both sides in the width direction are inclined with respect to the bottom surface so that the width expands from the substantially planar bottom surface toward the open end. good too.

Further, each of the narrow grooves 109 and 110 is separated from the two lug grooves 25 and 26 defining both ends of the shoulder block 90 in the tire circumferential direction within the shoulder block 90 along the entire length thereof. As a result, the narrow grooves 109 and 110 are not connected to the lug grooves 25 and 26 between the shoulder blocks 90 .

Furthermore, the outer ends of the narrow grooves 109 and 110 in the tire width direction do not open to the wall surface of the shoulder block 90 and terminate within the shoulder block 90 . Therefore, the narrow grooves 109 and 110 do not open on the wall surface of the shoulder block 90 .

Further, a J-shaped shallow groove 120 in plan view is formed in a portion of the upper surface of each shoulder block 90 outside the ground contact edge T in the tire width direction and further outside the narrow grooves 109 and 110 in the tire width direction. be done. The shallow groove 120 has a linear portion 121 located outside the curved portion 122 in the tire width direction and extends along the tire circumferential direction. The shallow groove 120 has substantially the same depth as the narrow grooves 109 and 110 . The width of the shallow groove 120 widens from the end on the curved portion 122 side toward the end on the straight portion 121 side of both ends in the longitudinal direction.

According to the above configuration, narrow grooves 109 and 110 slanted with respect to the tire circumferential direction are formed in regions called buttresses on the outside of the ground contact edge T of the shoulder block 90 in the tire width direction. Furthermore, the thin grooves 109 and 110 are not connected to the sipes 81 and 82 and the two lug grooves 25 and 26 that sandwich the thin grooves 109 and 110 . This makes it possible to increase the rigidity of the buttress. Therefore, the snow traction performance can be improved, and the edge effect during turning can be enhanced, so that the effect of suppressing side slip of the vehicle during turning can be improved.

Furthermore, since the narrow grooves 109 and 110 are connected to the sipes 81 and 82, drainage can be improved. Furthermore, since the narrow grooves 109 and 110 are inclined on the same side with respect to the tire circumferential direction over the entire length, the sipes 81 and 82, which tend to have a large depth, are lengthened while increasing the drainage performance of the narrow grooves 109 and 110. can. Thereby, the drainage performance of the shoulder block 90 can be improved. Furthermore, unlike the case where the narrow grooves 109 and 110 are connected to the sipes 81 and 82 via portions extending in the tire width direction, the positions where the narrow grooves 109 and 110 spread in the tire circumferential direction are closer to the sipes 81 and 82. . As a result, the water discharged from the sipes 81, 82 during turning can be more efficiently guided to the narrow grooves 109, 110, so that the drainage performance of the shoulder block 90 during turning can be improved. As a result, the drainage performance of the shoulder blocks 90 can be improved, including during turning.

Furthermore, since the narrow grooves 109 and 110 are shallower than the sipes 81 and 82, the narrow grooves 109 and 110 are made shallow even though the thickness of the rubber portion of the tire is reduced by the buttresses at the outer ends in the tire width direction. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the thickness of the bottoms of the fine grooves 109 and 110 from becoming excessively small. As a result, the generation of cracks at the groove bottoms of the fine grooves 109 and 110 can be suppressed. In particular, buttresses are likely to be exposed to sunlight and the rubber tends to harden, but even in that case, it is easy to suppress the occurrence of cracks. As a result, the effect of shallowing the narrow grooves 109 and 110 is remarkable.

In the above-described embodiment, each shoulder block 90 has two narrow grooves, but each shoulder block may have only one narrow groove or three or more narrow grooves.

In the above embodiment, the shoulder land portion is a plurality of blocks divided in the tire circumferential direction by the lug grooves. , may be configured so as not to be divided into a plurality of blocks in the tire circumferential direction. Also in this case, narrow grooves may be formed on the outer side in the tire width direction of the ground contact end, which are inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction over the entire length and are connected to the lateral sipes, but are not connected to the lug grooves.

1 tire, 10 tread, 12 sidewall, 13 bead, 20 first circumferential groove, 21 second circumferential groove, 21a reference surface, 22 third circumferential groove, 22a reference surface, 25 first lug groove, 26 second 2 lug grooves, 31 oblique circumferential groove, 31a concave portion, 31b inclined surface, 31c, 31d concave portion, 31e inclined surface, 31f concave portion, 31g convex surface, 31h concave surface, 31i concave portion, 31j inclined surface, 31k wall surface, 40 center region, 41 Center block row 44 Intermediate block row 45 Shoulder block row 46 Intermediate block row 47 Shoulder block row 50 Center block 50a Wall surface 50b Ground contact surface 60 Intermediate block 70 Intermediate block 80 Shoulder block , 81, 82 sipe, 81a, 81b, 82a, 82b end, 90 shoulder block, 100, 101 bridge, 100a upper surface, 100b, 100c tapered surface, 102 to 108 raised portion, 109, 110 narrow groove, 111 wide portion, 112 tapered protrusion, 113 first inclined surface, 114 second inclined surface, 115 third inclined surface, 116 to 118 raised portion, 120 shallow groove, 121 straight portion, 122 curved portion, 123 R portion, CL tire equator, T ground end.

Claims (3)

A pneumatic tire comprising: a circumferential groove; and a shoulder land portion whose inner end in the tire width direction is defined by the circumferential groove and which is formed in a portion including a ground contact edge on the outer side in the tire width direction,
a plurality of lug grooves extending from a first side to a second side in the tire width direction between the plurality of shoulder land portions or at the shoulder land portions;
a lateral sipe provided between two lug grooves adjacent in the tire circumferential direction in the shoulder land portion, having the same width over the entire length in the longitudinal direction and being narrower than the maximum width of the lug groove;
a thin groove that is inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction over the entire length and is connected to the lateral sipe on the outer side in the tire width direction from the ground contact edge, and is narrower than the maximum width of the lug groove;
The narrow groove is separated from the two lug grooves along the entire length within the shoulder land portion,
pneumatic tires. the depth of the narrow groove is shallower than the lateral sipe;
The pneumatic tire according to claim 1. An outer end of the narrow groove in the tire width direction does not open to the wall surface of the shoulder land portion.
The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 or 2.

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