Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
  • B60C11/00—Tyre tread bands; Tread patterns; Anti-skid inserts
  • B60C11/03—Tread patterns
  • B60C11/0302—Tread patterns directional pattern, i.e. with main rolling direction
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
  • B60C11/00—Tyre tread bands; Tread patterns; Anti-skid inserts
  • B60C11/03—Tread patterns
  • B60C11/0311—Patterns comprising tread lugs arranged parallel or oblique to the axis of rotation
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
  • B60C11/00—Tyre tread bands; Tread patterns; Anti-skid inserts
  • B60C11/03—Tread patterns
  • B60C11/0327—Tread patterns characterised by special properties of the tread pattern
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
  • B60C11/00—Tyre tread bands; Tread patterns; Anti-skid inserts
  • B60C11/03—Tread patterns
  • B60C11/11—Tread patterns in which the raised area of the pattern consists only of isolated elements, e.g. blocks
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
  • B60C11/00—Tyre tread bands; Tread patterns; Anti-skid inserts
  • B60C11/03—Tread patterns
  • B60C11/13—Tread patterns characterised by the groove cross-section, e.g. for buttressing or preventing stone-trapping
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
  • B60C11/00—Tyre tread bands; Tread patterns; Anti-skid inserts
  • B60C11/03—Tread patterns
  • B60C11/13—Tread patterns characterised by the groove cross-section, e.g. for buttressing or preventing stone-trapping
  • B60C11/1376—Three dimensional block surfaces departing from the enveloping tread contour
  • B60C11/1384—Three dimensional block surfaces departing from the enveloping tread contour with chamfered block corners
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
  • B60C11/00—Tyre tread bands; Tread patterns; Anti-skid inserts
  • B60C11/03—Tread patterns
  • B60C11/13—Tread patterns characterised by the groove cross-section, e.g. for buttressing or preventing stone-trapping
  • B60C11/1376—Three dimensional block surfaces departing from the enveloping tread contour
  • B60C11/1392—Three dimensional block surfaces departing from the enveloping tread contour with chamfered block edges
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
  • B60C11/00—Tyre tread bands; Tread patterns; Anti-skid inserts
  • B60C11/03—Tread patterns
  • B60C11/0311—Patterns comprising tread lugs arranged parallel or oblique to the axis of rotation
  • B60C2011/0313—Patterns comprising tread lugs arranged parallel or oblique to the axis of rotation directional type
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
  • B60C11/00—Tyre tread bands; Tread patterns; Anti-skid inserts
  • B60C11/03—Tread patterns
  • B60C2011/0337—Tread patterns characterised by particular design features of the pattern
  • B60C2011/0339—Grooves
  • B60C2011/0341—Circumferential grooves
  • B60C2011/0344—Circumferential grooves provided at the equatorial plane
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
  • B60C11/00—Tyre tread bands; Tread patterns; Anti-skid inserts
  • B60C11/03—Tread patterns
  • B60C2011/0337—Tread patterns characterised by particular design features of the pattern
  • B60C2011/0339—Grooves
  • B60C2011/0358—Lateral grooves, i.e. having an angle of 45 to 90 degees to the equatorial plane
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
  • B60C11/00—Tyre tread bands; Tread patterns; Anti-skid inserts
  • B60C11/03—Tread patterns
  • B60C2011/0337—Tread patterns characterised by particular design features of the pattern
  • B60C2011/0339—Grooves
  • B60C2011/0358—Lateral grooves, i.e. having an angle of 45 to 90 degees to the equatorial plane
  • B60C2011/0372—Lateral grooves, i.e. having an angle of 45 to 90 degees to the equatorial plane with particular inclination angles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
  • B60C11/00—Tyre tread bands; Tread patterns; Anti-skid inserts
  • B60C11/03—Tread patterns
  • B60C2011/0337—Tread patterns characterised by particular design features of the pattern
  • B60C2011/0339—Grooves
  • B60C2011/0374—Slant grooves, i.e. having an angle of about 5 to 35 degrees to the equatorial plane
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
  • B60C2200/00—Tyres specially adapted for particular applications
  • B60C2200/06—Tyres specially adapted for particular applications for heavy duty vehicles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
  • B60C2200/00—Tyres specially adapted for particular applications
  • B60C2200/08—Tyres specially adapted for particular applications for agricultural vehicles

Definitions

• This invention relates generally to tire treads and tires. More specifically, this invention relates to tire treads and tires best suitable for the drive axle(s) of heavy trucks such as the drive axle(s) of tractors used in tractor-semi-trailer combinations or in single unit straight trucks.
• the invention provides for a heavy truck tire tread having a longitudinal direction, a lateral direction and a thickness direction, said tread comprising :
• the tread region comprises a plurality of ribs separated by grooves, said grooves running continuously from the center zone toward each of said tread edges at a groove angle relative to the lateral direction and extending out to the respective tread edge ; and wherein :
• a shoulder zone average groove angle is greater than 45° in absolute value
• the shoulder zone average groove angle is greater than a center zone average groove angle in absolute values
• the grooves are running toward the tread edges against a rolling direction of the tire.
• the ribs are blunted where the grooves are opening out to a tread edge, a lateral length of said blunting being less than 25 mm.
• said lateral length of said blunting is at least 2 mm.
• said lateral length of said blunting is at least 5 mm.
• said lateral length of said blunting is at least 10 mm.
• said lateral length of said blunting is between 15 and 20 mm.
• said shoulder zone average groove angle is less than 70° in absolute value.
• said shoulder zone average groove angle is greater than 50° in absolute value.
• said center zone average groove angle is less than 50° in absolute value.
• said center zone average groove angle is greater than 10° in absolute value.
• a difference between said center zone average groove angle and said shoulder zone average groove angle in absolute values is comprised between 10° and 60°, preferably between 20° and 50°.
• the center zone comprises at least one circumferential groove.
• the invention also provides for a heavy truck tire comprising such a tread.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a heavy truck tire comprising an embodiment of the disclosed tire tread.
• FIG. 2 is a front view of the heavy truck tire of FIG. 1.
• FIG. 3 is a front view of part of the tread of FIG. 1 and 2 showing details of its design at a much bigger scale.
• FIG 4 is a partial view, even more magnified, limited to the left part of the full- width view of FIG 3.
• FIGS 5 to 11 are front views of other embodiments of the tread.
• FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the heavy truck tire comprising the tread of FIG 9.
• FIG. 13 is a detail view showing an example of how the grooves could connect with the tread edges.
• FIGS 14 to 18 simply illustrate different examples of how the grooves could connect with the tread edges.
• a heavy truck tire 1 comprises a tread 2 according to an embodiment of the invention.
• a heavy truck tire 1 generally comprises a crown portion 11 connected by respective sidewalls 12, 12' to beads portions 13, 13'.
• the tread 2 has a longitudinal direction (also referred to as the circumferential direction of the tire), a lateral direction (also referred to as the axial or transverse direction) and a thickness direction (also referred to as the tread depth direction).
• the tread has respective tread edges 21, 21' on each side.
• a rolling tread width RTW is defined as the distance from a first edge point N to an opposite second edge point N'.
• the edge points are defined as the maximum axial locations where the tread of the tire no longer comes in contact with the ground under standard, straight rolling conditions (75% of the TRA load at standard pressure for the tire). These locations do not account for tread that may intermittently come into contact with the ground (such as sacrificial shoulder ribs).
• the tread has ribs 22 defined by grooves 23 running parallel to each other.
• the grooves are continuously extending from the tread center to the tread edges and connecting to the side of the tread.
• the grooves run at an angle relative to the lateral direction.
• the design of the tread is substantially symmetric, that is to say that the tread features are arranged substantially symmetrically about the equatorial plane EP. Therefore, equatorial plane EP bisects the tread 2 into opposing halves of substantially the same design.
• This tread is said to be of a directional design because it has a different look according to which side it is oriented.
• a directional tire or tread does not only look differently but it also performs differently if used in one rolling direction or the other. This is why directional treads or tires conventionally bear markings that indicate the designed rolling direction. Such markings may be arrows 24 pointing into the designed rolling direction. Using the tire for rolling in the opposite direction would be detrimental to its best performance.
• the general orientation of the grooves in the tread is such that they are running from the tread center toward the shoulders against the rolling direction of the tire, that is to say running from the tread center toward the shoulders while running opposite of the rolling direction of the tire.
• FIG 3 is a magnified and flattened projection view of a portion of the tread 2 of FIGS 1 and 2.
• Tread 2 comprises a shoulder zone SZ, SZ' adjacent to each one of said pair of opposing tread edges 21, 21' and extending over a lateral length amounting to 10% of the rolling tread width RTW.
• a center zone CZ is defined between the two shoulder zones.
• FIG 4 is a partial view, even more magnified, of the tread of FIG 3 to show even more clearly features like the orientation of the grooves.
• This partial view is limited to the left part of the full-width view of FIG 3.
• the other half of the tread is substantially symmetric as seen from FIG 3.
• a tread according to the invention may also comprise tread halves that are notably different as long as each tread half remains within the scope of the invention as limited by the claims.
• a groove median line 230 is representing the orientation of the groove across the tread and a is the angle that this groove median line 230 makes with the lateral direction LD at any point along the groove.
• Angle a may be positive as represented here or be locally negative at some point where the groove is inclined in the opposite direction or if one looks at a similar tread upside-down.
• a shoulder zone average groove angle as is defined as the angle that a shoulder groove line 233 is making with the lateral direction LD.
• the shoulder groove line 233 is defined between a point 234 where the groove median line 230 extends out at the tread edge 21 and a point 235 where the groove median line 230 crosses the separation line between the shoulder zone SZ and the center zone CZ.
• a center zone average groove angle occ is defined as the angle that a center groove line 236 is making with the lateral direction LD.
• the center groove line 236 is defined between the point 235 where the groove median line 230 crosses the separation line between the shoulder zone SZ and the center zone CZ and a point 237 where the groove median line 230 meets the equatorial plane EP.
• FIG 5 shows another embodiment of a tread where the groove angle a is varying continuously from a steep angle at the tread edges to being 0° at the equatorial plane.
• FIG 6 shows another embodiment of a tread where the groove angle a is starting from a steep angle at the tread edges, then decreasing continuously until becoming negative in a first part of the center zone and increasing again to become 0° at the equatorial plane.
• FIG 7 shows another embodiment of a tread where the grooves are oriented in a way very similar to the embodiment of FIG 1 to 4. The difference here is that the grooves are interrupted near the equatorial plane and do not even reach the equatorial plane. The grooves of each half tread are offset and do not connect.
• FIG 8 shows another embodiment of a tread where the grooves are oriented in a way very similar to the embodiment of FIG 1 to 4. The difference here is the presence of a longitudinal groove 25 on the equatorial plane. In another embodiment the longitudinal groove may be located anywhere in the center zone. In yet another embodiment the tread may include more than one longitudinal groove in the center zone.
• FIG 9 shows another embodiment of a tread very similar to the embodiment of FIG 8. The difference here is that grooves of each half tread are offset and do not connect directly but only via the longitudinal groove 25 on the equatorial plane.
• FIG 10 shows another embodiment of a tread where the grooves are oriented in a way very similar to the embodiment of FIG 1 to 4.
• the difference here is the presence of partial sipes 26 on the trailing edge of each rib 22.
• the trailing edge of each rib is defined relative to the rolling direction as the edge that is leaving the contact patch as the latest one.
• Partial sipes 26 are said "partial" because they each have a sipe length shorter than the rib width such that they do not extend fully across the ribs.
• Each partial sipe is spaced apart along the direction of rib length from an adjacent partial sipe by a spacing.
• Each partial sipe has a sipe depth. For this exemplary embodiment, spacing distance is less than about 1.5 times the sipe depth. In turn, sipe depth is at least about 50 percent of the height of ribs (also referred as the tread depth).
• Partial sipes 26 also have a sipe length that is at least about 50 percent of the spacing between partial sipes.
• FIG 11 shows another embodiment that is very similar to the embodiment of FIG 10. The difference here is the presence of partial sipes 27 on the leading edge of each rib 22.
• the leading edge of each rib is defined relative to the rolling direction as the edge that is entering the contact patch as the latest one. Partial sipes 27 are otherwise similar to partial sipes 26.
• FIG 12 shows a tire 1 comprising the tread of FIG 9.
• FIG 13 illustrates a blunting that may be applied at the tip of each rib 22 at the tread edges.
• the tapered tip 28 may be blunted.
• a blunting length BL is defined along the lateral direction LD between the tread edge and the outside wall of the groove.
• the blunting length BL is less than 25 mm.
• the blunting length BL may be less than 15 mm, 10 mm or even less than 5 mm.
• FIG 14 illustrates another embodiment where the blunting may have a radiused shape.
• FIGS 15 to 18 simply illustrate different examples of shapes that the groove opening may include.
• the grooves are shown in the generic and conventional shape of fully open grooves but they could be of many other form. They may for instance be partially hidden grooves that is to say grooves that may not be always fully open to the tread surface. Such grooves may for example undulate along their length between a lower position where they are only connected to the surface by a sipe and a higher position where they are fully open at the surface. Partially hidden grooves may also consist in an under-surface duct connected to the surface by a series of radially extending passages.
• a tread or tire according to the invention may also comprise tread halves that are notably different from one another as long as each tread half remains within the scope of the invention as limited by the claims.
• the present invention covers such modifications and variations as they fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Tires In General (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=57755465

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Country Status (5)

Cited By (2)

Families Citing this family (2)

Citations (5)

Family Cites Families (11)

• 2016
  • 2016-12-14 WO PCT/US2016/066511 patent/WO2017116706A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2016-12-14 US US16/066,734 patent/US20190001752A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2016-12-14 JP JP2018534074A patent/JP6790098B2/ja active Active
  • 2016-12-14 EP EP16823107.4A patent/EP3397511B1/en active Active
  • 2016-12-14 CN CN201680077784.5A patent/CN108602387B/zh active Active

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