Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin

Michelin Recherche Et Technique S.a.

Jean-Pierre Queslel

Jose Merino Lopez

Bernard Villeneuve

Gael Roty

Ludovic Greverie

Provided is a pneumatic tire capable of yielding excellent water-draining performance, while reducing air column resonance. This pneumatic tire () has a tread () and at least one ply () arranged toward the interior of the tread in the radial direction. The tread has at least one main channel () and a flexible fence () formed inside the main channel. The main channel has a bottom () and opposing first and second wall surfaces (). The flexible fence extends along the width of the main channel so as to block at least 70% of a cross sectional area of the main channel, and is arranged at intervals so that at least one is present in the main channel in the tread footprint when the tire rolls. A plurality of recesses having an opening that opens in the main channel are formed on the bottom, first wall surface and/or second wall surface of the main channel, the flexible fence being connected to the recess and extending into the main channel via the opening of the recess.

Growing community of inventors

Clermont-Ferrand, France

Jean-Pierre Queslel