Michelin Recherche Et Technique S.a.

Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin

Michelin Recherche Et Technique

Michelin Recherche Et Techniques S.a.

Societe Detechnologie Michelin

Robert C Radulescu

Joseph A Stain

Stefan Voss

Lee A Montgomery

Guy Cluzel

François Barbarin

Jean Coue

Jeffrey Edmond Godsey

John R Davidson, Jr

John Anthony Hutz

David Alan Weston

Paul Phillip Grosskopf

William R Hudek

James Edward Stone

Lawrence O Williamson

Jason P Carter

Rangsarid Jugsujinda

Glenn A Gordon

Gregory D Cabe

The present invention provides for a heavy truck tire tread having a shoulder edge, shoulder groove, and shoulder rib therebetween. A plurality of sipes are in the shoulder rib and are oriented less than 20 degrees to the lateral direction. The sipes are spaced from one another between 5 to 18 millimeters in the longitudinal direction. Additionally or alternatively, the sipes are arranged so that a reference plane extends through a sipe bottom point and a sipe top point at the average sipe line. A sipe inclination line extends from the sipe bottom point to the sipe top point, and a reference line extends through the sipe bottom point. A sipe inclination angle is defined by the reference line and the sipe inclination line and is greater than 0 degrees.

Heavy truck tire with shoulder rib sipe arrangement

A heavy truck tire tread is provided that has a rolling direction that is in a longitudinal direction of the tread. A circumferential sipe () is present and extends in the longitudinal direction completely around the tread. The circumferential sipe does not bound a sacrificial rib. A plurality of micro sipes () engage the circumferential sipe and are located on opposite sides of the circumferential sipe in the lateral direction. The micro sipes extend from the circumferential sipe so as to terminate within rubber of the tread at a terminal end.

Truck tire with circumferential sipe having blind micro sipes

A tire is provided having features in the tread elements that provide improved resistance to wear and, more particularly, irregular wear. More specifically, lamellae are provided along tread elements of the tire and between such tread elements to provide for improved wear patterns and particularly to provide resistance to irregular wear at the leading and trailing edges of the tread element.

Tire with lamelle in bridge

The invention relates to a tire, the aspect ratio H/S of which is strictly greater than 0.55, having a radial carcass reinforcement comprising a crown reinforcement formed of at least two working crown layers of inextensible reinforcement elements, crossed from one ply to the other forming angles of between 10&#xb0; and 45&#xb0; with the circumferential direction, which itself is topped radially by a tread, said tread being joined to two beads by means of two sidewalls and the crown reinforcement comprising at least one layer of circumferential reinforcement elements. According to the invention, the ratio of the thickness of the crown block at one shoulder end to the thickness of the crown block in the circumferential median plane is less than 1.20 and the ratio of the axial width of at least one layer of circumferential reinforcement elements to the axial width of the tread is greater than 0.5 and preferably greater than 0.6.

Tire for heavy vehicles

A tire having a radial carcass reinforcement includes a crown reinforcement formed of at least two working crown layers of inextensible reinforcement elements, which are crossed from one ply to the other, forming with the circumferential direction angles of between 10&#xb0; and 45&#xb0;. The crown reinforcement is topped radially by a tread, which is joined to two beads by means of two sidewalls. The ratio of the thickness of the crown block at one shoulder end to the thickness of the crown block in the circumferential median plane is less than 1.20. The ratio of the axial width of the tread to the maximum axial width of the tire is strictly greater than or equal to 0.89.

A tire is provided having a plurality of shoulder blocks separated by axial grooves and located along at least one side of the tire. Apertures extend through the shoulder blocks to connect with a circumferential groove. The apertures are located within a certain radial position relative to the axial grooves. Each aperture has a bottom positioned at a radial depth Hrelative to the shoulder block and extends completely through the shoulder block along the axial direction. Each aperture has a radial overlap Hwith the axial grooves. The ratio H/His about 0.15 or less and the ratio of H/H is in the range of about 1.0 to about 1.1.

Tire with apertured shoulder block for improved temperature control

A tire having a radial carcass reinforcement comprising a crown reinforcement formed of at least two working crown layers of inextensible reinforcement elements, which are crossed from one ply to the other, forming angles of between 10&#xb0; and 45&#xb0; with the circumferential direction, which itself is topped radially by a tread, said tread being joined to two beads by means of two sidewalls and at least two working layers having different axial widths. At least one first profiled element P of rubber mix separates one working layer from at least one end of a second, axially narrower, layer, said profiled element P being radially separated at least in part from the liner C of said axially narrower working layer by a second profiled element of rubber mix G, said first and second profiled elements of rubber mix P and G and said liner C having secant moduli of elasticity under tension at 10% elongation MP, MG, MC respectively such that MC&#x2267;MG&#x3e;MP, said tire additionally comprising in each shoulder at least one layer of reinforcement elements, which are parallel to each other in the additional layer and are oriented substantially perpendicular relative to the reinforcement elements of the working layer radially adjacent to said additional layer, and the axially inner end of said additional layer being radially adjacent to the edge of at least one working crown layer.

A tire having a radial carcass reinforcement comprising a crown reinforcement formed of at least two working crown layers of inextensible reinforcement elements, which are crossed from one ply to the other, forming angles of between 10&#xb0; and 45&#xb0; with the circumferential direction, which itself is topped radially by a tread, said tread being joined to two beads by means of two sidewalls and the axially widest working crown layer being radially internal to the other working crown layers. The tire comprises additionally in each shoulder at least one layer of reinforcement elements which are parallel to each other in the layer and are oriented circumferentially, the axially inner end of said additional layer being radially adjacent to the edge of a working crown layer, at least part of said additional layer being radially and/or axially adjacent to the edge of the axially widest working crown layer and the axially outer end of said additional layer being radially internal to the axially widest working crown layer.

Growing community of inventors

Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

Robert C Radulescu