Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin

Compagnie Generale Des Etablissments Michelin

Robert Dillon

Patrick Jon Buresh

Phillip Check

William Marshall Thompson

Jason Schoenmaker

Embodiments of the disclosure include pneumatic tires having improved snow performance. Said tires include a cap ply extending at least partially across a full width of at least one of the belt plies and having a rupture force greater than 210 N per 15 mm of cap ply width. A shoulder rib includes a compliance groove or sipe extending primarily in a circumferential direction and to a depth equal to or less than 75% of the skid depth. The lateral sipes and grooves are arranged to provide an average lateral feature spacing of less than 15 mm. The average inclination angle for the lateral grooves is greater than 6 degrees in the shoulder ribs and is greater than 20 degrees in the central ribs. A longitudinal non-lateral sipe edge density is greater than 21.1 micrometers/mm. A longitudinal lateral sipe edge density for all lateral sipes is greater than 5.5 micrometers/mm.

Tire with improved snow performance without sacrificing dry braking or wear

Embodiments of the disclosure include a pneumatic tire having improved high speed limits while generally maintaining wear, traction, and handling performance. Said tires include a cap ply extending substantially across a full width of at least one of the belt plies and being arranged at least partially within each shoulder, the cap ply forming a layer of elastomeric material reinforced with a plurality of elongate reinforcements spaced apart in an array, the cap ply being characterized as having a rupture force greater than 210 N per 15 mm of the cap ply width. In each shoulder area of said tires, the tread is characterized as being flatter and having a greater tread thickness.

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Piedmont, SC, United States of America

Robert Dillon