Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin

Michelin Recherche Et Technique S.a.

Michelin Recherche Et Technique

Compagnie Generale Des Establissements Michelin

Stefan Voss

Kai Chun Yang

Nicholas Mailhiot

Jeffrey Edmond Godsey

Mathieu Vandaele

Jean-Marc Marie d'Harcourt

Robert C Radulescu

Paul Andrew Mayni

Fang Zhu

Daniel McEachern Hicks

Brian P Gannon

Terence Wallace

Lee A Montgomery

Charles Andrew McPillan

William R Hudek

David C Lung

Luz M Restrepo

Victor Abarotin

Clarence Vernon Hair, Jr

Virgile Ayglon

Constantine Khripin

Clifford Wilson

Brian William Jenkins

Jeremy Bannister

Jean-Marc D'Harcourt

Frederic Vautard

Jeff Godsey

Eric Arthur DeBenedittis

Charles Mcpillan

Robert Ciprian Radulescu

Clarence Hair

Jean-Marc D'HARCOURT

Tire

The present invention provides for a heavy truck tire tread () with a plurality of sipes () in the shoulder rib () that extend from the shoulder edge () to the shoulder groove (). Each one of the sipes () has a bottom () with a teardrop () located at the bottom, and the bottom () does not extend the same depth in the thickness direction across the entire lateral length of the sipe (). The bottom () at a middle of the sipe () extends for less of a depth in the thickness direction than does the bottom () at a shoulder edge () portion of the sipe () located outboard from the middle of the sipe () in the lateral direction. The bottom () at the middle of the sipe () extends for less of a depth in the thickness direction than does the bottom () at a shoulder groove () portion of the sipe () located inboard from the middle of the sipe () in the lateral direction.

Heavy truck tire with shoulder rib sipe featuring bridging

The invention provides for a heavy truck tire tread () having a longitudinal direction, a lateral direction and a thickness direction, said tread having a ground-engaging contact surface (CS) and having a main longitudinal center groove (), two main longitudinal shoulder grooves () and two main longitudinal intermediate grooves (), said five main longitudinal grooves defining six main longitudinal ribs (), said five main longitudinal grooves comprising one hidden groove, two open grooves and two partially hidden grooves; wherein each of said two partially hidden grooves comprises openings () to the ground-engaging contact surface and undersurface channels () connecting adjacent openings, longitudinal sipes () extending substantially along the longitudinal direction and connecting successive openings to the respective channel; and wherein said hidden groove () comprises an undersurface duct (), a longitudinal sipe () extending substantially along the longitudinal direction and connecting said undersurface duct to the ground-engaging contact surface, said hidden groove being the main longitudinal center groove of the tread.

Truck tire tread and truck tire

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 tread for a heavy truck tire is provided that has a bottom surface (), a shoulder rib (), and a sacrificial rib () located outboard from the shoulder rib () in a width direction. A decoupling void () is located between the shoulder rib () and the sacrificial rib (). First decoupling void sipes (), second decoupling void sipes () and third decoupling void sipes () are in the shoulder rib (), and one second decoupling void sipe () is between one first decoupling void sipe () and one third decoupling void sipe (). The first and third decoupling void sipes () are closer to the bottom surface () than is the decoupling void () in the thickness direction. The second decoupling void sipe () is not closer to the bottom surface () than is the decoupling void () to the bottom surface () in the thickness direction.

Truck tire tread with decoupling void and associated decoupling void sipe

A tread () for a heavy truck tire is provided that has a bottom surface (), a shoulder rib (), and a sacrificial rib () located outboard from the shoulder rib () in a width direction. A decoupling void () is located between the shoulder rib () and the sacrificial rib (). A decoupling void sipe () is in the shoulder rib () and opens at the shoulder rib upper surface () and at the decoupling void (). The decoupling void sipe () extends in the thickness direction and is closer to the bottom surface () than the decoupling void () in the thickness direction.

A heavy truck tire tread () having a longitudinal direction (LgD), a lateral direction (LtD), a tread depth direction (TdD), a ground contact surface (CS) and a pair of opposing tread shoulders () spaced apart along the lateral direction is provided. The tread has a shoulder zone (SZ, SZ') adjacent each tread shoulder of the pair of opposing tread shoulders, the shoulder zones consisting of blocks () adjacent to each other along the longitudinal direction and separated by lateral grooves (). A center zone (CZ) is defined between the shoulder zones. The center zone is decoupled from both shoulder zones by at least one longitudinal sipe () or groove, and each lateral groove () in a shoulder zone (SZ) is directly connected to an opposite lateral groove () in the opposite shoulder zone (SZ&#x2032;) by a lateral sipe () of the center rib.

Heavy truck tire tread and heavy truck tire

Growing community of inventors

Greer, SC, United States of America

Stefan Voss