Pneumatic tire

Details Pneumatic tire Pneumatic tire

1999-04-14

2001-10-16

Maki, Steven D. (Department: 1733)

Resilient tires and wheels

Tires, resilient

Anti-skid devices

C152S209260, C152S209280

Reexamination Certificate

active

06302174

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire, more particularly to a tread portion being capable of improving steering stability while maintaining the noise performance and wet performance.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Pneumatic tires, which are provided in the tread center region with a wide circumferential groove to improve wet performance and so called air-column-resonance noise, are disclosed in the laid-open Japanese patent applications JP-A-6-143932, JP-A-6-143937, JP-A-6-191227 and JP-A-7-101205 for example.
In such tires, however, when the steering wheel is turned during high speed running by a small angle of less than 10 degrees for example, the steering stability tends to be not good. Especially steering response is apt to be light although a steady response is preferred.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a pneumatic tire in which steering stability, such as response at a relatively small steering angle, is improved without deteriorating the wet grip performance and noise performance improved by a wide circumferential groove.
According to the present invention, a pneumatic tire is provided in the tread center region with a wide main groove extending continuously in the tire circumferential direction, the main groove divides the tread into two lateral parts, each of the lateral parts is provided with no groove extending continuously in the tire circumferential direction, the main groove has a groove width of not less than 35 mm, the main groove has zigzag edges each having a zigzag amplitude of not more than 0.4 times the groove width, and parts of the zigzag edges which are defined as protruding towards the center line of the main groove are rounded by an arc, and the radius of curvature of the arc is in the range of from 2 to 15 mm when measured in the tire meridian section at the peak of the protruding part.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
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patent: D. 395857 (1998-07-01), Yamakage
patent: D. 427953 (2000-07-01), Murata
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patent: 602989 (1994-06-01), None
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patent: 2-182505 (1990-07-01), None
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patent: 5-278408 (1993-10-01), None
patent: 6143937 (1994-05-01), None
patent: 6143932 (1994-05-01), None
patent: 6191227 (1994-07-01), None
patent: 7101205 (1995-04-01), None

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