All-terrain-vehicle tire

Details All-terrain-vehicle tire All-terrain-vehicle tire

1998-06-25

2000-02-08

Maki, Steven D.

Resilient tires and wheels

Tires, resilient

Anti-skid devices

B60C 1111, B60C10702, B60C12100

Patent

active

060218290

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a pneumatic all terrain vehicle tire.


BACKGROUND ART

All terrain vehicles are relatively light weight with a relatively low center of gravity. Early three wheel versions had knobby tires having small square block elements and a relatively shallow tread depth.
Later versions of "Quad runners" or 4 wheel type ATV's were developed and have been more widely accepted due to their improved stability. Horsepower increases and improvements in both vehicle suspension and chassis has resulted in vehicles capable of relatively high speed and much greater load carrying capacity.
The tires used on these vehicles are operated at very low pressures in the 0.7 bar (10 psi) or less range. The tires are very wide with relatively large air chambers which assist in absorbing shock and vibration. The tires generally have nominal rim diameters of 36 cm (14 inches) or less and overall diameters of 66 cm (26 inches) or less.
Often the rear tires are of a slightly larger size than the more lightly loaded front tires.
In aggressive off-road applications the tires must have a very open tread pattern that employs elongated lugs which provide effective straightline or drawbar traction to enable the vehicle to climb hilly and rough terrain, as shown in U.S. Design Pat. No. 308,038. Additionally, the tread must provide excellent lateral traction for vehicle stability during turning maneuvers as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,429.
The tire disclosed in that patent employs a repeating pattern of long, intermediate length and short lugs arranged to provide improved traction. The arrangement of these lugs is such that each lug wraps completely over the tread shoulder portion. The lugs are also circumferentially relatively closely spaced such that numerous lugs are in the footprint of the tire at any one time. The tire made according to this prior art invention is considered one of the best mud tires in its class according to its manufacturer.


DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION



SUMMARY

An all terrain vehicle tire 10 has a nominal rim diameter of 36 cm (14 inches) or less, a carcass 30 having a pair of annular beads 22 and one or more cord reinforced plies 38 wrapped about and extending between the two beads. The tire 10 further has a tread 12 disposed radially outward of the carcass 30. The tread 12 has an inner tread 13, a plurality of short blocks 44 and a plurality of elongated lugs 40,42 extending radially outward from the inner tread 13.
The lugs 40,42 are arranged into four circumferentially repeating rows 1,2,3,4. A first and second shoulder row 1,2 extends laterally inward from a shoulder portion of the tread 12. A third and fourth central row 3,4 extends laterally from a central portion of the tread 12 toward one of the tread shoulder portions. The lugs 42 of the central third and fourth rows 3,4 each have an axially outer end 45 axially spaced axially inward of and circumferentially aligned with an adjacent block 44 located in a shoulder portion of the tread 12. Each lug 42 of the third central row 3 is circumferentially interposed between a pair of the shoulder lugs 40 of the first row 1. Similarly, each lug 42 of the fourth central row 4 is interposed between a pair of the shoulder lugs 40 of the second row 2. The lugs 40,42 of the first and third rows 1,3 are similarly but oppositely inclined relative to the lugs 40,42 of the second and fourth rows 2,4.
The volumetric space above the inner tread 13 between the circumferentially adjacent lugs 40,42 of the first, second, third and fourth rows 1,2,3,4 and the shoulder blocks 44 form soil discharge channels 60 extending from the central portion of the tread 12 axially outwardly to a tread shoulder.
Each soil discharge channel 60 is opened to one circumferentially adjacent soil discharge channel 60 via an opening at an axially inner location 61 and is opened to another circumferentially adjacent soil discharge channel 60 via an opening at an axially outer location 62. The openings at the axially inner location 61 and the openings at t

REFERENCES:
patent: D308038 (1990-05-01), Guidry
patent: D342927 (1994-01-01), Thomas
patent: D389441 (1998-01-01), Rooney
patent: 4480672 (1984-11-01), Marshall et al.
patent: 4711283 (1987-12-01), Bonko et al.
patent: 5259429 (1993-11-01), Harms
patent: 5318086 (1994-06-01), Narumi et al.
patent: 5375640 (1994-12-01), Harms
patent: 5411067 (1995-05-01), Beeghly et al.
patent: 5901765 (1999-05-01), Bonko
Flyer from Sand Tires Unlimited, (no date).
Wheel Action Magazine, p. 32, Jun. 1995 issue.

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