Resilient tires and wheels – Tires – resilient – Anti-skid devices
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-15
2001-02-20
Maki, Steven D. (Department: 1733)
Resilient tires and wheels
Tires, resilient
Anti-skid devices
C152S209160, C152S209180, C152S209220, C152S523000, C152S902000, C152SDIG003
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189586
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pneumatic tire, and more particularly to a pneumatic tire for off-road vehicles, such as recreational vehicles utilizing 4-wheel drive on rough terrain.
2. General Background
Pneumatic tires used for off road recreational vehicles are susceptible to side wall cuts and cracks on the outer surface of the tire due to rocks, stumps, etc., usually encountered in off-road driving. Such off-road driving often subjects the vehicle and its tires to destructive conditions which brutalizes the tires, such as frequent bogs which subject the tire to high heat and casing cord breaking stresses due to pry bars, etc., being forced into contact with the spinning wheel. Mud adhering to the tire is also a problem. When mud builds up on the vehicle tire and packs the tire well, it can cause skidding, steering problems and increase heat on the tire. Such tires must have heavy outer layers of rubber to prevent breaking the tire cording and belting members and provide excellent traction, including good side wall adhesion in bog conditions. Further, when such vehicles return to paved or hard packed roads, it is essential that the tires be self-cleaning and be capable of running at highway speeds without wiggle, bounce or high noise factor. Several types of off-road recreational vehicle tires have been developed which address the need for aggressive traction, some of which are disclosed by my U.S. design patents D383426, D261257, D308038, D345950 and D358792. Others have disclosed reinforced or protected side wails and double caisson cores such as disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,825,052, 4,043,372, and 4,319,618. However, today's all terrain vehicle (ATV) and recreational vehicle (RV) markets are requiring more than off road performance. Many ATV and RV owners are looking for styling which produces a quite smooth ride on road surfaces, reduces rolling resistance on paved roads thus improving fuel mileage, provides good tread wear at highway speeds and contributes to the overall appearance of the vehicle at an economical cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The instant invention provides an aggressive off-road pneumatic tire tread design of radial or biased construction which is highly durable, self cleaning, improves rolling resistance on paved roads, has excellent tread wear characteristics, and is relatively quiet on paved roads. The tire includes a strong nylon or polyester bias ply body with duel belts under the tread and lugs, a portion of which extends beyond the tread running plane into the curved area between the ground contacting tread and the side wall scuff bar. The side wall scuff bar and the area between it and the tread is further provided with raised emblems and distinctive markings, also having relief therein, located in radial alignment with the tread lugs. Such side wall markings further serve as part of the overall tread design by increasing traction in mud and help to break up caked mud which tends to cling to this portion of the tire, thereby marring the esthetic and general overall appearance of the tire. Raised side wall markings also help protect the side wall and further provide extra traction when climbing out of ruts. The tire's tread includes a pair of parallel rows of opposing chevron shaped lugs, the chevron's syncline sides opposing with portions of the syncline side of chevron lugs located opposite the EP and extending outwards towards the side walls, the lug rows orientated in a circumferential direction and parallel to the equatorial plane of the tire, thus providing a zigzag groove between the syncline sides of the chevron shaped lugs radially along the equatorial plane of the tire. The tire tread also has an outer row of polyhedron lugs outboard of the chevron rows located either side of the equatorial plane. The polyhedron lugs being three different sizes short, intermediate and long sequentially arranged in sets of three with a short lug between each long and intermediate lug. Each polyhedron lug is orientated so as to define a channel therebetween with the anticline sides of a pair of chevron lugs. Each polyhedron lug has a rectangular portion and an offset portion arranged perpendicular to the equatorial plane. Each lug also has one or more beveled outer shoulders and large radii at the intersection of the lug with the tire side wall, the offset portion of each lug being orientated either positive or negative relative to the equatorial plane. The polyhedron lugs being further orientated whereby the lugs on one side of the equatorial plane are offset from their opposite number on the opposite side of the plane, a portion of two of the polyhedron lugs extending substantially into the side wall area beyond the remaining lugs. Circumferential spacing of the polyhedron lugs is at least 50% greater than the space between the polyhedron lug and the chevron lug, thus insuring positive movement and extrusion of mud. The positioning relationship between the polyhedron lugs and the chevron lugs results in a zigzag channel running circumferentially around the tire perimeter.
The chevron lugs have root risers in the lateral channel between each chevron shaped lug to prevent stress crack running in the tread. Each chevron lug surface face includes a closed chevron sipe and step shoulders on both the syncline sides. Each chevron shaped lug further included an recessed notched portion and a corresponding protrusion on opposite sides of the lug adjacent the syncline and anticline sides to help break up mud caking in the lateral channels.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tire that is relatively quiet with excellent off-road traction and self-cleaning characteristics.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a tire having excellent wear factor with improved esthetics.
REFERENCES:
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Maki Steven D.
Montgomery Robert N.
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