TIRE WITH VARIABLE WIDTH GROOVES

摘要

A tire includes a pair of sidewalls and a circumferential tread having a zigzag circumferential groove. The zigzag circumferential groove is defined by a groove bottom, a pair of groove walls, and a pair of groove edges defining an intersection between each groove wall and a top surface of the circumferential tread, wherein each of the groove edges smoothly widens and narrows along the groove. The circumferential tread has a first circumferential pitch with first and second circumferential pitch lengths. The first circumferential pitch includes a first zigzag circumferential groove segment and a second zigzag circumferential groove segment that form a first intersection angle. The second circumferential pitch includes a third zigzag circumferential groove segment and a fourth zigzag circumferential groove segment that form a second intersection angle different from the first intersection angle.

主权项

1. A tire having a circumferential tread, the tire comprising:
a zigzag circumferential groove disposed in the circumferential tread; a first circumferential pitch with a first circumferential pitch length and a second circumferential pitch with a second circumferential pitch length different from the first circumferential pitch length,
wherein the first circumferential pitch includes first and second segments of the zigzag circumferential groove, the first segment of the zigzag circumferential groove having a first pair of opposing groove segment edges with a first axially-outer relative maximum and a first axially-inner relative minimum, and the second segment of the zigzag circumferential groove having a second pair of opposing groove segment edges with a second axially-outer relative maximum and a second axially-inner relative minimum,wherein the second circumferential pitch includes third and fourth segments of the zigzag circumferential groove, the third segment of the zigzag circumferential groove having a third pair of opposing groove segment edges with a third axially-outer relative maximum and a third axially-inner relative minimum, and the fourth segment of the zigzag circumferential groove having a fourth pair of opposing groove segment edges with a fourth axially-outer relative maximum and a fourth axially-inner relative minimum,wherein the first and second segments of the zigzag circumferential groove form a first intersection angle and the third and fourth segments of the zigzag circumferential groove form a second intersection angle different from the first intersection angle.