Patent ID: 6123130
Filing Date: 2000-09-26
Classification: B60C,Y10S

Abstract:
In a tire having a circumferential tread:said tread having a road engaging surface that consists essentially of four circumferential ribs including two road engaging intermediate ribs and two road engaging outer ribs;three circumferential grooves separating said ribs, said grooves including a center groove between said intermediate ribs and an outer groove between each of said intermediate ribs and an adjacent outer rib, each of said grooves having substantially the same groove depth;each of said ribs having a rib width;each of said four ribs having a plurality of cross slots that extend thereinto from said outer grooves;each of said four ribs having a plurality of cross sipes therein;said plurality of cross slots and cross sipes being circumferentially-spaced around said ribs;each of said plurality of cross slots and cross sipes extending less than the entire width of the intermediate or outer rib in which it is located;each of said plurality of cross slots that extend into said outer ribs from said outer grooves extending more than one-half the width of the outer rib in which it is located but less than the entire width of the outer rib in which it is located;said center groove being circular circumferentially of said tire tread and having outwardly inclined center groove sidewalls;said center groove sidewalls being continuous and uninterrupted by any of said plurality of cross slots and cross sipes or by any other openings; and,each of said outer ribs having a width that is 30-50% greater than the width of each of said intermediate ribs.