Patent ID: 9180739
Filing Date: 2015-11-10
Classification: B60C

Abstract:
1. A pneumatic tire comprising: in a tread portion, a plurality of blocks partitioned by a plurality of vertical grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction and a lateral groove extending in a direction that intersects with the tire circumferential direction, and in a tread surface of the blocks, at least three sipes spaced in the tire circumferential direction extending in the direction that intersects with the tire circumferential direction, wherein portions of the blocks partitioned by the lateral groove and the sipes are formed at areas of the blocks located at both edges in the tire circumferential direction, and portions of the blocks partitioned by sipes adjacent in the tire circumferential direction are formed in other areas of the blocks, wherein in the sipes, protrusions are formed on a first sipe wall surface of mutually opposing sipe wall surfaces, and recesses that can engage with the protrusions are formed in a second sipe wall surface; the protrusions and the recesses are configured so as to generate a force by engaging that works to suppress bending deformation in the tire circumferential direction of the portions of the blocks; the protrusions and the recesses are formed so that the engaging between the portions of the blocks located at the both edges in the tire circumferential direction and the portions of the blocks positioned adjacent to said portions of the blocks generates a force that works to suppress the bending deformation that is greater than the force generated by engaging between other portions of the blocks; the protrusions have a height in a direction perpendicular to the sipe wall surface; diameters of the protrusions are substantially constant; and in the blocks, the height of the protrusions provided on the sipe wall surface of the sipes that partition the portions of the blocks located at the both edges in the tire circumferential direction is greater than the height of the protrusions provided on the sipe wall surface of the sipes that partition the center portions located between the both edges of the blocks.