Patent ID: 6695024
Filing Date: 2004-02-24
Classification: B60C,Y10S

Abstract:
A pneumatic tire having a tread extending about an outer circumference of the tire, said tread having at least first and second axially spaced circumferentially extending ribs located on opposite sides of a geometric centerline of the tire, each rib having a plurality of circumferentially spaced tread blocks separated by generally laterally extending grooves, said lateral grooves being defined by a bottom surface and spaced end walls of adjacent tread blocks; certain of said lateral grooves having tie bars extending across said grooves between adjacent end walls of the tread blocks, each of said tie bars having a pair of side surfaces and a top surface, the top surfaces of the tie bars have axial widths less than the axial widths of the adjacent tread blocks and slope radially inwardly in the same circumferential direction in the first rib, and slope radially inwardly in the same circumferential direction in the second rib, wherein all of the top surfaces of the tie bars in the second rib slope radially inwardly in a circumferential direction opposite to the direction of the slope of each of the top surfaces of the tie bars in the first rib.