Patent ID: 8225833
Filing Date: 2012-07-24
Classification: B60C

Abstract:
1. A pneumatic tire having a designed rotational direction, the tire comprising a tread portion being provided with: one or two central longitudinal grooves extending in the circumferential direction of the tire on the tire equator or on each side of the tire equator; shoulder longitudinal grooves each extending in the circumferential direction of the tire on each side of said central longitudinal groove; and intermediate land portions each defined between said central longitudinal groove and said shoulder longitudinal groove, wherein each of said intermediate land portions is provided with: a thin groove straightly and continuously extending in the circumferential direction of the tire at a position away axially inside of 3 to 6% of the tread ground-contact width from said shoulder longitudinal groove, and a groove width W intermediate slant grooves each extending from said thin groove toward said central longitudinal groove while inclining toward a front-side in said rotational direction and having an axially inner end terminating without being connected to said central longitudinal groove; and connection grooves each disposed axially inside of said thin groove and extending so as to connect between the adjacent intermediate slant grooves in the circumferential direction of the tire, each of said connection grooves having a front-side end in the rotational direction connected with said inner end of the intermediate slant groove, and a rear-side end in the rotational direction connected away axially outward of 3 to 10 mm from the inner end of the intermediate slant groove so that each connection groove inclines in the same direction as said intermediate slant groove with respect to the circumferential direction of the tire at an angle smaller than that of the intermediate slant groove, wherein said intermediate land portion comprises: an outer rib continuously extending in the circumferential direction of the tire between said shoulder longitudinal groove and said thin groove; an inner rib continuously extending in the circumferential direction of the tire between said connection groove and said central longitudinal groove; and an intermediate block row in which intermediate blocks defined by said intermediate slant groove are arranged therebetween in the circumferential direction of the tire.