Patent ID: 6415836
Filing Date: 2002-07-09
Classification: B60C,Y10S

Abstract:
A pneumatic tire comprisinga plurality of rows of circumferentially arranged tread elements including two shoulder rows and two middle rows adjacent to the tire equator, each said row being spaced from an adjacent row by a circumferential groove, the tread elements in each said row circumferentially divided by axial grooves and having a plurality of different circumferential lengths, in each said row, said axial grooves having a plurality of different circumferential widths each being generally constant along the length of the axial groove, the circumferential widths of the axial grooves and the circumferential lengths of the tread elements in each said row satisfying 1.2â† GR/BR<1.5 whereBR is the length maximum ratio defined by the ratio (Bll/Bss) of the maximum circumferential length (Bll) of said plurality of circumferential lengths to the minimum circumferential length (Bss) of said plurality of circumferential lengths, and GR is the width maximum ratio defined by the ratio (Gll/Gss) of the maximum circumferential width (Gll) of said plurality of circumferential widths to the minimum circumferential width (Gss) of said plurality of circumferential widths, and the average width of the axial grooves in said shoulder rows being larger than the average width of the axial grooves in said middle rows.