Patent ID: 7048022
Filing Date: 2006-05-23
Classification: B60C,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A light truck or passenger vehicle pneumatic tire comprising a tread and a belt structure, the tread having a central tread width that is divided into a central tread zone and opposing lateral tread zones, the tire further comprising shoulder regions extending from each lateral tread zone, the tread comprising a plurality of tread elements separated by lateral grooves in the lateral tread zones, the tread elements in the lateral tread zones defining a total effective tread width, the tread elements having block walls defined by the lateral grooves, and elongated pads in the lateral grooves, the pads being in the lateral tread zones, extending between a pair of the tread elements and through the entire adjacent tire shoulder region, wherein each pad having a pair of deflecting walls, each deflecting wall initiating at a curved base of a tread element block wall, each pad having a radial height less than an adjacent tread element and a base width Wp of at least 50% of the width Wg of the lateral grooves, the width Wg of the lateral grooves being measured at an outer surface of the tread the shoulder region extending from the axially outer edge of the central tread width to a location, which is radially below the belt structure and radially above the axially outer edge of the total effective tread width.