Patent ID: 6595255
Filing Date: 2003-07-22
Classification: B60C

Abstract:
A pneumatic tire for mounting to a wheel and supporting a vehicle above a surface, the tire comprising a tread having opposite edges and a surface contacting portion, and an equatorial centerline plane, the tread including:(a) at least three circumferential main grooves extending through a central area in the surface contacting portion, the central area being located within 45% of one-half of a width of the surface contacting portion from the equatorial centerline plane along an axial direction of the tire towards the edges of the tread, each circumferential main groove having a groove width from 6% to 10% of one-half of said width of the surface contacting portion, with groove center lines of two tire-axial-direction outermost circumferential main grooves being located a distance from 30% to 40% of one-half of said width from the equatorial centerline plane towards each of the edges of the tread; (b) a plurality of slanted lateral main grooves, each having opposite ends, one end of each slanted lateral main groove opening into a circumferential main groove and the other end of each slanted lateral main groove opening into one of the edges of the tread, each slanted lateral main groove slanting such that said one end thereof is positioned further along a direction of rotation of the tire relative to said other end of that slanted lateral main groove when the tire is rolling forwardly as used on a vehicle, each slanted lateral main groove having a groove width in a range of 8 mm to 11 mm, a tire circumferential direction spacing from one another in a range of 45 mm to 52 mm, each slanted lateral main groove having an angle with respect to the tire circumferential direction, between the two tire-axial-direction outermost circumferential main grooves, being within a range of 20Â° to 60Â°, and an angle with respect to the tire circumferential direction, outside the two tire-axial-direction outermost circumferential main grooves, being within a range of 45Â° to 90Â°; and (c) a plurality of land portions defined by the adjacent circumferential main grooves, with some land portions nearer to the equatorial centerline plane than any of the other land portions, said some land portions having a tire axial direction width of 6% to 10% of the surface contact width, wherein the tread pattern at the inboard side of the tire equatorial plane is asymmetric with respect to the tread pattern at the outboard side of the tire equatorial plane.