Patent ID: 6203640
Filing Date: 2001-03-20
Classification: B60C,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A method for using tires on a medium/heavy duty vehicle comprising driven and tractive axles, comprising the steps of:mounting a first tire to the driven axle, the driven axle being an axle for submitting the first tire to a driven rotation direction by effect of contact of the first tire with the ground;mounting a second tire to the tractive axle, the tractive axle being an axle for submitting the second tire to a tractive rotation direction by effect of a tractive torque;wherein said first tire and said second tire are of identical construction and said first tire and said second tire each comprise:a tread having side edges;at least one pair of circumferential shoulder ribs positioned between respective side edges of said tread and respective circumferential shoulder grooves axially spaced apart from the side edges;at least one pair of intermediate circumferential ribs respectively positioned between said shoulder grooves and corresponding intermediate circumferential grooves axially spaced apart from said shoulder grooves;at least one circumferentially extending center rib positioned between said intermediate grooves,each of said intermediate and center ribs being divided into a plurality of respective intermediate and center blocks, circumferentially respectively defined by intermediate and central transverse cuts, the central transverse cuts defining, in the axial width of the tread, at least one directional circumferential area positioned between the intermediate grooves, in which said center blocks are positioned and shaped to be linked up one after the other by effect of elastic deformations induced therein by the reactions transmitted from the ground when the tread rotates in said first driven rotation direction, wherein each center block has a cusp-shaped end portion, and a hollow-shaped end portion, at a circumferentially opposite position, the shape of the hollow-shaped end portion matches the cusp-shaped end portion of an adjacent center block,said intermediate cuts defining, at lateral opposite positions relative to said directional circumferential area, at least two tractive circumferential areas in which when the tire rotates in said second tractive rotation direction at least the intermediate blocks mutually diverge by effect of the elastic deformations induced by the reactions transmitted from the ground, wherein each of the intermediate blocks has a substantially rhomboidal configuration imparted by said intermediate cuts, obliquely directed to the circumferential direction of the tire,wherein the first tire is mounted on the driven axle with the cusp-shaped portion facing the driven rotation direction and the second tire is mounted on the tractive axle such that the second tire is circumferentially reversed with respect to the first tire.