Patent ID: 6116309
Filing Date: 2000-09-12
Classification: B60C,Y10S

Abstract:
A pneumatic radial ply truck tire for use on steering axles having a tread with a tread non-skid depth D, four circumferential grooves dividing the tread into five rib parts, lateral grooves extending across at least a portion of the five rib parts of the tread, the lateral grooves forming five rows of circumferentially separated block elements including two shoulder rows, two riding rows and a center row, the tire being characterized by:the center row and the riding rows having radiused tread surfaces, each of the radiused tread surfaces having a tread arc radius TAR, the shoulder rows having flat linear tread surfaces, the flat linear tread surfaces being tangent to the tread arc radius TAR from outer edges of the riding rows, the lateral grooves extending across the two riding rows, the lateral grooves of the center row each having top and bottom portions, the top portions having a first width W1 and a first depth D1, the first depth D1 extending to less than 20% of the tread non-skid depth D, the bottom portions having a second width W2 and a second depth D2, the second depth D2 extending to at least 85% of the tread non-skid depth D, the second width W2 being less than 30% of the first width W1; and,the two shoulder rows having partially extending lateral grooves, the partially extending lateral grooves having inside ends with top and bottom portions, the top portions having a first width W3 and a first depth D3 that extends to less than 20% of the tread non-skid depth D, the bottom portions having a width W4 and a second depth D4 that extends to at least 85% of the tread non-skid depth D, the remaining parts of the partially extending lateral grooves having widths equal to the first width W3 and depths equal to the first depth D3.