Patent Description:
To reduce the resonant vibration (cavity resonance) of air or gas generated in cavities of tires, it is known to dispose sound dampers made of sponge materials on inner surfaces of tires. Patent Literature (PTL) <NUM> describes this type of sound damper. The sound damper can convert the vibration energy of air or gas in a cavity of a tire into thermal energy, thereby restraining cavity resonance in the cavity of the tire. Patent Literature (PTL) <NUM> also describes the use of non-woven fabric as a sound damper.

<CIT> discloses a projection protruding from the tire inside surface and extending in meshing form is formed in the region between the position as twice to treble of the belt half width from the width direction center of a belt layer embedded in the tread part and the tire maximum width position, and that end part of this projection located on the tread center side is arranged between the position as twice to treble of the belt half width from the width direction center of the belt layer and the belt end position, while the end part of the projection on the bead side is arranged between the tire maximum width position and the position as <NUM> times as large as the tire section height from the tire maximum width position.

<CIT> discloses a pneumatic tire having sound absorbing members for reducing cavernous resonance provided on the tire inner peripheral face (or an inner liner). The plurality of sound absorbing members are arranged spaced apart a predetermined gap in the tire circumferential direction, and have the same sound absorption coefficient to reduce cavernous resonance in the diagonal position with respect to the tire circumferential direction on the basis of a tire rotating shaft.

The sound damper described in either PTL <NUM> or PTL <NUM> is attached onto an inner surface of a tread portion. From the viewpoint of restraining cavity resonance in a cavity of a tire, it is preferable that the sound damper is attached not only onto the inner surface of the tread portion but also onto inner surfaces of sidewall portions. However, in a case in which the sound damper described in PTL <NUM> or PTL <NUM> is attached onto each of the inner surfaces of the sidewall portions, the sound damper cannot fully follow repeated bending deformation occurring in the sidewall portion, which results in damage and deterioration of the sound damper.

It would be helpful to provide a pneumatic tire including a sound damper having a shape that easily follows the bending deformation of a sidewall portion.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a pneumatic tire as specified in claim <NUM>.

According to the invention, it is possible to provide the pneumatic tire including the sound damper having the shape that easily follows the bending deformation of the sidewall portion.

An embodiment of a pneumatic tire according to the present invention will be exemplarily described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, common members and components are indicated with the same reference numerals.

<FIG> is a drawing illustrating a pneumatic tire <NUM> (hereinafter referred to simply as "tire <NUM>") as an embodiment of a pneumatic tire of the present invention. More specifically, <FIG> is a tire widthwise cross sectional view of the tire <NUM>. The term "tire widthwise cross section" refers to a cross section in a plane that is parallel to a tire central axis and contains the tire central axis.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the tire <NUM> of this embodiment includes a pair of bead portions <NUM>, sidewall portions <NUM> connected to the bead portions <NUM>, and a tread portion <NUM> connected to the sidewall portions <NUM>. The tire <NUM> also includes a carcass <NUM> that straddles between a pair of bead cores 2a embedded in the pair of bead portions <NUM>. The tire <NUM> includes a belt <NUM> disposed outside a crown portion of the carcass <NUM> in a tire radial direction A. The tire also includes tread rubber <NUM> disposed outside the belt <NUM> in the tire radial direction A, and side rubber <NUM> disposed outside side portions of the carcass <NUM> in a tire width direction B. Furthermore, the tire <NUM> includes an inner liner <NUM> that is laminated on an inner surface of the carcass <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, each of the bead portions <NUM> of the tire <NUM> of this embodiment includes, in addition to the bead core 2a described above, a bead filler 2b disposed outside the bead core 2a in the tire radial direction A. The bead filler 2b of this embodiment is in the outer shape of an approximately triangle in the tire widthwise cross sectional view, but the cross sectional shape is not particularly limited. Furthermore, the configuration of the bead portions <NUM> of the tire <NUM> is not limited to the configuration illustrated in <FIG>. Therefore, the cross sectional shapes, sizes, and materials of the bead cores 2a and bead fillers 2b are also not particularly limited. Furthermore, the tire <NUM> may be configured without bead cores 2a and bead fillers 2b.

The carcass <NUM> of this embodiment is constituted of a single carcass ply made of organic fibers, but the configuration of the carcass <NUM> is not particularly limited. Therefore, the number and material of carcass plies constituting the carcass <NUM> are not particularly limited.

The belt <NUM> of this embodiment is constituted of two belt layers 6a and 6b, which are laminated in the tire radial direction A. Each of the belt layers 6a and 6b is made of a belt play in which belt cords, such as steel cords, are arranged inclinedly at an angle of <NUM>° to <NUM>° with respect to a tire circumferential direction C. The two belt plies are placed on top of each other with the directions of inclination of the belt cords different from each other. Therefore, the belt cords mutually cross each other between the belt plies, which increases belt rigidity and reinforces the almost entire width of the tread portion <NUM> by the hoop effect. However, the configuration of the belt <NUM> is not particularly limited. Therefore, the material of the belt cords in the belt <NUM>, the number of hammerings, the inclination angle, the number of belt layers, and the like are not particularly limited.

The tread rubber <NUM> configures an outer surface (hereinafter referred to as "tread outer surface") of the tread portion <NUM> in the tire radial direction A. In the tread outer surface, a tread pattern including circumferential grooves 7a extending in the tire circumferential direction C, not-illustrated widthwise grooves extending in the tire width direction B, and the like, is formed. The side rubber <NUM> configures outer surfaces of the sidewall portions <NUM> in the tire width direction B, and is formed integrally with the above-described tread rubber <NUM>. The materials of the tread rubber <NUM> and the side rubber <NUM> are not particularly limited.

The inner liner <NUM> is laminated on the inner surface of the carcass <NUM>, and is made of, for example, butyl-type rubber, which has low air permeability. The term "butyl-type rubber" refers to butyl rubber and a derivative thereof, butyl halide rubber. However, the inner liner <NUM> may also be made of any known material, and the material thereof is not particularly limited.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the tire <NUM> includes sound dampers <NUM> attached onto inner surfaces of the sidewall portions <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, the sound damper <NUM> may be attached onto the inner surface of only one of the sidewall portions <NUM>, but is preferably attached onto the inner surface of each of the sidewall portions <NUM> on both sides as in this embodiment. Thereby, cavity resonance can be further restrained.

The sound damper <NUM> is a porous material such as a sponge material, for example. The sound damper <NUM> of this embodiment has a flat outer shape in the tire widthwise cross sectional view illustrated in <FIG>, but the shape thereof is not particularly limited. The dimensions and the like of the sound damper <NUM> are not particularly limited, but the volume of the sound damper <NUM> is preferably <NUM>% to <NUM>% of the total volume of a cavity of the tire <NUM>. Setting the volume of the sound damper <NUM> to <NUM>% or more of the total volume of the cavity of the tire <NUM> can improve a sound damping property. On the other hand, setting the volume of the sound damper <NUM> to <NUM>% or less of the total volume of the cavity of the tire <NUM> can restrain a weight increase caused by the sound damper <NUM>. The "volume" here refers to the volume of the tire <NUM> removed from a rim under normal temperature and normal pressure. The "total volume of the cavity of the tire" refer to a total volume when the tire <NUM> is mounted on an applicable rim and filled with specified internal pressure.

When the sound damper <NUM> is a sponge material, the sponge material may be a sponge-like porous structure and includes, for example, a so-called sponge with continuous bubbles made of foamed rubber or synthetic resin. In addition to the above-described sponge, the sponge material also includes a web-like material in which animal fibers, plant fibers, synthetic fibers, or the like are intertwined and connected together. The above-described "porous structure" is not limited to a structure with continuous bubbles, but also includes a structure with independent bubbles. In the sponge material as described above, pores formed in a surface or inside of the sponge material convert the vibrational energy of vibrating air into thermal energy. This restrains cavity resonance in the cavity of the tire, resulting in reduced road noise.

Examples of the sponge material include, for example, synthetic resin sponge such as ether-based polyurethane sponge, ester-based polyurethane sponge, and polyethylene sponge, and rubber sponge (EPDM sponge) such as chloroprene rubber sponge (CR sponge), ethylene propylene diene rubber sponge (EPDM sponge), and nitrile rubber sponge (NBR sponge). In terms of the sound damping property, light weight, adjustability in foaming, durability, and the like, it is preferable to use polyurethane sponge including ether-based polyurethane sponge, polyethylene sponge, or the like.

In a case in which the sound damper <NUM> is a sponge material, as in this embodiment, the hardness of the sponge material is not particularly limited, but is preferably in a range of <NUM> to <NUM> N. Setting the hardness to <NUM> N or higher can improve the sound damping property, while setting the hardness to <NUM> N or lower can increase adhesive strength of the sponge material. It is more preferable that the hardness of the sponge material is set in a range of <NUM> to <NUM> N. Thereby, the above-described effects can be further improved. Here, "hardness" refers to a value measured in conformity with Method A in Section <NUM> of the measurement methods in Section <NUM> of JIS K6400.

It is preferable that the specific gravity of the sponge material is between <NUM> and <NUM>. Setting the specific gravity of the sponge material to <NUM> or more can improve the sound damping property, while setting the specific gravity of the sponge material to <NUM> or less can restrain a weight increase caused by the sponge material. It is more preferable that the specific gravity of the sponge material is between <NUM> and <NUM>. Thereby, the above-described effects can be further improved. Here, "specific gravity" refers to a value that is measured in conformity with a method in Section <NUM> of JIS K6400, and is obtained by converting apparent density into specific gravity.

It is preferable that the tensile strength of the sponge material is between <NUM> and <NUM> kPa. Setting the tensile strength to <NUM> kPa or higher can improve the adhesive strength, while setting the tensile strength to <NUM> kPa or lower can improve the productivity of the sponge material. It is more preferable that the tensile strength of the sponge material is between <NUM> and <NUM> kPa. Thereby, the above-described effects can be further improved. Here, "tensile strength" refer to a value measured in conformity with a measurement method in Section <NUM> of JIS K6400 with a No. <NUM> dumbbell specimen.

It is preferable that the breaking elongation of the sponge material is <NUM>% or more and <NUM>% or less. Setting the breaking elongation to <NUM>% or more can prevent the sponge material from cracking, while the breaking elongation to <NUM>% or less can improve the productivity of the sponge material. It is more preferable that the breaking elongation of the sponge material is between <NUM>% and <NUM>% inclusive. Thereby, the above-described effects can be further improved. Here, "breaking elongation" refers to a value measured in conformity with a measurement method in Section <NUM> of JIS K6400 with a No. <NUM> dumbbell specimen.

It is preferable that the tear strength of the sponge material is between <NUM> and <NUM> N/cm. Setting the tear strength to <NUM> N/cm or higher can prevent the sponge material from cracking, while setting the tear strength to <NUM> N/cm or less improves the manufacturability of the sponge material. It is more preferable that the tear strength of the sponge material is between <NUM> and <NUM> N/cm. Thereby, the above-described effects can be further improved. Here, "tear strength" refers to a value measured in conformity with a measurement method in Section <NUM> of JIS K6400 with a No. <NUM> specimen.

It is preferable that the foaming ratio of the sponge material is <NUM>% or more and <NUM>% or less. Setting the foaming ratio to <NUM>% or more can improve the sound damping property, while setting the foaming ratio to <NUM>% or less can improve the productivity of the sponge material. It is more preferable that the foaming ratio of the sponge material is between <NUM> and <NUM>%. Thereby, the above-described effects can be further improved. Here, the "foaming ratio" refers to a value in which <NUM> is subtracted from the ratio SG1/SG2 of the specific gravity SG1 of a solid phase of the sponge material to the specific gravity SG2 of the sponge material and then the result is multiplied by <NUM>.

It is preferable that the entire mass of the sponge material is between <NUM> and <NUM>. Setting the mass to <NUM> or more can improve the sound damping property, while setting the mass to <NUM> or less can restrain a weight increase caused by the sponge material. It is more preferable that the mass of the sponge material is between <NUM> and <NUM>. Thereby, the above-described effects can be further improved.

The material that forms the sound damper <NUM> can be anything as long as the material can reduce the cavity resonance energy by mitigating or absorbing the cavity resonance energy, converting the cavity resonance energy into other energy (e.g., thermal energy), or the like, and is not limited to the porous material described above. For example, a non-woven fabric made of organic or inorganic fibers may also be used.

Examples of organic fibers used in the sound damper <NUM> include rayon, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polybenzimidazole, polyphenylene sulfide, polyvinyl alcohol, aliphatic polyamide, aromatic polyamide (aramid), aromatic polyimide, and the like. Examples of inorganic fibers used in the sound damper <NUM> include carbon fibers, fluorine fibers, glass fibers, metal fibers, and the like. A mixture of two or more different types of fibers may also be used.

The length and diameter of the fibers that form the non-woven fabric used in the sound damper <NUM> can be set arbitrarily. Although not specifically limited, the diameter of the fibers may be, for example, <NUM> to <NUM>.

It is preferable that the basis weight of the non-woven fabric used in the sound damper <NUM> is between <NUM>/m<NUM> and <NUM>/m<NUM>. Setting the basis weight to <NUM>/m<NUM> or more can made the fibers more uniform, while setting the basis weight to <NUM>/m<NUM> prevents an excessive weight increase due to the provision of the sound damper <NUM>.

<FIG> is a tire circumferential cross sectional view of the tire <NUM>. The term "tire circumferential cross section" refers to a cross sectional view of the tire <NUM> at a tire equatorial plane CL. Note that, <FIG> omits details of a cross section inside the tread portion <NUM> such as the belt <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, a plurality of through holes <NUM> penetrating in the tire width direction B are formed in the sound damper <NUM>. The sound damper <NUM> can be deformed in the tire radial direction A by varying the lengths of the through holes <NUM> in the tire radial direction A so as to follow the deformation of the sidewall portion <NUM> in the tire radial direction A. The sound damper <NUM> with such through holes <NUM> can follow the bending deformation of the sidewall portion <NUM> more easily than tire radial direction a sound damper without through holes <NUM>. Therefore, it is possible to realize the sound damper <NUM> that is difficult to be damaged by the repeated bending deformation occurring in the sidewall portion <NUM>.

<FIG> is an enlarged cross sectional view that illustrates a part of the tire circumferential cross section of the tire <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> in an enlarged manner. <FIG> illustrates a region indicated by the dashed line in <FIG> in an enlarged manner, but the same is true in another region in the tire circumferential direction C.

As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the plurality of through holes <NUM> are formed at different positions in the tire circumferential direction C. The term "the through holes <NUM> are formed at different positions in the tire circumferential direction C" means that there are at least two through holes <NUM> that do not overlap in the tire radial direction A. This allows to restrain variations in the tire circumferential direction C in a following property, with which the sound damper <NUM> is deformed by following the deformation of the sidewall portion <NUM> in the tire radial direction A. In other words, it is more preferable that the plurality of through holes <NUM> are arranged at predetermined intervals in the sound damper <NUM> attached onto the inner surface of the sidewall portion <NUM> in the entire tire circumferential direction C.

As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, it is preferable that the sound damper <NUM> is attached along the inner surface of the sidewall portion <NUM> in the entire tire circumferential direction C. This improves the sound damping property of the sound damper <NUM>, as compared to a configuration in which the sound damper <NUM> is not attached in the entire tire circumferential direction C.

As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the through holes <NUM> are formed at different positions in the tire radial direction A. The term "the through holes <NUM> are formed at the different positions in the tire radial direction A" means that there are at least two through holes <NUM> that do not overlap in the tire circumferential direction C. This allows to restrain variations in the tire radial direction A in the following property, with which the sound damper <NUM> is deformed by following the deformation of the sidewall portion <NUM> in the tire radial direction A. In other words, it is preferable that the plurality of through holes <NUM> are arranged at predetermined intervals in the sound damper <NUM> attached onto the inner surface of the sidewall portion <NUM> in the entire tire radial direction A.

Furthermore, in the tire <NUM> of this embodiment, at least one through hole <NUM> is provided in the tire widthwise cross sectional view (refer to <FIG>) at any position in a region (hereinafter referred to as "hole formation region X") in the tire circumferential direction C between two through holes 11a and 11b at both ends of the sound damper <NUM> in tire circumferential direction C. More specifically, as illustrated in <FIG>, the tire widthwise cross sectional view of the tire <NUM> at any position in the hole formation region X includes at least one through hole <NUM>. Due to this arrangement of the through holes <NUM>, variations in the tire circumferential direction C in the following property, with which the sound damper <NUM> is deformed by following the deformation of the sidewall portion <NUM> in the tire radial direction A, can be further restrained. Such an arrangement of the through holes <NUM> does not have to be achieved by arranging the through holes <NUM> in a regular manner. However, it is preferable that the through holes <NUM> are arranged in a staggered manner as in this embodiment. Thereby, the above-described arrangement of the through holes <NUM> can be easily realized, as compared to a configuration in which the through holes are randomly arranged.

In addition, as illustrated in <FIG>, of the through holes <NUM>, the through holes <NUM> located outside in the tire radial direction A are longer in length in the tire circumferential direction C than the through holes <NUM> located inside in the tire radial direction A. In <FIG>, by way of example, length in the tire circumferential direction C is compared between a through hole 11c located outermost in the tire radial direction A and a through hole 11d located innermost in the tire radial direction A, at the same position in the tire circumferential direction C. The maximum length L1 of the through hole 11c in the tire circumferential direction C is longer than the maximum length L2 of the through hole 11d in the tire circumferential direction C.

Furthermore, as illustrated in <FIG>, of the through holes <NUM>, the through holes <NUM> located outside in the tire radial direction A are shorter in length in the tire radial direction A than the through holes <NUM> located inside in the tire radial direction A. In <FIG>, by way of example, length in the tire radial direction A is compared between the above-described two through holes 11c and 11d. The maximum length L3 of the through hole 11c in the tire radial direction A is shorter than the maximum length L4 of the through hole 11d in the tire radial direction A.

Thus, by setting L1>L2 and L3<L4 for the through holes 11c and 11d, the through hole 11c is more easily flattened in the tire radial direction A than the through hole 11d when the sidewall portion <NUM> is bent and deformed in the tire radial direction A. This means that, in the sound damper <NUM>, deformability in the tire radial direction A at the outside in the tire radial direction A is made higher than deformability in the tire radial direction A at the inside in the tire radial direction A. As described above, while arranging the plurality of through holes <NUM> in the tire radial direction A allows to restrain large variations in deformation performance in the tire radial direction A depending on position in the tire radial direction A, adjusting the lengths of the through holes <NUM> in the tire radial direction A and the tire circumferential direction C allows to adjust the deformation performance in the tire radial direction A depending on position in the tire radial direction A. In particular, it is preferable to set L1>L2 and L3<L4, as in the sound damper <NUM> of this embodiment. Thereby, the deformability of the sound damper <NUM> in the tire radial direction A can be improved at a position of the sidewall portion <NUM> on the outside in the tire radial direction A, which is easily deformed during tire rolling. In contrast, the sound damper <NUM> is hard to deform in the tire radial direction A in the vicinity of the bead portion <NUM>, which is secured to the rim so as not to be bent and deformed during tire rolling, that is, at a position of the sidewall portion <NUM> on the inside in the tire radial direction A. As a result, the sidewall portion <NUM> is reinforced by the sound damper <NUM>, and the bending deformation in the tire radial direction A is restrained at the position of the sidewall portion <NUM> in the vicinity of the bead portion <NUM>.

Note that, the two through holes 11c and 11d described above are examples, and two through holes <NUM> between which the same relationship as "L1>L2 and L3<L4" above is established are not limited to the through holes 11c and 11b. More specifically, in this embodiment, the same relationship as "L1>L2 and L3<L4" above is established between any two through holes <NUM> at different positions in the tire radial direction A.

Furthermore, the sound damper <NUM> of this embodiment is attached onto the inner surface of the sidewall portion <NUM> with an outer edge <NUM> at the outside in the tire radial direction A pulled in the tire circumferential direction C more than a natural state, and with an inner edge <NUM> at the inside in the tire radial direction A compressed in the tire circumferential direction C more than the natural state. The "natural state" refers to a state in which no external force other than gravity is applied in the atmosphere. In other words, in the sound damper <NUM> of this embodiment, an outer position in the tire radial direction A becomes "sparse", and an inner position in the tire radial direction A becomes "dense". Thereby, the deformability of the sound damper <NUM> in the tire radial direction A can be increased at the outer position of the sidewall portion <NUM> in the tire radial direction A, which is easily bent and deformed during tire rolling. On the other hand, in the vicinity of the bead portion <NUM>, i.e., at the inner position of the sidewall portion <NUM> in the tire radial direction A, which is secured to the rim so as not to be bent and deformed during tire rolling, the sidewall portion <NUM> is reinforced by the sound damper <NUM>, and the bending deformation in the tire radial direction A is restrained. As in this embodiment, it is preferable that the tire <NUM> satisfies both of the above-described "sparse-dense" relationship and the above-described length relationship of "L1>L2 and L3<L4". Thereby, the above effects can be further improved.

The above-described length relationship of "L1>L2 and L3<L4" and the above-described "sparse-dense" relationship can be realized, for example, by an attachment method of the sound damper <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the attachment method of the sound damper <NUM> of this embodiment. As illustrated in <FIG>, the sound damper <NUM> is configured into a linearly extending strip in a natural state before being attached onto the inner surface of the sidewall portion <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, the strip configuring the sound damper <NUM> is attached onto the inner surface of the sidewall portion <NUM> along the tire circumferential direction C. More specifically, the strip configuring the sound damper <NUM> is attached onto the inner surface of the sidewall portion <NUM> using, for example, an adhesive material such as double-sided adhesive tape or glue, while curving both end faces in a strip width direction into an arc shape so as to follow the tire circumferential direction C (refer to the arrow in <FIG>). In this way, the strip configuring the sound damper <NUM> can be attached onto the inner surface of the sidewall portion <NUM> with the outer edge <NUM> at the outside in the tire radial direction A pulled in the tire circumferential direction C more than the natural state, and with the inner edge <NUM> at the inside in the tire radial direction A compressed in the tire circumferential direction C more than the natural state. In other words, the "sparse-dense" relationship described above can be realized. In a case in which original holes, which are bases of the through holes <NUM>, are formed in the same shape and with the same area regardless of position in the tire radial direction A, adopting the attachment method illustrated in <FIG> ensures that the outer edge <NUM> is pulled in the tire circumferential direction C and the inner edge <NUM> is compressed in the tire circumferential direction C. In other words, by attaching such a strip to the inner surface of the sidewall portion <NUM> using the attachment method illustrated in <FIG>, the above-described length relationship of "L1>L2 and L3<L4" can be achieved.

The through holes <NUM> of the sound damper <NUM> of this embodiment each have an approximately diamond shape in the tire circumferential cross sectional view illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, but this shape is not particularly limited. For example, the through holes <NUM> of the sound damper <NUM> may each be in the shape of a polygon other than a diamond, a circle, an oval, or the like.

Furthermore, as illustrated in <FIG>, in the outer edge <NUM> and the inner edge <NUM> of the sound damper <NUM> of this embodiment, a plurality of recesses <NUM> are formed at intervals in the tire circumferential direction C. The formation of such recesses <NUM> makes it easy to deform the sound damper <NUM> along the tire circumferential direction C on the inner surface of the sidewall portion <NUM>. More specifically, the presence of the recesses <NUM> makes it easier for the outer edge <NUM> to be extensionally deformed in the tire circumferential direction C, and for the inner edge <NUM> to be compressively deformed in the tire circumferential direction C. Therefore, even when the attachment method as illustrated in <FIG> is adopted, for example, the sound damper <NUM> can be easily attached onto the inner surface of the sidewall portion <NUM> along the tire circumferential direction C. Note that, the recesses <NUM> are not limited to V-shaped notches 14a as illustrated in this embodiment. For example, the recesses <NUM> may be notches of another shape, such as U-shaped notches, or linear slits as illustrated in <FIG>. The slits as the recesses <NUM> will be described later (refer to <FIG>).

As illustrated in <FIG>, in the tire <NUM>, a sealant layer <NUM> is laminated on an inner surface of the tread portion <NUM>. As described above, the plurality of through holes <NUM> are formed in the sound damper <NUM>. Accordingly, the sound damper <NUM> is hard to damage even when the sound damper <NUM> is attached onto the inner surface of the sidewall portion <NUM>, which improves durability. In other words, the sound damper <NUM> need not be attached on the inner surface of the tread portion <NUM>. Therefore, the sealant layer <NUM> may be provided on the inner surface of the tread portion <NUM>, as in the tire <NUM> of this embodiment. Thereby, the arrangement positions of the sound damper <NUM> and the sealant layer <NUM> can be different on an inner surface of the tire, so the sealant layer <NUM> is hard to adhere to the sound damper <NUM>. This makes it difficult to deteriorate the adhesive performance of the sealant layer <NUM>, thereby increasing the durability of sealing performance by the sealant layer <NUM>. The sealant layer <NUM> is laminated only on the inner surface of the tread portion <NUM> in the tire width direction B. Note that, the sound damper <NUM> of this embodiment is attached only onto the inner surface of the sidewall portion <NUM>, but is not limited to this configuration. The sound damper <NUM> may extend to the inner surface of the tread portion <NUM>, in addition to the inner surface of the sidewall portion <NUM>, as long as the sound damper <NUM> does not overlap the sealant layer <NUM> in the tire width direction B.

A sealant liquid, which is an adhesive fluid, can be used for the sealant layer <NUM>. For example, a sealant agent conventionally known as a puncture sealant can be used. As the sealant agent, for example, a silicone compound, a styrene compound, a urethane compound, an ethylene compound, a gel sheet consisting mainly of polybutene and terpene resin, or the like can be used.

<FIG> is a drawing illustrating a tire <NUM> including a sound damper <NUM> as a variation of the sound damper illustrated in <FIG> and not according to the present invention. Compared to the tire <NUM> described above, the tire <NUM> differs only in the configuration of the sound damper, while the other configurations are common. Thus, only the difference of the sound damper <NUM> from the above-described sound damper <NUM> (refer to <FIG> and the like) will be described here. <FIG> is an enlarged cross sectional view of the sound damper <NUM> illustrating the same position as the sound damper <NUM> in <FIG>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the sound damper <NUM> differs from the above-described sound damper <NUM> (refer to <FIG> and the like) in the shapes of through holes and recesses. Through holes <NUM> of the sound damper <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> are constituted of slits extending in the tire radial direction A. The through holes <NUM> may be such slits.

The recesses <NUM> of the sound damper <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> are constituted of slits 34a extending in the tire radial direction A. The recesses <NUM> may be such slits 34a.

Forming both of the through holes <NUM> and the recesses <NUM> of the sound damper <NUM> into a slit shape makes it easier to follow the bending of the sidewall portion <NUM>, as in the sound damper <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>, as compared to the configuration without the through holes <NUM> and recesses <NUM>. Furthermore, it is easier for the sound damper <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> to secure volume than for the sound damper <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. Therefore, the sound damping property can be further improved.

Claim 1:
A pneumatic tire (<NUM>) comprising a sound damper (<NUM>) attached onto an inner surface of a sidewall portion (<NUM>), wherein
the sound damper is formed with a plurality of through holes (<NUM>) penetrating in a tire width direction (B), and
the sound damper is deformable in a tire radial direction (A) by varying lengths of the through holes in the tire radial direction by following deformation of the sidewall portion in the tire radial direction;
wherein the plurality of through holes are formed at different positions in a tire circumferential direction (C);
wherein the plurality of through holes are formed at different positions in the tire radial direction; and
wherein, of the through holes, one or more through holes (11c) located outside in the tire radial direction are longer in length (L1) in the tire circumferential direction than one or more through holes (11d) located inside in the tire radial direction, and, of the through holes, one or more through holes located outside in the tire radial direction are shorter in length (L3) in the tire radial direction than one or more through holes located inside in the tire radial direction.