Patent ID: 6923232

Claim:
A tire ( 10 ) comprising a tread ( 12 ), the tread having three circumferentially continuous grooves ( 20 , 22 , 24 ), and two continuous ribs ( 30 , 32 ), each rib ( 30 , 32 ) being adjacent to and between a pair of the circumferentially continuous grooves ( 20 , 22 ) or ( 22 , 24 ), the tread characterized by: a plurality of circumferentially spaced hook-shaped semi-blind grooves ( 40 ), each of the hook-shaped semi-blind grooves ( 40 ) having an open portion ( 41 ) and a single blind portion ( 42 ) extending from the open portion ( 42 ) wherein a centerline ( 45 ) that bisects the open portion ( 41 ) and the blind portion ( 42 ) is inclined obliquely relative to an equatorial plane (EP) of the tread, the hook-shaped semi-blind grooves originating in one of the circumferentially extending grooves ( 20 , 22 , 24 ) and arranged in two rows ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ) in each continuous rib ( 30 , 32 ), the second row of hook-shaped semi-blind grooves ( 40 ) in each rib being similar in shape, but circumferentially offset from the hook-shaped semi-blind grooves in the first row, the rows of hook-shaped semi-blind grooves being laterally spaced from each other and wherein the hook-shaped semi-blind grooves ( 40 ) of one rib ( 30 ) are oppositely oriented relative to the hook-shaped semi-blind grooves ( 40 ) in the other rib ( 32 ).