Patent ID: 7341082

Claim:
A pneumatic tire comprising: a carcass having an axis of rotation; a sidewall centered about said axis of rotation and having a shoulder; and a tread disposed radially outward of said carcass and joined by said shoulder with said sidewall along a shoulder edge, said tread including a circumferential groove defining a first shoulder rib adjacent to said shoulder, said first shoulder rib extending across an axial width of said tread and including a plurality of lateral grooves intersecting said shoulder edge to define a plurality of transversal ribs, adjacent ones of said transversal ribs each having a first edge circumferentially aligned about the tire and defining a portion of the shoulder edge, said lateral grooves extending laterally across a portion of said axial width so that said lateral grooves do not intersect said circumferential groove, wherein said lateral grooves each have a groove depth that is less than a groove depth of said circumferential groove and a void-to-rubber ratio of about 50 percent with respect to each of said transversal ribs.