Patent ID: 8376007

Claim:
A structure for a tread pattern of a pneumatic tire, the structure comprising: a radially extending pedestal having a rounded-off three-pronged shape; a first set of cylindrical voids extending radially through the pedestal; a second set of cylindrical voids extending radially through the pedestal; and a radially extending rounded off three pronged void ring circumscribing the pedestal, the first set including three cylindrical voids disposed in an laterally outward portion of each of the three prongs of the pedestal, the first set of cylindrical voids each have a first spherical expansion at the radially innermost portion of the cylindrical void and a second spherical expansion interposed between the first spherical expansion and the radially outermost portion of the cylindrical void, the radially outermost portion of each of the first set of cylindrical voids being defined by a open-ended hemispherical expansion, the second set including three cylindrical voids disposed in an inward portion of each of the three prongs of the pedestal, each of the second set being disposed laterally inward of one of the first set, the second set of cylindrical voids each have a first spherical expansion disposed radially away from a radially inner end of the cylindrical void and a second spherical expansion interposed between the first spherical expansion and the radially outermost portion of the cylindrical void of the second set.