Patent ID: 8261790

Claim:
An all season radial pneumatic passenger or light truck tire having a radially outer tread, the tread having a plurality of tread elements defined by grooves arranged circumferentially around the tread between a pair of lateral tread edges to define a directional tread pattern, the tread comprising: a plurality of tread elements extending across the width of the tread between the lateral edges including central tread elements and shoulder tread elements having leading and trailing tread edges, a pair of circumferentially continuous grooves, one on each half of the tread separating the laterally adjacent central tread elements and the shoulder elements; a plurality of lateral grooves extending from each tread edge TE toward the center portion of the tread, the lateral grooves adjacent the central tread elements are curved in shape extending along a line, the line extends toward the center to form an apex from the center of the tread extending outwardly across the tread pattern changing in an opposite direction at an intersection of the circumferential groove along a second line adjacent the shoulder tread element; and wherein the shoulder tread elements are arranged in two rows, one row adjacent each lateral edge, wherein each row of shoulder elements has the leading edges inclined relative to the direction of rotation of the tire having an axially outward portion of the leading edge entering and exiting a footprint contact patch prior to the axially inner portion of the leading edge of the shoulder tread elements and the central tread elements laterally adjacent to the shoulder elements have the leading edges inclined directionally opposite to the orientation of the leading edges of the shoulder elements wherein the axially inner portions of the central tread element enter the footprint contact patch prior to the axially outer portions, and wherein the tire has a tread footprint pattern that has a rectangular or squarish footprint shape factor between 1.25 to 1.0.