Patent ID: 7108033

Claim:
A tire which is comprised of a generally toroidal-shaped carcass with an outer circumferential tread, two spaced beads, at least one ply extending from bead to bead and sidewalls extending radially from and connecting said tread to said beads, wherein said tread is adapted to be ground-contacting, and wherein said tread is comprised of (I) a filler, and (II) a rubbery polymer which is comprised of repeat units that are derived from (1) at least one conjugated diolefin monomer, and (2) 0.1 weight percent to 2 weight percent of at least one monomer having the structural formula: wherein R represents an alkyl group containing from 1 to about 10 carbon atoms or a hydrogen atom, wherein R′ represents a methyl group or a hydrogen atom, with the proviso that if R represents an alkyl group then R′ represents a hydrogen atom, wherein R 1 and R 2 can be the same or different, wherein R 1 represents an alkyl group that is functionalized with a leaving group, wherein R 2 represents a moiety selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms, alkyl groups containing from 1 to 18 carbon atoms, aryl groups containing from 6 to 18 carbon atoms, alkaryl groups containing from 7 to 18 carbon atoms, and alkyl groups that are functionalized with a leaving group, wherein the rubbery polymer is void of moieties containing tertiary amine groups, and wherein the rubbery polymer is void of repeat units which are derived from α,β-olefinically unsaturated amides.