Patent ID: 7516767

Claim:
A pneumatic tire comprising a tread portion provided with sipes, the sipes each having a zigzag configuration at any depth from the top of the sipe to a certain depth, the zigzag configuration having vertexes Q 1 on one side of the zigzag and vertexes Q 2 on the other side of the zigzag defining a center line with respect to the peak-to-peak zigzag amplitude of the zigzag configuration, wherein as the depth increases from the top of the sine to said certain depth, the vertexes Q 1 shift in the longitudinal direction of the sipe and the direction of the shift is turned at least once such that the vertexes Q 1 first shift towards one direction then towards the other direction, thereby describing a zigzag line extending from the top of the sipe to said certain depth and having at least one turning point, and the vertexes Q 2 do not shift in the longitudinal direction, whereby each vertex Q 2 describes a straight line extending from the top of the sipe to said certain depth, said center line defines a center plane, wherein the vertexes Q 1 are on a plane on one side of the center plane and parallel to the center plane, and the vertexes Q 2 are on a plane on the other side of the center plane and parallel to the center plane.