Patent ID: 7819153

Claim:
A circumferential tread of a tire having an equatorial plane, the tread comprising: a plurality of concave recesses including first and second concave recesses, wherein each of the plurality of concave recesses is defined by at least two concave curved side surfaces and a substantially flat bottom surface, wherein each of the plurality of concave recesses has a longitudinal axis oriented at an acute angle relative to the equatorial plane of the tire, wherein each of the plurality of concave recesses includes a channel disposed in the substantially flat bottom surface without extending into a concave curved side surface, wherein the channel in the first concave recess has a longitudinal axis oriented at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the first concave recess and the channel in the second concave recess has a longitudinal axis oriented at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the second concave recess, and wherein the plurality of concave recesses are arranged in a series circumferentially about the tire in an alternating pattern, such that the longitudinal axis of the channel disposed in the substantially flat bottom surface of one concave recess is: oriented at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the channel disposed in the substantially flat bottom surface of one adjacent concave recess; and oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the channel disposed in the substantially flat bottom surface of another concave recess.