Tire

Abstract

A tire tread (10) has a groove (12) with a snow trap in the form of a dam (14) in the groove (12). The dam (14) is attached to a bottom wall (16) of the groove (12) and to side walls (18, 20) of the groove (12). The dam (14) has a first snow trapping surface (22) and a second inclined surface (24) facing opposite sides in a groove longitudinal direction. The second inclined surface (24) directs water flow away from the bottom wall (16). A hole (32) and a sipe (34) form a passage (30) for water through the dam (14) in the groove longitudinal direction. The passage reduces water flow recirculation. The entire dam (14) is located between the side walls (18, 20) of the groove (12).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to tires, and more particularly to snow tires. BACKGROUND

[0002] Under snow conditions, during rolling, snow collects in the grooves of the tire. During acceleration or cornering, the snow can slide within the groove. This means that the sliding snow offers little grip to the snow on the road surface. So far, it has been desirable to keep the grooves clean so that water can easily drain from the grooves under wet conditions.

[0003] European Patent No. 3100873 discloses a tire having protrusions on the groove bottom wall of the tire tread. The protrusions are intended to improve the grip on snow without much impact on water flow. KR1020040104118A discloses a tire having a device within the groove that prevents snow from entering the groove. However, there is still room for improvement in these configurations. SUMMARY

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to alleviate at least one problem of the prior art.

[0005] A first aspect of the present invention provides a tire comprising: a tread having a groove, the groove having a snow-trapping device adjacent to a groove wall, the snow-trapping device having a first surface facing in a groove longitudinal direction to a first side, the first surface being configured to trap snow flowing from the first side in the groove longitudinal direction, and the device having a second surface facing in the groove longitudinal direction to a second side opposite the first side, the second surface being inclined so as to direct water flowing from the second side away from the wall adjacent to the snow-trapping device, wherein components of the device overlap in the groove longitudinal direction so as to form a passage for water through the device in the groove longitudinal direction, and wherein at least half of the device lies between the side walls of the groove in a plan view of the tread.

[0006] The first surface is used to trap snow flowing from the first side, and the second surface is used to allow water to flow smoothly around the snow-trapping device. The snow trapped by the first surface has two effects: first, some of the snow sliding in the groove encounters the first surface which stops the snow from sliding further; second, other snow above the snow-trapping device does not encounter the first surface but is subjected to shear stress from the snow that has already been trapped. The shear stress slows the sliding of that part of the snow. The overall effect is to slow down the whole pack of snow, which increases the snow compressibility and overall grip.

[0007] Prior art snow trapping devices tend to cause flow separation and recirculation downstream of the device, which results in increased hydrodynamic resistance and flow losses and reduced drainage. In contrast, in the first aspect of the invention, the passage for water through the device reduces flow separation and recirculation downstream of the device, thereby improving water flow and drainage. In particular, the water flow encountering the device is divided into two main flows. One is directed inside the passage and the other flows past the snow trapping device. The flow directed inside the passage creates a water pressure gradient that reduces the creation of recirculation zones.

[0008] KR1020040104118A discloses a tire having a device in a sipe that prevents snow from entering the sipe. The device is located at the point where the two sipes, a circumferential sipe and a widthwise sipe, cross each other. According to Figure 2 , only a small part of the device is located between the sidewalls of either sipe and a large part is located at the intersection of the sipes. This means that the device obstructs the water flow along both intersecting sipes. In contrast, the device of the first aspect of the invention does not obstruct the water flow too much. By having at least half of the device located between the sidewalls of the sipes in a plan view of the tread, the drainage is improved because the intersection between the two sipes is less obstructed.

[0009] Furthermore, during cornering, for example, it can be desirable to transfer snow from the intersecting sipe into the circumferential sipe to increase the amount of trapped snow and thus the snow-snow grip. Since the device of KR1020040104118A obstructs a large part of the intersection, the amount of snow that can be transferred will be limited. In contrast, in the present invention, the device or the snow trapped in the sipe by the device can transfer more snow into the intersecting sipe at the intersection, thereby improving the grip on snow.

[0010] Alternatively, in the first aspect, instead of the feature that at least half of the device is located between the sidewalls of the sipes, the feature that the snow trapping device extends at most over half of the area of the sipe can be provided. This feature provides improved drainage compared to the prior art for the following reasons. In KR1020040104118A, the device extends over more than half of the area of the sipe from the bottom wall of the sipe. This means that the device provides a large obstructive effect to the water flowing in the sipe, which reduces the drainage. In contrast, by extending the snow trapping device over at most 50% of the area of the sipe, the device does not obstruct too much of the sipe, which improves the drainage.

[0011] Preferably, when the snow trapping device passes through the ground contact surface of the tire, the overlapping parts engage or touch each other such that a passage is formed between the engagement or touching points and the adjacent wall. In this way, an "outer" engagement or touching point can be formed.

[0012] The engagement or touching points can be formed at the apex of the snow trapping device.

[0013] Preferably, a knife slot is provided at the contact point where the components are allowed to contact each other. The knife slot is open when the snow trap is outside the ground contact surface and closed when the snow trap enters the ground contact surface.

[0014] The knife slot can be at the apex of the snow trap.

[0015] Alternatively, the overlapping components can be joined to each other by being formed integrally at the joint.

[0016] Preferably, the overlapping components are joined to each other such that a joint is formed between the channel and the adjacent wall. In this way, an "internal" joint can be formed. To achieve this, the components can be formed integrally at the "internal" contact point.

[0017] Preferably, the components of the device that overlap in the longitudinal direction of the groove are formed integrally.

[0018] Preferably, the components of the device that overlap in the longitudinal direction of the groove extend from the same starting point in the longitudinal direction of the groove and preferably to the same end point.

[0019] Preferably, the channel comprises a hole in the device.

[0020] Preferably, the maximum dimension of the hole that is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the groove is less than half the depth of the snow trap. For example, when the depth of the snow trap is 2 mm and the depth of the groove is 8 mm, for example, the maximum dimension of the hole can preferably be less than 1 mm. This helps to prevent snow from passing through the hole.

[0021] The cross-section of the hole can be circular.

[0022] Preferably, the channel comprises a knife slot. In this specification, a knife slot is a slot that is closed when passing through the ground contact surface of the tyre.

[0023] The knife slot can be formed laterally of the hole in the tyre radial direction and can abut the hole. The knife slot helps to simplify the manufacturing process by allowing the hole to be formed more easily during the shaping of the tyre.

[0024] Preferably, in a plan view of the tread, the channel is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the groove. Preferably, in a cross-sectional view along the longitudinal direction of the groove, the channel is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the groove. When the channel is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the groove in both of these views, the channel follows the flow streamlines, which reduces flow resistance.

[0025] Preferably, the channel comprises a hole formed in the second surface.

[0026] Preferably, the channel comprises a hole formed in the first surface.

[0027] The channel can have a substantially constant cross-sectional area along its length.

[0028] Preferably, the snow-trapping device is attached to the bottom wall and / or the side walls of the groove.

[0029] A second aspect of the application provides a tyre comprising: a tread having a groove with a snow-trapping device adjacent to a groove wall, the snow-trapping device having a first surface facing in a groove longitudinal direction to a first side, the first surface being configured to trap snow flowing from the first side in the groove longitudinal direction, and the device having a second surface facing in the groove longitudinal direction to a second side opposite to the first side, the second surface being inclined so as to direct water flowing from the second side away from the wall adjacent to the snow-trapping device, wherein the snow-trapping device is attached to both the bottom wall and the side walls of the groove.

[0030] The fact that the snow-trapping device is attached to both the bottom wall and the side walls of the groove means that the device is securely attached and not easily dislodged from the groove compared to the prior art. For example, in European patent No. 3100873, the protrusion is attached only to the bottom wall of the groove.

[0031] Preferably, the snow-trapping device is attached to both side walls of the groove.

[0032] Preferably, the second surface is inclined at less than 45°, more preferably less than 30°, relative to the wall adjacent to the snow-trapping device. This avoids a sudden change in the direction of water flow to provide a smooth flow.

[0033] Preferably, the second surface directs water flowing from the second side radially outwardly of the tyre.

[0034] Preferably, the second (inclined) surface directs water to flow from the second side away from the bottom wall of the groove.

[0035] Preferably, the entire device is located between the side walls of the groove.

[0036] Preferably, at least half of the first (snow-trapping) surface of the device (which can be in more than one component) does not face radially outwardly of the tyre when viewed along the groove width direction. This means that snow is not directed radially outwardly of the tyre, but is more effectively trapped.

[0037] Preferably, the apex of the snow-trapping device extends at a constant height from one side wall to the other.

[0038] Preferably, the first (snow-trapping) surface extends in a direction substantially parallel to the groove width direction. This helps to more effectively trap snow.

[0039] Preferably, the first (snow-trapping) surface extends at a right angle to the bottom wall and / or side walls of the groove. This helps to more effectively trap snow.

[0040] Preferably, the first surface is planar.

[0041] Preferably, the planar first (snow-trapping) surface is perpendicular to the groove longitudinal direction.

[0042] Preferably, the second surface is planar.

[0043] Preferably, the second surface is inclined so as to direct water flowing from the second side only in a direction away from the wall adjacent to the snow-trapping device. This means that water is not directed in a direction along the adjacent wall.

[0044] Preferably, the groove is a widthwise groove. Here, "widthwise groove" means that the groove extends in the widthwise direction, but need not extend exactly parallel to the widthwise direction.

[0045] When the groove is a widthwise groove, the snow-trapping device improves grip during cornering when snow attempts to slide in the tire widthwise direction.

[0046] Preferably, the groove is provided in a shoulder region. "Shoulder region" refers to the region between the tread end and the midpoint from the tread end to the tire equatorial plane.

[0047] Preferably, the tire is a pneumatic tire. Preferably, the tire is a snow tire or an all-season tire. Preferably, in a plan view of the tread, the tire has a V-shaped groove, and the snow-trapping device is located in the V-shaped groove.

[0048] Preferably, the first side is the outer side in the tire widthwise direction. Thus, the second side is the inner side in the tire widthwise direction. "Outer side" refers to the outer side relative to the tire equatorial plane.

[0049] When the first side is the outer side in the tire widthwise direction and thus the second side is the inner side in the tire widthwise direction, the second surface allows water to flow smoothly around the snow-trapping device towards the outer side relative to the tire equatorial plane. This is the main flow direction of water drainage in a widthwise groove.

[0050] Preferably, the snow-trapping device is located at least 25% of the length of the groove segment from the end of the groove segment in which the snow-trapping device is located. The groove segment is measured from the point at which the groove intersects another groove or the tread end.

[0051] Preferably, the snow-trapping device extends at least 25% or at least 30% of the area of the groove when viewed in the groove longitudinal direction from the wall adjacent to the device. With this feature, a minimum level of snow-trapping can be achieved.

[0052] Preferably, the depth of the snow-trapping device is at least 25% or at least 30% of the groove depth. Preferably, the snow-trapping device occupies at least 25% or at least 30% of the groove area when viewed in the groove longitudinal direction. With these two features, a minimum level of snow-trapping can be achieved.

[0053] Preferably, the device occupies at most 50%, more preferably at most 40%, more preferably at most 30% of the area of the channel when viewed along the longitudinal direction of the channel.

[0054] Preferably, the device extends over at most half of the area of the channel from the wall adjacent to the snow-trapping device when viewed along the longitudinal direction of the channel. In KR1020040104118A, the device extends over more than half of the area of the channel from the bottom wall of the channel. This means that the device provides a greater obstruction to water flowing in the channel, which reduces drainage. In contrast, in the preferred embodiments of the present application, by extending over at most 50% of the area of the channel, the snow-trapping device does not obstruct too much of the channel, which improves drainage.

[0055] More preferably, the device extends over at most 40%, more preferably at most 30% of the area of the channel from the wall adjacent to the device.

[0056] Preferably, the depth of the device is at most 50%, more preferably at most 40%, more preferably at most 30% of the depth of the channel.

[0057] When the device occupies or extends over less of the area of the channel in this way, the device provides less obstruction to water flow along the channel. In addition, limiting the depth of the device helps to improve fatigue resistance and wear resistance. This is because the device is less likely to contact the road surface during travel.

[0058] Preferably, the maximum dimension of the passage orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the channel is less than half the depth of the snow-trapping device. For example, when the depth of the snow-trapping device is 2mm, for example, and the depth of the channel is 8mm, for example, the maximum dimension of the passage can preferably be less than 1mm. This helps to prevent snow passing through the passage.

[0059] Optional features of the first aspect described above can be applied to the second aspect, and vice versa. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0060] Preferred embodiments of the present application will now be described, purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0061] Figure 1 is an isometric view of a channel of a tyre having a snow-trapping device according to a preferred embodiment of the present application;

[0062] Figure 2 shows a plan view of a tread of a tyre of an embodiment of Figure 1 and a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A’ in the left-hand drawing;

[0063] Figure 3 shows the snow-trapping device along the longitudinal direction of the channel in the upper drawing; Figure 1A schematic cross-sectional view of the groove (protrusion) of the embodiment is shown in the figure below, and a schematic cross-sectional view of the groove (protrusion) without the snow collection device is also shown in the figure below.

[0064] Figure 4 It shows the longitudinal direction of the groove. Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of the groove (protrusion) in the implementation method;

[0065] Figure 5 This is a plan view showing the snow density on the tread of a tire without a snow trap.

[0066] Figure 6 It shows the basis Figure 1 A plan view of the snow density on the tread of a tire equipped with a snow-catching device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] Figure 7 yes Figure 1 Isometric view of the grooves in the middle; and

[0068] Figure 8 This is an elevation view along the longitudinal direction of the snow collection device's trough. Detailed Implementation

[0069] Reference Figure 1 A portion of the tire tread 10 is shown. The tread 10 has a groove (protrusion) 12, in which a snow-catching device in the form of a dam 14 is provided. In this embodiment, the snow-catching device 14 is adjacent to and attached to the bottom wall 16 of the groove 12, and also adjacent to and attached to the left side wall 18 and the right side wall 20 of the groove 12.

[0070] The groove 12 and the snow collection device 14 are shown as not being in the tire's contact patch.

[0071] The dam 14 has a first snow-catching surface 22, which faces a first side longitudinally along the channel. Figure 1 In the middle, the first side of dam 14 faces Figure 1 The top of the channel. The first snow-catching surface 22 is configured to catch snow flowing longitudinally from the first side along the channel.

[0072] The dam 14 has a second inclined surface 24, which faces a second side opposite to the first side in the longitudinal direction of the channel. Figure 1 In the middle, the second side of dam 14 faces Figure 1 The bottom of the tank. The second inclined surface 24 is inclined to guide water away from the wall adjacent to the snow collection device and flow from the second side. In this embodiment, surface 24 is inclined relative to the bottom wall 16 of the tank 12 and guides water flow away from the bottom wall 16. Surface 24 does not guide water flow away from the side walls 18 and 20 of the tank 12.

[0073] fromFigure 1 It can be seen that the dam 14 has a left part 26 and a right part 28. In the present embodiment, the parts 26 and 28 are formed in one piece, but this is not essential. In Figure 1 In the present embodiment, the parts 26 and 28 are divided by a dashed line. The parts 26 and 28 overlap in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the channel to form a passage 30 for water through the dam 14 in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the channel.

[0074] Figure 1 It can also be seen that the entire dam 14 is located between the side walls 18 and 20 of the channel 12.

[0075] In the present embodiment, the passage 30 comprises a hole 32 and a knife slot 34 through the dam 14 in the direction of the width of the channel. The hole 32 is adjacent to the knife slot 34, and the hole 32 is closer to the bottom wall 16 of the channel 12 than the knife slot 34. The hole 32 passes through the inclined surface 24 and the snow-trapping surface 22, and the axis of the hole 32 is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the channel. The knife slot 34 also passes through the inclined surface 24 and the snow-trapping surface 22. The knife slot 34 can simplify the manufacturing process by allowing the hole 32 to be formed more easily during moulding of the tyre. The knife slot 34 is dimensioned to close when it passes through the ground-engaging surface of the tyre, which prevents a loss of flow rate. This closure is due to the block barrelling effect. At this point, the passage 30 is constituted only by the hole 32.

[0076] In particular, when the dam 14 passes through the ground-engaging surface of the tyre, the knife slot 34 closes so that the parts 26 and 28 are in contact with each other. This means that the passage 30 is constituted only by the hole 32 formed between the ground-engaging point and the bottom wall 16.

[0077] The snow-trapping surface 22 is planar, and this plane is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the channel. This provides a blunt end of the dam 14, which is used to trap snow. The surface 22 extends from the bottom wall 16 of the channel 12, and in addition, in the present embodiment, also from the left side wall 18 to the right side wall 20.

[0078] The inclined surface 24 is planar and inclined with respect to the bottom wall 16 of the channel 12. The surface 24 acts as a ramp, thereby lifting the water upwards and over the dam 14 in a smooth flow. The angle of inclination of the surface 24 is preferably less than 45°, more preferably less than 30°, in order to avoid a sudden change in the direction of the water flow and to provide a smooth flow.

[0079] The passage 30 allows water to flow through the dam 14 and serves to reduce flow separation and recirculation downstream of the dam 14, in particular downstream of the snow-trapping surface 22.

[0080] With reference to Figure 2, the tire is a snow tire, and each of the tread blocks is provided with a plurality of sipes. The tire has a configuration of V-shaped sipes characteristic of unidirectional tires. The angle of the sipes constituting the V-shape with respect to the tire width direction increases from the shoulder region toward the central region of the tire. Thus, the angle is large near the equatorial plane of the tire.

[0081] From Figure 2 the plan view of the tread in Figure 2 , it can be seen that the dam 14 is located approximately midway in the groove section in which it is located, longitudinally of the groove. This groove section extends from the tread end to the intersection with a groove extending in the tire circumferential direction (circumferential groove 40). This groove section has a relatively small angle with respect to the tire width direction. Thus, during cornering, snow particularly slides in this groove section. The ground contact surface 38 is also shown in .

[0082] In the present embodiment, the dam 14 is provided only in the shoulder region of the tire, and only in the tire width direction groove. However, this is not essential, and the dam 14 can additionally or alternatively be provided elsewhere, possibly in a groove other than the tire width direction groove.

[0083] Referring again to Figure 2 , the cross section along the line A-A' shows the interior of the dam 14. The hole 32 is shown, but the sipe 34 is not. D G represents the depth of the groove 12, D D represents the depth of the dam 14. In the present embodiment, the depth D D of the dam 14 is approximately 25% of the depth D G of the groove 12. Thus, in the present embodiment, the dam 14 extends over approximately one quarter of the area of the groove 12 from the bottom wall 16 when viewed in the groove longitudinal direction. In the present embodiment, the dam 14 occupies approximately 2% of the volume of the groove section. As shown, the dam 14 forms a right-angled triangle cross section.

[0084] Figure 3 The snow performance of the tire of the preferred embodiment is schematically shown in comparison with a tire without the snow catching device.

[0085] In the upper drawing of Figure 3 , snow flowing along the groove 12 from right to left encounters the dam 14. The depth of the dam 14 is less than the depth of the groove 12. The lower layer of snow encounters the snow catching surface 22 which prevents further flow of snow. The upper layer of snow does not encounter the surface 22, but, due to the shear force from the lower layer of snow which has been caught by the surface 22, the flow of the upper layer of snow is slowed.

[0086] In the lower drawing of Figure 3 , on the contrary, snow can flow freely along the groove.

[0087] Figure 4Snowy and wet performance of a tire according to a preferred embodiment of the application is shown in

[0088] In Figure 4 , water flowing from left to right along the channel 12 encounters the dam 14, in particular the sloped surface 24. The surface 24 directs the flow upward and away from the bottom wall 16 of the channel 12. As a result, some of the water flows horizontally across the hole 32 in the longitudinal direction of the channel. Most of the water continues to flow upward along the sloped surface 24 and over the top of the dam 14, and then downward toward the bottom wall 16 of the channel 12. A recirculation area 36 is shown downstream of the snow catching surface 22. The water flow converges in this recirculation area 36, and the flow that has passed through the hole 32 reduces the size of the recirculation area compared to the case where there is no flow over the dam 14. This reduces flow losses and improves the drainage of the tire.

[0089] Computer simulations were performed to model the snowy and wet performance of a tire according to a preferred embodiment of the application but without the channel 30. The simulation for snowy performance modeled the tire turning 20° during a turn. The results of the simulation for snowy performance are shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6 .

[0090] Figure 5 Snow density on the tire tread of a tire without a snow catching device is shown in Figure 6 , and Figure 1 snow density on the tire tread of a tire with a snow catching device according to an embodiment of the application is shown.

[0091] In Figure 5 and Figure 6 , the contour lines join points of equal snow density. In Figure 6 , the areas inside the dashed boxes contain the dam 14, and these areas have low density where the dam 14 is located, but areas around the dam 14 have higher snow density than the corresponding areas in Figure 5 . In Figure 6 , the shape of the contour lines indicates that the snow density is high in the circumferential channel 40 and in the adjacent tire width direction channels. By comparing Figure 5 and Figure 6 , it can be seen that the snow density in the circumferential channel 40 in Figure 6 is higher than the corresponding areas in Figure 5 .

[0092] This result indicates that the lateral force increases by about 22% when the dam 14 is present compared to the case where the dam is not present.

[0093] The results also showed an increase in snow flow into the circumferential channels intersecting the channel section where dam 14 is located. This helps improve grip in snow. The flow into these circumferential channels follows this mechanism. During cornering, the snow in the contact patch is subjected to forces that have a component in the tire width direction and also a circumferential component. (During traction, the circumferential component is...) Figure 2 Upward, in Figure 5 and 6 (From left to right). The circumferential component causes snow to flow towards the section of the channel where dam 14 is located. However, the snow captured by dam 14 causes snow from the ground surface to be transferred into the circumferential channel 40. This increases the snow density and snow-holding effect in the circumferential channel 40.

[0094] Regarding wetland performance, the simulation did not show any significant performance changes due to the presence of dam 14. However, due to technical limitations of the simulation equipment, the simulation was performed under the assumption that the flow was inviscid and laminar. In reality, the recirculation zone downstream of dam 14 is known to be primarily due to viscous and turbulent effects. Therefore, it can be expected that, in practice, wetland performance will be significantly worse than the simulation suggests, and the presence of channel 30 will help to offset the recirculation.

[0095] Reference Figure 7 and Figure 8 The preferred dimensions of the snow collection device (dam) 14 are described.

[0096] The dimensions are as follows:

[0097] D D (Depth of Dam 14): 2mm

[0098] L (length of dam 14): 4mm

[0099] W S (Width of the tool groove 34): 0.4mm

[0100] W H (Width of hole 32): 1mm

[0101] The above dimension D D L is used in simulations, but W S and W H It was not used in the simulation (because channel 30 was not modeled in the simulation).

[0102] In this embodiment, when viewed longitudinally along the channel, the dam 14 extends from the bottom wall 16 over approximately one-quarter of the area of ​​the channel 12. However, this is not necessary. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the dam 14 occupies approximately 2% of the volume of the channel section, but this is also not necessary.

[0103] This application discloses the subject matter defined in the following entries:

[0104] 1. A tire comprising:

[0105] a tread having a groove with a snow trap adjacent to a groove wall, the snow trap having a first surface facing in a groove longitudinal direction to a first side, the first surface being configured to trap snow flowing from the first side in the groove longitudinal direction, and the trap having a second surface facing in the groove longitudinal direction to a second side opposite the first side, the second surface being inclined so as to direct water flowing from the second side away from the wall adjacent to the snow trap,

[0106] wherein components of the trap overlap in the groove longitudinal direction so as to form a passage for water through the trap in the groove longitudinal direction, and

[0107] wherein at least half of the trap lies between the sidewalls of the groove in a plan view of the tread.

[0108] 2. The tire according to item 1, wherein the overlapping components engage or contact each other when the snow trap passes through a ground contact surface of the tire, such that the passage is formed between the point of engagement or contact and the adjacent wall.

[0109] 3. The tire according to item 2, wherein a sipe is provided at the point of contact that allows the components to contact each other.

[0110] 4. The tire according to item 1, 2 or 3, wherein the components of the trap that overlap in the groove longitudinal direction form a unit.

[0111] 5. The tire according to any of the preceding items, wherein the passage comprises a hole formed in the second surface.

[0112] 6. The tire according to any of the preceding items, wherein the passage comprises a hole formed in the first surface.

[0113] 7. The tire according to any of the preceding items, wherein the snow trap extends over at most half of the area of the groove from the wall adjacent to the snow trap when viewed in the groove longitudinal direction.

[0114] 8. A tire comprising:

[0115] A tread having a groove having a snow trapping device adjacent to a groove wall, the snow trapping device having a first surface facing in a groove longitudinal direction to a first side, the first surface being configured to trap snow flowing in the groove longitudinal direction from the first side, and the device having a second surface facing in the groove longitudinal direction to a second side opposite the first side, the second surface being inclined so as to direct water flowing from the second side away from the wall adjacent to the snow trapping device,

[0116] wherein the snow trapping device is attached to both a bottom wall and a side wall of the groove.

[0117] 9. The tire of any of the preceding articles, wherein the second surface directs water to flow from the second side toward radially outward of the tire.

[0118] 10. The tire of any of the preceding articles, wherein the first surface extends in a direction substantially parallel to a groove width direction.

[0119] 11. The tire of any of the preceding articles, wherein the first surface is planar.

[0120] 12. The tire of any of the preceding articles, wherein the second surface is planar.

[0121] 13. The tire of any of the preceding articles, wherein the groove is a width direction groove.

[0122] 14. The tire of any of the preceding articles, wherein the first side is an outer side in the tire width direction.

[0123] 15. The tire of any of the preceding articles, wherein the snow trapping device is at least 25% of a length of a groove segment in which the snow trapping device is positioned from both ends of the groove segment.

Claims

1. A tire comprising: a tread having a groove with a snow trap adjacent to a groove wall, the snow trap having a first surface facing in a groove longitudinal direction to a first side, the first surface being configured to trap snow flowing from the first side in the groove longitudinal direction, and the trap having a second surface facing in the groove longitudinal direction to a second side opposite the first side, the second surface being inclined so as to direct water flowing from the second side away from the wall adjacent to the snow trap, wherein components of the trap overlap in the groove longitudinal direction so as to form a passageway for water through the trap in the groove longitudinal direction, wherein in a plan view of the tread, the entire trap is positioned between side walls of the groove, and wherein the snow trap is at least 25% of the length of the groove section from both ends of the groove section in which the snow trap is positioned, the first surface is perpendicular to the groove longitudinal direction, the overlapping components engage or contact each other when the snow trap passes through a ground contact surface of the tire, such that the passageway is formed between the engagement or contact points and the adjacent wall, a knife slot is provided at a contact point that allows the components to contact each other, the snow trap is in the form of a dam, the snow trap having a left component and a right component.

2. Tire according to claim 1, wherein, The overlapping components of the trap in the groove longitudinal direction form a unit.

3. The tire of claim 1, wherein, The passageway includes a hole formed in the second surface.

4. The tire of claim 2, wherein, The passageway includes a hole formed in the second surface.

5. The tire of claim 1, wherein, The passageway includes a hole formed in the first surface.

6. The tire of claim 2, wherein, The passageway includes a hole formed in the first surface.

7. The tire of claim 3, wherein, The passageway includes a hole formed in the first surface.

8. The tire of claim 4, wherein, The passageway includes a hole formed in the first surface.

9. Tyre according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The snow trap extends over at most half of the area of the groove from the wall adjacent to the snow trap when viewed in the groove longitudinal direction.

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