Pneumatic tire

Abstract

The present invention provides a pneumatic tire that easily achieves good traction performance and good protection performance. The tire (1) comprises: a tread portion (10); and a plurality of sidewall protection portions (60) that are located radially inwardly of a shoulder pattern block (40A) and protrude outwardly in the width direction and are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction, wherein the shoulder pattern block (40A) is provided on the tread portion (10) and is located at the outermost position of the vehicle. The circumferential length of the sidewall protection portion (60) is longer than the circumferential length of the shoulder pattern block (40A). The sidewall protection portion (60) comprises: a plurality of closed recesses (70) that are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction and open outwardly in the width direction. A step portion (71) having a depth shallower than the bottom (73) of the closed recess (70) is provided at least in a portion of the peripheral portion of the bottom of the closed recess (70).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire. Background Art

[0002] In the past, as a pneumatic tire, there is a pneumatic tire described in Patent Document 1. The sidewall portion of the pneumatic tire includes: a main body, and a sidewall protection portion protruding axially outward from a portion of the main body. The sidewall protection portion protects a portion of the main body from the outside in the width direction. The sidewall protection portion can prevent foreign objects such as stones flying toward the side of the tire from colliding with the main body and causing damage to the main body when the vehicle is traveling on a bad road. The sidewall protection portion includes: a recessed portion that is open in the radial direction. The recessed portion is provided to increase the traction of the vehicle when traveling on muddy ground, thereby improving the driving force of the vehicle when traveling on a bad road.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 6786927 Summary of the Invention

[0006] In the aforementioned pneumatic tire, if the area of the recesses is increased in order to improve traction performance, the protection of the tire sidewalls will be reduced. On the other hand, if the area of the recesses is reduced in order to improve the protection of the tire sidewalls, traction performance will be further reduced. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic tire that easily achieves both good traction performance and good protection performance.

[0007] The pneumatic tire involved in the present invention comprises: a tread portion; and a plurality of protrusions, which are located radially inwardly of the outermost pattern block and protrude outward in the width direction, and are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction, wherein the outermost pattern block is provided in the tread portion and located at the outermost position of the vehicle, the circumferential length of each protrusion is longer than the circumferential length of the outermost pattern block, and the protrusion has: a plurality of closed recesses arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction and open outward in the width direction, and at least a portion of the peripheral edge portion at the bottom of each closed recess is provided with: a step portion whose depth is shallower than the bottom of the closed recess.

[0008] Effects of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, the circumferential dimension of the protrusion is larger than the circumferential dimension of the outermost pattern block. In addition, regarding the two or more closed recesses provided on the protrusion, a step portion is provided on the peripheral edge portion of the bottom surface of each closed recess. Therefore, the circumferential dimension of the protrusion can be increased, and at least a portion of the peripheral edge portion of the bottom surface of each closed recess provided on the protrusion can also be protected by the step portion. It can also effectively prevent foreign objects such as small stones from colliding with the thin bottom wall thickness of the closed recess. Therefore, it is possible to achieve excellent protection performance. In addition, the protrusion has two or more closed recesses, so it is possible to achieve excellent traction performance of the protrusion. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is easy to achieve two mutually contradictory and trade-off effects, that is, both protection performance and traction performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 It is a half cross-sectional view including the radial direction and the width direction of a pneumatic tire according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of a portion of a pneumatic tire as viewed from the vehicle outer side in the width direction.

[0012] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of a portion of a pneumatic tire as viewed from the vehicle inner side in the width direction.

[0013] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 An enlarged perspective view of the surrounding area of two circumferentially adjacent sidewall protection portions.

[0014] Figure 5 This is an enlarged plan view of the periphery of one side guard portion of a pneumatic tire as viewed from the outside of the vehicle.

[0015] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 Ⅹ-Ⅹ line cross-section diagram.

[0016] Description of Reference Numerals

[0017] 1…tire; 10…tread; 10a…contact surface; 11…shoulder; 12…sidewall; 13…bead; 15…carcass; 15E…cord end; 16…belt; 17…inner liner; 22…rib; 22a…rib tip; 24…groove; 24a…main groove; 24b, 24c…lateral groove; 26…bead core; 27…bead outer guard; 30…center rib; 40A, 40C B…shoulder tread blocks; 50A, 50B…intermediate tread blocks; 55…the main body of the sidewall portion; 60…sidewall protection portion; 70…enclosed recess; 71…step portion; 72…opening of the enclosed recess; 73…bottom of the enclosed recess; 77…recess; 79…narrow portion; 81…first extension portion; 82…second extension portion; 84…foreign matter receiving portion; 86…fine groove; 88…recess; E…ground contact end. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The following describes the embodiments of the present invention in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. When multiple embodiments or variations are included below, it is contemplated from the outset that their characteristic features may be appropriately combined to construct new embodiments. In the following embodiments, identical components are designated by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and duplicate descriptions are omitted. Furthermore, the multiple drawings include schematic diagrams, and the dimensional ratios of the components, such as the vertical, horizontal, and height, may not be consistent between the different drawings. Among the constituent elements described below, any constituent element not included in the independent claims representing the superordinate concept is an optional constituent element and is not a required constituent element. In the following description, the width direction refers to the width direction of the pneumatic tire 1, the radial direction refers to the radial direction of the pneumatic tire 1, and the circumferential direction refers to the circumferential direction of the pneumatic tire 1. The width direction, radial direction, and circumferential direction are orthogonal to each other. In the following description, when the terms "vehicle outer side" and "vehicle inner side" are used without further explanation, they are defined with respect to the pneumatic tire 1 being mounted on the vehicle.

[0019] Figure 1 FIG is a half cross-sectional view including the radial direction and the width direction of the pneumatic tire 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, a pneumatic tire (hereinafter referred to as a tire) 1 includes a tread portion 10, a pair of shoulder portions 11, a pair of sidewall portions 12, and a pair of bead portions 13. The tread portion 10 includes a contact patch 10a located at the center in the width direction and in contact with the road surface. The tread portion 10 is made of, for example, cross-linked rubber. A plurality of grooves 24 are provided on the outer circumference of the tread portion 10. As is well known, the plurality of grooves 24 serve the following functions, among others: draining rainwater that enters between the road surface and the tire 1, thereby ensuring a contact patch between the road surface and the tire 1.

[0020] The plurality of grooves 24 include, for example, a plurality of main grooves 24a extending in the circumferential direction, and a plurality of lateral grooves 24b and 24c extending in a direction intersecting the main grooves 24a (see FIG. Figure 2 、 Figure 3 ). A plurality of grooves 24 divide a plurality of pattern blocks. Figure 1 In the example shown, the tread portion 10 has a plurality of shoulder blocks 40A and 40B arranged along the circumferential direction as blocks. The plurality of shoulder blocks 40A are located on the outer side of the vehicle ( Figure 1 The shoulder blocks 40A are arranged in a row with intervals in the circumferential direction. The shoulder blocks 40A are composed of the outermost blocks located at the outermost position of the vehicle. In addition, the plurality of shoulder blocks 40B are located at the inner side of the vehicle ( Figure 1 The left side in the width direction of the device is located at a position and is arranged in a row with intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0021] The tread portion 10 also includes: a central rib 30 provided in the center portion in the width direction, and a plurality of intermediate tread blocks 50A, 50B. The plurality of intermediate tread blocks 50A are arranged in a row with intervals in the circumferential direction between the central rib 30 and the shoulder tread blocks 40A. In addition, the plurality of intermediate tread blocks 50B are arranged in a row with intervals in the circumferential direction between the central rib 30 and the shoulder tread blocks 40B. In addition, the central rib 30 is provided on the tire equator along the circumferential direction. In addition, the various tread blocks possessed by the tire of the present invention are not limited to Figure 1 The tire of the present invention can have various tread blocks of any specifications.

[0022] The shoulder portion 11, the sidewall portion 12, and the bead portion 13 are provided on both sides of the tire 1 in the width direction, forming the side surfaces. The shoulder portion 11, the sidewall portion 12, and the bead portion 13 extend radially inward from both widthwise end portions of the tread portion 10. In this embodiment, the ground contact end E of the tire 1 is defined as the boundary between the tread portion 10 and the shoulder portion 11. The sidewall portion 12 is the rubber layer between the shoulder portion 11 and the bead portion 13 and is the portion of the tire 1 with the greatest curvature. The sidewall portion 12 serves to protect the carcass portion 15 and prevent it from stretching. The tire 1 has annular ribs 22 on both sides in the width direction. The front end 22a of the annular rib 22 can be defined as the boundary between the shoulder portion 11 and the sidewall portion 12. The ground contact edges E refer to the widthwise ends of the portion that contacts the ground when the tire 1 is mounted on a regular rim, the internal pressure is adjusted to a regular internal pressure, and a regular load is applied (regarding regular rims, etc., the same as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-131965).

[0023] The shoulder portion 11 is the shoulder portion of the tire 1 and extends outward in the width direction from both ends of the tread portion 10 and radially inward. Like the tread portion 10, the shoulder portion 11 is circumferentially annular. The sidewall portion 12 extends radially inward from the shoulder portion 11 and is circumferentially annular. The sidewall portion 12 includes a portion that extends the most outward in the width direction of the tire 1 and is gently curved to form a convex shape toward the outside.

[0024] The bead portion 13 extends radially inward from the sidewall portion 12 and is formed into a ring shape along the circumferential direction. The bead portion 13 is a portion fixed to the rim of the wheel and constitutes the inner circumference of the tire 1. The bead portion 13 is gently curved to form a convex shape toward the inside and is located further inward in the width direction than the sidewall portion 12.

[0025] The tire 1 includes a bead core 26 and a bead outer rubber 27. The bead core 26 and the bead outer rubber 27 are disposed on both sides of the bead portion 13 in the width direction. The bead core 26 is an annular component formed by covering a bundled steel wire with rubber. The bead outer rubber 27 is made of hard rubber and serves to increase the rigidity of the bead portion 13. The bead outer rubber 27 is positioned radially outward of the bead core 26.

[0026] The tire 1 includes a carcass portion 15, which is a rubber-coated cord layer. The carcass portion 15 is composed, for example, of two carcass cords, forming a tire skeleton capable of withstanding loads, impacts, and air pressure. The carcass portion 15 has a radial structure in which the carcass cords are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction. The rubber layer covering and protecting the carcass portion 15 is generally constructed using multiple rubber components, such as tread rubber and sidewall rubber.

[0027] The tire 1 includes, for example, a belt layer 16 between the tread portion 10 and the carcass portion 15. The belt layer 16 is a circumferentially extending reinforcement belt that securely fastens the carcass portion 15, thereby increasing the rigidity of the tread portion 10. The belt layer 16 is composed, for example, of two belt cords. Furthermore, an inner liner 17, a rubber layer for maintaining air pressure, is adhered to the inner circumferential surface of the carcass portion 15.

[0028] The carcass ply constituting the carcass portion 15 is arranged to be laid over a pair of bead cores 26. The carcass ply is laid over the bead cores 26 from the inner side in the width direction and folded back toward the sidewall portion 12 so as to surround the bead cores 26 and the bead outer rubber 27. Figure 1In the illustrated example, the carcass ply ends 15E are located widthwise inward of each sidewall portion 12. When the carcass portion 15 includes two carcass plies, the ply end of the other carcass ply is typically located in each bead portion 13. The sidewall portion 12 on the vehicle's outer side includes a sidewall protection portion 60, which constitutes a protruding portion, on the radially outer side.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of a portion of the tire 1 as viewed from the vehicle outer side in the width direction. Figure 3 This is a perspective view of a portion of the tire 1 as viewed from the vehicle inner side in the width direction. Figure 2 As shown, the plurality of shoulder blocks 40A are substantially identical and are arranged at substantially the same position in the width direction throughout the entire circumference and at substantially equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Between each group consisting of two circumferentially adjacent shoulder blocks 40A, substantially identical transverse grooves 24b are provided. Figure 3 As shown, the plurality of shoulder blocks 40B are substantially identical and are arranged at substantially the same positions in the width direction throughout the entire circumference and at substantially equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Substantially identical lateral grooves 24c are provided between each group of two circumferentially adjacent shoulder blocks 40B.

[0030] like Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the tire 1 has a plurality of sidewall protection portions 60 only in the sidewall portion 12 on the outer side of the vehicle. Figure 2 As shown, each sidewall protection portion 60 is a protrusion that protrudes outward in the width direction from the main body 55 of the sidewall portion 12. The multiple sidewall protection portions 60 are substantially identical and are arranged at substantially the same position in the width direction throughout the entire circumference and at substantially equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Each sidewall protection portion 60 is located radially inward of the shoulder block 40A and radially outward of the sidewall portion 12. Each sidewall protection portion 60 has a plate shape with substantially uniform thickness. Each sidewall protection portion 60 has a plurality of closed recesses 70 that are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction and open on the outer side in the width direction. Each closed recess 70 has an elongated shape and extends in a direction inclined at an acute angle relative to the radial direction.

[0031] The circumferential length of the sidewall protection portion 60 is longer than the circumferential length of the shoulder blocks 40A. More specifically, in this embodiment, each sidewall protection portion 60 has a circumferential length that is substantially equal to the sum of the circumferential lengths of the two shoulder blocks 40A and the circumferential length of one lateral groove 24b.

[0032] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 An enlarged perspective view of the surrounding area of two circumferentially adjacent sidewall protection portions 60. Figure 4 As shown, the sidewall protection portion 60 includes two substantially identical closed recesses 70 spaced apart in the circumferential direction and extending at an acute angle to the radial direction. These two closed recesses 70 extend at an acute angle to the same side in the circumferential direction relative to the radial direction. The closed recesses 70 have a step 71 at the peripheral edge of their bottoms, which is shallower than the bottom 73 of the closed recesses 70. The step 71 is present around the entire circumference of the peripheral edge of the bottom of the closed recesses 70. Each closed recess 70 has an elongated opening 72 with a serrated edge, and the opening 72 has a complex polygonal shape with at least seven sides. The opening 72 has an outer portion 74 and an inner portion 75 on the radially outer and inner sides, with a larger circumferential dimension. The outer portion 74 and the inner portion 75 are connected by a connecting portion 76, which has a smaller circumferential dimension than the above-mentioned portions 74 and 75. By making the opening 72 have such a complex shape, traction performance can be improved.

[0033] like Figure 2 as well as Figure 4 As shown, a recess 77 exists circumferentially between two adjacent sidewall protectors 60. The circumferential length of the widthwise outer opening of the lateral groove 24b is approximately the same as the circumferential length of the radially outer portion 77a of the recess 77. In a plan view from the vehicle's exterior, substantially all of half of the plurality of lateral grooves 24b are substantially radially opposed to the radially outer portion 77a of the recess 77. This facilitates air flowing through half of the plurality of lateral grooves 24b toward the recess 77, smoothing the flow of air through this half of the lateral grooves 24b and improving heat dissipation.

[0034] like Figure 4 As shown, the sidewall protector 60 includes a first extension portion 81 extending radially inwardly toward one circumferential side and radially inwardly, and a second extension portion 82 extending radially inwardly toward the other circumferential side and radially inwardly. The radially inward end 81a of the first extension portion 81 coincides with the radially inward end of the sidewall protector 60. The first extension portion 81 and the second extension portion 82 face each other with a narrow gap therebetween in the circumferential direction. As a result, the recess 77 includes a narrow portion 79 on the radially inward side, having a circumferential length that is less than half the circumferential length of the radially outward portion 77a of the recess 77. A foreign matter receiving portion 84 is located radially outwardly of the recess 77 relative to the narrow portion 79, which facilitates receiving foreign matter such as mud.

[0035] By providing the first and second extensions 81 and 82 on both circumferential sides and radially inward of the sidewall protector 60, the volume of the sidewall protector 60 is increased, preventing damage to the main body 55 of the sidewall portion 12 from collision with foreign objects, thereby improving protection performance. Furthermore, the tire 1 receives a greater reaction force from foreign objects entering the foreign object receiving portion 84, thereby improving the traction performance of the tire 1. Furthermore, the absence of the first and second extensions 81 and 82 on the radially outward side generates a large air flow from the half-lateral groove 24b toward the recess 77, thereby achieving excellent heat dissipation. Furthermore, a narrow groove 86 is provided on the other circumferential side of the sidewall protector 60, communicating with the foreign object receiving portion 84. The provision of the narrow groove 86 further improves the traction performance of the tire 1.

[0036] A recessed portion 88, which opens only on the outer side in the width direction, is provided on the side surface of the shoulder block 40A in the width direction. Furthermore, the outer edge 90 of the sidewall protector 60 is formed into a sawtooth shape, thereby providing multiple concave and convex portions of varying sizes on the outer edge 90 of the sidewall protector 60. The convex portion 91 has a sharp tip 91a at an acute angle, and the concave portion 92 has a point with a sharp bottom 92a at an acute angle. By providing the recessed portion 88 on the outer side surface 95 of the shoulder block 40A in the width direction, or by providing multiple concave and convex portions with sharp tips 91a or bottoms 92b on the outer edge of the sidewall protector 60, foreign matter such as mud can be easily caught by the concave and convex portions, thereby further improving the traction performance of the tire 1.

[0037] Figure 5 This is an enlarged plan view of the periphery of one sidewall protection portion 60 of the tire 1 as viewed from the outside of the vehicle. Figure 6 yes Figure 5 In addition, Figure 6 The value is: the value in mm size. Figure 6 As shown, the bottom 73 of the closed recess 70 is located further outward in the width direction than the main body 55 of the sidewall portion 12, thereby improving the protective performance of the main body 55 of the sidewall protector 60. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the thickness of the step 71 is 0.5 mm, and the depth of the closed recess 70 is 1 mm. The thickness of the step 71 is approximately half the depth of the closed recess 70. A thickness of the step 71 that is between 30% and 70% of the depth of the closed recess 70 is preferred, as it achieves excellent balance between the protective performance of the sidewall protector 60 and the traction performance of the closed recess 70.

[0038] [Essential components and the effects of these components]

[0039] As described above, the tire 1 includes: a tread portion 10; and a plurality of sidewall protection portions 60 (protrusions) that are located radially inward of the shoulder block 40A (outermost block) and protrude outward in the width direction, and are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction, wherein the shoulder block 40A (outermost block) is provided in the tread portion 10 and is located at the outermost position of the vehicle. The circumferential length of the sidewall protection portion 60 is longer than the circumferential length of the shoulder block 40A. The sidewall protection portion 60 includes: a plurality of closed recesses 70 that are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction and open outward in the width direction. A step portion 71 having a depth that is shallower than the bottom 73 of the closed recess 70 is provided at least in a portion of the peripheral edge of the bottom of the closed recess 70.

[0040] According to this configuration, the circumferential dimension of one sidewall protector 60 is larger than the circumferential dimension of the shoulder block 40A. Furthermore, regarding the two or more closed recesses 70 provided in the sidewall protector 60, a step portion 71 is provided on at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the bottom surface of each closed recess 70. Therefore, the circumferential dimension of the sidewall protector 60 can be increased, and at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the bottom surface of each closed recess 70 provided in the sidewall protector 60 can also be protected by the step portion 71. Furthermore, it is possible to effectively prevent foreign objects such as small stones from colliding with the thin bottom of the closed recess 70. Thus, excellent protection performance can be achieved. Furthermore, since the sidewall protector 60 has two or more closed recesses 70, it is possible to achieve excellent traction performance of the sidewall protector 60. Therefore, according to this configuration, two mutually contradictory and mutually compromising effects, namely, both protection performance and traction performance, can be achieved.

[0041] [Preferred Configuration and Its Attached Effects]

[0042] The step portion 71 may exist over the entire circumference of the peripheral portion.

[0043] According to this configuration, it is possible to effectively suppress the collision of foreign matter with the thin bottom 73 of the closed recess 70 , thereby further improving the protection performance.

[0044] In addition, the closed recess 70 may extend substantially along the radial direction, or may extend at an acute angle relative to the radial direction.

[0045] According to this structure, the traction performance of the sidewall protection portion 60 can be made particularly excellent by the synergistic effect of the arrangement of the sidewall protection portion 60 having multiple closed recesses 70 and the arrangement of each closed recess 70 extending in the following direction, that is, the direction refers to: the direction in which the mud entering the closed recess 70 can be subjected to a larger circumferential reaction force, that is, the direction extending roughly parallel to the radial direction or the direction forming an acute angle with respect to the radial direction.

[0046] Furthermore, the radial positions of the plurality of side protecting portions 60 may all be substantially the same.

[0047] According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the protection performance and traction performance from varying depending on the circumferential position due to the provision of a plurality of sidewall protecting portions 60 .

[0048] Furthermore, each sidewall protecting portion 60 may include two substantially identical closed recessed portions 70 that are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction and extend at an acute angle with respect to the radial direction.

[0049] According to this configuration, it is easy to achieve a good balance between the protection performance and traction performance of the sidewall protector 60 , and thus both the protection performance and traction performance achieved by providing the sidewall protector 60 can be excellent.

[0050] [Modification]

[0051] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and its variations, and various improvements or changes can be made within the scope of the matters described in the claims of this application and their equivalents. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the following situation is described: a plurality of sidewall protection portions 60 (protrusions) are only provided on the side of the tire 1 on the vehicle outer side and not on the side of the tire 1 on the vehicle inner side. However, in addition to being provided on the side of the tire on the vehicle outer side, a plurality of protrusions can also be provided on the side of the tire on the vehicle inner side. In this way, the uniformity of the weight or rigidity of the vehicle outer side in the width direction and the vehicle inner side in the width direction can be made good, thereby enabling the tire to roll smoothly and suppressing uneven wear of the tire. In addition, the closed recess 70 is made into a longitudinal shape and extends in a direction inclined relative to the radial direction, but the closed recess 70 can also be made into a longitudinal shape and extend approximately parallel to the radial direction.

[0052] In addition, the following case is described: the closed recess 70 has an annular step portion 71 on the peripheral portion, but the closed recess may have a non-annular step portion on a portion of the peripheral portion of the bottom of the closed recess. In addition, the following case is described: each sidewall protection portion 60 has two closed recesses 70, and each closed recess 70 has a step portion 71 on at least a portion of the peripheral portion. However, it can be configured so that each protrusion (sidewall protection portion) has three or more closed recesses, and each closed recess has a step portion on at least a portion of the peripheral portion. For example, it can be configured so that each protrusion (sidewall protection portion) has three closed recesses arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction, and each closed recess has a step portion on at least a portion of the peripheral portion. Alternatively, it can be configured so that each protrusion (sidewall protection portion) has four closed recesses arranged in a matrix of two rows and two columns, and each closed recess has a step portion on at least a portion of the peripheral portion.

[0053] In addition, the following case is described: the multiple sidewall protection portions 60 of the tire 1 are all substantially identical. However, the multiple protrusions of the tire may include two or more different protrusions. In addition, the following case is described: the multiple shoulder blocks 40A of the tire on the vehicle's outer side are all substantially identical. However, the multiple outermost blocks of the tire on the vehicle's outer side may include two or more different outermost blocks. In addition, the following case is described: the shoulder block 40A (outermost block) has a recess 88 on the side surface 95 on the outer side in the width direction. However, the outermost block does not need to have a recess on the side surface on the outer side in the width direction.

Claims

1. A pneumatic tire, characterized in that: The pneumatic tire has: tread; and a plurality of protrusions located radially inward of an outermost pattern block and projecting outward in the width direction, and arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction, wherein the outermost pattern block is provided in the tread portion and is located at the outermost position of the vehicle, The circumferential length of each protrusion is longer than the circumferential length of the outermost pattern block. The protrusion has a plurality of closed recesses that are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction and open on the outer side in the width direction. At least a portion of the peripheral edge of the bottom of each closed recess is provided with a step portion having a depth shallower than the bottom of the closed recess. The step portion exists over the entire circumference of the peripheral edge portion.

2. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein: The closed recess extends substantially along the radial direction, or extends at an acute angle relative to the radial direction.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The plurality of protrusions are all located at substantially the same positions in the radial direction.

4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: Each protrusion has two substantially identical closed recesses that are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction and extend at an acute angle with respect to the radial direction.

Images