Tire tread comprising grooves having groove protrusions with bumper blocks

Abstract

A tire tread is provided having a first rib (30) and a second rib (34), the first rib and the second rib having a first rib sidewall (32) and a second rib sidewall (36), respectively. The first rib sidewall and the second rib sidewall define a circumferential groove (68). A groove protrusion (40) is located within the circumferential groove (68), and the groove protrusion extends a distance in the thickness direction greater than a distance in the lateral direction. Buffer blocks (42, 62) extending from the groove protrusions (40) are present, and the groove protrusions (40) extend by a distance greater than that of the buffer blocks (42, 62) in the thickness direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The subject matter of the present invention relates to a tire tread having architectural features for reducing irregular wear. More specifically, the present application relates to a tire tread having grooves with groove protrusions having buffer blocks extending therefrom. Background Art

[0002] Heavy commercial vehicle tire manufacturers have made progress in developing tire architectures and tire materials, enabling increased wear resistance of the tire tread, reduced rolling resistance of the tire, while improving their grip and resistance to road hazards. Irregular tread wear is a major concern for heavy commercial vehicle tires because it can gradually cause tire vibrations that can be sensed by the driver through the steering wheel. Wear can also result in an unsightly wear pattern. These two undesirable effects typically lead to the tire being scrapped at an early stage of its wear life. Generally, the more times a tire is used under slow wear conditions, the greater the impact of irregular wear on the mileage. This is why resistance to irregular wear is crucial for truck tires in so-called long-haul driving use.

[0003] It is well known that incorporating structural features in a tire can combat irregular wear. For example, sacrificial ribs can be added to the tread architecture to delay the occurrence of irregular wear. A disadvantage of this design is its susceptibility to impact damage, particularly cracks may appear at the bottom of the decoupling groove, leading to premature tire scrapping and customer dissatisfaction. It is also known to provide irregular wear protection on multi-axle heavy truck tires by placing groove protrusions within the circumferential grooves of the tire, which are single rods extending from the bottom of the circumferential grooves. However, irregular wear may be caused at the intersection of the rib surface and the wall of the groove, which is generated by edge stress at this area due to contact through the rib. Although mechanisms for improving irregular wear of heavy truck tires are known, there is still room for improvement and optimization in this field. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0004] Referring to the accompanying drawings, a complete and enabling disclosure of the present invention for those of ordinary skill in the art is set forth in the specification, including its best mode, wherein:

[0005] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a heavy truck tire.

[0006] Figure 2 is a top view of a tread according to an exemplary embodiment, the tread including grooves having groove protrusions and buffer blocks.

[0007] Figure 3 is along Figure 2Cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3.

[0008] Figure 4 is a top view of a tread according to another exemplary embodiment, the tread including grooves having groove protrusions and cushion blocks.

[0009] Figure 5 is along Figure 4 Cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5.

[0010] Figure 6 is a top view of a tread according to yet another exemplary embodiment, the tread including grooves having groove protrusions and cushion blocks.

[0011] Figure 7 is along Figure 6 Cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7.

[0012] The same or similar reference numerals are used to denote the same or similar features in the different drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Each example is provided for the purpose of explaining the present invention and is not meant to be limiting of the present invention. For example, features shown or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a third embodiment. The present invention is intended to include these and other modifications and variations.

[0014] The present invention provides a tire tread 16 having grooves 38 having groove protrusions 40 and cushion blocks 42 extending from the groove protrusions 40. The cushion blocks 42 are for reducing rib edge stress by reducing Poisson stress when the cushion blocks 42 contact another cushion block or lateral wall 58 of the groove 40. This architecture provides a recessed sacrificial feature within the tread 16 sculpture to increase the driving circumferential force of the rib, thereby providing irregular wear protection. The cushion blocks 42 can be continuous cushion blocks 42 along the groove protrusions 40, and both can extend completely 360 degrees around the central axis 14 of the tire 10.

[0015] Figure 1Shows a tire 10, which is a heavy - duty truck tire 10. In this regard, the tire 10 is not designed or used for automobiles, motorcycles, or light trucks (payload capacity less than 4,000 pounds), but is designed and used for heavy - duty trucks such as 18 - wheelers, garbage trucks, or box trucks. The tire 10 can be a steer tire, a drive tire, a trailer tire, or an all - position tire. The tire 10 includes a carcass / tire body 76 on which a tread 16 is provided. The central axis 14 of the tire 10 extends through the center of the carcass 76, and the lateral / axial direction 28 of the tire 10 is parallel to the central axis 14. The radial direction 24 of the tire 10 (also referred to as the thickness direction 24) is perpendicular to the central axis 14, and the tread 16 is positioned further away from the central axis 14 than the carcass 76 in the thickness direction 24. The tread 16 extends completely around the carcass 76 in the circumferential direction 26 of the tire 10 and encircles the central axis 360 degrees.

[0016] The tread 16 has five ribs, which are separated by four longitudinal grooves extending in the circumferential direction 26. These five ribs can be classified as a center rib, two intermediate ribs, and two shoulder ribs, and the two shoulder ribs are located at the ends of the tread 16 in the lateral direction 28. The center rib and the intermediate ribs are continuous and include tread grooves, and the shoulder ribs are defined by a plurality of tread blocks from the lateral grooves. The longitudinal grooves can be constructed in various ways and can have any size or shape. The longitudinal grooves can have a width greater than two millimeters. The tread 16 is disposed on the outer side relative to the sidewall 12 of the tire in the radial direction 24, and a pair of beads 18 are near the inner terminal radial ends of the sidewall 12. The tread grooves shown in the tread 16 are incisions cut into the tread 16 with a width of two millimeters or less.

[0017] The tread 16 can include certain structural features that can improve irregular wear protection. Turning to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , shows a first exemplary embodiment of a heavy - duty truck tire 10 having three circumferential grooves 38, 68, and 70 and four ribs. The tread 16 at least partially rests on a belt layer 20, which is closer to the central axis 14 than the tread 16 in the radial direction 24. The first rib 30 has a first rib upper surface 46, and the second rib 34 has a second rib upper surface 48. The groove 38 is a circumferential groove 38 located in the center of the tread 16 and can be referred to as the central groove. The first rib 30 has a first rib sidewall 32 extending from the first rib upper surface 46 into the tread 16, and the second rib 34 has a second rib sidewall 36 also extending from the second rib upper surface 48 into the tread 16. The two sidewalls 32, 36 extend to the groove bottom 44, and the circumferential groove 38 can be defined by the two sidewalls 32, 36 and the groove bottom 44.

[0018] The groove projection 40 is the portion of the tread 16 that extends outward from the groove bottom 44 relative to the central axis 14 in the thickness direction 24. In this embodiment, the groove projection 40 does not engage the first rib sidewall 32 or the second rib sidewall 36. The groove projection 40 terminates at the groove projection upper surface 50. In some embodiments, the groove projection upper surface 50 is positioned at the same distance from the central axis 14 in the thickness direction 24 as the first rib upper surface 46 and the second rib upper surface 48 are from the central axis. In other embodiments, the groove projection upper surface 50 is positioned closer to the central axis 14 in the thickness direction 24 than the first upper rib surface 46 and the second upper rib surface 48. When the heavy truck tire 10 rotates, the groove projection upper surface 50 can engage the surface of the road.

[0019] The groove projection 40 can have any shape and size and can fill most of the volume of the circumferential groove 38. The groove projection 40 has a first lateral sidewall 58 and a second lateral sidewall 60, where the first lateral sidewall 58 directly faces the first rib sidewall 32 and where the second lateral sidewall 60 directly faces the second rib sidewall 36. These lateral walls 58, 60 extend from the groove bottom 44 to the groove projection upper surface 50. The lateral walls 58, 60 taper inwardly toward each other in the lateral direction 28 as they extend outward in the thickness direction 24, but may not be tapered in other embodiments. The buffer blocks 42, 62 extend from the lateral walls 58, 60. The buffer block 42 can be referred to as the first buffer block 42 that extends from the first lateral wall 58 and directly faces the first rib sidewall 32, and the second buffer block 62 extends from the second lateral wall 60 and directly faces the second rib sidewall 36. The buffer blocks 42, 62 are spaced apart in the thickness direction 24 and do not engage the groove projection upper surface 50 and the groove bottom 44. The buffer blocks 42, 62 are the same size and shape, but may have different sizes and / or shapes in other embodiments. The groove projection 40 extends a greater distance in the thickness direction 24 than the buffer blocks 42, 62 extend in the thickness direction 24. The buffer blocks 42, 62 can extend completely in the lateral direction 28 such that their upper and lower surfaces do not change position in the thickness direction 24 at any point.

[0020] The groove protrusion 40 has a circumferential length 54 that extends completely around the entire tire 10 in the circumferential direction 26 such that it extends 360 degrees around the central axis 14. The buffer block 42 has a circumferential length 52 that also extends completely around the entire tire 10 in the circumferential direction 26 such that it extends 360 degrees around the central axis 14. The second buffer block 62 may also have the same circumferential length as the circumferential length 52. The circumferential lengths 52, 54 may be continuous such that the groove protrusion 40 and the buffer blocks 42, 62 are completely continuous and there are no discontinuities at any point along the circumferential lengths 52, 54. The groove protrusion 40 and the buffer blocks 42, 62 may have the same cross-sectional dimensions and shape along the entire circumferential lengths 52, 54 and do not change at any point.

[0021] Figure 2 and Figure 3 The tread 16 in and includes three circumferential grooves 38, 68, and 70, and the second circumferential groove 68 and the third circumferential groove 70 may also include the groove protrusion 40 and the buffer blocks 42, 62. These components 40, 42, 62 may be constructed in the same manner as previously discussed and the information need not be repeated. Accordingly, the dimensions and shapes of the circumferential grooves 38, 68, 70 and the components 40, 42, 62 therein may be the same. However, in other embodiments, the tread 16 may include grooves 38, 68, 70 and components 40, 42, 62 that are different from each other. The ribs 30, 34 and the two shoulder ribs are not block-shaped and do not have any grooves therein such that they are substantially continuous and completely uninterrupted around the central axis 14.

[0022] During travel of the tire 10, relative to Figure 3 and Figure 4 the non-ground contact area configuration shown, the circumferential groove 38 may deform in the ground contact area. In this regard, the groove protrusion 40, the buffer block 42 and the buffer block 62 and / or the rib sidewalls 32 and 36 may deform such that the buffer block 42 engages the first rib sidewall 32 and such that the second buffer block 62 engages the second rib sidewall 36. This engagement reduces the edge stress of the first rib and the second rib by reducing the Poisson stress when the first rib 30 and the second rib 34 engage the rib sidewalls 32, 36. Refer to Figure 3, the edge stress of the first rib 30 occurs at the intersection between the first rib 30 and the first rib sidewall 32, and the contact between the first buffer block 42 and the first rib sidewall 32 reduces the Poisson stress at this point and reduces the initiation of irregular wear at this position. In a similar manner, the contact between the second buffer block 62 and the second rib sidewall 36 reduces the Poisson stress that could otherwise exist at the intersection between the second rib 34 and the second rib sidewall 36. These reductions in Poisson stress reduce the initiation of irregular wear experienced on the tread 16. The arrangement of the groove protrusions 40 and the buffer blocks 42, 62 increases the profile and provides a recessed sacrificial feature for the tread 16 pattern, to increase the tendency of the circumferential force of the main ribs driving the tread 16, thereby providing irregular wear protection.

[0023] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 shows another exemplary embodiment of the tire tread 16. The tread 16 is a five-rib design with four circumferential grooves. The grooves are identified as the first circumferential groove 38, the second circumferential groove 68, the third circumferential groove 70, and the fourth circumferential groove 72. The first circumferential groove 38 has groove protrusions 40 and buffer blocks 42, 62, which are arranged in a similar manner to that discussed for the Figure 2 and Figure 3 embodiment in, and the information need not be repeated. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The difference from the embodiment in is that the circumferential lengths of the components are different between the groove protrusions 40 and the buffer blocks 42, 62 of each of the circumferential grooves 38, 68, 70, 72. First, regarding the first circumferential groove 38, the protrusions 40 and the buffer blocks 42, 62 are all 360 degrees completely continuous around the central axis 14 in the circumferential direction 26. The circumferential length 52 and the circumferential length 54 are the same as each other.

[0024] The tread 16 has lateral grooves 74, 78 that extend completely across the lateral width of the tread from one side edge to the other. Due to the presence of the lateral grooves 74, 78, all the ribs 30, 34 are blocky ribs. The second circumferential groove 68 has protrusions 40, which are similar to the protrusions 40 in the first circumferential groove 38 and extend completely and continuously 360 degrees around the central axis 14. However, the buffer blocks 42, 62 are not completely continuous in the circumferential direction 26 but are discontinuous. The positions where the buffer blocks 42, 62 are present in the circumferential direction 26 are not the same as the positions where the lateral grooves 74, 78 are located in the circumferential direction 26. The circumferential length 52 is less than the circumferential length 54. The positions common to both the second circumferential groove 68 and the lateral grooves 74, 78 in the circumferential direction 26 include the groove protrusions 40 but do not include the buffer blocks 42, 62 in the second circumferential groove 68. The buffer blocks 42, 62 are present in the areas of the second circumferential groove 68 where the lateral walls 58, 60 directly face them in the lateral direction 28 and are not present in the areas spaced apart from the lateral grooves 74, 78 in the opposite lateral direction 28.

[0025] The third circumferential groove 70 has component lengths of components 40, 42, 62 that are different from those in both the first circumferential groove 38 and the second circumferential groove 68. Here, the buffer blocks 42, 62 are only present in the areas of the third circumferential groove 70 where the positions in the circumferential direction 26 do not overlap with the positions of the lateral grooves 74, 78 in the circumferential direction. Additionally, the groove protrusions 40 do not extend completely 360 degrees around the central axis 14 in the circumferential direction 26. Instead, similar to the buffer blocks 42, 62, the groove protrusions 40 are discontinuous at the positions in the circumferential direction 26 that are the same as the positions shared with the lateral grooves 74, 78. The groove protrusions 40 and the buffer blocks 42, 62 are discontinuous at various positions around the tire 10 in the circumferential direction 26.

[0026] The fourth circumferential groove 72 is present in the tread 16 and also has groove protrusions 40 and buffer blocks 42, 62, which have the same cross-section and shape as those in the rest of the tread 16. The groove protrusions 40 extend completely around the tire 10 in the circumferential direction 26 but are discontinuous at the lateral grooves 74, 78. In this regard, the groove protrusions 40 of the fourth circumferential groove 72 are not present at the positions shared with the lateral grooves 74, 78 in the circumferential direction 26. The buffer blocks 42, 62 are likewise not present at the circumferential positions shared with the lateral grooves 74, 78. Additionally, the buffer blocks 42, 62 do not have the same length as the groove protrusions 40 in the circumferential direction 26. In this regard, the buffer blocks 42, 62 are spaced apart from the lateral grooves 74, 78 in the circumferential direction 26 and have equal spacing distances at the starting positions.

[0027] It should be understood that the groove protrusions 40 and the buffer blocks 42, 62 can all adopt the same arrangement, or there can be a design solution where some structures are the same and other structures are different. In Figure 4 and Figure 5 's embodiments, each of the circumferential grooves 38, 68, 70, 72 has groove protrusions 40 and buffer blocks 42, 62 arranged in different ways relative to its length in the circumferential direction 26. However, the cross-sectional characteristics of the groove protrusions 40 and the buffer blocks 42, 62 are the same as each other, and are also the same as the technical characteristics discussed in the previous embodiments regarding Figure 2 and Figure 3 .

[0028] Another exemplary embodiment of the tire 10 is shown in Figure 6 and Figure 7 , in which the tread 16 has four ribs and three circumferential grooves 38, 68 and 70. Four transverse grooves 74, 78, 80 and 82 extend inwardly in the transverse direction 28 and are blind grooves because they terminate within the tread 16. The transverse grooves 74, 78 only intersect with the second circumferential groove 68, the transverse grooves 80, 82 only intersect with the third circumferential groove 70, and the first circumferential groove 38 does not intersect with any transverse grooves. The transverse grooves 74, 78, 80 and 82 are angled because they extend from the tread edge in both the transverse direction 28 and the circumferential direction 26. The groove protrusion 40 has a length in the thickness direction 24 such that the upper surface 50 of the groove protrusion is closer to the central axis 14 in the thickness direction 24 than the distances from the upper surface 46 of the first rib and the upper surface 48 of the second rib to the central axis 14 in the thickness direction 24. The upper surface 46 of the first rib and the upper surface 48 of the second rib are located outside the upper surface 50 of the groove protrusion in the thickness direction 24, where the upper surface of the groove protrusion is embedded inside the circumferential groove 38. There are a first buffer block 42 and a second buffer block 62, and they extend from the transverse wall 58 and the transverse wall 60. The circumferential groove 38 does not have a groove bottom 44, but rather the groove protrusion 40 extends upward from the first rib side wall 32 and the second rib side wall 36 that engage the groove protrusion 40.

[0029] There is a third buffer block 64 which extends from the first rib sidewall 32, and a fourth buffer block 66 which extends from the second rib sidewall 36. The first rib sidewall 32 extends only in the thickness direction 24 from the first rib upper surface 46 to the third buffer block 64, and extends in both the transverse direction 28 and the thickness direction 24 from the third buffer block 64 to the groove protrusion 40. Further, the second rib sidewall 36 extends only in the thickness direction 24 from the second rib upper surface 48 to the fourth buffer block 66, and extends in both directions 24, 28 from the fourth buffer block 66 to the groove protrusion 40. The third buffer block 64 and the fourth buffer block 66 are spaced apart from the rib upper surfaces 46, 48 in the thickness direction 24 and do not engage the groove protrusion 40. The first buffer block 42 and the third buffer block 64 may be co-located in the thickness direction 24, and the second buffer block 62 and the fourth buffer block 66 are co-located in the thickness direction 24.

[0030] The groove protrusion 40 and the buffer blocks 42, 62, 64, 66 in the first circumferential groove 38 extend continuously and completely around the central axis 14 in the circumferential direction 26. The second circumferential groove 68 has a groove protrusion 40 which is discontinuous at the transverse grooves 74 and 78 such that it does not exist at these positions. The first buffer block 42 and the second buffer block 62 are similarly discontinuous at the transverse grooves 74 and the transverse groove 78 and do not exist at these positions, but the groove protrusion 40 exists at other positions around the circumference of the tire 10 which do not have such transverse grooves. The third buffer block 64 and the fourth buffer block 66 also do not exist at the positions of the transverse grooves 74, 78, but are also spaced apart from these transverse grooves 74, 78 in the circumferential direction 28. From the transverse groove 74 to the transverse groove 78, the circumferential length of the third buffer block 64 and the fourth buffer block 66 is less than the circumferential length of the groove protrusion 40 and the first buffer block 42 and the second buffer block 62. Also from the transverse groove 74 to the transverse groove 78, the circumferential length of the groove protrusion 40 and the first buffer block 42 and the second buffer block 62 is the same, but they are offset from each other. The tread groove 56 exists in the region of the second circumferential groove 68 such that the tread groove 56 extends into the shoulder rib and the first rib 30 and completely passes through the groove protrusion 40, the sidewalls 32 and 36, and the buffer blocks 42, 62, 64 and 66.

[0031] The third circumferential groove 70 intersects with the transverse grooves 80 and 82 that extend in the transverse direction 28 and the circumferential direction 26. The transverse grooves 80 and 82 extend into the second rib 34 and terminate within the second rib. The groove protrusions 40 are continuous and extend completely around the central axis 14 in the circumferential direction 26. The first buffer block 42 and the second buffer block 62 are discontinuous at the position shared by the transverse grooves 80 and 82 in the circumferential direction 26, but some small amounts of buffer blocks 42 and buffer blocks 62 can extend into the transverse grooves 80 and 82 and share a certain amount of common circumferential positioning configuration. The length 54 is longer than the length 52. The third buffer block 64 and the fourth buffer block 66 extend the same amount as the first buffer block 42 and the second buffer block 62 in the circumferential direction 26 and share the same positioning as the first buffer block 42 and the second buffer block 62 in the circumferential direction 26. The tread groove 56 can be present in the third circumferential groove 70 and can extend completely through the groove protrusions 40 and the first buffer block 42 and the second buffer block 62. There is no tread groove 56 in the second rib 34, the shoulder rib, or the third buffer block 64 and the fourth buffer block 66.

[0032] There is no groove bottom 44, but rather the first rib sidewall 32 and the second rib sidewall 36 engage the groove protrusions 40. In use, the circumferential groove 38 will deform such that the first buffer block 42 engages the third buffer block 64 and such that the second buffer block 62 engages the fourth buffer block 66 to reduce the contact Poisson stress and reduce the initiation of irregular wear. The buffer blocks 42, 62, 64, 66 are positioned closer to the central axis 14 in the thickness direction 24 compared to the distances of the upper rib surfaces 46, 48 and the upper surface 50 of the groove protrusions from the central axis 14 in the thickness direction 24.

[0033] Each component of the three circumferential grooves 38, 68, and 70 has a different length configuration. However, in other exemplary embodiments, all of the circumferential grooves 38, 68, and 70 can be configured to be the same. In additional arrangements, some of the circumferential grooves can be the same while other circumferential grooves are unique in their configuration in the tread 16. The various configurations in the different exemplary embodiments of the circumferential grooves shown herein can be used in any combination to produce different tread 16 configurations.

[0034] The configuration of the tire 10 of the present disclosure increases irregular wear protection without compromising other performance areas of the tread 16. Various embodiments of the tire 10 do not include sacrificial ribs on the tread 16 because irregular wear protection can be achieved using the disclosed features. Since the presence of sacrificial ribs is not required in these embodiments, problems associated with sacrificial ribs, such as cracking at the bottom of the separating grooves, can be avoided using the present design. In this regard, a sacrificial rib is the outermost rib in the lateral direction 28 and has a lower height than the remaining ribs in the thickness direction 24. The groove protrusion 40 can be described as a sacrificial feature / rib, but it should be understood that in the context of not having sacrificial ribs, the tread 16 lacks lower ribs at either end of the tread 16 in the lateral direction 28. The shapes, sizes, and designs of the groove protrusion 40 and the buffer blocks 42, 62, 64, 66 are merely exemplary, and other shapes, sizes, and designs can be used such that these components can have different shapes, sizes, and designs according to different exemplary embodiments. The buffer blocks 42, 62, 64, 66 can be longer in the lateral direction 28 than in the thickness direction 24, can be longer in the thickness direction 24 than in the lateral direction 28, or can have the same length in both the lateral direction 28 and the thickness direction 24. The lengths of the buffer blocks 42, 62, 64, 66 in the thickness direction 24 can all be shorter than the length of the groove protrusion 40 in the thickness direction 24. Additionally, although shown as being present in all the grooves 38, the groove protrusion 40 and the buffer blocks 42, 62, 64, 66 can be present in one or some of the grooves 38 of the tread 16 and not in other grooves.

[0035] Although the subject matter of the present invention has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments and their methods, it should be understood that those skilled in the art can readily conceive of modifications, variations, and equivalents of such embodiments upon understanding the foregoing. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is by way of example rather than by way of limitation, and the present disclosure does not exclude including such obvious modifications, variations, and / or additions to the subject matter.

Claims

1. A tire tread having a transverse direction, a thickness direction, and a circumferential direction, the tire tread comprising: A first rib having a first rib sidewall; A second rib having a second rib sidewall, wherein the first rib sidewall and the second rib sidewall define a circumferential groove; A groove protrusion located within the circumferential groove, wherein the groove protrusion extends a greater distance in the thickness direction than in the transverse direction; And A buffer block extending from the groove protrusion, wherein the groove protrusion extends a greater distance in the thickness direction than the buffer block.

2. The tire tread according to claim 1, the tire tread further comprising a groove bottom joining both the first rib sidewall and the second rib sidewall, wherein the groove protrusion extends from the groove bottom in the thickness direction, and wherein the groove protrusion is spaced apart from both the first rib sidewall and the second rib sidewall and does not join both the first rib sidewall and the second rib sidewall.

3. The tire tread according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first rib has a first rib upper surface, and wherein the second rib has a second rib upper surface; and Wherein the groove protrusion has a groove protrusion upper surface, and wherein the first rib upper surface, the second rib upper surface, and the groove protrusion upper surface are all located at the same position in the thickness direction.

4. The tire tread according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the buffer block is continuous along the groove protrusion such that the circumferential length of the buffer block is the same as the circumferential length of the groove protrusion.

5. The tire tread according to claim 4, wherein the circumferential length of the buffer block and the circumferential length of the groove protrusion extend 360 degrees about a central axis.

6. The tire tread according to claim 4, wherein the circumferential length of the buffer block and the circumferential length of the groove protrusion extend less than 360 degrees about a central axis.

7. The tire tread according to any one of claims 1 to 3, such that the circumferential length of the groove protrusion extends 360 degrees about a central axis, and wherein the buffer block is discontinuous along the groove protrusion in the circumferential direction.

8. The tire tread according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the circumferential length of the buffer block is less than the circumferential length of the groove protrusion.

9. The tire tread according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first rib has a first rib upper surface, and wherein the second rib has a second rib upper surface; Wherein the groove protrusion has a groove protrusion upper surface, wherein the buffer block is spaced apart from the first rib upper surface, the second rib upper surface, and the groove protrusion upper surface in the thickness direction such that the buffer block is positioned closer to the central axis in the thickness direction compared to the distances of the first rib upper surface, the second rib upper surface, and the groove protrusion upper surface from the central axis in the thickness direction.

10. The tire tread according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the buffer block is longer in the lateral direction than in the thickness direction.

11. The tire tread according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the tire tread further comprising a plurality of tread grooves located in both the groove protrusions and the buffer blocks.

12. The tire tread according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein there are no sacrificial ribs in the tire tread.

13. The tire tread according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the groove protrusion has a first lateral wall and a second lateral wall spaced apart from the first lateral wall in the lateral direction, wherein the buffer block is a first buffer block extending from the first lateral wall; and the tire tread further comprises a second buffer block extending from the second lateral wall, wherein the groove protrusion extends a greater distance in the thickness direction than the second buffer block.

14. The tire tread according to claim 13, the tire tread further comprising: a third buffer block extending from the first rib side wall, wherein the groove protrusion extends a greater distance in the thickness direction than the third buffer block; and a fourth buffer block extending from the second rib side wall, wherein the groove protrusion extends a greater distance in the thickness direction than the fourth buffer block.

15. The tire tread according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tire tread is located on a long-haul heavy truck steering tire.

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