Heavy duty tire

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present invention, a heavy duty tire in which at least one groove is formed on a tread comprises: a reinforcing rib inserted between a first side wall and a second side wall provided on both sides of the groove and coupled to a bottom surface of the groove; and the hidden groove is formed between the first side wall or the second side wall and the reinforcing rib.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a heavy-duty tire, and more specifically, to a heavy-duty tire capable of improving tread pattern rigidity and effectively preventing irregular wear. Background Technology

[0002] Typically, to ensure the drainage, braking, and heat dissipation performance of pneumatic tires for heavy vehicles, multiple grooves are formed on the tire tread, and these grooves divide the tire tread into multiple blocks (or ribs).

[0003] However, when a tire is in motion, cracks can form at the bottom of the grooves or at the junction of the sidewalls of the tread blocks and the bottom of the grooves. These groove cracks are mainly caused by excessive lateral forces on the tread blocks due to vehicle usage conditions or road paving.

[0004] In other words, cracks can appear in the grooves due to various reasons, such as excessive unevenness in the road surface causing tire fatigue or impact, or foreign objects like stones embedding in the grooves during driving and gradually seeping in, leading to cracking. All of these situations can severely affect the quality and performance of the tires.

[0005] To address the aforementioned issues, existing technologies have employed reinforcing ribs inserted into the grooves to prevent cracks from forming at the junction of the groove sidewalls and the bottom, thereby effectively suppressing irregular wear and improving the overall rigidity of the tire tread.

[0006] However, because the reinforcing ribs are located in the tread grooves, the groove area decreases during the initial wear phase, thus reducing water drainage performance. Although the appearance of hidden grooves improves water drainage performance after the tire reaches mid-wear, the overall tread rigidity is lower at this point than in the early wear phase, which may still lead to irregular wear.

[0007] Existing technical documents

[0008] Patent documents

[0009] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2051850 (Publication Date: December 4, 2019) Summary of the Invention

[0010] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0011] This embodiment aims to provide a heavy-duty tire that prevents cracking and improves the rigidity of the tread pattern by combining reinforcing ribs with grooves.

[0012] This embodiment also aims to provide a heavy-duty tire that maintains tread pattern rigidity even after the tire has undergone intermediate wear.

[0013] This embodiment further provides a heavy-duty tire in which the reinforcing ribs absorb the force generated between the ribs when the vehicle is driving or braking, thereby effectively preventing irregular wear.

[0014] This embodiment also provides a heavy-duty tire that retains reinforcing ribs even after the tire has worn down to the middle, so that the ribs do not come into contact with each other, thereby maintaining the rigidity of the tread pattern.

[0015] means for solving problems

[0016] According to one aspect of the present invention, a heavy-duty tire is provided, wherein at least one groove is formed on the tread of the tire, characterized in that it includes: a reinforcing rib inserted between a first sidewall and a second sidewall disposed on both sides of the groove and engaging with the bottom surface of the groove; and a hidden groove formed between the first sidewall or the second sidewall and the reinforcing rib.

[0017] The hidden groove may include: a first hidden groove formed between a portion of the first sidewall and the reinforcing rib; and a second hidden groove formed between a portion of the second sidewall and the reinforcing rib.

[0018] A portion of the reinforcing rib may be configured to contact the first sidewall and the second sidewall.

[0019] The first sidewall may include: a first contact portion, the upper part of which is configured to have a curved shape corresponding to the shape of the reinforcing rib, so that the reinforcing rib can be inserted and contacted; and a first flow path for fluid flow is formed in a space spaced apart from the reinforcing rib.

[0020] The second sidewall may include: a second contact portion, the upper part of which is configured to have a curved shape corresponding to the shape of the reinforcing rib, so that the reinforcing rib can be inserted and contacted; and a second flow path for fluid flow is formed in a space spaced apart from the reinforcing rib.

[0021] The first hidden groove can be configured to communicate with the first flow path and the second flow path to allow fluid to flow.

[0022] The second hidden groove can be configured to communicate with the first flow path and the second flow path to allow fluid to flow.

[0023] The height of the reinforcing rib can be set to 70% to 95% of the groove height.

[0024] The tread may include a first rib and a second rib separated by the grooves.

[0025] The distance between the first rib and the second rib can be set to 1% to 50% of the groove width forming the first hidden groove and the second hidden groove.

[0026] The first and second hidden grooves can be configured to be exposed when the wear rate of the heavy-duty tire reaches 50% to 60%.

[0027] The invention's effect: According to this embodiment, the heavy-duty tire, by combining reinforcing ribs with grooves, can prevent crack formation and improve the rigidity of the tread pattern.

[0028] The heavy-duty tire according to this embodiment can maintain the rigidity of the tread pattern even after the tire has worn through in the middle stage.

[0029] According to this embodiment, the heavy-duty tire absorbs the force generated between the first rib and the second rib during vehicle driving or braking, thereby effectively preventing irregular wear.

[0030] According to this embodiment, the heavy-duty tire retains reinforcing ribs even after the tire has undergone intermediate wear, preventing the first rib from contacting the second rib and thus maintaining the rigidity of the tread pattern. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the tread of a heavy-duty tire according to this embodiment.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a side view of the tread of a heavy-duty tire according to this embodiment.

[0033] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the tread of a heavy-duty tire according to this embodiment.

[0034] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the cross-section.

[0035] Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing the tread wear condition of the heavy-duty tire in this embodiment.

[0036] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0037] 100: Tread

[0038] 110: Trench

[0039] 110a: Bottom surface

[0040] 111: First sidewall

[0041] 112: Second sidewall

[0042] 113: First Contact Section

[0043] 114:First flow path

[0044] 115: Second Contact Section

[0045] 116: Second Flow Path

[0046] 120: Reinforced Ribs

[0047] 130: First Hidden Groove

[0048] 140: Second Hidden Groove

[0049] 150: First rib

[0050] 160: Second rib

[0051] 170: Hidden Groove Detailed Implementation

[0052] The following will describe this embodiment in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the spirit of the invention and are not limited to the specific forms shown herein; other forms may also be used. The accompanying drawings omit parts irrelevant to the description for clarity, and the dimensions of the components may be appropriately exaggerated for ease of understanding.

[0053] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the heavy-duty tire tread 100 according to this embodiment. Figure 2 This is a side view of the heavy-duty tire tread 100 according to this embodiment. Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the heavy-duty tire tread 100 according to this embodiment. Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the cross-section. Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing the wear state of the tread 100 of the heavy-duty tire in this embodiment.

[0054] The heavy-duty tire according to the present invention may include a tread 100, a sidewall, and a bead portion.

[0055] Furthermore, the heavy-duty tire according to the present invention may further include a tire carcass, a belt layer, and a rim.

[0056] Multiple ribs separated by grooves 110 can be formed on the surface of the tread 100, and reinforcing ribs 120 can be disposed inside the grooves 110.

[0057] Since the bead portion, carcass, belt layer and rim are the same as the existing heavy-duty tires, they will not be described in detail here. The following will focus on the reinforcing rib 120 and describe the heavy-duty tire according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] Reference Figures 1 to 5In the heavy-duty tire of this embodiment of the invention, at least one groove 110 is formed on the tread 100. A first sidewall 111 and a second sidewall 112 are provided on both sides of the groove 110. A reinforcing rib 120 is inserted between the two and is combined with the bottom surface 110a of the groove 110. A hidden groove 170 is formed between the first sidewall 111 or the second sidewall 112 and the reinforcing rib 120.

[0059] The plurality of grooves 110 formed on the tread 100 may include a first sidewall 111 and a second sidewall 112 on both sides of its inner wall.

[0060] Therefore, the reinforcing rib 120 in this invention can be inserted between the first sidewall 111 and the second sidewall 112, and combined with the bottom surface 110a of the groove 110.

[0061] In addition, a portion of the reinforcing rib 120 may be configured to contact the first sidewall 111 and the second sidewall 112.

[0062] Since a portion of the reinforcing rib 120 is constrained by the first sidewall 111 and the second sidewall 112, it is able to absorb the braking force acting on the tire during braking.

[0063] Meanwhile, when the tire is mounted on the vehicle, the reinforcing rib 120 can disperse the driving force acting on the tire, thereby guiding the tread 100 to wear evenly and preventing irregular wear.

[0064] Specifically, when the vehicle is in motion, the tread 100 may be subjected to forces from multiple directions due to changes in the vehicle's direction of travel, acceleration, or deceleration, which causes the grooves 110 to undergo various deformations, resulting in irregular wear on the tread 100.

[0065] Therefore, by providing reinforcing ribs 120 in the groove 110, the present invention can reduce the shape change of the groove 110. Simultaneously, since the reinforcing ribs 120 are located between the first sidewall 111 and the second sidewall 112 inside the groove 110, a portion of which contacts both sidewalls 111 and 112, the force concentrated on a certain part of the tread 100 can be evenly distributed. Therefore, the present invention can guide uniform wear of the tread 100 through the reinforcing ribs 120, thereby preventing irregular wear.

[0066] More specifically, the first sidewall 111 may include a first contact portion 113, the upper part of which is configured to have a curved shape corresponding to the shape of the reinforcing rib 120, so that the reinforcing rib 120 can be inserted and contacted.

[0067] In other words, see Figure 2The first contact portion 113 can be configured to contact the upper side of the reinforcing rib 120, and when the reinforcing rib 120 is formed in an arc shape to be inserted into the groove 110, its corresponding position can be recessed inward and set in a curved form.

[0068] The reinforcing rib 120 contacts the first contact portion 113, so that the reinforcing rib 120 can be stably confined within the groove 110.

[0069] In addition, see Figure 4 A first flow path 114 can be formed in the space that is at a certain distance from the reinforcing rib 120, allowing fluid to flow. Through this first flow path 114, the water absorption and drainage functions performed in the trench 110 can be stably realized.

[0070] Similarly, the upper part of the second sidewall 112 may be configured in a curved shape corresponding to the shape of the reinforcing rib 120 so that the reinforcing rib 120 can be inserted, and includes a second contact portion 115 that contacts the reinforcing rib 120.

[0071] In other words, see Figure 2 The second contact portion 115 can be configured to contact the upper side of the reinforcing rib 120, and when the reinforcing rib 120 is formed in an arc shape to be inserted into the groove 110, its corresponding position can be recessed inward and set in a curved form.

[0072] Therefore, not only the first contact portion 113, but also the second contact portion 115 contacts the reinforcing rib 120, and the lower side of the reinforcing rib 120 is combined with the bottom surface 110a of the groove 110, so that the reinforcing rib 120 can be more stably restricted in the groove 110.

[0073] In addition, see Figure 4 A second flow path 116, which is spaced at a certain distance from the reinforcing rib 120, can be formed for fluid flow. Therefore, not only the first flow path 114, but also the second flow path 116 can stably realize the water absorption and drainage functions performed in the trench 110.

[0074] The hidden groove 170 can be formed between the first sidewall 111 or the second sidewall 112 and the reinforcing rib 120.

[0075] In other words, the hidden groove 170 can be formed between the first sidewall 111 and the reinforcing rib 120, or between the second sidewall 112 and the reinforcing rib 120.

[0076] See Figure 2This hidden groove 170 can be formed in the lower part of the groove 110, and its width can be wider than that of the groove 110 formed in the upper part. That is, the upper part of the groove 100 forming the hidden groove 170 is narrower, while the lower part is wider than the upper part due to the presence of the hidden groove 170.

[0077] Specifically, the hidden groove 170 includes a first hidden groove 130 formed in the space between a portion of the first sidewall 111 and the reinforcing rib 120; and a second hidden groove 140 formed in the space between a portion of the second sidewall 112 and the reinforcing rib 120.

[0078] On the other hand, see Figure 4 The first hidden groove 130 can be connected to the first flow path 114 and the second flow path 116 so that fluid can flow.

[0079] Similar to the first hidden groove 130, the second hidden groove 140 can also be connected to the first flow path 114 and the second flow path 116 to allow fluid to flow.

[0080] Therefore, by connecting the first flow path 114 or the second flow path 116 to the first hidden trench 130, the present invention enables fluid to flow, and further connects the first flow path 114 or the second flow path 116 to the second hidden trench 140, thereby stably realizing the water absorption and drainage functions performed in the trench 110.

[0081] In other words, since the reinforcing rib 120 is located between the first sidewall 111 and the second sidewall 112 of the groove 110, the overall volume of the groove 110 is reduced, and the shape of the groove 110 that provides the flow path becomes more complex, which may reduce the water absorption and drainage performance of the groove 110.

[0082] However, in this invention, by forming a first hidden groove 130 and a second hidden groove 140 on one side of the first sidewall 111 and the second sidewall 112 respectively, the water absorption capacity of the groove 110 is increased, which can maintain the functional effect of the reinforcing rib 120 and improve the water absorption and drainage performance of the groove 110.

[0083] Furthermore, according to the implementation method, there may be multiple reinforcing ribs 120, which are arranged at predetermined intervals along the tire circumference.

[0084] Therefore, when a vehicle is driving on a wet or slippery road surface or in the rain, the water or rainwater on the wet or slippery road surface can be effectively drained through the first flow path 114 and the second flow path 116 formed between the groove 110 and the reinforcing rib 120.

[0085] On the other hand, see Figure 2 and Figure 4The width of the first hidden groove 130 and the second hidden groove 140 formed in the groove 110 can be greater than the upper width of the first contact portion 113 and the second contact portion 115.

[0086] Specifically, the bottom width of the groove 110 can be less than the width of the space formed by the first hidden groove 130 and the second hidden groove 140. In other words, the length of the bottom width of the groove 110 can be less than the length of the space between the first sidewall 111 and the second sidewall 112.

[0087] The height of the reinforcing rib 120 can be set to 70 to 95% of the height of the groove 110.

[0088] That is, the reinforcing rib 120 can be attached to the bottom surface 110a or bottom of the groove 110, and its height can be set to 70 to 95% of the height or depth of the groove 110. Furthermore, according to an embodiment, the protruding width of the reinforcing rib 120 can be set to 30 to 70% of the width of the groove 110.

[0089] Therefore, by setting the reinforcing rib 120 to the above-mentioned length and width, the present invention can prevent foreign objects such as stones from embedding into the groove 110 during driving.

[0090] Thus, the reinforcing rib 120 of the present invention can ensure the service life of the tire by preventing foreign objects such as stones from embedding into the groove 110.

[0091] Furthermore, the reinforcing rib 120, by contacting and engaging with the bottom surface 110a of the groove 110, can prevent cracks from concentrating at the bottom surface 110a.

[0092] In addition, the reinforcing rib 120 is located between the first sidewall 111 and the second sidewall 112, which can also prevent cracks from forming on the bottom surface 110a of the groove 110 and the first sidewall 111 and the second sidewall 112 formed by their connection.

[0093] On the other hand, see Figure 2 The height of the first hidden groove 130 can be lower than the height of the reinforcing rib 120. That is, the height of the first hidden groove 130 can be the same as the height of the groove 110 except for the first contact portion 113.

[0094] Furthermore, the height of the second hidden groove 140 may be lower than the height of the reinforcing rib 120. That is, the height of the second hidden groove 140 may be the same as the height of the groove 110 excluding the second contact portion 115.

[0095] Therefore, the first hidden groove 130 and the second hidden groove 140 can be symmetrically arranged with the reinforcing rib 120 as the center, and have the same length, width and volume.

[0096] The surface of the tread 100 may include a first rib 150 and a second rib 160 separated by grooves 110.

[0097] In other words, because the elongated groove 110 is formed on the tread 100, the surface of the tread 100 is divided, thereby forming a first rib 150 and a second rib 160 on the tread 100 surface on both sides of the groove 110.

[0098] Therefore, see Figure 2 A first sidewall 111 may be provided on the lower side of the first rib 150, and a second sidewall 112 may be provided on the lower side of the second rib 160.

[0099] The spacing between the first rib 150 and the second rib 160 can be set to 1 to 50% of the width of the groove 110 that forms the first hidden groove 130 and the second hidden groove 140.

[0100] In other words, see Figure 2 The width of the groove 110 forming the first hidden groove 130 and the second hidden groove 140 is the same as the distance between the first sidewall 111 and the second sidewall 112, while the distance between the first rib 150 and the second rib 160 can be narrower than the distance between the first sidewall 111 and the second sidewall 112, ranging from 1% to 50%.

[0101] Furthermore, apart from the location where the reinforcing rib 120 is provided, the distance between the first rib 150 and the second rib 160 can be smaller than the distance between the first rib 150 and the second rib 160 at the location where the reinforcing rib 120 is provided. Therefore, the first rib 150 and the second rib 160 can almost contact each other, thereby improving the pattern rigidity of the tread 100 in the early stages of wear.

[0102] On the other hand, see Figure 5 The first hidden groove 130 and the second hidden groove 140 can be configured to be exposed when the wear rate of the heavy tire is 50 to 60%.

[0103] In other words, during the wear process of the tread 100, the reinforcing rib 120 can wear at a height approximately 2 to 3 mm lower than the first rib 150 and the second rib 160. Therefore, during the wear process of the tread 100, the reinforcing rib 120 can absorb the forces generated between the first rib 150 and the second rib 160, thereby preventing irregular wear.

[0104] Next, when the wear rate of the tread 100 exceeds the intermediate stage, reaching 50 to 60%, the first hidden groove 130 and the second hidden groove 140 can be exposed. At this time, since the reinforcing rib 120 is still located between the first rib 150 and the second rib 160, the pattern rigidity of the tread 100 can be prevented from decreasing, thereby maintaining its pattern rigidity.

[0105] Therefore, the present invention improves the pattern rigidity of the tread 100 by making the distance between the first rib 150 and the second rib 160 narrower than the bottom of the groove 110; and during the wear of the tread 100, the reinforcing rib 120 can absorb the force generated between the first rib 150 and the second rib 160, thereby preventing irregular wear; even in the middle and late stages of wear, the reinforcing rib 120 is still located between the first rib 150 and the second rib 160, and can continue to maintain the pattern rigidity of the tread 100.

Claims

1. A heavy-duty tire, wherein at least one groove is formed on the tread of the tire, characterized in that, include: Reinforcing ribs are inserted between the first and second sidewalls located on both sides of the trench and are combined with the bottom surface of the trench. as well as Hidden grooves are formed between the first or second sidewall and the reinforcing rib.

2. The heavy-duty tire according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hidden trench includes: A first concealed groove is formed between a portion of the first sidewall and the reinforcing rib; and A second hidden groove is formed between a portion of the second sidewall and the reinforcing rib.

3. The heavy-duty tire according to claim 2, characterized in that: A portion of the reinforcing rib is configured to contact the first sidewall and the second sidewall.

4. The heavy-duty tire according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first sidewall includes: The first contact portion has an upper part configured to have a curved shape corresponding to the shape of the reinforcing rib, so that the reinforcing rib can be inserted and contacted; A first flow path for fluid flow is formed in the space separated from the reinforcing rib by a certain distance.

5. The heavy-duty tire according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second sidewall includes: The second contact portion has an upper part configured to have a curved shape corresponding to the shape of the reinforcing rib, so that the reinforcing rib can be inserted and contacted; A second flow path is formed in the space separated from the reinforcing rib by a certain distance, allowing fluid to flow.

6. The heavy-duty tire according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first hidden groove is configured to communicate with the first flow path and the second flow path to allow fluid to flow.

7. The heavy-duty tire according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second hidden groove is configured to communicate with the first flow path and the second flow path to allow fluid to flow.

8. The heavy-duty tire according to claim 1, characterized in that: The height of the reinforcing rib is set to 70% to 95% of the groove height.

9. The heavy-duty tire according to claim 2, characterized in that: The tread includes: The first rib and the second rib are separated by the groove.

10. The heavy-duty tire according to claim 9, characterized in that: The spacing between the first rib and the second rib is set to 1% to 50% of the groove width forming the first hidden groove and the second hidden groove.

11. The heavy-duty tire according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first and second hidden grooves are configured to be exposed when the wear rate of the heavy-duty tire reaches 50% to 60%.

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