A tire that can achieve improved rigidity and reduced noise.

Abstract

To provide a tire capable of realizing improvement of rigidity and reduction of noise.SOLUTION: A tire includes a tire body and a plurality of tread pattern structures. The tire body has a tread. The plurality of tread pattern structures each have a pattern block and one or more step-wise blocks. The pattern block has a forth tread part and a back tread part. The forth tread part goes in the revolving direction of the tire, and the back tread part goes in an opposite direction to the revolving direction of the tire. The step-wise block is connected to the back tread part of the pattern block, and has a height smaller than that of the pattern block. Due to the structure feature, the tire can improve rigidity of the tread, and stability at high-speed travel via the step-wise block, and simultaneously, reduce noise caused by abrasion of the tread.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tire, particularly a tire capable of improving rigidity and reducing noise.

Background Art

[0002] The tire disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a plurality of pattern blocks arranged on the tread. At least one pattern block has a tread portion, a front tread portion, and a rear tread portion. The front tread portion is formed by extending inward from the front edge of the tread portion. The rear tread portion is formed by extending inward from the rear edge of the tread portion and has a front end portion and a root portion. The front end portion is formed by inclining from the rear tread portion. The root portion extends inward continuously with the front end portion. The above-described structural features can maintain traction and improve stability during braking, but cannot increase the rigidity of the tread or reduce the noise caused by tread wear.

[0003] The pneumatic tire disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a plurality of pattern blocks arranged on the tread. Each pattern block has a portion where the thickness gradually decreases in the overlapping area, that is, a portion where the thickness of at least two pattern blocks gradually decreases. The above-described structural features can ensure mud performance and traction, but cannot increase the rigidity of the tread or reduce the noise caused by tread wear.

[0004] The tire disclosed in Patent Document 3 has a plurality of blocks arranged on the tread. Each block has a contact surface, a rear end surface, a front guide surface, and two longitudinal surfaces. The front guide surface has a stepped portion, and the stepped portion improves the wear resistance of the tire. However, the above-described structural features cannot increase the rigidity of the tread or reduce the noise caused by tread wear.

[0005] The tire described in Patent Document 4 has a tread and a contact area. The contact area has a contact side wall surface facing the grooves on the outer circumference. The contact side wall surface has a first surface, a second surface, and a stepped portion between the first and second surfaces, and the stepped portion improves performance on snowy roads. However, the above-described structural features cannot increase the rigidity of the tread or reduce noise caused by tread wear. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] TW I494230 publication [Patent Document 2] CN 103370213 publication [Patent Document 3] CN 101588935 publication [Patent Document 4] Publication US 11633987 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] The main objective of this invention is to provide a tire that can improve rigidity and stability at high speeds, while simultaneously reducing noise generated by impacts with the road surface. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the aforementioned problems, the tire comprises a tire body and multiple tread pattern structures. The tire body has a tread. The multiple tread pattern structures are arranged in the center of the tread of the tire body and along the direction of rotation of the tire, and each has a pattern block and one or more stepped blocks. The pattern block has a front tread portion and a rear tread portion. The front tread portion faces the direction of rotation of the tire. The rear tread portion faces the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the tire. One or more stepped blocks are connected to the rear tread portion of the pattern block and are less in height than the height of the pattern block.

[0009] More specifically, in the tire according to the present invention, the stepped blocks are connected to the rear tread portion of the pattern block, which supports the pattern block during driving and at the same time effectively suppresses deformation of the tread due to high-speed centrifugal force, thereby improving the rigidity of the tread and stability during high-speed driving. In addition, it can suppress vibrations caused by the tread's impact with the road surface and reduce noise.

[0010] In relatively favorable cases, each pattern block also has grooves. The grooves are positioned in the center of the pattern block and extend along the direction of the tire's rotation, so that soil can get stuck in the grooves, improving off-road performance.

[0011] In relatively favorable cases, each tread pattern structure has two stepped blocks, namely a first stepped block and a second stepped block. The first stepped block is connected between the pattern block and the second stepped block, and its height is greater than that of the second stepped block. The structural features of the first and second stepped blocks further improve the rigidity of the tread and stability at high speeds, while simultaneously reducing noise generated by the tread's impact with the road surface.

[0012] In relatively favorable cases, the arc length of the second stepped block is shorter than that of the first stepped block. In other words, a design that gradually reduces arc length can concentrate power and improve stability.

[0013] In relatively favorable cases, each tread pattern structure is distributed with even spacing along the tire's turning direction, allowing soil to get trapped between two adjacent tread pattern structures, thereby improving off-road performance.

[0014] In relatively favorable cases, each pattern block is a polygon that can guide direction.

[0015] The detailed structure, features, assembly or usage method of the tire capable of achieving improved rigidity and reduced noise according to the present invention will be clarified through the following detailed description of the embodiments. Also, the following detailed description and the embodiments presented by the present invention are merely examples for explaining the present invention, and it should be understandable to those with common sense in the field related to the present invention that the claims of the present invention cannot be limited thereby.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing a tire according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a plan view showing a tire according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional view showing the tread pattern structure of a tire according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5a] It is a cross-sectional view showing a state of measuring the rigidity of the tread at different parts of a tire according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5b] It is a graph showing the relationship between different cross-sections and rigidity of a tire according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a graph showing the relationship between the running speed and decibels of a tire according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a graph showing the relationship between the frequency and decibels of a tire according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, a tire capable of achieving improved rigidity and reduced noise according to the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In the specification and drawings, the directional terms are expressed based on the directions in the drawings. The same reference numerals indicate the structural features of the same parts or similar parts.

[0018] (One Embodiment) As shown in FIG. 1, a tire 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention advances and rolls forward along a rotation direction D about a rotation axis A, and includes a tire body 20, a plurality of tread pattern structures 30, and a plurality of shoulder pattern structures 40.

[0019] The tire body 20 has a tread 22, two sidewalls 24, and two shoulders 26. Each shoulder 26 is connected between the tread 22 and the sidewall 24.

[0020] Multiple tread pattern structures 30 are evenly arranged in the center of the tread 22 of the tire body 20 and along the rotation direction D of the tire. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, each tread pattern structure 30 has a pattern block 31 and grooves 32. The pattern block 31 is polygonal and is arranged symmetrically facing the equatorial plane E of the tire 10. The equatorial plane E is perpendicular to the rotation axis A of the tire 10 and penetrates the central plane of the tread 22. The grooves 32 are in the center of the pattern block 31 and extend along the rotation direction D of the tire 10 and penetrate the equatorial plane E. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the pattern block 31 has a front tread portion 312, a rear tread portion 314, and a contact surface 316. The front tread portion 312 faces the rotation direction D of the tire 10. The rear tread portion 314 faces in the opposite direction to the rotation direction D of the tire 10. The contact surface 316 connects the front tread portion 312 and the rear tread portion 314. Each pattern block 31 further has a first stepped block 33 and a second stepped block 34. The first stepped block 33 is connected between the rear tread portion 314 and the second stepped block 34 of the pattern block 31 and has a contact surface 332 that contacts the road surface. The second stepped block 34 has a contact surface 342 that contacts the road surface. As shown in Figure 4, the height H1 of the first stepped block 33 is smaller than the height H3 of the pattern block 31 and larger than the height H2 of the second stepped block 34. In this embodiment, the height H1 is twice the height H2. As shown in Figure 3, the arc length W2 of the second stepped block 34 is shorter than the arc length W1 of the first stepped block 33. In this embodiment, the arc length W2 is 0.75 to 0.8 times the arc length W2. In other words, the first stepped block 33 and the second stepped block are arranged in a manner in which the width gradually decreases, and the angle θ is between the outer end surface 334 of the first stepped block 33 and the rotation direction D, and between the outer end surface 344 of the second stepped block 34 and the rotation direction D. In this embodiment, the angle θ is between 5 and 30 degrees.

[0021] The two shoulder pattern structures 40 and the two shoulders 26 of the tread 22 are joined together. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, each shoulder pattern structure 40 has multiple polygonal pattern blocks 42. The multiple pattern blocks 42 are evenly arranged along the turning direction D of the tire 10 to maintain stability during turns.

[0022] As the tire 10 moves forward and rolls along the turning direction D, first the leading edge 312 of the pattern block 31 of the tread pattern structure 30 makes contact with the road surface, and then the contact surface 316 of the pattern block 31 of the tread pattern structure 30 makes contact with the road surface. Subsequently, depending on the road conditions, the contact surface 332 of the first stepped block 33 and the contact surface 342 of the second stepped block 34, or one of them, makes contact with the road surface. The first stepped block 33 and the second stepped block 34 effectively suppress deformation of the tread 22 due to high-speed centrifugal force, improving the rigidity of the tread 22 and stability during high-speed driving. In addition, they can suppress vibrations caused by impacts between the tread 22 and the road surface, reducing noise. Furthermore, since the first stepped block 33 and the second stepped block 34 are arranged in a manner that gradually reduces the arc length, power can be concentrated to improve stability during high-speed driving. Also, as the tire 10 moves forward and rolls along the turning direction D, soil can be embedded in the grooves 32, improving off-road performance. Furthermore, the spaces between the two adjacent tread pattern structures 30 are not interconnected, creating a space S (see Figure 4) into which soil can settle, thus improving off-road performance.

[0023] As shown in Figure 5a, the different cross-sections P1 to P7 are planes perpendicular to the equatorial plane E and located in areas where a width of 1.5 cm is divided into seven equal parts. As shown in Figure 5b, test results under test conditions of wind pressure of 180 kPa and load of 130 kgf revealed that the longitudinal stiffness of tire 10 with stepped sections is higher than that of conventional tires without stepped sections. As shown in Figure 6, test results under JASO C606 standard, wind pressure of 180 kPa and load of 130 kgf revealed that the noise generated in the tread of tire 10 with stepped sections is lower than that generated in the tread of conventional tires without stepped sections. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, in the mid-frequency band (200-2000 Hz), the noise generated in the tread of tire 10 with stepped sections is lower than that generated in the tread of conventional tires without stepped sections. In other words, compared to conventional tires that do not have stepped sections, the tire 10 according to the present invention has relatively good tread rigidity and has the effect of reducing noise generated in the tread. [Explanation of symbols]

[0024] 10: Tires 20: Tire body 22: Tread 24: Sidewall 26: Shoulder 30: Tread pattern structure 31: Pattern Blocks 312: Front tread section 314: Rear tread section 316: Contact surface 32: Groove 33: First staircase block 332: Contact surface 334:Outer end surface 34: Second stepped block 342: Contact surface 344:Outer end surface 40: Shoulder pattern structure 42: Pattern Blocks A: Rotation axis D: Rotation direction E: Equatorial plane H1: Height of the first staircase block H2: Height of the second staircase block H3: Height of the pattern block P1 to P7: Cross-section S: Space W1: Arc length of the first stepped block W2: Arc length of the second stepped block

Claims

1. The tire body and multiple tread pattern structures are included. The tire body has a tread, The plurality of tread pattern structures are arranged in the center of the tread of the tire body and along the rotation direction of the tire, and each has a pattern block and one or more stepped blocks, the pattern block has a front tread portion and a rear tread portion, the front tread portion faces the rotation direction of the tire and the rear tread portion faces the opposite direction of the rotation direction of the tire, one or more stepped blocks are connected to the rear tread portion of the pattern block and are less in height than the height of the pattern block, The aforementioned one or more stepped blocks are two in number, and these are the first stepped block and the second stepped block, The first stepped block is connected between the pattern block and the second stepped block, and has a height greater than the height of the second stepped block. The first stepped block and the second stepped block extend in an arc shape with respect to the equatorial plane, A tire characterized in that the arc length of the second stepped block is shorter than the arc length of the first stepped block.

2. The tire according to claim 1, wherein each of the pattern blocks further has grooves, and the grooves are arranged to extend from the center of the pattern block and along the rotational direction of the tire.

3. The tire according to claim 1, characterized in that the height of the first stepped block is twice the height of the second stepped block.

4. The tire according to claim 1, characterized in that the arc length of the second stepped block is 0.75 to 0.8 times the arc length of the first stepped block.

5. The tire according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the tread pattern structures is distributed at equal intervals along the rotation direction of the tire.

6. The tire according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the aforementioned pattern blocks is polygonal.

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