Tire

Abstract

The present invention improves the visibility of a patterned portion. The present invention comprises a patterned portion 4 in which a plurality of ridges 7A, 7B are aligned in parallel on a tire surface 5A (3A). The patterned portion 4 has: a first section 71A in which a first ridge 7A continuously folds back on itself and is arranged so as to resemble a rectangular shape; and a second section 71B in which a second ridge 7B continuously folds back on itself, extends in a direction intersecting the first ridge 7A, and is arranged so as to resemble a rectangular shape. The first ridges 7A of a plurality of first sections 71A and the second ridges 7B of a plurality of second sections 71B are formed so as to be continuous.

Description

tire

[0001] The present invention relates to a tire, and more particularly to a tire that can improve the visibility of a pattern portion.

[0002] For example, in a tire described in Patent Document 1, a pattern portion composed of a plurality of protrusions is formed on the surface of a tire side portion, and a technology is disclosed that controls the reflection of light incident on the pattern portion from various directions to increase the contrast between the pattern portion and its surroundings and improve visibility. This tire has a first pattern portion on the tire surface, in which a plurality of adjacent first ridges are formed, and a second pattern portion on which a plurality of adjacent second ridges are formed, the second ridges being disposed adjacent to the first pattern portion and extending in a different direction from the first ridges in a plan view, and the heights of the first ridges and the second ridges and the pitches between adjacent first ridges and between adjacent second ridges are specified.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-132351

[0004] In a tire such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, the first pattern portion is formed so that adjacent first ridges are independent of each other, and the second pattern portion is formed so that adjacent second ridges are independent of each other. As a result, the contrast of the pattern portion is reduced at the gaps between the first ridges, the gaps between the second ridges, and the gaps between each pattern portion, and therefore it is desirable to further improve visibility.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a tire that can improve the visibility of a pattern portion.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a tire according to one embodiment of the present invention has a pattern portion in which a plurality of ridges are arranged in parallel on the tire surface, and the pattern portion has a first section in which first ridges are arranged so that they are continuously folded back and lined up to form a rectangular shape, and a second section in which second ridges are arranged so that they are continuously folded back and extend in a direction intersecting the first ridges to form a rectangular shape, and the first ridges of a plurality of the first sections and the second ridges of a plurality of the second sections are formed so that they are continuously formed together.

[0007] The present invention can improve the visibility of the pattern portion.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a pneumatic tire according to an embodiment in the tire meridian direction. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a tire side portion of the tire shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of a marking portion of the tire side portion shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the marking portion shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of a marking portion of the tire side portion shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the marking portion shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of a marking portion of the tire side portion shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the marking portion shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a pattern portion. FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the pattern portion. FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a modified example of the pattern portion. FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of a modified example of the pattern portion. FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a modified example of the pattern portion. FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a modified example of the pattern portion. FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of a modified example of the pattern portion. FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of a modified example of the pattern portion. FIG. 17 is a table showing the results of a performance test of a pneumatic tire according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the components of these embodiments include those that can be substituted and are obvious substitutes while maintaining the identity of the invention. Furthermore, the multiple modifications described in these embodiments can be arbitrarily combined within the scope obvious to those skilled in the art.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a pneumatic tire according to an embodiment in the tire meridian direction. Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of one side region in the tire radial direction of a pneumatic tire 1 mounted on a rim 20. In the embodiment, a pneumatic tire, specifically a pneumatic radial tire for passenger cars, will be described as an example of a tire.

[0011] The tire meridian cross section shown in Figure 1 is defined as a cross section of the tire cut by a plane including the tire rotational axis (not shown). The tire equatorial plane CL is defined as a plane that passes through the midpoint of the tire cross-sectional width defined by JATMA and is perpendicular to the tire rotational axis. The tire width direction is defined as a direction parallel to the tire rotational axis, and the tire width direction inner side refers to the side toward the tire equatorial plane CL in the tire width direction, and the tire width direction outer side refers to the side away from the tire equatorial plane CL in the tire width direction. The tire radial direction is defined as a direction perpendicular to the tire rotational axis, and the tire radial direction inner side refers to the side toward the tire rotational axis in the tire radial direction, and the tire radial direction outer side refers to the side away from the tire rotational axis in the tire radial direction. The tire circumferential direction refers to the direction around the tire rotational axis as the central axis.

[0012] The pneumatic tire 1 has an annular structure centered on the tire rotation axis, and as shown in FIG. 1 , includes a pair of bead cores 11, a pair of bead fillers 12, a carcass layer 13, a belt layer 14, a tread rubber 15, a pair of sidewall rubbers 16, and a pair of rim cushion rubbers 17.

[0013] The pair of bead cores 11 are formed by winding one or more bead wires made of steel in an annular and multiply fashion, and are embedded in the bead portions to form the cores of the bead portions on both sides in the tire width direction.

[0014] The pair of bead fillers 12 are respectively arranged on the outer periphery of the pair of bead cores 11 in the tire radial direction to reinforce the bead portion.

[0015] The carcass layer 13 has a single-layer structure consisting of one carcass ply or a multi-layer structure consisting of multiple carcass plies stacked together. The carcass layer 13 is toroidally laid between the bead cores 11 on both sides in the tire width direction to form the tire framework. Both ends of the carcass layer 13 are wrapped around and anchored outward in the tire width direction to enclose the bead cores 11 and the bead fillers 12. The carcass ply of the carcass layer 13 is formed by coating multiple carcass cords made of steel or organic fiber material (e.g., aramid, nylon, polyester, rayon, etc.) with coating rubber and rolling them. The carcass cords in the carcass layer 13 have a cord angle (defined as the inclination angle of the carcass cord in the longitudinal direction with respect to the tire circumferential direction) of 80 degrees or more and 100 degrees or less in absolute value.

[0016] The belt layer 14 is formed by laminating, for example, a plurality of belt plies 141 to 143, and is disposed by being wound around the outer periphery of the carcass layer 13. The belt plies 141 to 143 include, from the inner side in the tire radial direction, a pair of cross belts 141, 142 and a belt cover 143.

[0017] The pair of cross belts 141, 142 are formed by coating a plurality of belt cords made of steel or organic fiber material with coating rubber and rolling them. The belt cords of the cross belts 141, 142 have a cord angle (defined as the inclination angle of the belt cords in the longitudinal direction relative to the tire circumferential direction) of 15 degrees or more and 55 degrees or less in absolute value. The cross belts 141, 142 have belt cords with cord angles of opposite signs, and are layered with the belt cords' longitudinal directions crossing each other (a so-called cross-ply structure). The cross belts 141, 142 are layered on the outer side of the carcass layer 13 in the tire radial direction.

[0018] The belt cover 143 is formed by covering a belt cover cord made of steel or organic fiber material with coating rubber. The belt cover cord of the belt cover 143 has a cord angle (defined as the inclination angle of the belt cord in the longitudinal direction with respect to the tire circumferential direction) of 0 degrees or more and 10 degrees or less in absolute value. The belt cover 143 is, for example, a strip material formed by covering one or more belt cover cords with coating rubber, and is formed by spirally wrapping this strip material around the outer peripheral surfaces of the cross belts 141, 142 multiple times in the tire circumferential direction. The belt cover 143 is arranged to cover the entire area of ​​the cross belts 141, 142.

[0019] The tread rubber 15 is disposed on the outer periphery of the carcass layer 13 and the belt layer 14 in the tire radial direction to form a tread portion of the tire 1. The tread rubber 15 is made of a rubber material that has excellent ground contact characteristics and weather resistance, and is exposed over the entire outer periphery of the tire to form the tread surface.

[0020] The pair of sidewall rubbers 16 are disposed on the outer sides of the carcass layer 13 in the tire width direction, and form sidewall portions on both sides in the tire width direction.

[0021] The pair of rim cushion rubbers 17 extend from the inner side in the tire radial direction to the outer side in the tire width direction of each bead core 11 and each turned-up portion of the carcass layer 13, and form the rim fitting surface of the bead portion.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a tire side portion of the tire shown in FIG.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2 , the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment includes a marking portion 2 and a peripheral region 3 in a tire side portion 18 .

[0024] The tire side portion 18 is a uniformly continuous surface extending in the tire circumferential direction from the ground contact edge T of the tread surface outward in the tire width direction and from the rim check line R outward in the tire radial direction. The ground contact edges T refer to both outermost ends in the tire width direction in the region where the tread surface of the pneumatic tire 1 comes into contact with the road surface when the pneumatic tire 1 is mounted on a normal rim, inflated to the normal internal pressure, and subjected to 70% of the normal load, and are continuous in the tire circumferential direction. The rim check line R is a line used to check whether the tire is properly mounted on the rim, and is generally shown as a circular convex line that continues in the tire circumferential direction along the front side of the bead portion 10, radially outward of the rim flange 20 a and near the rim flange 20 a.

[0025] Here, the normal rim refers to the "applicable rim" defined by JATMA, the "design rim" defined by TRA, or the "measuring rim" defined by ETRTO. The normal internal pressure refers to the "maximum air pressure" defined by JATMA, the maximum value of the "tire load limits at various cold inflation pressures" defined by TRA, or the "inflation pressures" defined by ETRTO. The normal load refers to the "maximum load capacity" defined by JATMA, the maximum value of the "tire load limits at various cold inflation pressures" defined by TRA, or the "load capacity" defined by ETRTO. In the case of the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the normal load is 88% of the maximum load capacity at the normal internal pressure.

[0026] The marking portion 2 includes a mark consisting of letters, figures, symbols, or a combination thereof, and particularly includes a trademark that functions as an identification sign indicating the tire manufacturer, tire brand, etc. Multiple marking portions 2 are arranged spaced apart in the tire circumferential direction. For example, in the configuration shown in FIG. 2 , a mark consisting of a combination of element 2A of the character string "YOKOHAMA" indicating the tire manufacturer and element 2B of a logo with a stylized "Y," the initial letter of the word, is applied to the surface of the tire side portion 18. A pair of marking portions 2 are arranged in opposing positions in the tire circumferential direction on the annular tire side portion 18.

[0027] The radial height H2 [mm] of each element 2A of the marking portion 2 is in the range of 0.05≦Ha / SH≦0.80, preferably 0.10≦Ha / SH≦0.70, relative to the tire cross-sectional height SH [mm] (see FIG. 1 ), thereby improving the visibility of the marking portion 2. The radial height H2 of the element 2A is measured as the maximum extension dimension of the element 2A in the tire radial direction.

[0028] The tire cross-sectional height SH is half the distance between the tire outer diameter and the rim diameter, and is measured when the pneumatic tire 1 is mounted on a specified rim, a specified internal pressure is applied, and the tire is in an unloaded state.

[0029] The peripheral region 3 is a region surrounding the marking portion 2 and is formed on the surface of the tire side portion 18. The peripheral region 3 may be a smooth surface having a smooth surface, or may be an uneven surface that has been subjected to surface processing. In the embodiment, the peripheral region 3 extends in the tire circumferential direction and is formed between a pair of narrow ribs 41, 42 that are positioned at different positions in the tire radial direction. This enhances the design of the tire side portion 18 of the pneumatic tire 1. Furthermore, the peripheral region 3 has an annular structure that extends around the entire circumference of the tire side portion 18 in the tire circumferential direction, and thereby includes both of the pair of marking portions 2.

[0030] In the pneumatic tire 1 of this embodiment, the marking portion 2 and the peripheral region 3 are positioned radially outward of the tire maximum width position Ac. More specifically, the marking portion 2 and the peripheral region 3 are formed by a pair of narrow ribs 41, 42 extending in the tire circumferential direction so as to define the peripheral region 3 in the region from the tire ground contact edge T to the tire maximum width position Ac (see FIG. 1 ), with the marking portion 2 being positioned between these narrow ribs 41, 42. This increases the visibility of the marking portion 2 in the pneumatic tire 1. The pneumatic tire 1 is not limited to this configuration, and although not explicitly shown in the drawings, the marking portion 2 and the peripheral region 3 may be positioned within the tire side portion 18, including the tire maximum width position Ac, or may be positioned radially inward of the tire maximum width position Ac.

[0031] The tire maximum width position Ac is defined as the maximum width position of the tire section width within the tire side portion 18. The tire section width is measured as the linear distance in the tire width direction between the sidewalls, excluding irregularities such as the marking portion 2, the peripheral region 3, and patterns and letters such as the narrow ribs 41, 42 on the surface of the tire side portion 18, when the tire is mounted on a specified rim, pressurized to a specified internal pressure, and in an unloaded state.

[0032] The thin ribs 41, 42 have a width of 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm and a height from the surface of the tire side portion 18 of 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm, and function as a discharge path for residual air during tire vulcanization. This reduces the occurrence of vulcanization defects in the marking portion 2 and the surrounding area 3 of the pneumatic tire 1. In the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the thin rib 41 on the outer side in the tire radial direction is located at a mold split position of the tire molding die.

[0033] Furthermore, the radial height Ha [mm] of the element 2A of the marking portion 2 is in the range of 0.30≦Ha / Hb≦0.80, and preferably 0.40≦Ha / Hb≦0.70, relative to the arrangement interval Hb [mm] of the fine ribs 41, 42 in the tire radial direction. Furthermore, in the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, it is preferable that the marking portion 2 is arranged away from the pair of fine ribs 41, 42, as shown in Fig. 2. As a result, the visibility of the marking portion 2 in the pneumatic tire 1 is improved.

[0034] Figures 3, 5, and 7 are enlarged views of a portion of the marking portion on the tire side shown in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view (A-A cross-sectional view in Figure 3) of a portion of the marking portion shown in Figure 3. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view (B-B cross-sectional view in Figure 5) of a portion of the marking portion shown in Figure 5. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view (C-C cross-sectional view in Figure 7) of a portion of the marking portion shown in Figure 7.

[0035] 3 and 4 , in the tire side portion 18, the marking portion 2 (element 2A) is formed as a recessed portion 5 that is recessed relative to the peripheral region 3. That is, the marking portion 2 (element 2A) is formed such that the inner wall surface of the recessed portion 5 forms a contour line. In this pneumatic tire 1, the surface that forms the peripheral region 3 is a smooth surface, and a pattern portion 4, which will be described below, is provided on the smooth tire surface 5A that is the inner bottom of the recessed portion 5 of the marking portion 2 (element 2A).

[0036] 5 and 6 , in the tire side portion 18, the marking portion 2 (element 2A) is formed as a convex portion 6 that protrudes from the surface with respect to the peripheral region 3. That is, the marking portion 2 (element 2A) is formed with the outer wall surface of the convex portion 6 as a contour line. In this pneumatic tire 1, the surface forming the protruding end of the convex portion 6 is a smooth surface, and a pattern portion 4, which will be described below, is provided around the convex portion 6 of the marking portion 2 (element 2A) on the tire surface 3A of the smooth peripheral region 3 (tire side portion 18).

[0037] 7 and 8 , in the tire side portion 18, the marking portion 2 (element 2A) is formed as a convex portion 6 that protrudes from the surface relative to the peripheral region 3. That is, the marking portion 2 (element 2A) is formed with the outer wall surface of the convex portion 6 as a contour line. In this pneumatic tire 1, the surface forming the protruding end of the convex portion 6 is a smooth surface, and a pattern portion 4, which will be described below, is provided on the tire surface 3A of the smooth peripheral region 3 (tire side portion 18) around the outer wall surface of the convex portion 6 of the marking portion 2 (element 2A).

[0038] Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of the pattern portion, and Fig. 10 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the pattern portion (cross-sectional view taken along line DD in Fig. 9).

[0039] When the pattern portion 4 is formed on the tire surface 5A, which is the bottom surface of the recessed portion 5 that forms the outline of the marking portion 2 (element 2A) as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the pattern portion 4 is arranged at a position recessed from the peripheral region 3 as shown in Figure 10. When the pattern portion 4 is formed on the tire surface 3A in the peripheral region 3 that is around the protruding portion 6 that forms the outline of the marking portion 2 (element 2A) as shown in Figures 5 to 8, the pattern portion 4 is arranged at a position recessed from the protruding portion 6 as shown in Figure 10.

[0040] The pattern portion 4 (4A) shown in FIG. 9 has a first section 71A and a second section 71B.

[0041] The first section 71A has a first ridge 7A, and the second section 71B has a second ridge 7B.

[0042] As shown in Figure 10, the first ridge 7A and the second ridge 7B are rib-like protrusions protruding from the tire surface 3A, 5A, and are formed with a triangular cross-sectional shape that narrows from bases 7Ab, 7Bb on the tire surface 3A, 5A toward apexes 7Aa, 7Ba. The ridges 7A, 7B preferably have pointed apexes 7Aa, 7Ba. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the first ridge 7A and the second ridge 7B preferably have a maximum width W of 0.03 mm or more and 0.3 mm or less at their bases 7Ab, 7Bb. The width W of the first ridge 7A and the second ridge 7B is measured as the width in a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of the ridges 7A, 7B, respectively. 9 and 10 , the pitch P between adjacent crests 7Aa or between adjacent crests 7Ba of the first ridges 7A and the second ridges 7B is preferably 0.5 mm or less, and more preferably 0.25 mm or less. In this way, the pattern portion 4 in which the width W and pitch P of the first ridges 7A and the second ridges 7B are defined can improve the processability of the pneumatic tire 1 without interfering with the removal from the tire molding die.

[0043] As described above, when the first ridges 7A and second ridges 7B constituting the pattern portion 4 are formed on the tire surface 5A, which is the bottom surface of the recessed portions 5 constituting the outline of the marking portion 2 (element 2A), they are positioned at positions recessed from the peripheral region 3 as shown in FIG. 10 . Furthermore, when the first ridges 7A and second ridges 7B constituting the pattern portion 4 are formed on the tire surface 3A in the peripheral region 3 around the protruding portions 6 constituting the outline of the marking portion 2 (element 2A), as described above, they are positioned at positions recessed from the protruding portions 6 as shown in FIG. 10 . In this configuration, as shown in FIG. 10 , the height T of the first ridges 7A and second ridges 7B from the tire surfaces 5A and 3A to their peaks 7Aa and 7Ba is preferably in the range of 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm, and more preferably in the range of 0.2 mm to 1.3 mm. In this way, the pattern portion 4 with the first ridges 7A and second ridges 7B having the height T can improve the processability of the pneumatic tire 1 without interfering with the release of the pneumatic tire from a tire mold. 10 , the height T of the first ridges 7A and the second ridges 7B from the tire surfaces 5A and 3A to the peaks 7Aa and 7Ba, relative to the height T0 of the recessed portions 5 and the height T0 of the protruding portions 6, is preferably in the range of 0.5≦T / T0<1.0, and more preferably in the range of 0.7≦T / T0≦0.95. In the pattern portion 4 configured in this manner, the height T0 of the recessed portions 5 and the height T0 of the protruding portions 6 can prevent foreign matter from coming into contact with the first ridges 7A and the second ridges 7B, and can prevent damage to the first ridges 7A and the second ridges 7B.

[0044] In the pattern portion 4A(4) shown in Fig. 9, the first ridge 7A has a plurality of parallel portions 7Ac formed in a straight line and arranged in parallel, and a folded portion 7Ad that connects the ends of two adjacent parallel portions 7Ac by folding them back in an arc, forming a single serpentine protrusion as a whole. The plurality of parallel portions 7Ac and the folded portion 7Ad that connects the parallel portions 7Ac form a single first section 71A that resembles a rectangle indicated by a two-dot chain line when viewed from the surface facing the tire surfaces 3A, 5A as shown in Fig. 9 (plan view).

[0045] 9, the second ridge 7B has a plurality of parallel portions 7Bc formed in a straight line and a folded portion 7Bd that connects the ends of two adjacent parallel portions 7Bc by folding them back in an arc, forming a single serpentine protrusion as a whole. The second ridge 7B, with the plurality of parallel portions 7Bc and the folded portion 7Bd that connects the parallel portions 7Bc, forms a single second section 71B that resembles a rectangle indicated by a two-dot chain line when viewed from the surface facing the tire surfaces 3A, 5A (plan view) as shown in FIG.

[0046] In the pattern portion 4A, the parallel portions 7Ac of the first ridges 7A in the first section 71A and the parallel portions 7Bc of the second ridges 7B in the second section 71B are arranged to extend in directions that intersect with each other when viewed (in a plan view) toward the tire surfaces 3A, 5A as shown in Fig. 9. In the pattern portion 4A shown in Fig. 9, the parallel portions 7Ac and the parallel portions 7Bc are arranged to extend in directions that intersect at 90 degrees. The first section 71A and the second section 71B are formed in the same shape but with different 90-degree orientations.

[0047] In the pattern portion 4A, the first sections 71A and the second sections 71B are arranged adjacent to each other with their rectangular sides facing each other, and are arranged alternately. In the pattern portion 4A, the first sections 71A are arranged with their rectangular corners facing each other, and the second sections 71B are arranged with their rectangular corners facing each other.

[0048] Furthermore, in the pattern portion 4A, the first ridges 7A of the multiple first sections 71A are formed continuously. Specifically, the multiple first sections 71A are connected to each other at opposing corners via connecting portions 7Ae where the ends of each parallel section 7Ac are bent in an S-shape, thereby forming a first pattern 4AA in which the multiple first sections 71A are connected. Also, in the pattern portion 4A, the second ridges 7B of the multiple second sections 71B are formed continuously. Specifically, the multiple second sections 71B are connected to each other at opposing corners via connecting portions 7Be where the ends of each parallel section 7Bc are bent in an S-shape, thereby forming a second pattern 4AB in which the multiple second sections 71B are connected. The first pattern 4AA and the second pattern 4AB are formed to have the same shape but are oriented in different directions by 90 degrees. Therefore, in the pattern portion 4A, the connecting portion 7Ae of the first ridge 7A or the connecting portion 7Be of the second ridge 7B is arranged to penetrate through the corners of the rectangular first sections 71A and second sections 71B that are arranged alternately.

[0049] The pneumatic tire 1 is manufactured using a tire molding die capable of transferring the above-described pattern portion 4 (4A) onto the surface of the tire side portion 18.

[0050] Specifically, the pneumatic tire 1 is manufactured, for example, by the following manufacturing process. First, tire components such as the bead wires that form the bead core 11, the carcass plies that form the carcass layer 13, the belt plies 141 to 143 that form the belt layer 14, the tread rubber 15, the sidewall rubber 16, and the rim cushion rubber 17 are placed in a molding machine to form a green tire (not shown). Next, the pneumatic tire 1 is filled into a tire vulcanization mold (not shown) that includes a tire molding die. Next, the green tire of the pneumatic tire 1 is expanded radially outward by a pressure device and abuts against the tire molding die. Next, the tire vulcanization mold is heated, and rubber molecules of the green tire bond with sulfur molecules, thereby progressing vulcanization of the pneumatic tire 1. At this time, the shape of the molding surface of the tire molding die is transferred to the outer peripheral surface of the green tire, and the surface of the tire side portion 18 of the pneumatic tire 1 is formed. The tire after vulcanization is then removed from the tire vulcanization mold.

[0051] Furthermore, the pattern portion 4 (4A) on the tire surface 3A, 5A described above is formed by irregularities formed on the molding surface of the tire molding mold. The irregularities on the molding surface of the tire molding mold are formed, for example, by laser processing. That is, in the tire molding mold, the irregularities on the molding surface are formed by laser processing, with first groove portions corresponding to the first ridges 7A and second groove portions corresponding to the second ridges 7B. A tire molding mold in which each groove portion is formed by laser processing can mold the first ridges 7A and second ridges 7B having the shapes described above. Furthermore, a tire molding mold in which each groove portion is formed by laser processing has surface roughness on the processed surface compared to a machined tire molding mold, which improves the mold release properties of the ridges 7A, 7B, contributing to improved productivity of the pneumatic tire 1. Furthermore, a configuration in which the same-shaped sections 71A, 71B are continuous, as in the pattern portion 4 of the embodiment, also improves mold release properties and contributes to improved productivity of the pneumatic tire 1.

[0052] The pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment includes a pattern portion 4 (4A) in which a plurality of first ridges 7A and second ridges 7B having the above-described shapes are arranged in parallel. Therefore, in this pneumatic tire 1, as shown in Fig. 10 , light L that is incident between the first ridges 7A or between the second ridges 7B is reflected multiple times from the peaks 7Aa, 7Ba toward the bases 7Ab, 7Bb and is absorbed as it travels toward the tire surface 5A, 3A, turning the pattern portion 4 black so that it appears black, thereby clarifying the contrast, which is the difference in light and dark between the pattern portion 4 and other portions without the pattern portion 4, and improving the visibility of the marking portion 2 (2A) applied to the tire side portion 18.

[0053] Moreover, the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment has first sections 71A in which the first ridges 7A are continuously folded back and arranged to form a rectangular shape, and second sections 71B in which the second ridges 7B are continuously folded back and arranged to form a rectangular shape in a direction intersecting the first ridges 7A. Therefore, by having the sections 71A, 71B (respective patterns 4AA, 4AB) with the ridges 7A, 7B extending in different directions, the pneumatic tire 1 can improve visibility by clarifying contrast through blackening in response to light L incident from different directions. Moreover, because the sections 71A, 71B in the pneumatic tire 1 are arranged in which the ridges 7A, 7B are continuously folded back and arranged to form a rectangular shape, the sections 71A, 71B can be easily molded.

[0054] Moreover, in the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the first ridges 7A of the plurality of first sections 71A and the second ridges 7B of the plurality of second sections 71B are formed continuously with each other, so that the entire pattern portion 4 (4A) of the pneumatic tire 1 can be easily formed.

[0055] Furthermore, in the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the pattern portion 4A has a first pattern 4AA in which the first ridges 7A of the multiple first sections 71A are continuous with each other, and a second pattern 4AB that is separated from the first pattern 4AA and in which the second ridges 7B of the multiple second sections 71B are continuous with each other. Therefore, in this pneumatic tire 1, the effect of clarifying contrast and improving visibility by blackening the patterns 4AA, 4AB in response to light L incident from different directions is significantly obtained.

[0056] Furthermore, in the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, in the pattern portion 4A, the first ridges 7A are continuous with each other at the rectangular corners of the first sections 71A, and the second ridges 7B are continuous with each other at the rectangular corners of the second sections 71B. Therefore, in this pneumatic tire 1, the rectangular first sections 71A and second sections 71B can be arranged alternately, and the black coloring significantly enhances contrast and improves visibility in response to light L incident from different directions.

[0057] In the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the pattern portion 4A is formed such that the rectangular shape of each of the sections 71A, 71B is square when viewed from the tire surface 3A, 5A (plan view) as shown in FIG. 9 . The dimension H1 of one side of each square of each of the sections 71A, 71B in the pattern portion 4A is set to a range of 1.0 mm to 1.5 mm, and the dimension H2 (the sum of the sides of the squares of adjacent sections 71A, 71B) is set to a range of 2.0 mm to 3.0 mm, which is preferable for achieving the effect of enhancing contrast and improving visibility through blackening. In particular, it is more preferable for the pattern portion 4A to have H1 of 1.3 mm and H2 of 2.6 mm, which is preferable for achieving the effect of enhancing contrast and improving visibility through blackening.

[0058] In the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, although not explicitly shown in the drawings, the pattern portion 4A may be formed in a square shape by increasing the length of the parallel portions 7Ac, 7Bc in each section 71A, 71B and increasing the number of parallel portions 7Ac, 7Bc in comparison with the arrangement shown in Fig. 9. Therefore, in this pneumatic tire 1, by increasing the length of the parallel portions 7Ac, 7Bc and increasing the spacing between the folded-back portions 7Bd, the processing efficiency of the tire molding mold can be improved, contributing to improved productivity. In this case, it is preferable that the dimension H1 of one side of the rectangular shape of each section 71A, 71B be in the range of 1.0 mm to 20.0 mm, and the dimension H2 of the side of adjacent sections 71A, 71B be in the range of 2.0 mm to 40.0 mm, in order to obtain the effect of clarifying contrast and improving visibility by the black color. In particular, it is more preferable that H1 of the pattern portion 4A is 5.0 mm and H2 is 10.0 mm in order to obtain the effect of clarifying the contrast and improving visibility by blackening.

[0059] 11 to 16 are enlarged views of modified examples of the pattern portion. In the modified examples of the pattern portion described below, the same components as those of the pattern portion 4A shown in FIG. 9 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and some of the description will be omitted.

[0060] 11 has a first section 72A and a second section 72B. The first section 72A has a first ridge 7A. The second section 72B has a second ridge 7B.

[0061] The first ridge 7A and the second ridge 7B are configured in the same manner as the pattern portion 4A described above.

[0062] In the pattern portion 4B(4) shown in Fig. 11 , the first ridge 7A is formed as a single serpentine protrusion overall by a plurality of parallel portions 7Ac and folded portions 7Ad connecting the parallel portions 7Ac. The first ridge 7A forms a single first section 72A that resembles a rectangle indicated by a two-dot chain line when viewed (plan view) toward the tire surfaces 3A, 5A as shown in Fig. 11 .

[0063] 11 , the second ridge 7B is formed as a single serpentine protrusion overall, consisting of multiple parallel portions 7Bc and folded-back portions 7Bd connecting the parallel portions 7Bc. The second ridge 7B forms a single second section 72B that resembles a rectangle indicated by the two-dot chain line when viewed from the plane facing the tire surfaces 3A, 5A (plan view) as shown in FIG.

[0064] In the pattern portion 4B, the parallel portions 7Ac of the first ridges 7A in the first sections 72A and the parallel portions 7Bc of the second ridges 7B in the second sections 72B are arranged to extend in directions that intersect with each other when viewed (in a plan view) toward the tire surfaces 3A, 5A as shown in Fig. 11. In the pattern portion 4A shown in Fig. 11, the parallel portions 7Ac and the parallel portions 7Bc are arranged to extend in directions that intersect at an angle of 90 degrees.

[0065] In the pattern portion 4B, the first sections 72A and the second sections 72B are arranged adjacent to each other with their rectangular sides facing each other, and are arranged alternately. In the pattern portion 4B, the first sections 72A are arranged with their rectangular corners facing each other, and the second sections 72B are arranged with their rectangular corners facing each other.

[0066] Furthermore, in the pattern portion 4B, the first ridges 7A of the multiple first sections 72A are formed continuously with each other. Specifically, the multiple first sections 72A are connected to each other at opposing corners via connecting portions 7Ae where the ends of each parallel section 7Ac are bent in an S-shape, thereby forming a first pattern 4BA in which the multiple first sections 72A are connected. Also, in the pattern portion 4B, the second ridges 7B of the multiple second sections 72B are formed continuously with each other. Specifically, the multiple second sections 72B are connected to each other at opposing corners via connecting portions 7Be where the ends of each parallel section 7Bc are bent in an S-shape, thereby forming a second pattern 4BB in which the multiple second sections 72B are connected. Therefore, in the pattern portion 4B, the connecting portions 7Ae of the first ridges 7A or the connecting portions 7Be of the second ridges 7B are arranged to penetrate through the corners of the alternatingly arranged rectangular first sections 72A and second sections 72B.

[0067] This pneumatic tire 1 is manufactured using a tire molding die capable of transferring the above-described pattern portion 4 (4B) onto the surface of the tire side portion 18. The pneumatic tire 1 is manufactured by the above-described manufacturing process for the pattern portion 4A.

[0068] The pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment includes a pattern portion 4 (4B) in which a plurality of first ridges 7A and second ridges 7B having the above-described shapes are arranged in parallel. The pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment includes first sections 72A in which the first ridges 7A are continuously folded back and arranged to form a rectangular shape, and second sections 72B in which the second ridges 7B are continuously folded back and arranged to extend in a direction intersecting the first ridges 7A and form a rectangular shape. In the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the first ridges 7A of the plurality of first sections 72A and the second ridges 7B of the plurality of second sections 72B are continuously formed. Furthermore, in the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the pattern portion 4B includes a first pattern 4BA in which the first ridges 7A of the plurality of first sections 72A are continuously formed, and a second pattern 4BB that is separated from the first pattern 4BA and in which the second ridges 7B of the plurality of second sections 72B are continuously formed. In the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the pattern portion 4B has first ridges 7A connected to each other at the rectangular corners of the first sections 72A, and second ridges 7B connected to each other at the rectangular corners of the second sections 72B. Therefore, the pneumatic tire 1 can achieve the same effect as the pattern portion 4A shown in FIG.

[0069] In the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the pattern portion 4B is formed such that, when viewed from the tire surface 3A, 5A (plan view) as shown in FIG. 11 , the rectangular shape of each of the sections 72A, 72B is rectangular. The dimension H3 of one rectangular section 72A, 72B in each of the sections 72A, 72B is between 1.0 mm and 1.5 mm, and the dimension H4 (the sum of the long sides of the rectangular sections 72A, 72B) of adjacent sections 72A, 72B is between 4.0 mm and 10.0 mm, which is preferable for achieving the effect of enhancing contrast and improving visibility through blackening. In particular, it is more preferable for the pattern portion 4B to have H3 of 1.3 mm and H4 of 4.65 mm, which is preferable for achieving the effect of enhancing contrast and improving visibility through blackening. In particular, the pattern portion 4B has rectangular sections 72A, 72B formed in a rectangular shape, so that the aspect ratio and orientation can be adjusted depending on the location of use, making it easy to use in the mark portion 2 (2A) with a different aspect ratio.

[0070] 12 has a first section 73 A and a second section 73 B. The first section 73 A has a first ridge 7 A. The second section 73 B has a second ridge 7 B.

[0071] The first ridge 7A and the second ridge 7B are configured in the same manner as the pattern portion 4A described above.

[0072] In the pattern portion 4C(4) shown in Fig. 12 , the first ridge 7A is formed as a single serpentine protrusion overall by a plurality of parallel portions 7Ac and folded portions 7Ad connecting the parallel portions 7Ac. The first ridge 7A forms a single first section 73A that resembles a rectangle indicated by a two-dot chain line when viewed (plan view) toward the tire surfaces 3A, 5A as shown in Fig. 12 .

[0073] 12 , the second ridge 7B is formed as a single serpentine protrusion overall, consisting of multiple parallel portions 7Bc and folded-back portions 7Bd connecting the parallel portions 7Bc. The second ridge 7B forms a single second section 73B that resembles a rectangle indicated by a two-dot chain line when viewed (plan view) facing the tire surfaces 3A, 5A as shown in FIG.

[0074] In addition, in the pattern portion 4C, the parallel portions 7Ac of the first ridge 7A of the first section 73A and the parallel portions 7Bc of the second ridge 7B of the second section 73B are arranged to extend in directions that intersect with each other when viewed from the surface toward the tire surfaces 3A, 5A (planar view) as shown in Figure 12.

[0075] In the pattern portion 4C, the first sections 73A and the second sections 73B are arranged adjacent to each other with their rectangular sides facing each other, and are arranged alternately. In the pattern portion 4C, the first sections 73A are arranged with their rectangular corners facing each other, and the second sections 73B are arranged with their rectangular corners facing each other.

[0076] Furthermore, in the pattern portion 4C, the first ridges 7A of the multiple first sections 73A are formed continuously with each other. Specifically, the multiple first sections 73A are connected to each other at opposing corners via connecting portions 7Ae where the ends of each parallel section 7Ac are bent in an S-shape, thereby forming a first pattern 4CA in which the multiple first sections 73A are connected. Also, in the pattern portion 4C, the second ridges 7B of the multiple second sections 73B are formed continuously with each other. Specifically, the multiple second sections 73B are connected to each other at opposing corners via connecting portions 7Be where the ends of each parallel section 7Bc are bent in an S-shape, thereby forming a second pattern 4CB in which the multiple second sections 73B are connected. Therefore, in the pattern portion 4C, the connecting portions 7Ae of the first ridges 7A or the connecting portions 7Be of the second ridges 7B are arranged to penetrate through the corners of the rectangular first sections 73A and second sections 73B that are alternately arranged.

[0077] This pneumatic tire 1 is manufactured using a tire molding die capable of transferring the above-described pattern portion 4 (4C) onto the surface of the tire side portion 18. The pneumatic tire 1 is manufactured by the above-described manufacturing process for the pattern portion 4A.

[0078] The pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment includes a pattern portion 4 (4C) in which a plurality of first ridges 7A and second ridges 7B having the above-described shapes are arranged in parallel. The pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment includes first sections 73A in which the first ridges 7A are continuously folded back and arranged to form a rectangular shape, and second sections 73B in which the second ridges 7B are continuously folded back and arranged to extend in a direction intersecting the first ridges 7A and form a rectangular shape. In the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the first ridges 7A of the plurality of first sections 73A and the second ridges 7B of the plurality of second sections 73B are continuously formed. Furthermore, in the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the pattern portion 4C includes a first pattern 4CA in which the first ridges 7A of the plurality of first sections 73A are continuously formed, and a second pattern 4CB separated from the first pattern 4CA and in which the second ridges 7B of the plurality of second sections 73B are continuously formed. In the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the pattern portion 4C has first ridges 7A connected to each other at the rectangular corners of the first sections 73A, and second ridges 7B connected to each other at the rectangular corners of the second sections 73B. Therefore, the pneumatic tire 1 can achieve the same effect as the pattern portion 4A shown in FIG.

[0079] In the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the pattern portion 4C has a rectangular parallelogram shape for each of the sections 73A and 73B when viewed from the tire surface 3A or 5A (plan view) as shown in FIG. 12 . The dimension H5 of the short side of one parallelogram of each section 73A or 73B is preferably 1.0 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less, and the dimension H6, which is the sum of the long sides of the parallelograms of adjacent sections 73A and 73B, is preferably 4.0 mm or more and 10.0 mm or less, in order to obtain the effect of enhancing contrast and improving visibility through blackening. In particular, it is more preferable that the pattern portion 4C have H5 of 1.3 mm and H6 of 5.4 mm in order to obtain the effect of enhancing contrast and improving visibility through blackening. In particular, the rectangular shape of each section 73A, 73B of the pattern section 4C is formed in a parallelogram shape, so that the aspect ratio and orientation can be adjusted depending on the location of use, making it easy to use in the mark section 2 (2A) with different aspect ratios.

[0080] 13 has a first section 74 A and a second section 74 B. The first section 74 A has a first ridge 7 A. The second section 74 B has a second ridge 7 B.

[0081] The first ridge 7A and the second ridge 7B are configured in the same manner as the pattern portion 4A described above.

[0082] In the pattern portion 4D(4) shown in Fig. 13 , the first ridge 7A is formed as a single zigzag protrusion overall by a plurality of parallel portions 7Bc and folded-back portions 7Bd connecting the parallel portions 7Bc. The first ridge 7A forms a single first section 74A that resembles a rectangle indicated by a two-dot chain line when viewed (plan view) toward the tire surfaces 3A, 5A as shown in Fig. 13 .

[0083] 13 , the second ridge 7B is formed as a single zigzag protrusion overall by a plurality of parallel portions 7Bc and folded-back portions 7Bd connecting the parallel portions 7Bc. The second ridge 7B forms a single second section 74B that resembles a rectangle indicated by a two-dot chain line when viewed toward the tire surfaces 3A, 5A (plan view) as shown in FIG.

[0084] In the pattern portion 4D, the parallel portions 7Ac of the first ridges 7A in the first section 74A and the parallel portions 7Bc of the second ridges 7B in the second section 74B are arranged to extend in directions that intersect with each other when viewed (in a plan view) toward the tire surfaces 3A and 5A as shown in Fig. 13. The first section 74A and the second section 74B are formed in the same shape but with different 90-deg orientations.

[0085] In the pattern portion 4D, the first sections 74A and the second sections 74B are arranged adjacent to each other with their rectangular sides facing each other, and are arranged alternately. In the pattern portion 4D, the first sections 74A are arranged with their rectangular corners facing each other, and the second sections 74B are arranged with their rectangular corners facing each other.

[0086] Furthermore, in the pattern portion 4D, the first ridges 7A of the multiple first sections 74A are formed continuously. Specifically, the multiple first sections 74A are connected to each other at opposing corners via connecting portions 7Ae where the ends of each parallel section 7Ac are bent relative to the parallel sections 7Ac, thereby forming a first pattern 4DA in which the multiple first sections 74A are connected. Also, in the pattern portion 4D, the second ridges 7B of the multiple second sections 74B are formed continuously. Specifically, the multiple second sections 74B are connected to each other at opposing corners via connecting portions 7Be where the ends of each parallel section 7Bc are bent relative to the parallel sections 7Bc, thereby forming a second pattern 4DB in which the multiple second sections 74B are connected. The first pattern 4DA and the second pattern 4DB are formed to have the same shape but are oriented in different directions by 90 degrees. Therefore, in the pattern portion 4D, the connecting portion 7Ae of the first ridge 7A or the connecting portion 7Be of the second ridge 7B is arranged to penetrate through the corners of the alternatingly arranged rectangular first sections 74A and second sections 74B.

[0087] This pneumatic tire 1 is manufactured using a tire molding die capable of transferring the above-described pattern portion 4 (4D) onto the surface of the tire side portion 18. The pneumatic tire 1 is manufactured by the above-described manufacturing process for the pattern portion 4A.

[0088] The pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment includes a pattern portion 4 (4D) in which a plurality of first ridges 7A and second ridges 7B having the above-described shapes are arranged in parallel. The pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment includes first sections 74A in which the first ridges 7A are continuously folded back and arranged to form a rectangular shape, and second sections 74B in which the second ridges 7B are continuously folded back and arranged to extend in a direction intersecting the first ridges 7A and form a rectangular shape. Furthermore, in the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the first ridges 7A of the plurality of first sections 74A and the second ridges 7B of the plurality of second sections 74B are continuously formed. Furthermore, in the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the pattern portion 4D includes a first pattern 4DA in which the first ridges 7A of the plurality of first sections 74A are continuously formed, and a second pattern 4DB separated from the first pattern 4DA in which the second ridges 7B of the plurality of second sections 74B are continuously formed. In the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the pattern portion 4D has the first ridges 7A connected to each other at the rectangular corners of the first sections 74A, and the second ridges 7B connected to each other at the rectangular corners of the second sections 74B. Therefore, the pneumatic tire 1 can achieve the same effect as the pattern portion 4A shown in FIG.

[0089] In the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the pattern portion 4D is formed such that the rectangular shape of each of the sections 74A, 74B is square when viewed from the tire surface 3A, 5A (plan view) as shown in FIG. 13 . The dimension H7 of one side of each square of each of the sections 74A, 74B in the pattern portion 4D is preferably 1.0 mm to 1.5 mm, and the dimension H8 (the sum of the sides of the squares of adjacent sections 74A, 74B) is preferably 2.0 mm to 3.0 mm, in order to obtain the effect of enhancing contrast and improving visibility through blackening. In particular, it is more preferable that the dimension H7 of the pattern portion 4D be 1.3 mm and the dimension H8 be 2.6 mm, in order to obtain the effect of enhancing contrast and improving visibility through blackening. In particular, in the pattern portion 4D, the ridges 7A, 7B of each section 74A, 74B are formed in a zigzag pattern, and as a result, compared to a pattern portion in which the parallel portions 7Ac, 7Bc are parallel, light L incident between the ridges 7A, 7B is diffusely reflected and absorbed, causing the pattern portion 4D to turn black and appear black, thereby clarifying the contrast, which is the difference in light and dark between the pattern portion 4D and other portions without the pattern portion 4D, and improving the visibility of the marking portion 2 (2A) applied to the tire side portion 18.

[0090] 14 has a first section 75 A and a second section 75 B. The first section 75 A has a first ridge 7 A. The second section 75 B has a second ridge 7 B.

[0091] The first ridge 7A and the second ridge 7B are configured in the same manner as the pattern portion 4A described above.

[0092] In the pattern portion 4E(4) shown in Fig. 14 , the first ridge 7A is formed as a single serpentine protrusion overall by a plurality of parallel portions 7Bc and folded-back portions 7Bd connecting the parallel portions 7Bc. The first ridge 7A forms a single first section 75A that resembles a rectangle indicated by a two-dot chain line when viewed (plan view) toward the tire surfaces 3A, 5A as shown in Fig. 14 .

[0093] 14 , the second ridge 7B is formed as a single serpentine protrusion overall, consisting of multiple parallel portions 7Bc and folded-back portions 7Bd connecting the parallel portions 7Bc. The second ridge 7B forms a single second section 74B that resembles a rectangle indicated by the two-dot chain line when viewed facing the tire surfaces 3A, 5A (plan view) as shown in FIG.

[0094] In the pattern portion 4E, the parallel portions 7Ac of the first ridges 7A in the first section 75A and the parallel portions 7Bc of the second ridges 7B in the second section 75B are arranged to extend in directions that intersect with each other when viewed (in a plan view) toward the tire surfaces 3A, 5A as shown in Fig. 14. The first section 75A and the second section 75B are formed in the same shape but with different 90-deg orientations.

[0095] In the pattern portion 4E, the first sections 75A and the second sections 75B are arranged adjacent to each other with their rectangular sides facing each other, and are arranged alternately. In the pattern portion 4E, the first sections 75A are arranged with their rectangular corners facing each other, and the second sections 75B are arranged with their rectangular corners facing each other.

[0096] Furthermore, in the pattern portion 4E, the first ridges 7A of the multiple first sections 75A are formed continuously. Specifically, the multiple first sections 75A are connected to each other at opposing corners via connecting portions 7Ae where the ends of each parallel section 7Ac are bent in an S-shape, thereby forming a first pattern 4EA in which the multiple first sections 75A are connected. Also, in the pattern portion 4E, the second ridges 7B of the multiple second sections 75B are formed continuously. Specifically, the multiple second sections 75B are connected to each other at opposing corners via connecting portions 7Be where the ends of each parallel section 7Bc are bent in an S-shape, thereby forming a second pattern 4EB in which the multiple second sections 75B are connected. The first pattern 4EA and the second pattern 4EB are formed to have the same shape but are oriented in different directions by 90 degrees. Therefore, in the pattern portion 4E, the connecting portion 7Ae of the first ridge 7A or the connecting portion 7Be of the second ridge 7B is arranged to penetrate through the corners of the rectangular first sections 75A and second sections 75B that are arranged alternately.

[0097] This pneumatic tire 1 is manufactured using a tire molding die capable of transferring the above-described pattern portion 4 (4E) onto the surface of the tire side portion 18. The pneumatic tire 1 is manufactured by the above-described manufacturing process for the pattern portion 4A.

[0098] The pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment includes a pattern portion 4 (4E) in which a plurality of first ridges 7A and second ridges 7B having the above-described shapes are arranged in parallel. The pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment includes first sections 75A in which the first ridges 7A are continuously folded back and arranged to form a rectangular shape, and second sections 75B in which the second ridges 7B are continuously folded back and arranged to extend in a direction intersecting the first ridges 7A and form a rectangular shape. In the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the first ridges 7A of the plurality of first sections 75A and the second ridges 7B of the plurality of second sections 75B are continuously formed. Furthermore, in the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the pattern portion 4E includes a first pattern 4EA in which the first ridges 7A of the plurality of first sections 75A are continuously formed, and a second pattern 4EB separated from the first pattern 4EA in which the second ridges 7B of the plurality of second sections 75B are continuously formed. In the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the pattern portion 4E has the first ridges 7A connected to each other at the rectangular corners of the first sections 75A, and the second ridges 7B connected to each other at the rectangular corners of the second sections 75B. Therefore, the pneumatic tire 1 can achieve the same effect as the pattern portion 4A shown in FIG.

[0099] In the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the pattern portion 4E is formed such that the rectangular shape of each of the sections 75A, 75B is square when viewed from the tire surface 3A, 5A (plan view) as shown in FIG. 14 . The dimension H9 of one side of each square of each of the sections 75A, 75B in the pattern portion 4E is preferably set to 1.0 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less, and the dimension H10, which is the sum of the sides of the squares of adjacent sections 75A, 75B, is preferably set to 2.0 mm or more and 3.0 mm or less, in order to obtain the effect of enhancing contrast and improving visibility through blackening. In particular, it is more preferable that the dimension H9 of the pattern portion 4E be 1.3 mm and the dimension H10 be 2.6 mm, in order to obtain the effect of enhancing contrast and improving visibility through blackening.

[0100] In the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 14, the pattern portion 4E has each parallel portion 7Ac and each parallel portion 7Bc curved and formed into an arc shape with the same radii R1 and R2. Therefore, in this pneumatic tire 1, the parallel portions 7Ac and each parallel portion 7Bc are formed into a curved or arc shape, and compared to a pattern portion in which the parallel portions 7Ac and 7Bc are parallel, light L incident between the ridges 7A and 7B is diffusely reflected and absorbed, making the pattern portion 4D appear black. This emphasizes the contrast, i.e., the difference in brightness between the pattern portion 4D and other portions without the pattern portion 4D, and improves the visibility of the marking portion 2 (2A) applied to the tire side portion 18. In the pattern portion 4E, it is preferable to set the radii R1 and R2 of the parallel portions 7Ac and 7Bc in the range of 5.0 mm to 10 mm inclusive, in order to obtain the effect of clarifying the contrast and improving visibility through the blackening. In particular, it is more preferable that the radii R1 and R2 of the parallel portions 7Ac and 7Bc of the pattern portion 4E be 5.91 mm in order to obtain the effect of clarifying the contrast and improving visibility by blackening.

[0101] 15 has a first section 76 A and a second section 76 B. The first section 76 A has a first ridge 7 A. The second section 76 B has a second ridge 7 B.

[0102] The first ridge 7A and the second ridge 7B are configured in the same manner as the pattern portion 4A described above.

[0103] In the pattern portion 4F(4) shown in Fig. 15 , the first ridge 7A is formed as a single meandering protrusion overall by a plurality of parallel portions 7Ac and folded portions 7Ad connecting the parallel portions 7Ac. The first ridge 7A forms a single first section 76A that resembles a rectangular shape when viewed from the surface facing the tire surfaces 3A, 5A (in a plan view) as shown in Fig. 15 .

[0104] 15 , the second ridge 7B is formed as a single serpentine protrusion overall, consisting of multiple parallel portions 7Bc and folded-back portions 7Bd connecting the parallel portions 7Bc. The second ridge 7B forms a single second section 76B that resembles a rectangular shape when viewed facing the tire surfaces 3A, 5A (in a plan view) as shown in FIG.

[0105] In the pattern portion 4F, the parallel portions 7Ac of the first ridges 7A in the first sections 76A and the parallel portions 7Bc of the second ridges 7B in the second sections 76B are arranged to extend in directions that intersect with each other when viewed (in a plan view) toward the tire surfaces 3A, 5A as shown in Fig. 15. In the pattern portion 4F shown in Fig. 15, the parallel portions 7Ac and the parallel portions 7Bc are arranged to extend in directions that intersect at an angle of 90 degrees.

[0106] In the pattern portion 4F, the first sections 76A and the second sections 76B are arranged adjacent to each other with their rectangular sides facing each other, and are arranged alternately. In the pattern portion 4F, the first sections 76A are arranged with their rectangular corners facing each other, and the second sections 76B are arranged with their rectangular corners facing each other.

[0107] Furthermore, in the pattern portion 4F, the first ridges 7A of the multiple first sections 76A are formed continuously. Specifically, the multiple first sections 76A are connected to each other at opposing corners via connecting portions 7Ae where the ends of each parallel section 7Ac are bent in an S-shape, thereby forming a first pattern 4FA in which the multiple first sections 76A are connected. Also, in the pattern portion 4F, the second ridges 7B of the multiple second sections 76B are formed continuously. Specifically, the multiple second sections 76B are connected to each other at opposing corners via connecting portions 7Be where the ends of each parallel section 7Bc are bent in an S-shape, thereby forming a second pattern 4FB in which the multiple second sections 76B are connected. The first pattern 4FA and the second pattern 4FB are formed to have the same shape but are oriented in different directions by 90 degrees. Therefore, in the pattern portion 4F, the connecting portion 7Ae of the first ridge 7A or the connecting portion 7Be of the second ridge 7B is arranged to penetrate through the corners of the rectangular first sections 76A and second sections 76B that are arranged alternately.

[0108] This pneumatic tire 1 is manufactured using a tire molding die capable of transferring the above-described pattern portion 4 (4F) onto the surface of the tire side portion 18. The pneumatic tire 1 is manufactured by the above-described manufacturing process of the pattern portion 4A.

[0109] The pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment includes a pattern portion 4 (4F) in which a plurality of first ridges 7A and second ridges 7B having the above-described shapes are arranged in parallel. The pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment includes first sections 76A in which the first ridges 7A are continuously folded back and arranged to form a rectangular shape, and second sections 76B in which the second ridges 7B are continuously folded back and arranged to extend in a direction intersecting the first ridges 7A and form a rectangular shape. In the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the first ridges 7A of the plurality of first sections 76A and the second ridges 7B of the plurality of second sections 76B are continuously formed. Furthermore, in the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the pattern portion 4F includes a first pattern 4FA in which the first ridges 7A of the plurality of first sections 76A are continuously formed, and a second pattern 4FB in which the second ridges 7B of the plurality of second sections 76B are continuously formed, separated from the first pattern 4FA. In the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the pattern portion 4F has the first ridges 7A connected to each other at the rectangular corners of the first sections 76A and the second ridges 7B connected to each other at the rectangular corners of the second sections 76B. Therefore, the pneumatic tire 1 can achieve the same effect as the pattern portion 4A shown in FIG.

[0110] In the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the pattern portion 4F is formed such that, when viewed from the tire surface 3A, 5A (plan view) as shown in FIG. 15 , the rectangular shape of each of the sections 76A, 76B is rectangular. The pattern portion 4F preferably has a long side dimension H11 of 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm, and a combined dimension H12 (the short and long sides of the rectangular shape of an adjacent section 76A, 76B) of 2.0 mm to 3.0 mm, in order to achieve the effect of enhancing contrast and improving visibility through blackening. In particular, it is more preferable for the pattern portion 4F to have H11 of 1.41 mm and H12 of 2.59 mm, in order to achieve the effect of enhancing contrast and improving visibility through blackening. In particular, the pattern section 4F has rectangular sections 76A, 76B formed in a rectangular shape, so that the aspect ratio and orientation can be adjusted depending on the location of use, making it easy to use in the mark section 2 (2A) with different aspect ratios.

[0111] 15 , in the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the pattern portion 4F has a step 76C between adjacent sections 76A, 76B, where the ridges 7A, 7B have different heights. Specifically, the step 76C is provided between a first pattern 4FA made up of a plurality of successive first sections 76A and a second pattern 4FB made up of a plurality of successive second sections 76B. Therefore, in this pneumatic tire 1, the first sections 76A (first pattern 4FA) and the second sections 76B (second pattern 4FB), which have different heights of ridges 7A, 7B, have different contrast, thereby improving visibility.

[0112] 16 has a first section 77 A and a second section 77 B. The first section 77 A has a first ridge 7 A. The second section 77 B has a second ridge 7 B.

[0113] The first ridge 7A and the second ridge 7B are configured in the same manner as the pattern portion 4A described above.

[0114] In the pattern portion 4G(4) shown in Fig. 16 , the first ridge 7A is formed as a single serpentine protrusion overall by a plurality of parallel portions 7Ac and folded portions 7Ad connecting the parallel portions 7Ac. The first ridge 7A forms a single first section 77A that resembles a rectangle indicated by a two-dot chain line when viewed (in plan view) toward the tire surfaces 3A, 5A as shown in Fig. 16 .

[0115] 16 , the second ridge 7B is formed as a single serpentine protrusion overall, consisting of multiple parallel portions 7Bc and folded-back portions 7Bd connecting the parallel portions 7Bc. The second ridge 7B forms a single second section 77B that resembles a rectangle indicated by the two-dot chain line when viewed facing the tire surfaces 3A, 5A (plan view) as shown in FIG.

[0116] In the pattern portion 4G, the parallel portions 7Ac of the first ridges 7A in the first section 77A and the parallel portions 7Bc of the second ridges 7B in the second section 77B are arranged to extend in directions that intersect with each other when viewed (in a plan view) toward the tire surfaces 3A, 5A as shown in Fig. 16. In the pattern portion 4F shown in Fig. 16, the parallel portions 7Ac and the parallel portions 7Bc are arranged to extend in directions that intersect at an angle of 90 degrees.

[0117] In addition, in the pattern portion 4G, the first sections 77A and the second sections 77B are arranged adjacent to each other with their respective rectangular sides facing each other, and are arranged alternately, and the first sections 77A and the second sections 77B are arranged adjacent to each other with their respective rectangular sides facing each other.

[0118] Furthermore, in the pattern portion 4G, the first ridges 7A of the multiple first sections 77A are formed continuously with each other. Specifically, in the multiple first sections 77A, the ends of adjacent parallel sections 7Ac are connected to each other via arc-shaped connecting portions 7Ae, thereby forming a first pattern 4GA in which the multiple first sections 77A are continuous. Also, in the pattern portion 4G, the second ridges 7B of the multiple second sections 77B are formed continuously with each other. Specifically, in the multiple second sections 77B, the ends of opposing parallel sections 7Bc are connected to each other via linear connecting portions 7Be, thereby forming a second pattern 4GB in which the multiple second sections 77B are continuous with each other.

[0119] The pneumatic tire 1 is manufactured using a tire molding die capable of transferring the above-described pattern portion 4 (4G) onto the surface of the tire side portion 18. The pneumatic tire 1 is manufactured by the above-described manufacturing process for the pattern portion 4A.

[0120] The pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment includes a pattern portion 4 (4G) in which a plurality of first ridges 7A and second ridges 7B having the above-described shapes are arranged in parallel. Furthermore, the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment includes first sections 77A in which the first ridges 7A are continuously folded back and arranged to form a rectangular shape, and second sections 77B in which the second ridges 7B are continuously folded back and arranged to form a rectangular shape in a direction intersecting the first ridges 7A. Furthermore, in the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the first ridges 7A of the plurality of first sections 77A and the second ridges 7B of the plurality of second sections 77B are continuously formed. Furthermore, in the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the pattern portion 4G includes a first pattern 4GA in which the first ridges 7A of the plurality of first sections 77A are continuously formed, and a second pattern 4GB separated from the first pattern 4GA and in which the second ridges 7B of the plurality of second sections 77B are continuously formed. Therefore, the pneumatic tire 1 can achieve the same effect as the pattern portion 4A shown in FIG. 9 .

[0121] In the pneumatic tire 1 of the embodiment, the pattern portion 4G is formed such that the rectangular shape of each of the sections 77A, 77B is square when viewed from the tire surface 3A, 5A (plan view) as shown in FIG. 16 . The dimension H13 of one side of each square of each of the sections 77A, 77B is between 1.0 mm and 1.5 mm, and the dimension H14, which is the sum of the sides of the squares of adjacent sections 77A, 77B, is between 2.0 mm and 3.0 mm, which is preferable for achieving the effect of enhancing contrast and improving visibility through blackening. In particular, it is more preferable for the pattern portion 4G to have H13 of 1.3 mm and H14 of 2.6 mm, which is preferable for achieving the effect of enhancing contrast and improving visibility through blackening.

[0122] In the present embodiment, as described above, the pneumatic tire 1 has been described as an example of a tire. The pneumatic tire 1 can be filled with air, an inert gas such as nitrogen, or other gases. However, the configuration of the pattern portion of the pneumatic tire 1 described in the present embodiment can be arbitrarily applied to other tires within the scope of what is obvious to those skilled in the art. Examples of other tires include airless tires and solid tires.

[0123] 17 is a table showing the results of a performance test of the pneumatic tire according to the embodiment of the present invention. Performance evaluation tests conducted on a conventional pneumatic tire and an example pneumatic tire according to the embodiment will be described below. The performance evaluation tests were conducted to check the visibility of the pattern portion.

[0124] In the visibility evaluation test, a test tire with a tire size of 255 / 35R19 (96Y) is mounted on a rim with a rim size of 19x9J, and the test tire is pressurized according to the JATMA standard. An inspector then visually inspects the tire side of the test tire from a distance of 5 m to perform a sensory evaluation of the visibility of the pattern portion, particularly the degree of blackening of the pattern portion (contrast with the surrounding area). This evaluation is performed using an index evaluation with the conventional example as the standard (100), and the higher the value, the better.

[0125] The conventional test tire had a pattern portion in the form shown in Figure 3, with a first section formed by arranging a plurality of parallel ridges extending linearly to form a square, and a second section formed by arranging a plurality of parallel ridges extending in a direction 90 degrees different from the first section to form a square, with the first and second sections arranged in a staggered pattern. This conventional test tire had a ridge width of 0.1 mm, a ridge pitch of 0.2 mm, and each side of the square shape of the first and second sections was 1.3 mm.

[0126] The test tire of the example had the pattern portion in the form shown in FIG. 3 and the configuration shown in FIGS. 9 and 11 to 16.

[0127] As shown in the test results, it is clear that the pneumatic tire of this embodiment has improved visibility compared to the conventional example.

[0128] The present disclosure includes the following inventions. [Invention 1] A tire comprising a pattern section having a plurality of ridges arranged in parallel on the tire surface, the pattern section having: first sections in which first ridges are continuously folded back and arranged to form a rectangular shape; and second sections in which second ridges are continuously folded back and arranged to extend in a direction intersecting the first ridges and form a rectangular shape, wherein the first ridges of a plurality of the first sections and the second ridges of a plurality of the second sections are formed continuously with each other. [Invention 2] The tire according to Invention 1, wherein the pattern section has: a first pattern in which the first ridges of a plurality of the first sections are continuous with each other; and a second pattern separated from the first pattern and in which the second ridges of a plurality of the second sections are continuous with each other. [Invention 3] The tire according to Invention 1 or 2, wherein the pattern section has: the first ridges are continuous with each other at rectangular corners of the first sections, and the second ridges are continuous with each other at rectangular corners of the second sections. [Invention 4] The tire according to any one of Inventions 1 to 3, wherein the pattern portion is formed by the ridges being folded back and arranged in a curved manner. [Invention 5] The tire according to any one of Inventions 1 to 4, wherein the pattern portion is formed by the ridges being folded back and arranged in an arc shape with the same radius. [Invention 6] The tire according to any one of Inventions 1 to 5, wherein a step with a different ridge height is formed between adjacent sections. [Invention 7] The tire according to any one of Inventions 1 to 6, wherein the ridge width in the pattern portion is 0.03 mm or more and 0.3 mm or less, and the pitch of the ridges being folded back and arranged in a curved manner is 0.5 mm or less. [Invention 8] The tire according to any one of Inventions 1 to 7, wherein the pattern portion is provided on the inner bottom of a recessed portion of a marking portion that is recessed from the tire surface. [Invention 9] The tire according to any one of Inventions 1 to 7, wherein the pattern portion is provided around a protruding portion of a marking portion that protrudes from the tire surface. [Invention 10] The tire according to any one of Inventions 1 to 7, wherein the pattern portion is provided to surround a convex portion of the marking portion that protrudes from the tire surface.

[0129] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pneumatic tire (tire) 2 Marking portion 3A, 5A Tire surface 4 (4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 4F, 4G) Pattern portion 4AA, 4BA, 4CA, 4DA, 4EA, 4FA, 4GA First pattern 4AB, 4BB, 4CB, 4DB, 4EB, 4FB, 4GB Second pattern 5 Concave portion 6 Convex portion 7A First ridge 7B Second ridge 71A, 72A, 73A, 74A, 75A, 76A, 77A First section 71B, 72B, 73B, 74B, 75B, 76B, 77B Second section

Claims

1. A tire having a pattern section on the tire surface where a plurality of ridges are arranged in parallel, the pattern section having: first sections where first ridges are arranged so as to be continuously folded back and lined up to form a rectangular shape; and second sections where second ridges are arranged so as to be continuously folded back and extend in a direction intersecting the first ridges and lined up to form a rectangular shape; and the first ridges in a plurality of the first sections and the second ridges in a plurality of the second sections are formed so as to be continuously connected to each other.

2. A tire as described in claim 1, wherein the pattern portion has: a first pattern in which the first ridges of a plurality of the first sections are continuous with each other; and a second pattern separated from the first pattern and in which the second ridges of a plurality of the second sections are continuous with each other.

3. A tire as set forth in claim 1, wherein the pattern portion is such that the first ridges are continuous with each other at rectangular corners of the first sections, and the second ridges are continuous with each other at rectangular corners of the second sections.

4. The tire according to claim 1, wherein the pattern portion is formed by the ridges being arranged in a curved folded manner.

5. A tire according to claim 1, wherein the pattern portion has ridges that are folded back and arranged in an arc shape with the same radius.

6. The tire according to claim 1, wherein the ridges have different heights between adjacent sections.

7. A tire according to claim 1, wherein the pattern portion has a width of the ridges of 0.03 mm or more and 0.3 mm or less, and the pitch of the ridges arranged in a folded-back pattern is 0.5 mm or less.

8. A tire according to claim 1, wherein the pattern portion is provided on the inner bottom of a recess of a marking portion recessed from the tire surface.

9. A tire according to claim 1, wherein the pattern portion is provided around a protruding portion of a marking portion that protrudes from the tire surface.

10. A tire according to claim 1, wherein the pattern portion is provided by edging the periphery of a protruding portion of the marking portion that protrudes from the tire surface.

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