Claims
- 1. A pneumatic tire for use on paved surfaces comprising a pair of annular beads, carcass plies wrapped around said annular beads, a tread disposed over said carcass plies in a crown area of said tire, and sidewalls disposed between said tread and said beads, wherein said tire under design load and pressure has a footprint and wherein said tread has a directional tread pattern and has a footprint net-to-gross ratio of 42% to 70% and two annular aqua channels each having non-parallel rounded groove walls, said aqua channels each having a width of about 10% to 20% of total tread width based on the footprint of the tire and a depth of 78% to 100% of total tread depth, and wherein shoulder lateral grooves between an aqua channel and a shoulder are disposed at an angle of 90.degree. to 50.degree., or 90.degree. to -50.degree. with respect to the equatorial plane (EP) of the tire, said shoulder lateral grooves having a first end in a leading part of the tread pattern nearer the aqua channel than the shoulder and a second end in a trailing part of the tread pattern nearer the shoulder than the aqua channel, and wherein center lateral grooves between said aqua channels have an angle of 20.degree. to 60.degree. with respect to the equatorial plane (EP) of the tire, wherein said center lateral grooves have a first portion in the leading part of the tread pattern closer to a center of the tire than to an aqua channel and a second portion in the trailing part of the tread pattern closer to the aqua channel than to the center of the tire and wherein a center groove is located at the equatorial plane (EP) of the tire and said aqua channels each have an extended U-shape wherein one wall of the aqua channel has a steeper incline than the opposite wall of the aqua channel which is closer to the center of the tire, and wherein a thickness of the tread in the center of the tire is 4% to 7% greater than the tread thickness in the shoulders, and wherein said footprint comprises two substantially trapezoidal contact patches oriented longer base to longer base and a substantially rectangular contact patch disposed between the two substantially trapezoidal contact patches, each substantially trapezoidal contact patch is separated from the substantially rectangular contact patch by a void area which corresponds to an aqua channel.
Parent Case Info
This is a Continuation-in-Part of application Ser. No. 08/147,503, filed on Nov. 3, 1993, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (20)
Foreign Referenced Citations (20)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0296605 |
Jun 1988 |
EPX |
0391300 |
Oct 1990 |
EPX |
503404 |
Sep 1992 |
EPX |
0594380A1 |
Jul 1993 |
EPX |
0593288A1 |
Oct 1993 |
EPX |
4444970A1 |
Dec 1993 |
EPX |
0659593A1 |
Jun 1995 |
EPX |
0661182A2 |
Jul 1995 |
EPX |
0677405A1 |
Oct 1995 |
EPX |
0710577A1 |
May 1996 |
EPX |
819836 |
Jun 1936 |
FRX |
819836 |
Oct 1937 |
FRX |
2608516 |
Jun 1988 |
FRX |
606754 |
Jan 1935 |
DEX |
3643046 |
Jun 1988 |
DEX |
61-166708 |
Jul 1986 |
JPX |
42306 |
Feb 1991 |
JPX |
132402 |
Jun 1991 |
JPX |
3-246104 |
Nov 1991 |
JPX |
2221877 |
Feb 1990 |
GBX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (3)
Entry |
Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc. (article), National Automobile Engineerig Meeting May 22-26, 1972. |
Smithers Scientific Services, Inc., random footprints 1985-1989. |
"Tire Business", p. 38, Sep. 6, 1993. |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
147503 |
Nov 1993 |
|