Patent Application
20170120684
The present invention relates to a tire having a block pattern and, in particular, to a tire featuring superior performances on snow.
Conventionally, attempts to improve fore-aft and lateral grip performances of a tire on snow have been made with winter tires by providing V-shaped lateral grooves (hereinafter referred to as “diagonal lug grooves”) to gain the block edge components in both the tire axial direction and the tire circumferential direction.
However, the use of smaller diagonal angles for lug grooves (hereinafter “diagonal” meaning diagonal with respect to the tire axial direction) to secure acceleration performance on snow results in reduced efficiency in water expulsion in the tire axial direction. This will lead to lowered anti-hydroplaning performance on wet roads. On the other hand, the use of larger diagonal angles for lug grooves may improve the anti-hydroplaning performance, but lower the grip performances on snow, thus presenting the problem of inadequate acceleration performance on snow.
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing problems, and an object of the invention is to provide a tire having V-shaped lug grooves capable of improving both the grip performances on snow and anti-hydroplaning performance.
The present invention relates to a tire that has diagonal lug grooves formed on a tread surface thereof extending from a tire center portion to an axial end of a tread diagonally with respect to a tire circumferential direction and a tire axial direction. When an angle of diagonal lug grooves with respect to the tire axial direction is designated as a lug groove diagonal angle θLG, and an angle of a normal line of a leading-end profile line of a contact patch shape of the tire with respect to the tire axial direction as a profile line diagonal angle θFP and when a range covering 20% in width of the contact patch width with an equatorial plane at a center is designated as a center portion, a range covering 20% in width of the contact patch width on each axially outer side adjacent to a center portion as an intermediate portion (hereinafter referred to as “2nd portion”), and a range covering 20% in width of the contact patch width on each axially outer side adjacent to the 2nd portion as a shoulder portion, an absolute value of difference between the lug groove diagonal angle θLG and the profile line diagonal angle θFP is set within a range of 0° or more and 60° or less (0°≦|θFP−θLG|≦60°) at respective positions in the tire axial direction. And absolute values of difference in the center portion and the 2nd portion are larger than the absolute value of the difference in the shoulder portion.
It is to be noted that the “contact patch shape” and “contact patch width” are those measured under tire measurement conditions specified by JATMA for the applicable tire size (Tires are first fitted on applicable rims. Tires for passenger cars are left standing for 24 hours at an internal pressure of 180 kPa and room temperature of 25° C.±2° C., and then the internal pressure is readjusted before measurement. In the measurement of the contact patch shape, static load radius measurement conditions are used (mass equivalent to 88% of the maximum load capacity of the tire is applied)).
Thus, the lug grooves are formed such that the difference of the lug groove diagonal angle θLG from the profile line diagonal angle θFP is 60° or less at different positions in the tire axial direction and, at the same time, the difference between the lug groove diagonal angle θLG and the profile-line diagonal angle θFP in the shoulder portion is made smaller. As a result, the anti-hydroplaning performance can be improved while retaining the grip performances on snow.
It should be noted that the foregoing summary of the invention does not necessarily recite all the features essential to the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that the subcombinations of these features also fall within the scope of the invention. It is also to be appreciated that the left and right patterns satisfying the features described above on a tire having left-right asymmetric tread patterns also fall within the scope of the invention.
As shown in the illustration, the tire 10 includes a tread 11, a rib groove 12, diagonal lug grooves 13, narrow grooves 14, center blocks 15, 2nd blocks 16, shoulder blocks 17, and sipes 18.
The rib groove 12 is a circumferential groove extending continuously along the equatorial plane CL which is the axial center of the tread 11 surface. In the present example, only one rib groove 12 is provided, and the groove width wc is set to 20% or less of the contact patch width W of the tire 10.
The diagonal lug grooves 13 are the grooves formed to extend in directions intersecting with the tire circumferential and axial directions such that they have one end thereof communicating with the rib groove 12 and the other end thereof opening on the axial end of the tread surface of the tread 11. And two diagonal lug grooves 13, 13 extending right and left, respectively, from the rib groove 12, form lateral grooves in an approximately V shape. The right-hand diagonal lug grooves 13 extend from lower left to upper right, whereas the left-hand diagonal lug grooves 13 extend from lower right to upper left. At the same time, both have one end thereof communicating with the rib groove 12 on the trailing-end side and the other end thereof opening on the axial end of the tread on the leading-end side.
The narrow grooves 14, which are formed to intersect with the diagonal lug grooves 13, are the grooves narrower than the diagonal lug grooves 13. And the inclination (inclination with respect to the tire axial direction) of the narrow grooves 14 located on the axially outer side is greater than that of the narrow grooves 14 located on the axially inner side.
Thus, the center blocks 15 are defined by the rib groove 12, the diagonal lug grooves 13 and the narrow grooves 14 positioned on the axially inner side, the 2nd blocks 16 are defined by the diagonal lug grooves 13 and the narrow grooves 14, and the shoulder blocks 17 are defined by the diagonal lug grooves 13 and the narrow grooves 14 positioned on the axially outer side.
Formed on the surfaces of the blocks 15, 16, and 17 are sipes 18 extending approximately in the tire axial direction (angle with respect to the axial direction being within)±10°.
As shown in
In this example, in the center portions, the 2nd portions, and the shoulder portions, the diagonal lug grooves 13 are formed such that the absolute value of difference between the lug groove diagonal angle θLG and the profile line diagonal angle θFP (hereinafter referred to as the “absolute value of difference”) |θFP−θLG| is within a range of 0° or more and 60° or less.
This represents a condition for securing the anti-hydroplaning performance of the tire 10 which has V-shaped diagonal lug grooves 13, 13 as in the present invention. That is, when the lug groove diagonal angle θLG is equal to the profile line diagonal angle θFP (|θFP−θLG|=0°) at each position in the tire axial direction, the direction of water expulsion at the ends of the contact patch is in agreement with the direction of water expulsion of the pattern. As a result, the tire as a whole shows the best water expulsion efficiency and superior anti-hydroplaning performance.
However, the winter tire as in the case of the tire 10 in the present example must have grip performances on snow. In order to secure grip performances on snow, it is necessary that the lug groove diagonal angle θLG be made smaller. To secure grip performances on snow without reduction in anti-hydroplaning performance, therefore, |θFP−θLG| should be set to 0° or more and 60° or less, preferably 0° or more and 50° or less, and more preferably 0° or more and 40° or less.
The generation factors determining grip forces on snow are a compression resistance FA as a running resistance acting on the front of the tire 10, a surface friction force FB acting on the blocks 15 (or blocks 16 and 17), a snow column shearing force FC acting on the grooves (diagonal lug grooves 13 here), and a digging force FD (edge effect) given by sipe edges and block edges. With the tire 10 having V-shaped diagonal lug grooves 13, 13, the snow column shearing force during braking and drive is secured by the diagonal lug grooves 13.
Accordingly, as mentioned above, grip performances on snow can be ensured by making the lug groove diagonal angle θLG smaller. Also, the sipes 18 provided in the land portions (blocks 15, 16, 17) ensure the edge effects during braking and drive by an increased number of small edges without reducing block rigidity.
Also, in the present example, both the absolute value of difference |θFP-C−θLG-C| in the center portion and the absolute value of difference |θFP-2−θLG-2| in the 2nd portion are set larger than the absolute value of difference |θFP-S−θLG-S| in the shoulder portion. As a result, the water expulsion from the shoulder portions is made easier while retaining the grip performances on snow in the tire center and 2nd portions. Also, the shoulder portions, which have smaller lug groove diagonal angle θLG-S, can retain the grip performances on snow.
In other words, the arrangement of |θFP-S−θLG-S|<|θFP-C−θLG-C|, |θFP-2−θLG-2| achieves high grip performances on snow while retaining the anti-hydroplaning performance.
The absolute value of difference |θFP-C−θLG-C| in the center portion and the absolute value of difference |θFP-2−θLG-2| in the 2nd portions are both preferably 20° or more and 50° or less, and more preferably 25° or more and 40° or less.
Also, the absolute value of difference |θFP-S−θLG-S| in the shoulder portions is preferably 0° or more and 30° or less, and more preferably 0° or more and 20° or less.
Also, in the present example, the center blocks 15 are such that the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the lug groove diagonal angle θLG-C in the center portion is set smaller than the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the lug groove diagonal angle θLG-S in the shoulder portion and that the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the lug groove diagonal angle θLG-S in the shoulder portion is set smaller than the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the lug groove diagonal angle θLG-2 in the 2nd portion. As a result, the lug groove diagonal angle θLG-C in the center portion is made larger, and at the same time the change in the lug groove diagonal angle θLG is made smaller. And the change in the lug groove diagonal angle θLG-2 in the 2nd portion is made larger, and thus the lug groove diagonal angle θLG-S in the shoulder portion can be made smaller. Hence, the water expulsion from the shoulder portion can be made more easily, while retaining the grip performances on snow in the center portion. Also, with the lug groove diagonal angle θLG-S and the change in angle in the shoulder portion made smaller, both the grip performances on snow and water expulsion performance can be improved.
The groove width wc of the rib groove 12 is preferably 20% or less of the contact patch width W, and more preferably 15% or less thereof. With the ratio of wc/W set like this, it is possible to retain the ratio of the V-shaped lug grooves in the pattern having the same negative rate. And this can improve both the acceleration performance on snow and water expulsion performance.
Also, as a result, the negative rate of the tire center portion with larger lug groove diagonal angle θLG is made lower, and thus the block rigidity in the center portion is retained, because the groove width of the rib groove 12 and the groove width of the diagonal lug grooves 13 on the rib groove 12 side are both narrower than the groove width of the diagonal lug grooves 13 at the axial end of the tire. At the same time, the negative rate of the shoulder portion with smaller lug groove diagonal angle θLG is made higher, and thus the water expulsion performance is retained. Accordingly, both the acceleration performance on snow and water expulsion performance can be further improved.
Also, the interval between the sipes 18, 18 provided on the surface of the blocks 15, 16, 17 is preferably 3.0 mm or more and 10 mm or less, and more preferably 3.0 mm or more and 8.0 mm or less. By restricting the block width of the sub-blocks defined by the circumferentially neighboring sipes 18, 18 like this, it is possible to bring out the sipe edge effect effectively while retaining the block rigidity.
In other words, if the block width of the sub-blocks is less than 3.0 mm, then the block rigidity cannot be retained because of too small block width of the sub-blocks. In contrast to this, if the block width of the sub-blocks is more than 10 mm, then sufficient sipe edge effect cannot be obtained because of too few sub-blocks (number of sipes).
The present invention will be explained in detail hereinbelow, based on exemplary embodiments.
The rim and internal pressure used comply with the applicable rim and the air pressure-load capacity correspondence table for the sizes of radial ply tires specified by JATMA YEAR BOOK (2011 Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Association Standard).
The tire size of the test tires was 195/65R15. The pattern of all Examples 1 to 10 had V-shaped lug grooves, one rib groove provided in the center portion, narrow grooves, and sipes formed on the blocks defined by the lug grooves, rib groove, and narrow grooves as shown in
As shown in
Also, with the tire 50 of Conventional Example, the ratio of the total groove width W0 of the groove widths w1, w2, w3 of the three circumferential grooves 51 to 53 to the contact patch width W (W0/W) was 20%.
The negative rates of the tires of Examples 1 to 10 and Conventional Example were all 35%.
For comparison, tires with a pattern whose |θFP−θLG| is in excess of 60° (Comparative Examples 1 to 3), tires with a pattern whose interval between sipes is less than 3 mm or more than 10 mm (Comparative Examples 4 and 5), and tires with a pattern whose groove width of rib groove is more than 15% of the contact patch width (Comparative Example 6) were prepared, and the same test was performed on all of them. The negative rate of Comparative Examples was also 35%.
The patterns of Examples 1 to 10 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6 will be described later.
In the tests, the above-mentioned tires were fitted on the rim of 6J-15 and at the internal pressure of 200 kPa. And hydroplaning tests were carried out on a wet paved road, and acceleration performance tests on snow.
In the hydroplaning tests, water was sprayed to a depth of 7 mm on a paved road, the vehicle was accelerated from slow drive on it, and the evaluation was made by the vehicle speed at which the tire slip ratio became 10%. The higher the vehicle speed at which the tire begins spinning on the water, the better the anti-hydroplaning performance is.
In the acceleration performance tests on snow, the evaluation was made by the time (acceleration time) from rest state to completion of 50 m travel at full acceleration.
The test results are shown in the tables of
It is to be noted that the test tires were all winter tires. Hence, the performance judgments were made by considering up to 10% drop from Conventional Example as being in an allowable range in anti-hydroplaning performance and 10% or more of improvement on Conventional Example as being necessary in acceleration performance on snow.
A description is given of the patterns of Examples 1 to 10 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6:
Example 2 is the same as Example 1 except for center portion θLG-C/2nd portion θLG-2/shoulder portion θLG-S=75°/60°/30°.
Example 3 is the same as Example 1 except for center portion θLG-C/2nd portion θLG-2/shoulder portion θLG-S=70°/55°/30°.
Example 4 is the same as Example 1 except for center portion θLG-C/2nd portion θLG-2/shoulder portion θLG-S=50°/40°/30°.
Comparative Example 1 is the same as Example 1 except for center portion θLG-C/2nd portion θLG-2/shoulder portion θLG-S=0°/0°/0°.
Comparative Example 2 is the same as Example 1 except for center portion θLG-C/2nd portion θLG-2/shoulder portion θLG-S=20°/20°/20°.
Comparative Example 3 is the same as Example 1 except for center portion θLG-c/2nd portion θLG-2/shoulder portion θLG-S=25°/25°/25°.
Example 5 is the same as Example 1 except for sipe interval being 3 mm.
Example 6 is the same as Example 1 except for sipe interval being 8 mm.
Example 7 is the same as Example 1 except for sipe interval being 10 mm.
Comparative Example 4 is the same as Example 1 except for sipe interval being 2 mm.
Comparative Example 5 is the same as Example 1 except for sipe interval being 12 mm.
Example 8 is the same as Example 1 except for the absence of rib groove (wC/W=0%).
Example 9 is the same as Example 1 except for wC/W being 10.7%.
Example 10 is the same as Example 1 except for wC/W being 14.3%.
Comparative Example 6 is the same as Example 1 except for wC/W being 15.7%.
As shown in the table of
In contrast to this, Comparative Examples 1 to 3 showed both |θFP-C−θLG-C| and |θFP-2−θLG-2| in excess of 60° because of the small angles of the lug grooves. As a result, while their acceleration performance on snow improved, their anti-hydroplaning performance dropped below the allowable range.
When Examples 1 to 4 are compared with each other, it has been confirmed that if |θFP-C−θLG-C| and |θFP-2−θLG-2| are both more than 15°, then the acceleration performance improves while retaining the anti-hydroplaning performance even when |θFP-S−θLG-S| is 0°.
It was also found that when |θFP-C−θLG-C| and |θFP-2−θLG-2| are both within a range of 20° to 40°, a good balance can be achieved between the anti-hydroplaning performance and the acceleration performance.
As shown in
In contrast to this, the tire of Comparative Example 4 of which the sipe interval d is 2 mm and the tire of Comparative Example 5 of which the sipe interval d is 12 mm showed the acceleration performance on snow dropping below the allowable range.
It was thus confirmed that the grip performances on snow cannot be improved sufficiently if the sipe interval d is less than 3 mm, which causes less than adequate block rigidity and, on the other hand, if the sipe interval d is more than 10 mm, which causes a reduced sipe edge effect.
The tires of Examples land 8 to 10 of which the groove width wC of the rib groove is 20% or less of the contact patch width W were all found to show the acceleration performance on snow of 10% or more improved on Conventional Example. This was true with ones without rib groove, too. It is to be noted that the anti-hydroplaning performance of these tires dropped lower than that of the Conventional Example, but remained within the allowable range.
In contrast to this, the tire of Comparative Example 6 of which the groove width wC of the rib groove is in excess of 15% of the contact patch width W showed the grip performances on snow improving but not reaching 10% improvement on Conventional Example.
In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments and examples thereof. However, the technical scope of this invention is not to be considered as limited to those embodiments and examples. It will be evident to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention. It will also be evident from the scope of the appended claims that all such modifications and improvements are intended to be included within the technical scope of this invention.
For example, in the foregoing embodiment, a description has been given of diagonal lug grooves 13 whose lug groove diagonal angle θFG gets smaller from the center portion to the shoulder portion. However, the lug groove diagonal angle θFG may be constant, that is, the diagonal lug grooves 13 may be linear as long as the conditions of 0°≦|θFP−θLG|≦60° and |θFP-S−θLG-S|<|θFP-C−θLG-C|, |θFP-2−θLG-2| are satisfied.
Also, in the foregoing embodiment, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the lug groove diagonal angle θLG-c in the center portion is smaller than the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the lug groove diagonal angle θLG-S in the shoulder portion, and the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the lug groove diagonal angle θLG-S in the shoulder portion is smaller than the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the lug groove diagonal angle θLG-2 in the 2nd portion. However, the ratio of the average value of the lug groove diagonal angles in the shoulder portion to the average value of the lug groove diagonal angles in the center portion may be made smaller than the ratio of the average value of the lug groove diagonal angles in the shoulder portion to the average value of the lug groove diagonal angles in the 2nd portion. And the ratio of the average value of the lug groove diagonal angles in the shoulder portion to the average value of the lug groove diagonal angles in the 2nd portion may be made smaller than the ratio of the average value of the lug groove diagonal angles in the 2nd portion to the average value of the lug groove diagonal angles in the center portion. This, too, can make the diagonal angle of the lug grooves greater in the center portion and gradually smaller from the 2nd portion to the shoulder portion. As a result, the water expulsion performance can be improved with certainty while retaining the grip performances on snow.
Also, in the foregoing embodiment, one rib groove 12 is provided and wC/W≦0.2. However, the rib groove 12 may be omitted. Moreover, the narrow grooves 14, which are not the essential feature of the present invention, may be omitted, too.
Furthermore, the sipes 18 are not limited to linear ones, but may be jagged or wavy ones.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-121025 | Jun 2014 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2015/064875 | 5/25/2015 | WO | 00 |
