Patents Represented by Attorney Greer, Burnts & Crain, Ltd.
  • Patent number: 7703491
    Abstract: To provide a pneumatic tire capable of improving resistance to stone drilling while ensuring snow traction performance, protrusions are arranged at intervals in a groove, each of the protrusions being lower than a height of a block and being separated from the block. The protrusion includes a protrusion main portion having a top portion, and a sloped portion having a slope of which angle with a groove bottom is formed in a range from 3 to 60°. The sloped portion is formed at positions in two directions which are mutually opposite to each other at least along the groove. Consequently, a stone trapped within the groove moves up to the top portion along the slope, and is ejected from the groove. Since the protrusions are arranged separately from the block and are arranged at intervals, the capacity of the groove is ensured. Thus, the resistance to stone drilling can be improved while the snow traction performance is ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshiro Oyama