Abstract: A heavy truck tire tread that has a shoulder rib and shoulder groove is provided. A sipe is in the shoulder rib that extends from the shoulder groove to the lateral outer surface. A first end of a teardrop of the sipe is located at the lateral outer surface, and a second end at the shoulder groove. A middle section of the teardrop is located between the first and second ends in the lateral direction. A first transition is located between the first end and the middle section, and a second transition is located between the second end and the middle section and they both extend in the lateral and thickness directions. The entire middle section is farther from the upper surface in the thickness direction than any portion of the first or second ends are to the upper surface in the thickness direction.

Abstract: A tread (10) for a heavy truck tire is provided that has an upper surface for engaging the ground, a leading edge, and a trailing edge forward of the leading edge in a rolling direction. The tread also has a J shaped sipe (30) that has a main portion (32) that extends from the upper surface. The main portion (32) has an opening at the upper surface and a bottom end (36) opposite the opening in a radial direction. A curved portion (38) extends from the bottom end (36) and has a bottom curved wall (40) that has a radius (r1). The curved portion (38) extends from the bottom end (36) forward in the rolling direction (24), and has a curved portion end (42).

Abstract: A heavy truck tire tread with a rib (18) located between first (14) and second (16) tread grooves. A shoulder block (30) is adjacent the rib and at a shoulder edge of the tread, and a decouple groove (32) is present that decouples the shoulder block from the rib. The decouple groove is spaced from and free from engagement with the shoulder edge, and extends at least twice as long in the longitudinal direction than in the lateral direction. The width of the decouple groove is less than widths of the first and second tread grooves. The tread has an average void depth that does not go past a twenty percent line, where the twenty percent line is twenty percent of a full void depth located from an outer surface of the tread, and where the average void depth does not include decouple grooves and tread outboard from the decouple grooves.

Abstract: A heavy truck tire tread that has a shoulder rib and shoulder groove is provided. A sipe is in the shoulder rib that extends from the shoulder groove to the lateral outer surface. A first end of a teardrop of the sipe is located at the lateral outer surface, and a second end at the shoulder groove. A middle section of the teardrop is located between the first and second ends in the lateral direction. A first transition is located between the first end and the middle section, and a second transition is located between the second end and the middle section and they both extend in the lateral and thickness directions. The entire middle section is farther from the upper surface in the thickness direction than any portion of the first or second ends are to the upper surface in the thickness direction.

Abstract: A heavy truck tire tread (12) is provided that has a partially hidden longitudinal groove (22) with an undersurface channel (24) engaged by a longitudinal sipe (26). The partially hidden longitudinal groove (22) has a surface opening (28) that extends from a surface of the tread to the undersurface channel (24). The tread (12) has at least one of two features. The first feature is that the surface opening (28) extends from the surface to the undersurface channel (24) at an angle to the thickness direction such that the surface opening (28) at the surface is forward of the surface opening (28) at the undersurface channel (24) in the rolling direction (20). The second feature is that a lateral sipe (32) engages the surface opening (28) so that the first end is at the surface opening (28), and the second end is forward of the first end in the rolling direction (20).

Abstract: A tread (10) for a heavy truck tire is provided that has an upper surface for engaging the ground, a leading edge, and a trailing edge forward of the leading edge in a rolling direction. The tread also has a J shaped sipe (30) that has a main portion (32) that extends from the upper surface. The main portion (32) has an opening at the upper surface and a bottom end (36) opposite the opening in a radial direction. A curved portion (38) extends from the bottom end (36) and has a bottom curved wall (40) that has a radius (r1). The curved portion (38) extends from the bottom end (36) forward in the rolling direction (24), and has a curved portion end (42).

Abstract: A heavy truck tire tread (12) is provided that has a partially hidden longitudinal groove (22) with an undersurface channel (24) engaged by a longitudinal sipe (26). The partially hidden longitudinal groove (22) has a surface opening (28) that extends from a surface of the tread to the undersurface channel (24). The tread (12) has at least one of two features. The first feature is that the surface opening (28) extends from the surface to the undersurface channel (24) at an angle to the thickness direction such that the surface opening (28) at the surface is forward of the surface opening (28) at the undersurface channel (24) in the rolling direction (20). The second feature is that a lateral sipe (32) engages the surface opening (28) so that the first end is at the surface opening (28), and the second end is forward of the first end in the rolling direction (20).

Abstract: A heavy truck tire tread with a rib (18) located between first (14) and second (16) tread grooves. A shoulder block (30) is adjacent the rib and at a shoulder edge of the tread, and a decouple groove (32) is present that decouples the shoulder block from the rib. The decouple groove is spaced from and free from engagement with the shoulder edge, and extends at least twice as long in the longitudinal direction than in the lateral direction. The width of the decouple groove is less than widths of the first and second tread grooves. The tread has an average void depth that does not go past a twenty percent line, where the twenty percent line is twenty percent of a full void depth located from an outer surface of the tread, and where the average void depth does not include decouple grooves and tread outboard from the decouple grooves.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a truck tire tread (2) that has a shoulder area having a lateral sipe (23). The lateral sipe (23) has an average sipe line oriented at an average sipe angle greater than 20 degrees in absolute value oriented to the lateral direction (Y) running inboard to outboard. The lateral sipe (23) is also inclined such that a sipe inclination line miming from a sipe bottom point (31) to a sipe top point (32) in a reference plane perpendicular to the average sipe line is at a sipe inclination angle (35) from 10 to 50 degrees to a reference line oriented only in a thickness direction (Z) of the tread. The lateral sipe is inclined such that the sipe bottom point is configured to approach a contact patch before the sipe top point.

Abstract: A tire constructed with a plurality of reinforcement belts is provided. At least one of the reinforcement belts extends along the axial width of the tire summit and is constructed according to an equilibrium curve that is flat throughout the summit. The reinforcement belts include cable reinforcements that are substantially parallel to the equatorial plane. Substantial reductions in the tension experienced by the cables can be achieved to provide, as a result, improvements in e.g., tread wear.

Abstract: A tire constructed with a plurality of reinforcement belts is provided. At least one of the reinforcement belts extends along the axial width of the tire summit and is constructed according to an equilibrium curve that is flat throughout the summit. The reinforcement belts include cable reinforcements that are substantially parallel to the equatorial plane. Substantial reductions in the tension experienced by the cables can be achieved to provide, as a result, improvements in e.g., tread wear.

Abstract: A tire is provided having a body ply that is displaced from the conventional equilibrium curve along the shoulder and upper side wall region of the tire in a manner that provides more uniform inflation growth along the crown region so as to reduce differences in rigidity between the center and shoulders of the tire, reduce load sensitivity, and/or decrease the propensity for cracking. A method for designing or constructing such a tire is also provided.

Abstract: Pneumatic tire for heavy duty vehicles having a crown portion comprising two working plies (114,116) and a breaker ply (120) radially outward of the carcass body ply wherein the breaker ply (120) comprises a plurality of breaker ply reinforcement elements (122) having a length L of no more than 155 mm, at an angle of 5°<60°.

Abstract: A tire having uniform inflation growth is provided. The tire includes a body ply that is displaced from the conventional equilibrium curve along the bead, sidewall, and shoulder portions of the tire in a manner that provides more uniform inflation growth from bead portion to bead portion. Such construction reduces load sensitivity, reduces or eliminates the tire break-in period, and/or decreases the propensity for cracking—particularly along a groove bottom of the tread in the shoulder.

Abstract: A tire is provided having a tread region that includes continuous ribs which extend diagonally across the transverse direction of the tire. Partial sipes are provided at the trailing edges of the ribs. Full sipes can also be provided with the partial sipes. The ribs may form various patterns such as e.g., an S-shaped pattern, chevron pattern, and others. The tire provides improved traction performance over non-diagonal ribs while still providing desirable rolling resistance performance and control of irregular wear.

Abstract: A tire having uniform inflation growth is provided. The tire includes a body ply that is displaced from the conventional equilibrium curve along the bead, sidewall, and shoulder portions of the tire in a manner that provides more uniform inflation growth from bead portion to bead portion. Such construction reduces load sensitivity, reduces or eliminates the tire break-in period, and/or decreases the propensity for cracking—particularly along a groove bottom of the tread in the shoulder.

Abstract: A tire tread having features that improve thermal wear performance is provided. A tread block is provided with an aperture. The aperture is positioned and sized in a manner that reduces stresses and/or strains in the tread block so as to reduce thermal wear. Certain variations in the depth and shape of the aperture are provided. Such tread feature can provide for a tire capable of operating at higher speeds for a given load.