Abstract: The pneumatic tire 1 is provided with a land part 4 in a sidewall region S of a tire and a plurality of marks 11 protruding from a side wall surface, wherein at least one of the marks 11 partially overlaps with the land part 4 and an area of a portion 12 where a mark is overlapped is not greater than 40% with respect to the total area of a mark. In addition, the number of the marks 11 partially overlapping with the land part 4 is not greater than 60 % with respect to the total number of marks. Further, protruded height of the mark 11 from the side wall surface 21 is not greater than 3 mm.
Abstract: An apparatus for enhancing the light reflective properties of a sidewall of a pneumatic tire. The tire may include a pair of sidewalls radially extending from a central axis of rotation of the tire. The sidewalls may include an inner diameter and an outer diameter defining an external surface. At least one of the sidewalls may include an annular band formed on the external surface of the sidewall. The annular band may include a pair of spaced apart band edge surfaces, each including a first edge and a sinusoidal second edge that may help to reduce sidewall undulations and enhance the reflective properties of the sidewall, so that indicia formed on the annular band may be legible to a viewer. Additionally, the sidewalls may also include any type of indicia.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 13, 2005
Date of Patent:
August 12, 2008
Assignee:
Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC
Inventors:
Daniel Christian Shavers, Brandy Elizabeth Moorhead, Marc Christopher Nowacki, Colleen Anne Nowacki, Joseph Ghana Dancy, David Ray Hubbell, Jr.