JP6950368B2 - Pneumatic radial tire - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a pneumatic radial tire for a passenger car, and more particularly to a pneumatic radial tire that is useful for improving the turning performance of a four-wheeled vehicle while maintaining wet performance.

FIG. 12 shows a time-series change in the turning motion of a general four-wheeled vehicle having a steering mechanism on the front wheels. First, as in the state A, when the steering wheel is operated by the driver during straight running, a slip angle is given to the tire b of the front wheel, and the tire b of the front wheel generates a cornering force (state B). Here, the "slip angle" is an angle formed by the traveling direction of the vehicle body c and the tire b. Further, the "cornering force" is a component of the frictional force generated on the ground contact surface of the tire b when the four-wheeled vehicle a turns, and is a component of the force acting laterally with respect to the traveling direction, and the slip angle is particularly 1 degree. The cornering force at this time may be called cornering power.

The cornering force generated by the tire b of the front wheel brings about a turning motion of the vehicle body c accompanied by yaw. Since this turning motion gives a slip angle to the rear wheel tire b, the rear wheel tire b also generates a cornering force (state C). Then, when the moment based on the cornering force of the front tire b and the moment based on the cornering force of the rear tire b are substantially balanced with respect to the circumference of the center of gravity point CG of the vehicle (state D), the vehicle body c has the yaw acceleration. Is a steady state in which the tire moves diagonally at almost zero (hereinafter, such a running state may be referred to as a "revolving running state").

The inventors have recognized that in order to improve the turning performance of a four-wheeled vehicle, it is important to shift the vehicle body to the revolving running state as soon as possible after turning and steering. I repeated my research.

Generally, the cornering power generated by a tire when the tire is mounted on a vehicle is referred to as an equivalent cornering power (hereinafter, "equivalent CP"). This equivalent CP has a relationship between the cornering power of a single tire measured in a tabletop test or the like (hereinafter referred to as “tabletop CP”) and the following equation (1).
Equivalent CP = Bench CP x CP amplification factor ... (1)
The equivalent CP is the cornering power including the influences of so-called roll steering, compliance steering, etc., and is the cornering power when it is assumed that the roll characteristics and suspension characteristics of the vehicle are incorporated into the tires. These characteristics are represented by the CP amplification factor.

FIG. 13 is a graph showing the relationship between the bench CP of a general pneumatic radial tire and the load acting on the CP. It can be seen that the bench CP usually increases with increasing load, reaches a peak, and then gradually decreases. The graph also shows the approximate load range of the tires mounted on the turning FF four-wheeled vehicle. First, in FF four-wheeled vehicles, front-wheel tires tend to exert a larger load than rear-wheel tires. Further, on each of the front wheels and the rear wheels, a larger load tends to be applied to the tires on the outer side of the turn than on the tires on the inner side of the turn. Therefore, there is a relatively large difference between the tires on the front wheel side and the tires on the rear wheel side with respect to the average tabletop CP values Ff and Fr generated during turning.

Assuming the above-mentioned load distribution to each tire, the equivalent CP of the front tires is relatively lowered in order to shift to the revolving running state as soon as possible and improve the turning performance during the turning operation of the vehicle. On the other hand, it is considered effective to relatively increase the equivalent CP of the rear tires, that is, to bring the equivalent CPs of both closer together, or to improve them so that they approach each other at an early stage.

The inventors focused on the self-aligning torque (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "SAT"), which has not received much attention until now, in order to relatively lower the equivalent CP of the front tires.

Here, SAT will be briefly described. FIG. 14 shows a view of the ground contact surface of the tire b, which is turning at a slip angle α with respect to the traveling direction Y, as viewed from the road surface side. As shown in FIG. 14, the tread rubber on the ground plane P is elastically deformed, and CF in the lateral direction is generated. When the point of action G of CF (corresponding to the center of gravity of the hatched contact patch) is behind the center of gravity Pc of the contact patch of the tire, the tire has a small slip angle α around the center of contact patch Pc of the tire. The SAT, which is the moment in the direction of the tire, works. That is, the SAT works in the direction of reducing the slip angle around the center Pc of the contact patch of the tire. The distance NT along the traveling direction Y between the center Pc of the ground plane and the point of action G of CF is defined as a pneumatic trail.

Further, as a result of various experiments by the inventors, it has been found that the CP amplification factor of the above formula (1) is substantially proportional to the reciprocal of SAT. Therefore, a tire with a large SAT results in a relatively low equivalent CP.

On the other hand, since the rear wheels do not have a steering mechanism and are not affected by the SAT, the equivalent CP can be increased by increasing the bench CP itself as a tire.

As is clear from the above, in a four-wheeled vehicle, especially an FF four-wheeled vehicle in which a larger load is applied to the front wheels, a large SAT is used for the tires in order to quickly shift to the revolving running state during turning. Is required.

Further research on the relationship between the SAT and the tread pattern of the tire revealed that the shoulder portion of the tread portion of the tire contributes most to the SAT. Then, the inventors have found that improving the composition of the inner shoulder land portion and the inner middle land portion located inside the vehicle when turning is particularly effective in increasing the SAT.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-017001 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-162482

The present invention has been devised in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic radial tire that is useful for improving the turning performance of a four-wheeled vehicle while maintaining wet performance. ..

In the present invention, a carcass having a radial structure, a belt layer composed of at least two belt plies arranged on the outside of the carcass, and a tread portion having a tread pattern in which a direction of mounting on a vehicle is specified are formed. Pneumatic radial tires for passenger vehicles including, the tread portion has an outer tread end and an inner tread end located on the outer side of the vehicle and the inner side of the vehicle, respectively when mounted on the vehicle, and the tread portion has a tire circumferential direction. It is divided into a plurality of circumferential land portions by a plurality of main grooves extending continuously in the same direction, and the circumferential land portion is adjacent to the inner shoulder land portion including the inner tread end and the inner shoulder land portion. The inner shoulder land portion includes a plurality of inner shoulder lug grooves extending inward in the tire axial direction from the inner tread end and being interrupted within the inner shoulder land portion. The inner middle land portion is provided with a plurality of inner middle lug grooves extending from the inner tread end side edge to the outer tread end side and being interrupted in the inner middle land portion, and the inner shoulder lug groove is provided with a plurality of inner middle lug grooves. The number is larger than the number of the inner middle lug grooves.

In the pneumatic radial tire of the present invention, the number of the inner middle lug grooves is preferably 0.70 to 0.80 times the number of the inner shoulder lug grooves.

In the pneumatic radial tire of the present invention, it is desirable that the length of the inner shoulder lug groove in the tire axial direction is 0.70 to 0.80 times the width of the inner shoulder land portion in the tire axial direction.

In the pneumatic radial tire of the present invention, it is desirable that the inner shoulder lug groove is arranged at an angle of 30 to 50 degrees with respect to the tire axial direction.

In the pneumatic radial tire of the present invention, it is desirable that the depth of the inner shoulder lug groove gradually decreases toward the inside in the tire axial direction.

In the pneumatic radial tire of the present invention, it is desirable that the inner shoulder land portion is provided with a plurality of inner shoulder sipes that extend without being connected to the inner shoulder lug groove.

In the pneumatic radial tire of the present invention, it is desirable that the inner shoulder sipe has an inner end in the tire axial direction that is interrupted in the inner shoulder land portion.

In the pneumatic radial tire of the present invention, it is desirable that the inner shoulder sipe has an outer end in the tire axial direction that is interrupted in the inner shoulder land portion.

In the pneumatic radial tire of the present invention, it is desirable that the inner middle lug groove extends along the tire axial direction.

In the pneumatic radial tire of the present invention, it is desirable that the tread portion is divided into four or five said circumferential land portions.

It is desirable that the pneumatic radial tire of the present invention satisfies the following formula (1) under the following running conditions.
Mounting rim: Regular rim Tire internal pressure: Regular internal pressure Load on the tire: 70% of the regular load
Speed: 10km / h
Slip angle: 0.7 degrees Camber angle:-(minus) 1.0 degrees
SAT ≧ 0.18 × L × CF… (1)
Here, "SAT" is the self-aligning torque (Nm), "L" is the maximum contact length (m) of the tread portion in the tire circumferential direction, and "CF" is the cornering force (N).

The inner shoulder land portion of the pneumatic radial tire of the present invention is provided with a plurality of inner shoulder lug grooves extending inward in the tire axial direction from the inner tread end and being interrupted in the inner shoulder land portion. The inner middle land portion is provided with a plurality of inner middle lug grooves extending from the edge on the inner tread end side to the outer tread end side and being interrupted in the inner middle land portion. Such an inner shoulder lug groove and an inner middle lug groove can drain water to the outer tread end and the main groove, respectively, which helps to improve wet performance. In addition, the arrangement of the lug grooves is useful for relaxing the rigidity of the inner tread end side of each land portion and thus increasing the SAT.

The number of inner shoulder lug grooves of the pneumatic radial tire of the present invention is larger than the number of inner middle lug grooves. As a result, the rigidity of the inner shoulder land portion in the tire circumferential direction can be reduced, and as a result, a large SAT can be obtained. Therefore, the four-wheeled vehicle equipped with the pneumatic radial tire of the present invention on the four wheels can quickly shift to the revolving running state during the turning running to provide excellent turning performance.

It is sectional drawing of one Embodiment of the pneumatic radial tire of this invention. It is a development view of the tread part of the tire of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the SAT which acts on the front wheel tire when a vehicle is turning left. (A) and (b) are explanatory views of the method of measuring the rigidity of the land part. It is an enlarged view of the inner shoulder land part and the inner middle land part of FIG. (A) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 5, and FIG. 5 (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. It is an enlarged view of the outer shoulder land part of FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD of FIG. It is an enlarged view of the outer middle land part of FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE of FIG. It is an enlarged view of the inner shoulder land part of the pneumatic radial tire of another embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the turning operation of a four-wheeled passenger car. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the bench CP of a general pneumatic radial tire and the load acting on it. It is explanatory drawing which shows the contact patch of the tire of the front wheel at the time of turning of a vehicle.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view including a tire rotation axis of the pneumatic radial tire 1 of the present embodiment (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as a “tire”). FIG. 2 is a developed view of the tread portion 2 of the tire 1 of FIG. FIG. 1 corresponds to the cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. The tire 1 of the present embodiment is configured as a pneumatic radial tire for a passenger car. The tire 1 of the present embodiment is suitable for a passenger car in which the vertical load acting on the front wheels is larger than the vertical load acting on the rear wheels in a stationary state, and is particularly preferably used for an FF passenger car.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tire 1 of the present embodiment includes a carcass 6 and a belt layer 7 having a radial structure.

The carcass 6 reaches the bead core 5 of the bead portion 4 from the tread portion 2 through the sidewall portion 3. The carcass 6 is formed of, for example, one carcass ply 6A. The carcass ply 6A is composed of, for example, a carcass cord made of organic fibers arranged at an angle of 75 to 90 degrees with respect to the tire circumferential direction.

The belt layer 7 is composed of at least two belt plies 7A and 7B. The belt plies 7A and 7B are composed of, for example, steel cords arranged at an angle of 10 to 45 degrees with respect to the tire circumferential direction. The belt ply 7A is composed of, for example, a steel cord that is inclined in the opposite direction to the steel cord of the adjacent belt ply 7B. A further reinforcing layer such as a band layer may be arranged on the outside of the belt layer 7.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tread portion 2 is formed with a tread pattern in which the direction of attachment to the vehicle is specified. The tread pattern of the tread portion 2 is formed in an asymmetrical shape with respect to the tire equator C. The direction of mounting the tire 1 on the vehicle is indicated by characters or symbols on, for example, the sidewall portion 3.

The tread portion 2 has an outer tread end To and an inner tread end Ti. The outer tread end To is located on the outside of the vehicle (on the right side in FIG. 2) when mounted on the vehicle. The inner tread end Ti is located inside the vehicle (on the left side in FIG. 2) when mounted on the vehicle.

The tread ends To and Ti are the outermost ground contact positions in the tire axial direction when a normal load is applied to the tire 1 in the normal state and the tire 1 is grounded on a flat surface at a camber angle of 0 °. The normal state is a state in which the tire is rim-assembled on the normal rim, the normal internal pressure is applied, and there is no load. In the present specification, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions and the like of each part of the tire are values measured in the normal state. In the normal state, the distance in the tire axial direction between the outer tread end To and the inner tread end Ti is defined as the tread width TW.

A "regular rim" is a rim defined for each tire in the standard system including the standard on which the tire is based. For example, "Measuring Rim".

"Regular internal pressure" is the air pressure defined for each tire in the standard system including the standard on which the tire is based. For JATMA, "maximum air pressure", for TRA, the table "TIRE LOAD LIMITS AT" The maximum value described in "VARIOUS COLD INFLATION PRESSURES", or "INFLATION PRESSURE" for ETRTO.

"Regular load" is the load defined for each tire in the standard system including the standard on which the tire is based. For JATMA, "maximum load capacity", for TRA, the table "TIRE LOAD LIMITS" The maximum value described in "AT VARIOUS COLD INFLATION PRESSURES", or "LOAD CAPACITY" for ETRTO.

The tread portion 2 of the present embodiment is divided into four or five circumferential land portions by a plurality of main grooves 10 extending continuously in the tire circumferential direction. The main groove 10 includes an inner shoulder main groove 11 and an outer shoulder main groove 12. The main groove 10 of the present embodiment further includes a crown main groove 13.

The inner shoulder main groove 11 is provided, for example, on the innermost tread end Ti side of the plurality of main grooves 10. The inner shoulder main groove 11 is provided on the inner tread end Ti side of the tire equator C.

The outer shoulder main groove 12 is provided, for example, on the outermost tread end To side of the plurality of main grooves 10. The outer shoulder main groove 12 is provided on the outer tread end To side of the tire equator C.

The crown main groove 13 is provided between the inner shoulder main groove 11 and the outer shoulder main groove 12. One crown main groove 10 is provided on the tire equator C, for example. In another aspect, one crown main groove 13 may be provided on each side of the tire equator C in the tire axial direction, for example.

In the present embodiment, the main groove 10 extends linearly along the tire circumferential direction, for example. In another aspect, the main groove 10 may extend in a wavy or zigzag shape, for example. The groove width of the main groove (the groove width W1 of the inner shoulder main groove 11, the groove width W2 of the outer shoulder main groove 12, and the groove width W3 of the crown main groove 13) can be arbitrarily determined according to the custom. In order to provide sufficient drainage performance while maintaining the pattern rigidity of the tread portion 2, the groove widths W1, W2 and W3 are preferably about 2.5% to 5.0% of the tread width TW, for example. In the case of radial tires for passenger cars, the groove depth of each of the main grooves 11 to 13 is preferably about 5 to 10 mm, for example.

The tread portion 2 of the present embodiment includes an inner shoulder land portion 16, an inner middle land portion 17, an outer shoulder land portion 18, and an outer middle land portion 19 as the circumferential land portion 15. The inner shoulder land portion 16 includes an inner tread end Ti. The inner middle land portion 17 is adjacent to the inner shoulder land portion 16 via the inner shoulder main groove 11. The outer shoulder land portion 18 includes an outer tread end Ti. The outer middle land portion 19 is adjacent to the outer shoulder land portion 18 via the outer shoulder main groove 12.

The inner shoulder land portion 16 is provided with a plurality of inner shoulder lug grooves 21 that extend inward in the tire axial direction from the inner tread end Ti and are interrupted within the inner shoulder land portion 16. The inner middle land portion 17 is provided with a plurality of inner middle lug grooves 22 extending from the edge on the inner tread end Ti side to the outer tread end To side and being interrupted in the inner middle land portion 17. Since the inner shoulder lug groove 21 and the inner middle lug groove 22 can be drained to the outer tread end To and the main groove, respectively, they are useful for improving wet performance.

One of the features of the present invention is that the number N1 of the inner shoulder lug grooves 21 is larger than the number N2 of the inner middle lug grooves 22.

As described above, it is effective to generate a large SAT in order to improve the turning performance by shifting the vehicle to the revolving running state as soon as possible during the turning running of the four-wheeled vehicle. When the inventors analyzed the pressure distribution of the contact patch during turning of the tire in detail, improving the composition of the inner shoulder land portion and the inner middle land portion located inside the vehicle during turning enhances the SAT. We obtained the findings that it is particularly effective. Hereinafter, this point will be described by taking as an example a case where the vehicle is turning left as shown in FIG.

For front wheel tires with a slip angle with respect to the traveling direction, the land portion in the circumferential direction is deformed counterclockwise due to friction between the road surface and the tread surface. When the slip angle becomes almost constant, each deformed land portion in the circumferential direction tries to return to its original state and generates a reaction force, that is, SAT, clockwise as shown by the arrow in the figure. In order to increase the torque in the clockwise direction around this SAT, that is, the center Pc of the contact patch of the tread portion, the area of contact with the outer shoulder land portion 18 of the outer turning tire (the tire on the right side), which has a high contribution to the SAT. It is effective to generate a large force in the driving direction in the rear region X1. In order to generate such a force, it is important to increase the tire circumferential rigidity of the outer shoulder land portion 18 and the outer middle land portion 19.

On the other hand, with respect to the inner shoulder land portion 16, in order to increase the SAT, in order to increase the SAT, a large braking direction is applied in the front region X2 of the contact area of the inner shoulder land portion 16 of the outer tire (the tire on the right side) that has a high contribution to the SAT. It is effective to generate force. In order to generate such a force in the braking direction, the inner shoulder land portion 16, contrary to the outer shoulder land portion 18, reduces the rigidity in the tire circumferential direction and provides a ground contact property that flexibly follows the road surface. It is effective to improve.

Therefore, as in the present invention, the tire 1 in which the number N1 of the inner shoulder lug grooves is larger than the number N2 of the inner middle lug grooves 22 can reduce the rigidity of the inner shoulder land portion 16 in the tire circumferential direction. As a result, a large SAT can be obtained. Therefore, the four-wheeled vehicle in which the tire 1 of the present invention is mounted on the four wheels can quickly shift to the revolving running state during the turning running and can provide excellent turning performance.

Further, the outer diameter of the pneumatic radial tire gradually decreases toward the outside in the tire axial direction at the shoulder land portion. Therefore, in the tire on the outer turning side of the front wheel, the outer shoulder land portion 18 generates a camber thrust which is a force opposite to the cornering force of the tire. The inner shoulder land portion 16 generates a camber thrust in the same direction as the cornering force of the tire. Therefore, it is desirable that the outer shoulder land portion 18 is configured to be larger than the inner shoulder land portion 16 in terms of tire axial rigidity. As a result, the outer shoulder land portion 18 generates a larger camber thrust than the inner shoulder land portion 16. Therefore, the camber thrust generated by the outer shoulder land portion 18 helps to reduce the cornering force of the tires of the front wheels, and by extension, the vehicle in the turning running state can be moved to the revolving running state more quickly.

In a preferred embodiment, the outer shoulder land portion 18 is 1.05 to 1.40 times as rigid as the inner shoulder land portion 16 with respect to the tire circumferential rigidity in order to prevent the occurrence of uneven wear while generating a larger SAT. It is desirable to have a ratio of σ1. Similarly, with respect to the tire axial rigidity, it is desirable that the outer shoulder land portion 18 has a rigidity ratio σ2 that is 1.05 to 1.40 times that of the inner shoulder land portion 16.

The tire circumferential rigidity and the tire axial rigidity of each land portion are indicated by the forces required to generate a unit deformation amount in each direction. Specific measurement methods include the following. FIG. 4A shows the inner shoulder land portion 16 as an example of the land portion. As shown in FIG. 4A, the inner shoulder land portion 16 to be measured is cut out from the tire 1 with a length of 2 pitches or more in the tire circumferential direction. At this time, the land test piece TP is cut out on the surface PS1 parallel to the ground contact surface of the tread portion through the groove bottom 10b of the main groove 10 and the surface PS2 extending along the tire radial direction through the inner tread end Ti. (Shown in FIG. 4 (b)). Next, the ground contact surface of the land test piece TP is pressed against the flat test surface with a normal load, for example, to maintain the ground contact state. Next, the test surface is moved by a force F in the tire circumferential direction Y or the tire axial direction X, and the displacement of the land portion in each direction X or Y is measured. Then, the force F is divided by the amount of displacement of the land test piece TP in each direction to obtain the land rigidity in each direction Y and X.

In a preferred embodiment, the tire 1 preferably satisfies the following formula (1) under the following running conditions in, for example, a bench test (for example, a test using a flat belt type tire testing machine). ..
Mounting rim: Regular rim Tire internal pressure: Regular internal pressure Load on the tire: 70% of the regular load
Speed: 10km / h
Slip angle: 0.7 degrees Camber angle:-(minus) 1.0 degrees
SAT ≧ 0.18 × L × CF… (1)
Here, "SAT" is the self-aligning torque (Nm), "L" is the maximum contact length (m) of the tread portion in the tire circumferential direction, and "CF" is the cornering force (N). Further, the "minus" camber angle means an inclination such that the upper part of the tire faces the center side of the vehicle.

The above measurement conditions are based on the condition of the front wheels in a turning state (lateral acceleration of about 0.2 G) which tends to occur frequently in a four-wheeled vehicle. The inventors mount various sensors on a four-wheeled vehicle, measure the tire conditions (load, camber angle, slip angle, and angle) in the above-mentioned turning state, and approximate them by a bench test. As a result, the above running conditions were obtained. Therefore, the tire 1 satisfying the above equation (1) can reliably and sufficiently generate a large amount of SAT in a normal turning state. That is, it is possible to shift the vehicle in the turning state to the revolving running state more quickly.

Hereinafter, a more specific configuration of the present embodiment capable of further exerting the above-mentioned effects will be described.

[Composition of inner shoulder land]
FIG. 5 shows an enlarged view of the inner shoulder land portion 16 and the inner middle land portion 17. As shown in FIG. 5, the inner shoulder land portion 16 is formed between the inner tread end Ti and the inner shoulder main groove 11. The inner shoulder land portion 16 has, for example, a width W4 in the tire axial direction that is 0.25 to 0.35 times the tread width TW.

Since the inner shoulder lug groove 21 extends inward in the tire axial direction from the inner tread end Ti and is interrupted in the inner shoulder land portion 16, the rigidity near the inner tread end Ti is appropriately reduced, and the SAT is increased. be able to.

The inner shoulder lug groove 21 is interrupted in the inner shoulder land portion 16 without being connected to other grooves, for example. It is desirable that the inner shoulder lug groove 21 is arranged at an angle θ1 of 30 to 50 degrees with respect to the tire axial direction, for example. The inner shoulder lug groove 21 of the present embodiment extends linearly so as to be inclined at a constant angle with respect to the tire axial direction, for example.

It is desirable that the length L1 of the inner shoulder lug groove 21 in the tire axial direction is, for example, 0.70 to 0.80 times the width W4 of the inner shoulder land portion 16 in the tire axial direction. It is desirable that the groove width W5 of the inner shoulder lug groove 21 is, for example, 0.30 to 0.45 times the groove width W1 of the inner shoulder main groove 11. In the present embodiment, the groove width W5 is constant, but it may be changed. When the length L1 and the groove width W5 of the inner shoulder lug groove 21 are specified, good wet performance is provided while reducing the tire circumferential rigidity and the tire axial rigidity of the inner shoulder land portion 16 in a more preferable range. be able to.

FIG. 6A shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of the inner shoulder lug groove 21. As shown in FIG. 6, in the inner shoulder lug groove 21, for example, in the region between the inner tread end Ti and the inner shoulder main groove 11, the groove depth gradually decreases toward the inner shoulder main groove 11 side. There is. As described above, when many inner shoulder lug grooves 21 are arranged in order to reduce the rigidity of the inner shoulder land portion 16, pumping noise during traveling tends to increase. However, as in the present embodiment, the sound pressure of such pumping noise can be reduced by significantly reducing the groove volume on the inner end side of the inner shoulder lug groove 21 in the tire axial direction. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the depth d1 at the inner end of the inner shoulder lug groove 21 is preferably 40% to 60% of the depth d2 at the inner tread end Ti of the inner shoulder lug groove 21. The depth d2 of the inner end is measured at a position where the length L2, which is 25% of the length L1 in the tire axial direction, is separated from the inner end of the inner shoulder lug groove 21 to the outside in the tire axial direction. And.

As shown in FIG. 5, in order to reduce the tire circumferential rigidity and the tire axial rigidity of the inner shoulder land portion 16 to a preferable range, the number (total number) N1 of the inner shoulder lug grooves 21 is, for example, 80. It is preferably in the range of ~ 100.

The inner shoulder land portion 16 is an inner shoulder block divided between an inner shoulder rib-shaped portion 23 between the inner shoulder main groove 11 and each inner shoulder lug groove 21 and an inner shoulder lug groove 21 adjacent to each other in the tire circumferential direction. Includes piece 24 and.

The inner shoulder rib-shaped portion 23 is not provided with a groove, for example, and extends continuously in the tire circumferential direction. Such an inner shoulder rib-shaped portion 23 is useful for increasing the tire circumferential rigidity in the inner shoulder land portion 16 tire axial inner region, and thus obtaining a large equivalent CP. It is desirable that the width W6 of the inner shoulder rib-shaped portion 23 in the tire axial direction is, for example, 0.20 to 0.30 times the width W4 of the inner shoulder land portion 16.

The inner shoulder block piece 24 has a tire circumferential length Sbi. It is desirable that the tire circumferential length Sbi of the inner shoulder block piece 24 of the present embodiment is, for example, 0.9% to 1.2% of the tire peripheral length of the inner shoulder land portion 16. In a more preferred embodiment, the inner shoulder block piece 24 extends obliquely in the tire axial direction with a constant tire circumferential length Sbi.

The inner shoulder land portion 16 preferably has, for example, a land ratio of 75-85%. In the present specification, the "land ratio" is defined as the ratio Sb / Sa of the total ground contact area Sb of the actual land portion to the total area Sa of the virtual ground contact surface in which all the grooves provided in the target land portion are filled. Defined.

[Composition of middle land]
As shown in FIG. 2, the inner middle land portion 17 and the outer middle land portion 19 of the present embodiment have widths W7 and W8 in the tire axial direction of 0.10 to 0.20 times the tread width TW, respectively. .. In the present embodiment, W7 = W8, but W7 <W8 may be set.

As a result of various experiments by the inventors shown in FIG. 3, the tire circumferential rigidity and the tire axial rigidity of the outer middle land portion 19 also contribute greatly to the SAT in order to generate a larger SAT. It was found that the SAT is increased by a mechanism similar to the above by increasing the value above the inner middle land portion 17.

In a preferred embodiment, the outer middle land portion 19 is formed to be the same as or larger than the inner middle land portion 17 in terms of tire circumferential rigidity and tire axial rigidity. In the present embodiment, the outer middle land portion 19 is formed to be larger than the inner middle land portion 17 in terms of tire circumferential rigidity and tire axial rigidity. In this case, in a typical embodiment, the outer middle land portion 19 has a larger land ratio than, for example, the inner middle land portion 17.

In a preferred embodiment, the outer middle land portion 19 is 1.05 to 1.40 times as rigid as the inner middle land portion 17 with respect to the tire circumferential rigidity in order to prevent the occurrence of uneven wear while generating a larger SAT. It is desirable to have a ratio of σ3. Similarly, with respect to the tire axial rigidity, it is desirable that the outer middle land portion 19 has a rigidity ratio σ4 that is 1.05 to 1.40 times that of the inner middle land portion 17. Below, the configuration of a specific pattern that can realize the above-mentioned rigidity difference will be described.

[Composition of inner middle land area]
As shown in FIG. 5, the inner middle lug groove 22 is provided in the inner middle land portion 17. The inner middle lug groove 22 can separate the rib-shaped portion formed on the inner middle land portion 17 from the inner shoulder rib-shaped portion 23, which is useful for increasing the SAT.

The inner middle lug groove 22 is interrupted in the inner middle land portion 17 without being connected to other grooves, for example. The inner middle lug groove 22 extends at an angle θ2 (not shown) smaller than that of the inner shoulder lug groove 21 with respect to the tire axial direction, for example. The angle θ2 of the inner middle lug groove 22 is preferably 0 to 10 degrees, for example, and in the present embodiment, it extends linearly along the tire axial direction (angle θ2 = 0 degrees). Such an inner middle lug groove 22 can sufficiently maintain the rigidity of the inner middle land portion 17 in the tire axial direction, and can provide a large equivalent CP especially when the tire 1 is mounted on the rear wheel of the vehicle.

It is desirable that the length L3 of the inner middle lug groove 22 in the tire axial direction is, for example, 0.45 to 0.55 times the width W7 of the inner middle land portion 17. The groove width W9 of the inner middle lug groove 22 is the same as, for example, the groove width W5 (shown in FIG. 5) of the inner shoulder lug groove 21, but may be different. FIG. 6B shows a sectional view taken along line CC of the inner middle lug groove 22 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 6B, it is desirable that the depth d4 of the inner middle lug groove 22 is, for example, about 0.20 to 0.90 times the groove depth d3 of the crown main groove 13.

As shown in FIG. 5, the number N2 of the inner middle lug grooves 22 is preferably 0.65 times or more, more preferably 0.70 times or more, preferably 0.85 times the number N1 of the inner shoulder lug grooves 21. It is twice or less, more preferably 0.80 times or less. As a result, the SAT can be increased while maintaining the wet performance.

The inner middle land portion 17 is, for example, an inner middle block piece 27 divided between an inner middle rib-shaped portion 26 between the crown main groove 13 and each inner middle lug groove 22 and an inner middle lug groove 22 adjacent to each other in the tire circumferential direction. And is included.

The inner middle rib-shaped portion 26 is not provided with a groove, for example, and extends continuously in the tire circumferential direction. Such an inner middle rib-shaped portion 26 can increase the rigidity of the inner middle land portion 17 on the tire equator C side, and thus can increase the SAT.

The inner middle block piece 27 has a tire circumferential length Mbi. The tire circumference length Mbi of the inner middle block piece 27 is set to the number of grooves N2 as described above, so that, for example, 0.9% to 1.5% of the tire circumference length of the inner middle land portion 17 is 0.9% to 1.5. It is said to be about%.

It is desirable that the inner middle land portion 17 has, for example, a land ratio of 75 to 85%. Such an inner middle land portion 17 can improve wet performance and steering stability in a well-balanced manner.

[Composition of outer shoulder land]
FIG. 7 shows an enlarged view of the outer shoulder land portion 18. As shown in FIG. 7, the outer shoulder land portion 18 is formed between the outer tread end To and the outer shoulder main groove 12. The outer shoulder land portion 18 has, for example, a width W10 in the tire axial direction that is 0.25 to 0.35 times the tread width TW. As a preferred embodiment, the outer shoulder land portion 18 of the present embodiment is configured to have the same width as the inner shoulder land portion 16 (shown in FIG. 5).

The outer shoulder land portion 18 is provided with, for example, a plurality of outer shoulder lug grooves 28. Each outer shoulder lug groove 28 extends inward in the tire axial direction from, for example, the outer tread end To, and is interrupted in the outer shoulder land portion 18. In a preferred embodiment, the outer shoulder lug groove 28 is interrupted within the outer shoulder land portion 18 without communicating with other grooves. In the present embodiment, each outer shoulder lug groove 28 has the same shape, but is not limited to such an embodiment.

The outer shoulder lug groove 28 extends at an angle θ3 (not shown) smaller than, for example, the inner shoulder lug groove 21 (shown in FIG. 5 and the same applies hereinafter) with respect to the tire axial direction. The angle θ3 is preferably 0 to 10 degrees, for example. In the present embodiment, the outer shoulder lug groove 28 extends linearly along the tire axial direction, and the angle θ3 = 0 degrees. The outer shoulder lug groove 28 can effectively increase the tire axial rigidity of the outer shoulder land portion 18 as compared with the inner shoulder land portion 16, and thus can increase the SAT.

It is desirable that the length L4 of the outer shoulder lug groove 28 in the tire axial direction is smaller than the length L1 of the inner shoulder lug groove 21 in the tire axial direction (shown in FIG. 5). For example, the length L4 of the outer shoulder lug groove 28 is preferably 0.90 to 0.98 times the length L1 of the inner shoulder lug groove 21. Such an outer shoulder lug groove 28 can also relatively increase the rigidity of the outer shoulder land portion 18 in the tire circumferential direction, and thus increase the SAT.

It is desirable that the groove width W11 of the outer shoulder lug groove 28 is, for example, 0.30 to 0.50 times the groove width W2 of the outer shoulder main groove 12. In the present embodiment, the groove width W11 is constant, but may change in the longitudinal direction of the groove.

FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD of the outer shoulder lug groove 28. As shown in FIG. 8, the groove depth of the outer shoulder lug groove 28 gradually decreases from the outer tread end To to the inner side in the tire axial direction, for example. Such an outer shoulder lug groove 28 helps to reduce pumping noise during traveling. In order to further enhance the above-mentioned effect, the depth d5 at the inner end of the outer shoulder lug groove 28 has a large groove volume of 40% to 60% of the depth d6 at the outer tread end To of the outer shoulder lug groove 28. It is desirable to change. The depth d5 of the inner end is measured at a position where the length L5, which is 25% of the length L4 in the tire axial direction, is separated from the inner end of the outer shoulder lug groove 28 to the outside in the tire axial direction. And.

As shown in FIG. 7, it is desirable that the number (total number) N3 of the outer shoulder lug grooves 28 provided in the outer shoulder land portion 18 is smaller than, for example, the number N1 of the inner shoulder lug grooves 21. It is desirable that the number N3 of the outer shoulder lug grooves 28 is in the range of 55 to 75 and 0.5 to 0.7 times the number N1. By providing a difference between the number N1 of the inner shoulder lug grooves 21 and the number N3 of the outer shoulder lug grooves 28, the tire circumferential rigidity and the tire axial rigidity of the outer shoulder land portion 18 are compared with those of the inner shoulder land portion 16. It can be relatively increased, and as a result, a high SAT can be obtained.

The outer shoulder land portion 18 is divided into, for example, the outer shoulder rib-shaped portion 29 between the outer shoulder main groove 12 and each outer shoulder lug groove 28, and the outer shoulder lug groove 28 adjacent to each other in the tire circumferential direction. Includes a shoulder block piece 30 and the like.

The outer shoulder rib-shaped portion 29 is not provided with a groove, for example, and extends continuously in the tire circumferential direction. Such an outer shoulder rib-shaped portion 29 can effectively increase the tire circumferential rigidity of the outer shoulder land portion 18.

It is desirable that the outer shoulder rib-shaped portion 29 has, for example, a width W12 in the tire axial direction that is larger than that of the inner shoulder rib-shaped portion 23 (shown in FIG. 5). It is desirable that the width W12 of the outer shoulder rib-shaped portion 29 is, for example, 1.10 to 1.20 times the width W6 of the inner shoulder rib-shaped portion 23. As a result, the outer shoulder land portion 18 has a relatively higher rigidity than the inner shoulder land portion 16, and thus a high SAT can be generated.

The outer shoulder block piece 30 has a tire circumferential length Sbo. In the present embodiment, the tire circumferential length Sbo of the outer shoulder block piece 30 is formed to be larger than the tire circumferential length Sbi of the inner shoulder block piece 24. In a preferred embodiment, the ratio Sbi / Sbo of the tire circumferential lengths of the inner shoulder block piece 24 and the outer shoulder block piece 30 is, for example, in the range of 0.6 to 0.9. As a result, a high SAT can be obtained, and by extension, excellent turning performance can be obtained.

From the same viewpoint, it is desirable that the outer shoulder land portion 18 has a larger land ratio than, for example, the inner shoulder land portion 16. The land ratio of the outer shoulder land portion 18 is preferably in the range of 1.05 to 1.10 times the land ratio of the inner shoulder land portion 16, for example.

[Outer middle land composition]
FIG. 9 shows an enlarged view of the outer middle land portion 19. As shown in FIG. 9, the outer middle land portion 19 is provided with, for example, a plurality of outer middle lug grooves 32. Each outer middle lug groove 32 extends from the edge on the inner tread end Ti side of the outer middle land portion 19 toward the outer tread end To, and is interrupted in the outer middle land portion 19. In a preferred embodiment, the outer middle lug groove 32 is interrupted within the outer middle land portion 19 without communicating with other grooves.

The outer middle lug groove 32 extends at an angle θ3 (not shown) smaller than that of the inner shoulder lug groove 21 with respect to the tire axial direction, for example. The angle θ3 of the outer middle lug groove 32 is preferably 0 to 10 degrees, for example, and in the present embodiment, the outer middle lug groove 32 extends linearly along the tire axial direction (angle θ3 = 0 degrees).

It is desirable that each outer middle lug groove 32 has a length L6 in the tire axial direction, which is smaller than, for example, the inner middle lug groove 22. It is desirable that the length L6 of the outer middle lug groove 32 is, for example, 0.70 to 0.80 times the length L3 of the inner middle lug groove 22. FIG. 10 shows a sectional view taken along line EE of the outer middle lug groove 32. As shown in FIG. 10, it is desirable that the groove depth d7 of the outer middle lug groove 32 is smaller than, for example, the groove depth d4 of the inner middle lug groove 22 (shown in FIG. 6B).

As shown in FIG. 9, the number (total number) N4 of the outer middle lug grooves 32 provided in the outer middle land portion 19 is preferably smaller than, for example, the number N2 of the inner middle lug grooves 22, especially. , It is desirable that the number is in the range of 0.5 to 0.7 times the number N2. Such an outer middle lug groove 32 can relatively increase the rigidity of the outer middle land portion 19 and provide a high SAT.

The outer middle land portion 19 is, for example, an outer middle block piece divided between an outer middle rib-shaped portion 33 between the outer shoulder main groove 12 and each outer middle lug groove 32 and an outer middle lug groove 32 adjacent to each other in the tire circumferential direction. 34 and is included.

It is desirable that the outer middle rib-shaped portion 33 is not provided with a groove and extends continuously in the tire circumferential direction, for example. Such an outer middle rib-shaped portion 33 has a high rigidity and can thus provide a high SAT. From the same viewpoint, it is desirable that the outer middle rib-shaped portion 33 has, for example, a width W14 in the tire axial direction that is larger than that of the inner middle rib-shaped portion 26.

The outer middle block piece 34 has a tire circumferential length Mbo. In a desirable embodiment, by setting the number of grooves N4 as described above, the tire circumferential length Mbo of the outer middle block piece 34 is formed larger than the tire circumferential length Mbi of the inner middle block piece 27. Is desirable. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the ratio of the tire circumferential lengths of the inner middle block piece 27 and the outer middle block piece 34 is preferably in the range of 0.7 to 0.9. As a result, the rigidity balance between the inner middle land portion 17 and the outer middle land portion 19 is further enhanced.

[Other Embodiments]
FIG. 11 shows an enlarged view of the inner shoulder land portion 16 of the tire 1 of another embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 11, the elements common to the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted here.

The inner shoulder land portion 16 of this embodiment is provided with a plurality of inner shoulder sipes 35 extending without being connected to the inner shoulder lug groove 21. Such an inner shoulder sipe 35 can appropriately reduce the rigidity of the inner shoulder land portion 16 and thus increase the SAT. Further, the inner shoulder sipe 35 can reduce the hitting sound when the inner shoulder land portion 16 comes into contact with the ground contact surface, and can exhibit excellent noise performance. In addition, in this specification, a "sipe" is defined as a notch having a width of 0.8 mm or less, and is distinguished from a "groove" having a width larger than this.

The inner shoulder sipe 35 preferably has an inner end 35i in the tire axial direction that is interrupted within the inner shoulder land portion 16. Further, it is desirable that the inner shoulder sipe 35 has an outer end 35o in the tire axial direction that is interrupted in the inner shoulder land portion 16. In a preferred embodiment, the inner shoulder sipe 35 is interrupted within the inner shoulder land portion 16 without communicating with other sipe or grooves. Such an inner shoulder sipe 35 can obtain the above-mentioned effect while suppressing uneven wear of the inner shoulder land portion 16.

In order to improve the uneven wear resistance and the turning performance in a well-balanced manner, the length L7 of the inner shoulder sipe 35 in the tire axial direction is, for example, 0.65 to 0.80 times the width W4 of the inner shoulder land portion 16. Is desirable.

Although the pneumatic radial tire according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment described above, and may be modified to various embodiments.

A size 205 / 55R16 tire having the basic pattern of FIG. 2 was prototyped based on the specifications in Table 1. As a comparative example, a tire having the same number of inner shoulder lug grooves and the same number of inner middle lug grooves was prototyped. Various tests were conducted on each test tire.

[Bench test]
Using a flat belt type tire tester, the maximum contact length L and CF in the tire circumferential direction of the SAT and tread are measured under the following conditions, and whether or not each test tire satisfies the following formula (1). It was investigated.
Mounting rim: 16 x 6.5 JJ
Tire internal pressure: 220kPa
Speed: 10km / h
Slip angle: 0.7 degrees Camber angle: -1.0 degrees Tire load: 70% of normal load
SAT ≧ 0.18 × L × CF… (1)

<Turning performance>
Test tires were mounted on the four wheels of an FF passenger car with a displacement of 2000 cc, and one driver was allowed to turn on a dry road surface, and the turning performance at that time was evaluated by the driver's sensuality. The result is a score with Comparative Example 1 as 100. The larger the value, the faster the vehicle body shifts to the revolving running state during turning and steering.

<Wet performance>
The test vehicle traveled on an asphalt road surface having a depth of 5 mm and a length of 20 m and a radius of 100 m, and the lateral acceleration (lateral G) of the front wheels was measured. The result is an average lateral G of a speed of 50 to 80 km / h, and is shown by an index with the value of Comparative Example 1 as 100. The larger the value, the better the wet performance.
The test results are shown in Table 1.

As a result of the test, it was confirmed that the tire of the example exhibited excellent turning performance while maintaining wet performance.

2 Tread part 6 Carcass 7 Belt layer 10 Main groove 15 Circumferential land part 16 Inner shoulder land part 17 Inner middle land part 21 Inner shoulder lug groove 22 Inner middle lug groove

Claims (11)

For passenger cars, which includes a carcass having a radial structure, a belt layer consisting of at least two belt plies arranged on the outside of the carcass, and a tread portion having a tread pattern in which a direction of mounting on a vehicle is specified. Pneumatic radial tires
The tread portion has an outer tread end and an inner tread end located on the outer side of the vehicle and the inner side of the vehicle when mounted on the vehicle, respectively.
The tread portion is divided into a plurality of circumferential land portions by a plurality of main grooves continuously extending in the tire circumferential direction.
The circumferential land portion includes an inner shoulder land portion including the inner tread end and an inner middle land portion adjacent to the inner shoulder land portion.
The inner shoulder land portion is provided with a plurality of inner shoulder lug grooves extending inward in the tire axial direction from the inner tread end and interrupting the inner shoulder land portion.
The inner middle land portion is provided with a plurality of inner middle lug grooves extending from the inner tread end side edge to the outer tread end side and being interrupted in the inner middle land portion.
The number of the inner shoulder lug grooves, Ri Oh at large than the number of the inner middle lug groove,
The angle of the inner middle lug groove with respect to the tire axial direction is smaller than the angle of the inner shoulder lug groove with respect to the tire axial direction.
Pneumatic radial tires. The pneumatic radial tire according to claim 1, wherein the number of the inner middle lug grooves is 0.70 to 0.80 times the number of the inner shoulder lug grooves. The pneumatic radial tire according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the length of the inner shoulder lug groove in the tire axial direction is 0.70 to 0.80 times the width of the inner shoulder land portion in the tire axial direction. The pneumatic radial tire according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inner shoulder lug groove is arranged at an angle of 30 to 50 degrees with respect to the tire axial direction. The pneumatic radial tire according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the inner shoulder lug groove has a depth gradually decreasing toward the inside in the tire axial direction. The pneumatic radial tire according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the inner shoulder land portion is provided with a plurality of inner shoulder sipes that extend without being connected to the inner shoulder lug groove. The pneumatic radial tire according to claim 6, wherein the inner shoulder sipe has an inner end in the tire axial direction that is interrupted in the land portion of the inner shoulder. The pneumatic radial tire according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the inner shoulder sipe has an outer end in the tire axial direction that is interrupted in the land portion of the inner shoulder. The inner middle lug grooves, the pneumatic radial tire according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and extends at an angle of 0 ° against the axial direction of the tire. The pneumatic radial tire according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the tread portion is divided into four or five peripheral land portions. The pneumatic radial tire according to any one of claims 1 to 10, which satisfies the following formula (1) under the following running conditions.
Mounting rim: Regular rim Tire internal pressure: Regular internal pressure Load on the tire: 70% of the regular load
Speed: 10km / h
Slip angle: 0.7 degrees Camber angle:-(minus) 1.0 degrees
SAT ≧ 0.18 × L × CF… (1)
Here, "SAT" is self-aligning torque (N · m), "L " is the tire circumferential direction of the ground maximum length of the tread portion (m), "CF" is a cornering force (N).

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