US 11,718,131 B2
Tread for a heavy goods vehicle tire
Tony Zivkovic, Clermont-Ferrand (FR); and Arnaud Larregain, Clermont-Ferrand (FR)
Assigned to COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, Clermont-Ferrand (FR)
Appl. No. 16/474,203
Filed by COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, Clermont-Ferrand (FR)
PCT Filed Dec. 19, 2017, PCT No. PCT/FR2017/053701
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 27, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/122496, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 5, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 1663454 (FR), filed on Dec. 28, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2020/0180363 A1, Jun. 11, 2020
Int. Cl. B60C 11/12 (2006.01); B60C 11/03 (2006.01); B60C 11/13 (2006.01)
CPC B60C 11/1281 (2013.01) [B60C 11/0323 (2013.01); B60C 11/1259 (2013.01); B60C 11/13 (2013.01); B60C 2011/0355 (2013.01); B60C 2011/1295 (2013.01); B60C 2011/1338 (2013.01); B60C 2200/06 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tread for a heavy-duty vehicle tire having a total thickness corresponding to the thickness of material to be worn away during running,
the tread having, in the new state, a tread surface adapted to come into contact with a roadway when running,
the tread comprising at least one axially extending hidden cavity configured to form a new groove opening onto the tread surface after a predetermined amount of partial wear, the hidden cavity comprising two opposite lateral walls connected together by a bottom radially towards the inside and by a crown part radially towards the outside,
a sipe that extends from the tread surface to the at least one axially extending hidden cavity, the sipe dividing the crown part radially towards the outside;
wherein the at least one axially extending hidden cavity open towards an outside at respective lateral edges of the tread,
wherein the crown part of the hidden cavity is provided with a plurality of fine grooves, the depth of which extends radially towards the outside from the crown part delimiting the cavity, said fine grooves extending in a direction that makes an angle at least equal to 40 degrees with the axially extending main direction of the cavity, the main direction of a cavity corresponding to the direction of flow of a liquid inside this cavity when it is open onto the tread surface and forms a new groove,
wherein the fine grooves are spaced apart from one another between one and five times a width of the hidden cavity; and
at least one circumferentially extending groove having alternating open grooves and hidden circumferential portions configured to form a new circumferential groove opening onto the tread surface after a predetermined amount of partial wear, wherein the hidden circumferential portions have axially extending fine grooves, wherein a first axial end of each axially extending fine groove extends radially towards the tread surface and a second axial end of each axially extending fine groove, axially opposite the first axial end, extends radially away from the tread surface.