Tire tread

Abstract

The thread of a tire designed more particularly to run on snowy, icy or wet surfaces. The tread comprises elements in relief, comprising at least one lateral face, at least one element in relief being provided with at least one incision defined along a mean plane, said tread comprising at least two lateral holes, oriented in a mean direction, passing through said element in relief and substantially parallel to the mean plane of incision. The holes open onto at least one lateral face of said element in relief and at least two lateral holes are situated on one and the same side of the mean plane of the incision.

1 . Tire tread comprising elements in relief, comprising at least one lateral face, at least one element in relief being provided with at least one incision defined along a mean plane, wherein the tread comprises at least two lateral holes, oriented in a mean direction, passing through said element in relief and substantially parallel to the mean plane of the incision, wherein the holes open onto at least one lateral face of said element in relief and wherein at least two lateral holes are situated on one and the same side of the mean plane of the incision.  
     
     
         2 . Tread according to  claim 1 , wherein the lateral holes open at each of their ends onto a lateral face of said element in relief.  
     
     
         3 . Tread according to  claim 1 , wherein at least two lateral holes are distributed over the height of the incision.  
     
     
         4 . Tread according to  claim 1 , wherein the element in relief is provided with at least two incisions defined along mutually parallel mean planes.  
     
     
         5 . Tread according to  claim 1 , wherein the mean direction of the lateral holes forms an angle other than zero with the circumferential direction of the tread.  
     
     
         6 . Tread according to  claim 1 , wherein the mean direction of the lateral holes is substantially parallel to the surface of the tread.  
     
     
         7 . Tread according to  claim 1 , wherein the incisions are defined along a substantially meridian mean plane.  
     
     
         8 . Tread according to  claim 1 , wherein the sectional area of the lateral holes is between 0.75 and 5 mm 2 .  
     
     
         9 . Tread according to  claim 1 , wherein the section of the lateral holes is circular and wherein its diameter is between 1 and 2.5 mm.  
     
     
         10 . Tread according to  claim 1 , wherein the volume of the lateral holes is greater than 20% of the volume of the element in relief.  
     
     
         11 . Tread according to  claim 1 , wherein the incisions are of the self-locking type.  
     
     
         12 . Tread according to  claim 1 , wherein the lateral holes are distributed over a height at least equal to the depth of the incisions.  
     
     
         13 . Tread according to  claim 1 , wherein, in an element in relief, and between two incisions, the lateral holes are distributed along at least two planes which are substantially parallel to one another and to the mean planes of the incisions.  
     
     
         14 . Tread according to  claim 13 , wherein the lateral holes are so distributed that they zigzag from one plane to the other.