Tyre for vehicle wheels having improved tread pattern

Abstract

A tyre for vehicle wheels having a tread pattern includes: a) two circumferential grooves, which define a first and a second shoulder region, and one central region; b) a plurality of asymmetric transverse grooves having a substantially “V” shape, which extend for the whole width of the tread, including an alternate sequence of a first and a second asymmetric transverse groove defining an alternate sequence of a first and a second asymmetric module; and c) a plurality of lateral transverse grooves, which includes one first lateral transverse groove extending for the whole width of the first shoulder region and for a portion of the central region of the first asymmetric modules, and one second lateral transverse groove extending for the whole width of the second shoulder region and for a portion of the central region of the second asymmetric modules.

1 - 49 . (canceled) 
   
   
       50 . A tyre for a vehicle wheel having a tread pattern comprising:
 a) at least two circumferential grooves which define a first and a second shoulder region, and at least one central region;   b) a plurality of asymmetric transverse grooves having a substantially “V” shape, which substantially extend for the whole width of the tread, said plurality of asymmetric transverse grooves comprising an alternate sequence of a first asymmetric transverse groove and a second asymmetric transverse groove defining an alternate sequence of a first asymmetric module and a second asymmetric module; and   c) a plurality of lateral transverse grooves, which comprises at least one first lateral transverse groove substantially extending for the whole width of said first shoulder region and for a portion of said at least one central region of said first asymmetric modules, and at least one second lateral transverse groove substantially extending for the whole width of said second shoulder region and for a portion of said at least one central region of said second asymmetric modules.   
   
   
       51 . The tyre according to  claim 50 , wherein each sequence of said first asymmetric module and said second asymmetric module forms a main module. 
   
   
       52 . The tyre according to  claim 51 , wherein said tread pattern is formed by a plurality of said main modules. 
   
   
       53 . The tyre according to  claim 51 , wherein said tread pattern comprises from 28 to 40 of said main modules. 
   
   
       54 . The tyre according to  claim 51 , wherein said main module comprises said at least one first lateral transverse groove, said first asymmetric transverse groove, said at least one second lateral transverse groove, and said second asymmetric transverse groove. 
   
   
       55 . The tyre according to  claim 50 , wherein said tread pattern comprises two internal circumferential grooves separating said tread central region from said two tread shoulder regions and two external circumferential grooves dividing each of said tread shoulder regions in an external shoulder portion and an internal shoulder portion. 
   
   
       56 . The tyre according to  claim 50 , wherein said first and second asymmetric transverse grooves are each formed by a first and a second linear groove having a different length with respect to each other and joining in a vertex in said central region axially offset with respect to an equatorial plane of the tyre. 
   
   
       57 . The tyre according to  claim 56 , wherein said linear grooves are each formed by an external portion and an internal portion having different orientation. 
   
   
       58 . The tyre according to  claim 57 , wherein said external portions form an angle having an absolute value of 0° to 20° with respect to a radial plane of the tyre. 
   
   
       59 . The tyre according to  claim 57 , wherein said external portions form an angle having an absolute value of 0° to 15° with respect to a radial plane of the tyre. 
   
   
       60 . The tyre according to  claim 57 , wherein said external portions form an angle having an absolute value of 0° to 10° with respect to a radial plane of the tyre. 
   
   
       61 . The tyre according to  claim 57 , wherein said internal portions form an angle having an absolute value of 25° to 65° with respect to a radial plane of the tyre. 
   
   
       62 . The tyre according to  claim 57 , wherein said internal portions form an angle having an absolute value of 30° to 60° with respect to a radial plane of the tyre. 
   
   
       63 . The tyre according to  claim 57 , wherein said internal portions form an angle having an absolute value of 35° to 55° with respect to a radial plane of the tyre. 
   
   
       64 . The tyre according to  claim 56 , wherein said first asymmetric transverse groove has said vertex positioned between said first circumferential groove and the equatorial plane of said tyre. 
   
   
       65 . The tyre according to  claim 56 , wherein said second asymmetric transverse groove has said vertex positioned between said second circumferential groove and the equatorial plane of said tyre. 
   
   
       66 . The tyre according to  claim 50 , wherein said lateral transverse grooves are each formed by an external portion and an internal portion having different orientation. 
   
   
       67 . The tyre according to  claim 66 , wherein said external portions form an angle having an absolute value of 0° to 20° with respect to a radial plane of the tyre. 
   
   
       68 . The tyre according to  claim 66 , wherein said external portions form an angle having an absolute value of 0° to 15° with respect to a radial plane of the tyre. 
   
   
       69 . The tyre according to  claim 66 , wherein said external portions form an angle having an absolute value of 0° to 10° with respect to a radial plane of the tyre. 
   
   
       70 . The tyre according to  claim 66 , wherein said internal portions form an angle having an absolute value of 25° to 65° with respect to a radial plane of the tyre. 
   
   
       71 . The tyre according to  claim 66 , wherein said internal portions form an angle having an absolute value of 30° to 60° with respect to a radial plane of the tyre. 
   
   
       72 . The tyre according to  claim 66 , wherein said internal portions form an angle having an absolute value of 35° to 55° with respect to a radial plane of the tyre. 
   
   
       73 . The tyre according to  claim 55 , wherein a change from an orientation of external portions to an orientation of internal portions is accomplished at an intersection of said lateral transverse grooves or said asymmetric transverse grooves with said external circumferential grooves. 
   
   
       74 . The tyre according to  claim 50 , wherein said first lateral transverse grooves end between said first circumferential groove and an equatorial plane of said tyre. 
   
   
       75 . The tyre according to  claim 50 , wherein said second lateral transverse grooves end between said second circumferential groove and an equatorial plane of said tyre. 
   
   
       76 . The tyre according to  claim 50 , wherein the number of lateral transverse grooves in each of said first and second asymmetric modules is lower than five. 
   
   
       77 . The tyre according to  claim 50 , wherein distances, measured along a circumferential direction of the tread in the shoulder regions between two consecutive transverse grooves are always the same. 
   
   
       78 . The tyre according to  claim 50 , wherein distances, measured along the circumferential direction of the tread in the shoulder regions between two consecutive transverse grooves, differ from each other. 
   
   
       79 . The tyre according to  claim 50 , wherein each of said shoulder regions comprises a number “n” of blocks which is equal to (1+a), and said central region comprises a number “n−1” of blocks which is equal to “a”, wherein 1 is the number of said lateral transverse grooves for each of said shoulder regions, and “a” is the number of said asymmetric transverse grooves. 
   
   
       80 . The tyre according to  claim 55 , wherein said internal circumferential grooves have a width higher than a width of said external circumferential grooves. 
   
   
       81 . The tyre according to  claim 55 , wherein said internal circumferential grooves have a width of 5.0 mm to 20.0 mm. 
   
   
       82 . The tyre according to  claim 55 , wherein said external circumferential grooves have a width of 0.5 mm to 10.0 mm. 
   
   
       83 . The tyre according to  claim 55 , wherein said external circumferential grooves have a maximum depth lower than or equal to a maximum depth of said internal circumferential grooves. 
   
   
       84 . The tyre according to  claim 55 , wherein said internal circumferential grooves have a maximum depth of 5.0 mm to 10.0 mm. 
   
   
       85 . The tyre according to  claim 55 , wherein said external circumferential grooves have a maximum depth of 0.5 mm to 10.0 mm. 
   
   
       86 . The tyre according to  claim 55 , wherein external and internal sidewalls of said circumferential grooves form an angle of 25° to 65° with respect to each other. 
   
   
       87 . The tyre according to  claim 86 , wherein an angle formed by said external sidewall with a plane normal to a surface of the tread is higher than an angle formed by the internal sidewall with a plane normal to the surface of the tread. 
   
   
       88 . The tyre according to  claim 50 , wherein said asymmetric transverse grooves and said lateral transverse grooves have a width of 3.0 mm to 9.0 mm. 
   
   
       89 . The tyre according to  claim 50 , wherein said asymmetric transverse grooves and said lateral transverse grooves have a maximum depth higher than a maximum depth of said circumferential grooves. 
   
   
       90 . The tyre according to  claim 50 , wherein said asymmetric transverse grooves and said lateral transverse grooves have a maximum depth of 5.0 mm to 15.0 mm. 
   
   
       91 . The tyre according to  claim 50 , wherein front and back sidewalls of said asymmetric transverse grooves and said lateral transverse grooves form an angle of 10° to 30° with respect to each other. 
   
   
       92 . The tyre according to  claim 50 , wherein said tread pattern comprises a plurality of transverse sipes. 
   
   
       93 . The tyre according to  claim 92 , wherein said plurality of transverse sipes is formed in said shoulder regions of said asymmetric modules. 
   
   
       94 . The tyre according to  claim 92 , wherein said plurality of transverse sipes is formed in said at least one central region of said asymmetric modules. 
   
   
       95 . The tyre according to  claim 92 , wherein said plurality of transverse sipes comprises at least one transverse sipe formed in said at least one central region continuously joined to a corresponding sipe formed in at least one of said shoulder regions by a corresponding sipe formed in at least one of said circumferential grooves. 
   
   
       96 . The tyre according to  claim 92 , wherein said plurality of transverse sipes form an angle having an absolute value of 0° to 65° with respect to a radial plane of the tyre. 
   
   
       97 . The tyre according to  claim 92 , wherein said plurality of transverse sipes has a maximum depth of 5.0 mm to 15.0 mm, and a minimum depth of 1.0 mm to 5.0 mm. 
   
   
       98 . The tyre according to  claim 92 , wherein said plurality of transverse sipes comprises at least one transverse sipe extending continuously from said shoulder region through said central region and to said shoulder region, including said circumferential grooves.