Tire with quadrangular studs

Abstract

The invention relates to a studded air-filled vehicle tire having a rolling direction and comprising a rubber tread with pattern blocks and grooves that separate said blocks. In said tread, there are arranged premade stud holes and in at least part of said stud holes, there are anti-slip studs, having hard cermet pieces of that have a substantially quadrangular shape with diagonal dimensions At least part of the anti-slip studs arranged in the stud holes are orientated so that one of said diagonal dimensions of the hard cermet piece is located in the rolling direction or forms an angle, not larger than the toe-out angle, with respect to the rolling direction.

1 - 23 . (cancelled)  
     
     
         24 . A studded air-filled vehicle tire, having a rolling direction, and comprising a rubber tread with pattern blocks, grooves separating said blocks and premade stud holes in said tread, said tire being provided with anti-slip studs with an inner head and an outer head, and a total length therebetween, said studs being inserted in at least some of said stud holes, said studs comprising: 
 a body with a bottom flange and a shank, said bottom flange having a substantially quadrangular shape with diagonal dimensions perpendicular to said length, and a hard cermet piece of a different material than said body, and protruding out of said outer head, said hard cermet piece having a substantially quadrangular shape with diagonal dimensions perpendicular to said length; and    said diagonal dimensions of the bottom flange being substantially parallel to the diagonal dimensions of the hard cermet piece separate from the bottom flange or forming a toe-out angle with respect to the diagonal dimensions of the hard cermet piece;    wherein at least some of the anti-slip studs inserted in the stud holes are orientated so that one of said diagonal dimensions of the hard cermet piece is in said rolling direction, or from a toe-out angle that is smaller than 30, °with respect to the rolling direction.    
     
     
         25 . A studded tire according to  claim 24 , wherein said diagonal dimensions of the bottom flange are equally large.  
     
     
         26 . A studded tire according to  claim 24 , wherein said diagonal dimensions of the bottom flange are different from each other.  
     
     
         27 . A studded tire according to  claim 24 , wherein said inserted anti-slip studs have said diagonal dimensions of the bottom flange in said rolling direction, or at said toe-out angle with respect to the rolling direction.  
     
     
         28 . A studded tire according to  claim 24 , wherein said inserted anti-slip studs comprise at least one first group nearer to the tire shoulders, and at least one second group nearer to the tire center regions, wherein the studs in said first group have said diagonal dimensions of the hard cermet pieces located at said toe-out angle, and the studs in the second group have said diagonal dimensions of the hard cermet pieces substantially parallel with the rolling direction.  
     
     
         29 . A studded tire according to  claim 28 , wherein said toe-out angles of the diagonal dimensions of the hard cermet pieces in said first group are pointed outwardly from the center line of the width of the tread, when observed in said rolling direction.  
     
     
         30 . A studded tire according to  claim 24 , wherein said toe-out angle is not larger than 20°.  
     
     
         31 . A studded tire according to  claim 24 , wherein said toe-out angle is not larger than 15°.  
     
     
         32 . A studded tire according to  claim 28 , wherein said at least one first group and said at least one second group are arranged in an interlacing fashion.  
     
     
         33 . A studded tire according to  claim 24 , wherein the body of the anti-slip studs comprises a top bowl having transverse dimensions, and a neck portion between said top bowl and said bottom flange, the neck portion having a cross-sectional area that is substantially smaller than the cross-sectional areas of the top bowl and the bottom flange.  
     
     
         34 . A studded tire according to  claim 24 , wherein the sides of the bottom flange are straight, convex or concave, and wherein if the sides of the bottom flange are convex or concave, said sides have a first curvature larger than a rounding formed between said sides.  
     
     
         35 . A studded tire according to  claim 33 , wherein the top bowl comprises a round shape in the direction perpendicular to said length of the anti-slip stud, wherein said transverse dimensions are equally large.  
     
     
         36 . A studded tire according to  claim 33 , wherein the top bowl comprises an oblong shape in the direction perpendicular to said length of the anti-slip stud, wherein said transverse dimensions are different from each other.  
     
     
         37 . A studded tire according to  claim 33 , wherein the top bowl comprises a polygonal shape in the direction perpendicular to said length of the anti-slip stud, wherein said transverse dimensions are different from each other.  
     
     
         38 . A studded tire according to  claim 24 , wherein the side surfaces of the quadrangular hard cermet piece are straight, convex or concave, and wherein if the side surfaces of the quadrangular hard cermet piece are convex or concave, said side surfaces have a second curvature.  
     
     
         39 . A studded tire according to  claim 24 , wherein said diagonal dimensions of the hard cermet piece are substantially equally large.  
     
     
         40 . A studded tire according to  claim 38 , wherein edges between the side surfaces of the quadrangular hard cermet piece have a rounding that is substantially smaller than said second curvature.  
     
     
         41 . A studded tire according to  claim 40 , wherein said rounding is between about 0.1 mm and about 0.2 mm.  
     
     
         42 . A studded tire according to  claim 38 , wherein the side surfaces of the quadrangular hard cermet piece have widths that differ from each other no more than by the ratio 1.5.  
     
     
         43 . A studded tire according to  claim 24 , wherein said hard cermet piece has a piece length that is smaller than the total length of the anti-slip stud.  
     
     
         44 . A studded tire according to  claim 24 , wherein the body of the anti-slip stud is made of plastic or metal, and the hard cermet piece is attached to the body by a solder joint, an adhesive, a cast adhesion of the body, or a conical pressure joint.  
     
     
         45 . A studded tire according to  claim 24 , wherein substantially all of the anti-slip studs installed in the tread are orientated so that said diagonal dimensions of the hard cermet pieces are located in said rolling direction or form with said rolling direction an angle that is not larger than the toe-out angle.  
     
     
         46 . A studded tire according to  claim 24 , wherein the material of the hard cermet pieces is sintered carbide.  
     
     
         47 . A studded tire according to  claim 24 , wherein said premade stud holes in the tread are substantially round in cross-section.  
     
     
         48 . A studded tire according to  claim 24 , wherein said premade stud holes in the tread have a bottom part that is an oval in cross-section, the oval having a larger transverse dimension and a smaller transverse dimension.  
     
     
         49 . A studded tire according to  claim 48 , wherein the larger transversal dimension of the oval is intended for the anti-slip studs belonging to said first group, the larger transversal dimension being located substantially in the tire rolling direction.  
     
     
         50 . A studded tire according to  claim 48 , wherein the larger transversal dimension of the oval is intended for the anti-slip studs belonging to said second group, the larger transversal dimension being located in an substantially perpendicular direction to the tire rolling direction.  
     
     
         51 . A studded tire according to  claim 48 , wherein the ratio of the larger transversal dimension to the smaller transversal dimension is at least about 1.05 but not greater than about 2.  
     
     
         52 . A studded tire according to  claim 48 , wherein said premade stud holes in the tread have a top part with a cross-sectional shape that is round.  
     
     
         53 . A studded tire according to  claim 48 , wherein said premade stud holes in the tread have a top part with a cross-sectional shape that is not round.  
     
     
         54 . A studded tire according to  claim 47 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the stud holes in a bottom flange area is smaller than a cross-sectional area of said bottom flange.  
     
     
         55 . A studded tire according to  claim 48 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the stud holes in the bottom flange area is smaller than a cross-sectional area of said bottom flange.  
     
     
         56 . A studded tire according to  claim 47 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the stud holes in a top bowl area is smaller than a cross-sectional area of a top bowl of the studs.  
     
     
         57 . A studded tire according to  claim 48 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the stud holes in a top bowl area is smaller than a cross-sectional area of a top bowl of the studs.