Appeal No. 2003-0332
Application 09/057,383
With respect to the tire tread, Shiraishi discloses a pneumatic tire
having a directional asymmetric tread comprising rows of blocks
including the middle block rows defined by circumferential grooves
2 and transverse grooves (lug grooves/lateral grooves) G wherein the
block rows are parallel to each other. The blocks, transverse grooves
and circumferential grooves are illustrated in figure 3 (one embodiment
of the invention of Shiraishi). Each block of each row has an side
surface which is inclined with respect to the transverse direction of the
tire (a side surface of a leading edge side portion which is inclined with
respect to a tire transverse direction). This inclined side surface of the
block is defined and formed by an inclined transverse groove. As
illustrated in figure 3, the inclined transverse grooves in the middle
block rows are relatively straight. Hence, the tire of Shiraishi, like the
claimed tire, has rows of blocks including a “first row of blocks” and a
“second row of blocks” wherein each block has a [sic, an] inclined side
surface defined by an inclined transverse groove.
With respect to ground contact configuration (the area of contact
between the tire and the road), Shiraishi teaches that the pneumatic tire
has a grounding surface (a ground contact configuration) wherein
the ground contact configuration has a leading edge F (a tire leading
edge side contour line of a ground contact configuration). The ground
contact configuration including its leading edge F is illustrated in figure
2. Hence, the tire of Shiraishi, like the claimed tire, has a ground
contact configuration having a tire leading edge side contour line.
With respect to the relationship between the tire tread and the
ground contact configuration, Shiraishi describes a constant angle "
which requires that the angle " at one location is equal to the angle
" at another location. In particular, Shiraishi teaches that an angle "
between the transverse grooves and the leading edge of the grounding
surface is constant at individual eight ones of ten width wise
equidistantly divided sections of the grounding surface excepting the
two side sections. The relationship is indicated in figure 2 which
illustrate[s] angle " at each of [the] sections Z2-Z9 as being equal [to]
each other.
Answer, pp. 4-5 (emphasis original).
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