Abstract: A tire having an electroluminescent device includes an electroluminescent lamp, a driver, and a power supply including a piezoelectric fiber matrix for pulsing the device to flash and for generating power to energize the device. The device may be integrated in a rubber patch that is mounted to the tire sidewall, cured to the tire sidewall, or mounted in a recess or other prepared location.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device for the application (1) of at least one cable onto a rotating receiving surface (2) revolving at a speed V2, comprising means (10) for feeding the cable that comprise at least one capstan (11) revolving at a speed V1, means (20, 30) to displace the cable transversely relative to the receiving surface (2) and means (40) to position the cable on said receiving surface, characterized in that the means (20, 30) to displace the cable transversely effect said displacement by the combination of a rotary movement about an axis perpendicular to the cable travel direction with a pivoting movement in a plane containing the axis of said rotation, the extent of pivoting being determined by the ratio between the speeds V1 and V2.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for fastening an electronic monitoring module onto a tire comprising a patch (12) of rubber mix, an upper surface of which bears at least one rigid insert (18, 19) having a threaded recess (181, 191) intended to cooperate with a screw (14, 15) and a lug (131, 132) on a casing (13) bearing the electronic monitoring module.

Abstract: A tire with radial carcass reinforcement having beads with a heel portion on an axially inner side and a toe portion on an axially outer side includes two carcass reinforcement plies for tension in higher sidewall tires. The bead includes at least one bead wire coated with a rubber mix, a wedge formed of a rubber mix disposed axially outward of the at least one bead wire, and at least one rubber filler located axially and radially outward of the bead wire and wedge. The wedge is defined by two sides extending at an acute angle axially from an apex A located beneath the section of the at least one bead wire, the rubber mix forming the wedge having a Shore A hardness of at least 65 and greater than the Shore A hardness of the at least one rubber filler.

Abstract: A resilient tire that supports a load without internal air pressure includes a ground contacting tread portion and sidewall portions extending radially inward from said tread portion and anchored in bead portions adapted to remain secure to a wheel during rolling of the tire. A reinforced annular band is disposed radially inward of the tread portion. The band comprises an elastomeric shear layer, at least a first membrane adhered to the radially inward extent of the elastomeric shear layer and at least a second membrane adhered to the radially outward extent of the elastomeric shear layer. Each of said membranes has a longitudinal tensile modulus sufficiently greater than the shear modulus of said shear layer so that when under load the ground contacting portion of the tire deforms to a flat contact region through shear strain in the shear layer while maintaining constant the length of the membranes.

Abstract: The invention concerns a tire whose crown contains a ply of circumferentially oriented cords. That ply is so arranged that in sensitive zones, as, for example, at the side ends of the adjacent crown reinforcing ply, the laying pitch of the circumferentially oriented cords is markedly increased. That considerably lessens the risk of damage to the circumferentially oriented cords in those zones.

Abstract: A tire (1) comprising, viewed in meridian section, two beads (12) with generatrices which are inclined towards the outside, the upturn (130) of said reinforcement (13) being formed by the lateral (30) and radially inner (32) sides of a wedge-shaped profiled element (3) of high Shore A hardness and having an end located firstly axially to the outside of a straight line P2 perpendicular to the axis of rotation and passing through the center of gravity of the annular anchoring element (14) and secondly axially to the inside and radially to the outside of the straight line P1 passing through said center of gravity and forming with the axis of rotation an angle of between 30° and 60°, and the ratio e1/e2 of the thickness e1 between the carcass reinforcement upturn (130) and the annular anchoring element (14) to the thickness e2 between the carcass reinforcement upturn (130) and the outer wall of the bead, measured on the straight line P1, satisfying the relationship: 0.05≦e1/e2<1.0.

Abstract: An inner tire used in a dual-chambered tire is provided by an inner tire in which an exterior sidewall of tire provides for two annular rows of overlapping raised facets that extend above the exterior surface of the tire. Each facet defines a right angle with respect to the adjacent sidewall of the tire and provides for an elevated surface having a substantially uniform height with respect to the underlying tire exterior surface. The facets further define a plurality of gaps and passageways that have a constant height and through which pressurized air may flow during the inflation of the outer tire. The air gaps and air passageways defined by the facets have a sufficient depth that the resulting passageways do not collapse when the pressurized inner tire is in engagement with the pressurized outer tire.

Abstract: A tire sensor assembly that is embedded in an elastomeric tire at a particular radial depth inwardly from a contact patch of the tire includes a flexible generally pyramid-shaped body and a pair of first strain sensors disposed on first opposed faces of the pyramid-shaped body, the first strain sensors detecting a force in a first direction. In addition, the assembly includes a pair of second strain sensors disposed on second opposed faces of the pyramid-shaped body, the second strain sensors detecting a force in a second direction. Moreover, each face of the first and second opposed faces is non-planar. Preferably, the first and second opposed faces of the pyramid-shaped body are curved and generally symmetrical about an axis extending longitudinally through the apex of the body so as to allow adjustment of the sensitivity of the sensor assembly generally independent of the radial depth.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacture of a tire, the apparatus including a drum with shoulder having a generally cylindrical main receiving surface to receive the products to be assembled, the main receiving surface being radially retractable. The drum has a shoulder axially to the side edges of said main receiving surface. The drum is mounted on a shaft. At least one associated axially movable side crown is mounted coaxially with the drum. The drum has a lateral protuberance coaxially juxtaposed to at least one of its shoulders. The side crown is axially slidable at least partly under the lateral protuberance, the lateral protuberance forming a quasi-cylindrical support surface whose outside diameter is smaller than the diameter of the main receiving surface. The side crown has a substantially cylindrical outer surface capable of passing axially outside of the lateral protuberance.

Abstract: The tire of the invention has an optimized path of the outermost carcass designed to maximize the extent of tensile stress in the sidewall and bead portions of the tire. The invention further provides separate reinforcement structures in the bead portion for anchoring the carcass or carcasses in the bead and for retaining the bead on the mounting rim during deflated operation, and said anchoring reinforcement also facilitates the maintenance of the desirable carcass profile.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tire with a sacrificial rib to protect the main ribs of the tire's tread by delaying the onset of irregular wear and the growth thereof. The improved tire tread comprises a plurality of main ribs formed by grooves extending generally circumferentially around an outer surface of the tire to form a main tread width for contacting the supporting surface. A sacrificial rib is provided for contacting the supporting surface at each lateral side of the main ribs. The sacrificial rib is separated from the main ribs by a narrow shoulder groove having a groove width not greater than about 1.5 millimeter. The sacrificial rib has a surface width in the range of about 2.5 percent to about 12 percent of said tread width. The sacrificial rib has a recess defined by a radial offset from a transverse or lateral profile of the main ribs. The offset has a value in the range of about 0.50 millimeter to about 2.0 millimeters when the tire is new.

Abstract: The present invention provides a pneumatic tire having a tread portion comprising a plurality of axially spaced apart essentially longitudinal grooves separating essentially longitudinal ribs. On at least one of said ribs, transverse grooves or cuts repeat in the circumferential direction to form first and second land portions wherein the first land portions comprise blocks having a circumferential length greater than that of the second land portions. Said second land portion acts as a sacrificial bridge which provides traction improvement and minimizes undesirable surface anomalies during the service life of the tire.