Abstract: A wire drawing apparatus (10) is used in a final drawing process to ensure adequate initial performance of adhesion between brass-plated steel wire and rubber without a drop in productivity. At least one of the die (14z) disposed in the most downstream position, the die (14y) disposed in the second most downstream position, and the die (14x) disposed in the third most downstream position is a drawing die having a friction coefficient ? of 0.12 to 0.41 with the brass-plated steel wire. The other dies (14) are drawing dies each having a friction coefficient ? of 0.1 or below. By using these drawing dies, brass-plated steel wire (13) is drawn, and a noncrystalline portion of high lattice defect density is formed on the surface of the crystalline portion of the brass-plating layer of the brass-plated steel wire (13).

Abstract: A tire appearance inspection apparatus and method employing image processing is capable of performing tire appearance inspection with great accuracy. The tire appearance inspection apparatus includes a sectional shape acquiring device for acquiring cross-sectional shapes of a tire in the radial direction along the circumference of the tire, an arc fitting device for fitting an arc to each of the cross-sectional shapes, an arc center position calculating device for calculating the center positions of the arcs, and a sectional shape aligning device for aligning the cross-sectional shapes using the center positions of the arcs for the cross-sectional shapes.

Abstract: The invention controls irregular wear in the shoulder land portions and reduces the occurrence of cracking in the shoulder grooves of a pneumatic tire. To that end, the groove wall surface (17a) on the shoulder land portion (19) side of the shoulder groove (17) has an inclined surface consisting of a first inclined part (171) inclined toward the equatorial plane of the tire at an inclination angle ?1, which is constant along the circumference of the tire, and a second inclined part (172) further inclined from the first inclined part (171) toward the equatorial plane of the tire and reaching the groove bottom (17b) of the shoulder groove (17) at an angle ? with respect to the first inclined part (171), which varies along the circumference of the tire. Also, the inclination angles of the first and second inclined parts (171, 172) are set such that the maximum value ?max and the minimum value ?min of the angle ? satisfy (D?d) (tan ?max?tan ?min)?2.

Abstract: A tire manufacturing apparatus and a tire manufacturing method capable of efficiently manufacturing quality tire by uniformly expanding the diameter of an annular tread and mounting the tread on a base tire without axial deviation. The tire manufacturing apparatus for mounting an annular tread on the outer periphery of a base tire includes a drum for securing a base tire, a plurality of holding means each having a holding surface for holding the outer periphery of the annular tread, a moving means for moving the holding means along the central axis of the base tire, a sealing means for sealing the opening on one side of the annular tread, and an air supplying means for supplying air into a space surrounded by the annular tread and the sealing means.

Abstract: A method capable of estimating a snowy road surface condition during vehicular travel in finer classification. In this method, tire vibrations in the circumferential direction, road surface temperature (T), and tire-generated sound are detected by an acceleration sensor, a road surface thermometer, and a microphone, respectively. Then band values P11, P12 and P13 for a pre-leading-edge region (R1), band values P21, P22 and P23 for a leading-edge region (R2), band values P31, P32 and P33 for a pre-trailing-edge region (R3), band values P41 and P42 for a trailing-edge region (R4), and band values P51, P52 and P53 for a post-trailing-edge region (R5) are calculated from the tire vibration data. A sound pressure level ratio (Q)=(PA/PB), which is the ratio of a band power value (PA) of a low frequency band to a band power value (PB) of a high frequency band, is calculated from data on the tire-generated sound.

Abstract: A two-dimensional displacement sensor includes first and second laser units that emit first laser light incident on the surface of the strip-shaped member from a direction intersecting the thickness direction of the strip-shaped member and second laser light incident on the surface of the strip-shaped member from a direction parallel to the thickness direction of the strip-shaped member, a camera that has a light receiving element for receiving light reflected from the surface of the strip-shaped member and measures the amount of displacement of the surface of the strip-shaped member from the reflected light receiving position detected by the light receiving element, an optical element for focusing the reflected light on the light receiving element, and a switching member for switching the laser light to be incident on the surface of the strip-shaped member between the first laser light and the second laser light.

Abstract: The vibration of a tire 10 of a running vehicle in the circumferential direction or the width direction is detected by a road surface condition estimating tire 10, provided with an acceleration sensor 11 and a signal processing unit 12. Data of a detected vibration waveform are divided into data of three domains, namely, a pre-leading domain, a contact patch domain, and a post-trailing domain, and then the vibration levels in the pre-leading domain and the contact patch domain, respectively, are extracted. At the same time, a vibration component in a low-frequency band and a vibration component in a high-frequency band are extracted respectively from the vibration levels in the respective domains, and respective vibration level ratios R, which are each a ratio thereof, are calculated.

Abstract: Minute surface unevenness formed on the surface of an object under inspection is detected, thereby improving the accuracy of an appearance inspection. A target surface in the sidewall region (21) of a tire (20) is illuminated by a red slit light from a first illuminating means (11) disposed in the direction of 45 degrees with respect to the normal line to the target surface. At the same time, the target surface is illuminated by a blue slit light from a second illuminating means (12) disposed in the direction of ?45 degrees with respect to the normal line. The illuminated surface is shot by a line camera (13) from the direction of the normal line. An R-component image and a B-component image are produced from the original image, and their respective luminance distribution waveforms are obtained. The surface unevenness formed on the target surface is detected on the basis of the luminance distribution waveforms.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire capable of reducing air column resonance arising from circumferential grooves without changing the shape of unilaterally open-ended lug grooves. Lug grooves 20 are formed in land portions 15, which are defined by the circumferential grooves, and each of the lug grooves 20 consists of a lateral groove portion 21, which extends axially to open at one end into the circumferential groove and communicate at the other end with a sub-groove 12 provided in the land portion 15, and an oblique groove portion 22, which extends in a direction intersecting with the tire axial and circumferential directions to communicate at one end with the sub-groove 12 and terminate at the other end within the land portion 15. Also, the lateral groove portion 21 of the lug groove 20 is provided with a projection 23 protruding toward the tread surface from the bottom of the lug groove 20 and having a height smaller than the height H of the land portion 15 as measured from the bottom of the lug groove 20.

Abstract: A simple method and apparatus for accurately estimating the contact patch shape of a moving tire. The vibration waveforms of a tire (20) with sipe rows (25A, 25B) formed at the respective pitches (Pa, Pb) in the left and right shoulder lands (24a, 24b) are detected by an acceleration sensor attached to a knuckle of the vehicle. Rotational order spectrums are obtained by performing a rotational order analysis on the vibration waveforms. The peak height (Za) of the rotational order (na) corresponding to the pitch (Pa) and the peak height (Zb) of the rotational order (nb) corresponding to the pitch (Pb) are extracted from the rotational order spectrums.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire (1) having a sound absorption effect by lateral grooves is provided. The tire tread (2) has circumferential grooves formed continuously in the circumferential direction and lateral grooves extending from a circumferential groove. One end of each lateral groove is connected to the circumferential groove and the other end is a dead end. Each of the lateral grooves (7) includes a one-directional groove (11) extending in one direction from the circumferential groove (5) toward a side edge of the tire and an another-directional groove (14) extending in another direction from the circumferential groove toward the side edge of the tire. A root section (11a), which is close to the circumferential groove, of the one-directional groove (11) and a root section (14a), which is close to the circumferential groove (5), of the another-directional groove (14) are formed by a common groove (15).

Abstract: A measuring apparatus for automatically measuring the height, the dimensions of the inner and outer surfaces, and the shape of a cylindrically-shaped object. The measuring apparatus includes a measuring head vertically moving along a positioning guide supported by a support post integral with a measuring table, a height displacement measuring device, which comprises a laser distance meter provided on the measuring table, and an arithmetic processing unit. The measurement starts as the measuring head is raised by a weight from a measuring start position of the measuring table. The inner and outer surfaces of a tire are measured based on the measurements by an inner surface measuring device provided with three laser distance meters mounted to the measuring head and an outer surface measuring device having a laser distance meter and the displacement change measurement of the measuring head by the height displacement measuring device.

Abstract: A method and system for manufacturing high-quality cable beads with efficiency. The method includes the steps of arranging a plurality of carriages carrying a core and a reel wound with a wire around a reel revolving means having at least two arms, attaching the core to a core rotating means for rotating the core in a circumferential direction by holding it with one of the arms and positioning the reel on one side of the core by holding it with the other of the arms, manufacturing a cable bead by revolving the reel by holding it alternately with each of the two arms, and returning the cable bead and the reel to the carriage using the two arms. Thus, the setting of the reel and the core, the manufacturing of a cable bead, and the returning of the cable bead and the reel back to the carriage are performed automatically.

Abstract: An intra-tire power generating apparatus capable of producing high power is provided. The apparatus includes rotary magnets and rotary weights, which rotate in response to variations in centrifugal force and circumferential acceleration working on the tire of a running vehicle, and a coil unit, which is located between two rotary magnets facing each other and generates voltages through electromagnetic induction from the rotary magnets. In the apparatus, the rotary magnets and the rotary weights have an identical center line of rotation. The rotary weights are so formed as to have their center of gravity dislocated from the center line of rotation. The rotary magnets are each provided, in the plane orthogonal to the center line of rotation, with an even number of regions adjoining in the circumferential direction around the center line of rotation, the adjoining regions having different magnetic poles from each other.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire is molded by using a vulcanizing mold in which blades 20, each composed of a metal thin plate having an inclined portion 20a in the depth direction and a plurality of through holes 20G with the same sectional form as that of projections to be formed in the sipe in the inclined portion 20a are buried in a groove portion corresponding to the tire block of the vulcanizing mold, thereby forming 3D sipes having unevenness in the radial direction of the block and a plurality of pairs of projections in the inclined portion in the block of the tire. Thereby, when longitudinal force is applied to the tire, adjacent small blocks of the block come into close contact with each other only at the positions of the projections of the 3D sipes, thereby making it possible to ensure the block stiffness of the pneumatic tire 10 without reducing the drainage function.

Abstract: A tire manufacturing method to obtain a base tire superior in uniformity when the base tire has a cushion gum applied thereon. In this process of tire manufacture, the thickness from a belt, which is located in the outermost layer of the base tire having an application surface for the cushion gum, to the application surface is measured along the circumference of the base tire so as to detect a maximum thickness position. Then the circumferential winding of the cushion gum extruded from an extrusion molding unit is started from the maximum thickness position.

Abstract: A tire inspection apparatus arranged with a plurality of cameras located at relatively displaced circumferential positions and set for the respective shooting positions different from each other in the axial direction of the tire. Thus the images of the inner circumferential surface of the tire are shot by the plurality of cameras as the tire is rotated circumferentially relative to the plurality of cameras. During this operation, markers are inserted at the same time in the images shot by all of the cameras. The images are synthesized using these markers as reference positions in aligning the shot images in accordance with the relative displacements of the cameras in the circumferential direction.

Abstract: A vehicle velocity detector 15 is provided, velocity V is detected from position data of the vehicle calculated by using signal from satellites, which is received by a GPS receiver 11 installed to a vehicle body, wheel rotation velocity Vw0 detected by a wheel velocity sensor 12 is corrected in accordance with tire inner pressure detected by a pressure sensor 13 so as to obtain wheel rotation velocity (correction value) Vw, velocity ratio R=(Vw/V), which is ratio of the corrected wheel rotation velocity Vw and the detected wheel velocity V, is calculated and tire wear amount is estimated in accordance with velocity ratio R so that tire wear amount can be measured precisely without processing the tire tread portion.

Abstract: The degree of tire wear is estimated with constancy and accuracy even when the road surface becomes rough during a vehicular run. The deformation speeds Vtf and Vtk of the tread of the tire are obtained respectively by calculating the levels of peaks Pf and Pk at contact edges appearing in the differentiated waveform of radial acceleration detected by an acceleration sensor 11 installed on the inner surface in the inner liner region of the tire. An average standardized deformation velocity Vnt is calculated as the average of the absolute values of leading-edge-side standardized deformation speed Vntf and trailing-edge-side standardized deformation speed Vntk, which are obtained by standardizing the Vtf and Vtk using the rotation time Tr of the tire. At the same time, an extra-contact-patch vibration level v of the tread is detected from the radial acceleration having passed through a bandpass filter 16.

Abstract: A two-dimensional displacement sensor includes first and second laser units that emit first laser light incident on the surface of the strip-shaped member from a direction intersecting the thickness direction of the strip-shaped member and second laser light incident on the surface of the strip-shaped member from a direction parallel to the thickness direction of the strip-shaped member, a camera that has a light receiving element for receiving light reflected from the surface of the strip-shaped member and measures the amount of displacement of the surface of the strip-shaped member from the reflected light receiving position detected by the light receiving element, an optical element for focusing the reflected light on the light receiving element, and a switching member for switching the laser light to be incident on the surface of the strip-shaped member between the first laser light and the second laser light.