Abstract: Tread having a tread surface intended to come into contact with a road surface and comprising at least one groove of width W and of depth P delimited by two walls facing one another, these walls being joined together by a groove bottom, at least one groove comprising at least one closure device for at least partially closing this groove as it passes through the contact patch, each closure device comprising at least one flexible blade of suitable thickness that allows it to flex under the effect of a circulation of liquid, this at least one flexible blade projecting from the bottom of the groove, each flexible blade being delimited by a contact wall intended to come into contact with the road surface and by end walls each facing a wall delimiting the groove and lateral walls, this tread further comprising at least one passage between the bottom of the groove and each blade of the device, this passage being intended to ensure a minimal flow of water when driving on a water-covered road surface.

Abstract: The invention concerns a process for the production of butadiene from an ethanol feed comprising at least 80% by weight of ethanol, comprising a step for conversion of ethanol to acetaldehyde, a step for the extraction of butadiene, a step for scrubbing gaseous by-products with water, a step for eliminating impurities and brown oils, a step for treating effluents, a first butadiene purification step, and a subsequent butadiene purification step, said ethanol feed being supplied to said butadiene extraction step, the arrangement of the steps and recycles allowing the recycles to be maximized and allowing the water and energy consumption to be minimized.

Abstract: Tread having a maximum thickness PMU of material to be worn away during running, having: at least two grooves of circumferential overall orientation delimiting at least one intermediate row and two edge rows, a plurality of cuts of transverse overall orientation on each intermediate and edge row, representing, in the new state, a void of total volume Vco open onto the tread surface, at most equal to 13% of the total volume of the tread, channels or cavities extending under the tread surface in the new state, adapted to form new grooves after the tread has partially worn away, and having, in the initial state, a total volume Vcc at least equal to 30% of the total void volume Vco in the new state, intermediate rows of suffix (i) and edge rows of suffix (e) each provided with a plurality of cuts of transverse or oblique orientation distributed over each row evenly or near-evenly with a mean pitch of Pi and Pe respectively, having mean depths, Di and De respectively, which are at least equal to 20% of the thickne

Abstract: A tire comprising a tread comprising a plurality of main grooves (1) arranged on each side of a midplane X-X?, each of these main grooves (1) opening axially to the outside of the tread and extending axially towards the midplane X-X? so that the plurality of main grooves forms a pattern in the overall shape of a V. Above and beyond a determined certain degree of wear, at least one additional groove (3) appears between two circumferentially adjacent main grooves (N?1, N), the additional groove running parallel overall to the main grooves (N?1, N).

Abstract: This invention relates generally to tires having multiple carcasses that wrap around multiple bead cores on a single side of the tire, and, more specifically, to a tire that has a bead core locking insert that eliminates a pullout step for one of the carcass plies or bands during fabrication, This step includes wrapping one of the plies or bands completely around said multiple bead cores that are found on a single side of the tire. In certain embodiments, the tire is an aviation tire that has bands of multiple plies that are wrapped about multiple bead cores found on each side of the tire. The bead core locking insert is found below the multiple bead cores found on each side of the tire and is adjacent to the bands that wrap around the inside and outside head cores, thereby locking these beads and associated bands together.

Abstract: The curing press for a tire blank comprises: a mold and inductors capable of heating the press by electromagnetic induction, each inductor comprising a core (36) comprising two feet (40) having respective undersides (60) which are flat and inclined in relation to one another.

Abstract: A standardization system for the manufacture of tires is provided. The same size tire components can be used in the summit of tires having different sizes i.e., tires having different section widths, sidewall heights, and/or aspect ratios. A matrix of tire sizes can be associated with one or more tire summit parameters. The matrix can be used for the manufacture of tires having one or more standardized components by holding substantially constant the value of one or more tire summit parameters across a diagonal of the matrix.

Abstract: The invention relates to a rubber composition based on at least one diene elastomer, a reinforcing filler comprising at least carbon black having a CTAB specific surface of greater than or equal to 130 m2/g, a plasticizing oil and also a crosslinking system, the dispersion of the filler in the elastomeric matrix having a Z score of greater than or equal to 70.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include methods for reducing deformation of a sipe-molding member (10) arising during manufacturing operations, and sipe-molding members (10) comprising a sipe-forming portion (12) and a plurality of stiffening members (20) spaced along the sipe-forming portion. The sipe-forming portion (12) has a length extending in a lengthwise direction of the sipe-molding member (10), a height configured to extend into a depth of a molding cavity, and a thickness extending perpendicular to both the length and height. The sipe-molding member (10) is configured to form a sipe having a thickness commensurate with the thickness of the sipe-forming portion, a length formed by at least a portion of the length of the sipe-forming portion, and a depth formed by at least a portion of the height of the sipe-forming portion. Each of the plurality of stiffening members (20) extend outwardly from the thickness of the sipe-forming element. Further embodiments include methods of forming a molded tire tread.

Abstract: A tire for a heavy vehicle with a radial carcass reinforcement anchored in two beads by wrapping around bead wires. In a radial plane, radially on the inside of the radially innermost point of the at least one layer of carcass reinforcement and axially on the outside of the geometric center of the bead wire, the radius of curvature at a point on the exterior surface of the bead is greater than the radius of curvature at the point of orthogonal projection of the point of the exterior surface of the bead onto the at least one layer of carcass reinforcement.

Abstract: Assembly comprising a tire and a mounting rim, the tire comprising two beads each comprising at least one annular reinforcing structure and a carcass reinforcement anchored in the two beads by a turn-up, each bead comprising a filler of a rubber composition extending radially a radial distance DBE from the radially innermost point of the annular reinforcing structure, DBE being less than or equal to 10% of the radial height H of the tire, at least one sidewall further comprising a stiffening reinforcement of metallic reinforcing elements oriented at an angle less than or equal to 10 degrees to the circumferential direction, and positioned such that the distance DAE between the radially innermost point of the annular reinforcing structure and the radially outer end of the stiffening reinforcement is greater than or equal to 20% and less than or equal to 40% of H and that the distance DAI between the radially inner point of the annular reinforcing structure and the radially inner end of the stiffening reinforce

Abstract: Pneumatic tire, and method for forming said tire; the tire comprises a tire carcass having a body layer (16) extending between a pair of beads (18), a belt (20) arranged along the tire carcass between the pair of beads, the belt having three belt layers (221-223), wherein the reinforcement elements of the first layer (221) extend in a direction biased from the equatorial plane of the tire by an angle greater or less than zero, the reinforcements of the second layer (222) extend in a direction biased from the equatorial plane of the tire by an angle having an absolute value of 5 to 15 degrees, and the reinforcements of the third layer (223) extend in a direction biased from the equatorial plane of the tire by an angle greater or less than zero.

Abstract: Particular embodiments of the invention include a tire tread having a plurality of tread elements including one or more shoulder elements arranged along a first lateral side edge of the tread. The one or more shoulder elements include a recessed terminal side spaced apart from the first lateral side edge, where the recessed terminal side is offset in a direction of the tread width towards the second lateral side edge from a pair of adjacent terminal sides of the one or more shoulder elements. A sipe is arranged in connection with a submerged void within the tread thickness, where the sipe and submerged void extend in a direction of the tread width towards a second lateral side edge from the recessed terminal side such that the sipe and submerged void are recessed from the pair of adjacent terminal sides.

Abstract: The tire comprises a tread, a crown reinforcement and at least one crown layer. The crown layer has an axial width (L2) that is at least two-thirds of a maximum axial width (L1) of the tire and has a concave portion with axial limits (M2, M?2) on either side of an equatorial plane (XZ). The tire further includes a carcass reinforcement which has at least one carcass layer with a concave portion that has axial limits (M3, M?3) on either side of the equatorial plane (XZ). The radial distance (d) between the respective concave portions is at a maximum in the equatorial plane (XZ) and decreases continuously from the equatorial plane (XZ) as far as the axial limits (M2, M?2) of the said concave portions axially closest to the equatorial plane (XZ), where it reaches a minimum value (dM).

Abstract: Tire vulcanizing mold able to cooperate with a curing press, said mold comprising two shells each one molding a sidewall of the tire and a ring of sectors for molding the tread of the tire, each sector comprising a support and a molding lining situated radially on the inside of the support, in which ring the sectors, when the mold is in the closed position, are all in circumferential contact one with the next via the molding linings and in radial contact on the shells via the front ends of the linings each of which forms a face for contact with the shell, said supports and linings being produced in such a way that each support is able to take up the clamping force applied to the lining coming into contact with the shell when the mold is in the closed position when said clamping force at said contact face exceeds a given threshold that is lower than the plastic threshold of the lining.

Abstract: A reinforced product, which can be used especially for reinforcing a finished rubber article, comprises one or more textile or metallic reinforcing thread(s), said thread(s) being covered with a sheath comprising a thermoplastic polymer composition, the sheathed thread(s) being themselves embedded in a rubber composition referred to as coating rubber, characterized in that this coating rubber is a composition based on at least one diene elastomer, a reinforcing filler, and a sulfur-based vulcanization system, in which the ratio of the amounts, in phr (parts by weight per hundred parts by weight of elastomer), of sulfur and of reinforcing filler, is less than 0.08.

Abstract: The tire vulcanizing mould includes a plurality of segments for molding the outside of the tire tread. The segments are able to move radially between a position in which the mold is open and a position in which the mold is closed. The segments have frustoconical bearing surfaces that are placed radially on the outside. An axially mobile external ring, which acts on the frustoconical bearing surfaces, is placed radially on the outside of the segments in order to cause them to close and to move back from their position of closure in the mold. The external ring is radially preloaded towards the inside when the mold is in the open position.

Abstract: A method of forming a tire includes a mold having a molding cavity defined at least in part by an outermost molding surface and a pair of opposing shoulder-forming portions. The mold includes a sipe-forming element spaced apart inwardly from the pair of opposing shoulder-forming portions with a knife edge oriented towards a first shoulder-forming portion and a knife edge translation member arranged outside the mold cavity and configured to translate in a direction towards the first shoulder-forming portion and from which a sipe-forming portion extends. The method further includes arranging an uncured tire tread within the mold, molding the uncured tire tread, and demolding the tire tread such that the sipe-forming element forms a sipe by the knife edge lacerating a thickness of the cured molded tread as the sipe-forming element is pulled in a direction toward the shoulder-forming portion.

Abstract: The present invention includes tire treads (10) and a method for forming tire treads (10) having a sipe (18) with a length extending between opposing terminal ends of the sipe and having a height and a thickness which is variable across the length and height of the sipe. The thickness of the sipe (18) includes a sipe portion arranged between the opposing terminal ends defining the sipe length and having a thick portion extending at least partially around a perimeter of a thin portion. The thin portion is substantially 0.2 millimeters or less thick and forms at least 40% of the surface area along each of the opposing sides of the sipe, the opposing sides being arranged on opposing sides of the sipe thickness.

Abstract: The invention comprises a support system and method for supporting an uncured tire carcass (10) for storage, handling and transport of the tire carcass during tire production operations. The method for supporting an uncured tire carcass (10) includes the step of configuring an uncured tire carcass in a storage configuration subsequent to removing the uncured tire carcass from the tire carcass building surface. Once removed from the tire carcass building surface the uncured tire carcass (10) is separate from the tire carcass building surface. The method further includes the step of pressurizing an interior chamber of the uncured tire carcass (10) to form an inflated uncured tire carcass.