Abstract: A tire includes, among the conventional tread pattern elements, at least one measuring element having a central zone and an encircling zone. In normal operation, the central zone 10 of a measuring element slides over the ground while, conversely, the tread as a whole does not slide over the ground. Measurements are carried out of the maximum adherence potential with the ground, at any moment, due to the central zone of a measuring element. In an alternative embodiment, the measuring element may comprise a circumferentially extending rib(s) or tread block(s) whose ground contact surface(s) is spaced at a lesser radial distance from the wheel axle than the spacing of the ground contact surfaces of the conventional tread blocks.

Abstract: Tires are packaged in a stack by positioning the tires on a packaging device having a set of parallel alignment rollers such that the rollers contact the treads of the tires to orient the tires as a stable stack, with the respective center axes of the tires being substantially parallel to the axes of the rollers. At least one of the rollers is rotated to rotate all of the tires in the stack about their respective center axes to align the center axes of all of the tires with a longitudinal axis of a cylinder defined by the stack. After stopping the rotation, the stack is compressed in the axial direction while the alignment of the tire axes with the cylinder axis is maintained. One or more bands are then wrapped around the stack while maintaining the compression. Then the compression is released to release the stack which remains restrained by the bands.

Abstract: Branched synthetic polyisoprenes are described having a macrostructure and a microstructure very similar to those of natural rubber. According to one aspect, these polyisoprenes have an apparent stress F/S0 greater than or equal to 0.4 MPa at a relative elongation ? of 150%, applied to a dumbbell-shaped test specimen consisting of the crosslinkable polyisoprene. According to another aspect, these polyisoprenes fulfill the relationship: Cotan ??0.3761. ?inh+0.15,:??(i) where cotan ? is the cotangent of the loss angle of a sample of said polyisoprene, measured at 130° C. by means of an instrument known by the trade name “RPA2000”, said sample being subjected to shear stress to 10% deformation and at a stress frequency of 0.035 Hz, and where ?inh is the inherent viscosity of said polyisoprene, measured in toluene at 25° C. and at a concentration of said polyisoprene in toluene of 0.1 g/dl.

Abstract: Apparatus for fabricating a reinforcement structure for a tire, the said reinforcement structure comprising threads disposed substantially parallel to each other, the said apparatus being intended to be used in cooperation with a substantially toroidal form (1) on which the said reinforcement structure is progressively constructed by depositing arches of the said thread side by side along a desired trajectory for the said thread on the surface of the said form, the said apparatus comprising an assembler (5) comprising an entry for receiving the threads (2), a rubber-coating chamber (50), a volumetric pump for delivering a rubber composition inside the rubber-coating chamber, an outlet orifice for a strip (20) comprising the threads joined by the said composition, a device (4) for depositing the said strip comprising a reference framework with respect to which it is possible to install the said form at a known position.

Abstract: Apparatus for fabricating a strip-like reinforcement structure for a tire, which includes a laying head for laying the strip. The laying head includes a guidance passage for the strip formed by slots, rolling-down rollers intended to cooperate with a form, a cutter for cutting the strip into separate arches, and a turning-over mechanism for turning over the strip about its own longitudinal axis for causing an opposite face of the strip to face the form. The turning-over mechanism includes a frame mounted on two bearings in a cradle of the laying head. The frame can turn through at least 180° with respect to the cradle for inverting the strip.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the operational condition of a tire equipping a vehicle, includes: producing, over time, representative samples of successive values assumed by a changing physical quantity, under otherwise equal conditions, with respect to the number of moles of gaseous fluid present in this tire, exploiting these samples in order to deduce from them an estimated condition of the tire, comparing it to a range of normal driving conditions, and producing an alarm in the case where the estimated condition of the tire is situated outside the range of these normal conditions. The step of exploiting the sample includes comparing the value of an indicator of dispersion of the physical quantity, such as the variance of this quantity, to a predetermined threshold value (L).

Abstract: A tire tread includes a plurality of elements in relief (rib and/or block) having lateral faces, and a contact face intended to come into contact with the roadway during travel. The intersection of each lateral face with the contact face forms a ridge. The tread also includes a plurality of cutouts each defined by opposing main faces. Each tread pattern element is formed with at least one base mix. As viewed in section in a plane containing the thickness of this tread, at least one face defining at least one cutout is formed at least in part with a covering mix. The base mix exhibits a gripping action on wet ground which is lower than a gripping action of the covering mix on the same ground.

Abstract: A process for obtaining a grafted diene elastomer having functional groups along the chain, a rubber composition containing this grafted elastomer and having in particular improved hysteresis properties in the cross-linked state, a preparation process for this composition, a tire tread made from this composition and a tire of reduced rolling resistance which incorporates this tread. A process for obtaining this grafted elastomer includes a radical grafting reaction carried out in solution or without a solvent by means of a reagent of the mercaptan type to graft functional groups on to the chain of a starting elastomer. The starting elastomer is treated with an antioxidant having at least one aromatic amine function before the grafting reaction, so that the grafted elastomer has a macrostructure which is practically identical to that of the starting elastomer.

Abstract: During manufacture of a tire, a carcass reinforcement ply is wound on a cylindrical laying surface on which have been deposited a pair of profiled elements spaced apart along the cylinder axis. The reinforcement ply is fed onto the laying surface while being pressed thereagainst by an application roller which is deformable so as to conform to both the cylinder diameter and the larger radii defined by the profiled elements. Additional rollers can be positioned upstream of the application roller for pressing the ply against respective ones of the profiled elements. A transporter supports one or both the end portions of the ply as they leave a feeder conveyor and approach the laying surface.

Abstract: A wheel formed by the assembly of a disc comprising a hub bearing surface, a transition zone and a radially outer edge, and of a rim with at least a first laminated composite structure formed of at least one fabric of long fibers which are oriented in two distinct directions and impregnated by a cross-linked resin, the radially outer surface of which corresponds to the radially outer surface of the rim or to part thereof, at least a second laminated composite structure formed of at least one fabric of long fibers which are oriented in two distinct directions and impregnated by a cross-linked resin, the radially outer surface of which corresponds to the radially inner surface of the rim or to part thereof, and at least a circumferential weight-reduction structure formed of a material of low density, arranged radially between the first and second laminated composite structures.

Abstract: The invention concerns a tire provided with a capacitative sensor including two substantially parallel electrodes, the sensor being carried by a sidewall of the tire. The electrodes of the sensor lie substantially in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the tire and are substantially orientated in an ortho-radial direction. The invention also concerns a tire provided with a deformation sensor, a method for evaluating the deflection of a tire, and a deformation sensor.

Abstract: An electronic module designed to be incorporated in a tire, comprising a functional device, a support and at least one device for electrically connecting a wire and a device for mechanically fixing the wire, separate from the electrical connection device, for mechanically fixing the wire to the support.

Abstract: A tire comprising a crown extended by two respective sidewalls and two respective beads, a carcass structure anchored in each side of the tire in said beads, said crown comprising at least one reinforcing ply having parallel reinforcements oriented at an angle ? relative to the circumferential direction ranging between 10 and 45 degrees, a first crown reinforcement having cords substantially oriented in the circumferential direction and being high elastic modulus at high stress organic fiber cords, and a second crown reinforcement having cords substantially oriented in the circumferential direction and having a ratio ? of the tensile strength at high strain and high temperature to the tensile strength at low strain and moderate temperatures inferior to 1.5.

Abstract: Tires are packaged in a stack by positioning the tires on a packaging device having a set of parallel alignment rollers such that the rollers contact the treads of the tires to orient the tires as a stable stack, with the respective center axes of the tires being substantially parallel to the axes of the rollers. At least one of the rollers is rotated to rotate all of the tires in the stack about their respective center axes to align the center axes of all of the tires with a longitudinal axis of a cylinder defined by the stack. After stopping the rotation, the stack is compressed in the axial direction while the alignment of the tire axes with the cylinder axis is maintained. One or more bands are then wrapped around the stack while maintaining the compression. Then the compression is released to release the stack which remains restrained by the bands.

Abstract: A tire tread incorporating an elastomeric composition reinforced by an inorganic filler, based on at least: (i) a diene elastomer; (ii) as reinforcing inorganic filler, more than 80 phr of a silica of low specific surface area having the following characteristics: (a) a BET specific surface area of less than 130 m2/g; (b) an average particle size, dw, of between 30 and 300 nm; (iii) a coupling agent providing the bond between the reinforcing inorganic filler and the diene elastomer; (iv) a vulcanization system comprising sulfur, a vulcanization accelerator and between 0.5 and 1.5 phr of zinc as vulcanization activator. Preferably, this silica furthermore has a disagglomeration rate ? greater than 5×103 ?m?1/min (measured in the ultrasound disagglomeration test).