Abstract: An asymmetrical tread for a tire has a midcircumferential plane and an inner side and an outer side when mounted on a vehicle wheel. The longitudinally extending ribs in a central segment have substantially equal surface contact areas and their contact surface ratios sequentially decrease when taken from the outer side to the inner side of the tread. Two lateral ribs have equal surface contact areas with the first lateral rib at the innermost lateral segment having a contact surface ratio less than the second lateral rib at the outermost later segment of the tread. The tread rubber volume is equal on the two sides of the midcircumferential plane of the tread. The improvements in performance compared to other asymmetrical tire treads is realized in maintaining good straight ahead driving features for the tread of this invention. Improvements in tire performance for vehicle turn maneuvers and for unsymmetrical vehicle wheel camber are realized.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire is provided, comprising a substantially toroidal carcass cord layer applied to an inner liner, a tread portion surrounding a circumferential portion of the carcass cord layer and including at least one reinforcement belt, a left sidewall portion surrounding a left side of the carcass cord layer and extending from a left side of the tread portion, and a right sidewall portion surrounding a right side of the carcass cord layer and extending from a right side of the tread portion. Left and right bead portions extend, respectively, from the left and right sidewall portions, each of the bead portions including a reinforcing bead.

Abstract: A tread for a tire having a mid-circumferential plane. The tread comprises a plurality of tread elements arranged in a circumferential array about the tire. The tread also comprises a plurality of transverse extending grooves. Each of the grooves separate a pair of circumferentially adjacent tread elements. An area moment of inertia is associated with each of the tread elements when viewed normal to the tread element. Each of the area moments of inertia have a respective pair of principle axes of inertia relative to the mid-circumferential plane. The angular orientation between any pair of principle axes of inertia of different tread elements is within a predetermined angular range of 40 degrees or less.

Abstract: A directional pneumatic tire having improved wet traction has an annular aqua channel and curved lateral grooves which direct water from the footprint to the shoulder area of the tire to help prevent hydroplaning. The pitch boundaries between the portions of the tire on either side of the aqua channel may be skewed. The curved lateral grooves and the skewing reduce noise properties of the tire. In addition, the lugs may have rounded or radiused leading and trailing edges, and a leading groove wall angle of about 5.degree. and a trailing groove wall angle of about 1.degree., which are believed to reduce noise and irregular wear. The lugs contain slots which change direction within the lug and tie bars in the slots at each point where the slots change direction. The tread has non-skid depth of 0.75 to 1 cm (0.030 to 0.40 inch) and a ratio of non-skid to tie bar depth of 0.42.

Abstract: A tread pattern for a vehicle tire has at least one circumferential longitudinal groove as well as transverse grooves starting from the longitudinal groove and defining tread blocks between the transverse grooves limiting the longitudinal groove laterally. In order to improve the transmission of driving and braking forces, the tread blocks each have a projection along the longitudinal groove at the center of the sidewalls of the tread blocks, extending from the tread surface to the bottom of the longitudinal groove.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire for passenger cars having a plurality of grooves formed in the tread and extending at least circumferentially of the tire, the tread being provided with two belt plies therein in such a manner that their belt cords extend in a crisscross pattern. The grooves have a depth in the range of 6.0 to 8.5 mm, with the thickness of the under-groove rubber layer from the bottom of the grooves to the outer belt ply being fixed within the range of 0.5 to 2.0 mm. The belt plies are placed one over another with the both edge portions left unfolded. At least one of the plies is made from aramid fiber cords and at least the both edge portions of the belt plies are covered with at least one belt cover ply which has a cord angle of no greater than 30 deg with respect to the circumference of the tire. The belt cover ply is made of organic fiber cords no larger than 0.7 mm in diameter at a picking density of 35 to 90 percent.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a plurality of blocks, each having a narrow area interposed between one set of two sipes which extend substantially in a transverse direction of the tire and wide areas positioned respectively at both sides of the narrow area across the sipes. An average distance H2 from a tire tread surface of the narrow area to bottom portions of the sipes is less than an average distance H1 from tire tread surfaces of the wide areas to the bottom portions of the sipes. Expanded portions may be provided at the bottom portions of the two sipes. A ratio W2/W1 of a length W2 of the narrow area in the transverse direction of the tire to a length W1 of the wide areas in the transverse direction of the tire may satisfy 0.50.ltoreq.W2/W1.ltoreq.0.95. A length, in the circumferential direction of the tire, of at least one side end portion of the narrow area may be longer than a length, in the circumferential direction of the tire, of a central portion of the narrow area.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bias pneumatic tire having a belt structure comprising six annular layers. The tire of the present invention has particular utility as an aircraft tire and avoids many of the undesirable stresses/strains resulting from the deformation in the tread areas of the tire.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire comprising a carcass and a belt comprising belt plies composed of steel belt cords wherein at least two circumferential grooves are constructed in the tread part continuously in the direction of the tire's equator, and lateral grooves in some parts defined by dividing the tread part in the direction of the tire's axis into approximately three. The tire prevents one-side drifting of a car in driving, improves a straight-forward driving performance.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a tire (P) intended to bear heavy loads and inflated to high pressure, particularly suited for use as an airplane tire. In order to improve the fatigue strength of the beads (4), the axially outer plies (3E, 3F) of the carcass reinforcement (3) in the region of the beads (4) have their edges (30E, 30F) disposed between the upturns (30A, 30B, 30C, 30D) of the axially inner plies (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D).

Abstract: The invention is directed to a pneumatic tire which comprises a carcass turned up around bead cores from axially inward to outward thereof to form two turned up portions and one main portion therebetween, the carcass turned up portions extending radially outwardly along and adjacently to the carcass main portion from the bead portion to a position not lower than a 1/2 height of the tire section height, an axially inner reinforcing layer disposed axially inside the carcass main portion, and an axially outer reinforcing layer disposed between the carcass main portion and each turned up portion, the inner reinforcing layer comprising one ply of high modulus cords laid at 15 to 50 degrees with respect to the tire axis and extending along the inner face of the carcass at least from a 1/4 height of the tire section height to the bead portion, the outer reinforcing layer comprising two cross plies of high modulus cords laid at 30 to 60 degrees with respect to the tire circumferential direction, and the cord spacing

Abstract: A high efficiency all terrain bicycle or motorcycle tire having a tread design in which spaced tread blocks are arranged in circumferential rows and overlapped to allow a smooth shift in load from one tread block to another in different circumferential rows with a minimum of casing hysteresis and at the same time provide a low rotating mass, low rolling resistance, high cornering adhesion with high consistency across differing types of ground conditions, high motive and stopping traction. The tread blocks in the different rows have shapes, spacings and orientations which createa plurality of tortous paths for flow of material without excessive constricting of flow in any one spot.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire for passenger cars, formed on its tread surface with at least one main groove extending in the circumferential direction of the tire, a number of sub-grooves extending in the widthwise direction of the tire, and a plurality of sub-main grooves extending at an angle of inclination within a range of 3.degree. to 30.degree. to the circumferential direction of the tire and to a length greater than a defined contact length of the tire, the or each main groove having a groove depth of 65% or more of the thickness of a tread rubber and a groove width which is greater than its groove depth and is within a range of 6 to 9% of a tread expansion width, each sub-main groove including such a wider or broader portion which has a groove depth of 65% or more of the thickness of the tread rubber and a groove width which is greater than its groove depth and is within a range of 3.

Abstract: An all terrain vehicle tire has an improved tread including primary lugs arranged in sets equally spaced around the periphery of the tire on each side of the tire centerline with each set including a long lug and a short lug, with the sets on opposite sides of the centerline being offset substantially one half the pitch of the lug sets. At least the long lugs include an elongated central body portion extending at a first acute angle with respect to the centerplane and each of the primary lugs including an inner end directed at a second smaller acute angle relative to the centerplane and an outer end extending over and onto the shoulder of the tire at an obtuse angle with respect to the centerplane. A plurality of secondary lugs in the form of tapered knobs may be located between each of the primary lugs of each set with at least one secondary lug between each adjacent pair of primary lugs being located on the shoulder portion of the tire.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire for a passenger car, which includes a plurality of grooves provided on the surface of a tread and extending at least in a tire circumferential direction and a belt having a double layer structure and provided within the tread, characterized in that the depth of the grooves is in the range of 6.0 to 8.5 mm, the thickness of a rubber under the groove defined as the distance from the bottom of the groove to the outermost belt layer is in the range of 0.5 to 2.5 mm, one of the belt layers comprises aramid fiber cords with the other belt layer comprising steel cords, and the total sectional area, .alpha., of steel wires per 50 mm width of the belt layer comprising steel cords is 5 to 14 mm.sup.2.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire comprises a pair of bead portions, a pair of sidewall portion extending outward from the bead portions in radial direction, and a tread portion between the sidewall portions. In this tire, the sidewall portion ranging from a separation point of the tire from a rim to a tread end is equally divided into three regions, and at least one annular recess extending circumferentially of the tire is formed on an outer surface of each of these regions in the sidewall portion so that a maximum depth of the annular recess is 0.3 times or more of an original rubber gauge at a position corresponding to a deepest point of the annular recess.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a specified running direction, and comprises a pair of sidewalls, a tread provided with at least one circumferential groove extending in parallel to an equatorial plane of the tire, a plurality of lug grooves intersecting this at least one circumferential groove, and land portions defined by the at least one circumferential groove and the lug grooves intersecting the former groove. Axially narrow portions and axially wide portions are periodically formed for the above at least one circumferential groove by axially waving at least one of opposite sidewalls of at least one circumferential grooves in an axial direction. Each of the lug grooves is combined with or meets the at least one circumferential groove at an area located between an axially most narrowed portion of the circumferential groove and an axially most widened portion of the circumferential groove which is to contact a road prior to the axially narrowed portion during a forward running.

Abstract: A method of building a tire comprises providing an apexed bead with a first bead ribbon having a first bead portion including rubberized parallel extending bead wires. A first rubber apex leaf extends laterally from the first bead portion. A second bead ribbon has a second bead portion with rubberized parallel extending bead wires. A second rubber apex leaf extends laterally from the second bead portion. The second bead portion is located radially of said first bead portion to form a bead. The first and second apex leafs radially contact each other to form an apex with a substantially triangular cross-section taken in a plane extending transverse to the bead wires. The apex extends laterally from and integral with the bead. The apexed bead is placed radially of a cylindrically formed tire carcass ply. An axial end of the carcass ply is turned around the apexed bead. The apex portion is moved from an axial surface of the bead portion to a radial surface of the bead portion.

Abstract: In a pneumatic tire which is to be fitted to a wheel of the type in which connecting position of a disc to a rim is offsetted to a wheel outer side from a center of a rim width, and which has a plurality of blocks on a tread thereof, a pneumatic tire wherein a total contact area C.sub.2 of shoulder blocks on the tire outer side disposed on the offset side of the disc and a total contact area C.sub.1 of shoulder blocks on the tire inner side disposed on the opposite side to the offset side of the disc satisfy the relation, C.sub.1 /C.sub.2 =1.2 to 2.0.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire for a passenger car, which includes a plurality of grooves provided on the surface of a tread and extending at least in a tire circumferential direction and a belt having a double layer structure and provided within the tread, characterized in that the depth of the grooves is in the range of 6.0 to 8.5 mm, the thickness of a rubber under the groove defined as the distance from the bottom of the groove to the outermost belt layer is in the range of 0.5 to 2.5 mm, and at least one layer of the belt comprises aramid fiber cords coated with a coat rubber having a modulus of elasticity at 50% elongation of 30 to 55 kgf/cm.sup.2.