Abstract: A tire noise damper to be disposed in an annular tire cavity formed between a wheel rim and a pneumatic tire mounted thereon. The damper comprises an annular band-like body which is made of an elastomeric material and provided with at least one generally U-shaped cut oriented in a circumferential direction. The cutout formed by the at least one U-shaped cut forms a flap risen by a centrifugal force during running, and the remainder forms a base band to be put around a bottom of the wheel rim in an elongated condition. In order to reduce resonance of the air in the tire cavity in not only the fundamental mode but also the higher harmonic modes, the flap may have a relatively long length such that, when risen, a radially outer end portion thereof comes into contact with the radially inside of a tread portion of the tire. Further, the flap may be made of nonwoven fabric at least partially.

Abstract: A tire noise damper to be disposed in an annular tire hollow formed between a wheel rim and a pneumatic tire mounted thereon, the damper made of a flexible material and comprising a base to be secured to the wheel rim and at least one flap extending from the base to be risen radially outwards from the wheel rim by centrifugal force during running to block the annular tire hollow. For example, the damper comprises at least one annular elastic band to be put around the wheel rim, the annular band provided with at least one U-cut for forming a flap, and the base is formed by the remaining annular portion of the band. In another example, the damper is made of a strip of the fixable material having a certain length, the base is formed by one end portion of the strip, and the flap is formed by the remaining portion of the strip.

Abstract: A tire noise reducing system comprises a wheel rim, a pneumatic tire to be mounted on the wheel rim to form an annular tire hollow, and a resonance damper to be disposed in the annular tire hollow, wherein the damper is one of an annular elastic loose band disposed around the rim and a flexible slack strip having a certain length and fixed to the wheel rim at two points so that a portion between the fixed points slacks, whereby a loose portion of the loose band and the slack portion of the slack strip are risen by a centrifugal force during running to block the annular tire hollow.

Abstract: A tire noise reducing system comprises a wheel rim, a pneumatic tire to be mounted on the wheel rim to form an annular tire hollow, and a noise damper to be disposed in the annular tire hollow, wherein the noise damper is a liquid under use conditions, and the noise damper has a certain volume being capable of changing the cross sectional area of the annular tire hollow irregularly in the circumferential direction during rotating, whereby the mode, amplitude and frequency of resonance of the tire hollow are changed irregularly to damp the resonance. The tire noise reducing system may comprises an apparatus for injecting the foamable liquid damper into the tire hollow, which apparatus comprises a container for the foamable liquid damper, a high-pressure gas source to let the foamable liquid damper from the container, and a nozzle for discharging a mixture of the liquid damper and high-pressure gas foam to be injected into the tire hollow.

Abstract: A vehicle tire which has an aspect ratio of less than about 55% and comprises a tread portion having a profile whose radius of curvature decreases substantially continuously from the tire equator to each tread edges. The tread profile from the tire equator to each tread edge is substantially defined by a curve such as ellipse, cycloid, epicycloid, involute curves and the like, of which equation is differentiable in the range between the tire equator and each tread edge.

Abstract: A tread pattern of tire tread is formed by an alignment (sequence) of pattern composing units of s types different in pitch P that is a circumferential length. The pattern composing units are allocated to sections of the axes of abscissa and ordinate from the origin in the order of lower pitch P. Out of all regions present in a certain section of the axis of abscissa and aligned in the longitudinal direction, a defined region defining a chaotic function is determined for respective sections of abscissa. The chaotic function is represented by X(n+1)=fc(Xn), where Xn is the axis of abscissa, and X(n+1) the axis of ordinate. An alignment of pattern composing units is obtained according to a sequence of numbers sequentially obtained by the chaotic function. The alignment of pattern composing units is further verified before employment. In such manner, discomfort due to noises caused by a tire during a travel is reduced.

Abstract: A radial tire improved in the ground pressure distribution, in which the thickness (A) of the tread rubber at the tire equator is larger than the thickness (B) at an effective belt edge point (P), a belt edge camber height (CH) is in the range of from 0.5 to 0.75 times a shoulder camber height (SH), and the belt edge camber height (CH) is in the range of from 0.5 to 0.75 times a carcass camber height (KH), wherein the belt edge camber height (CH) is the radial distance between the effective belt edge point (P) and an axially inner point (Q) located axially inward of the point P by an axial distance of 0.

Abstract: A radial tire improved in total performance which comprises a tread portion; the tread portion provided with a block pattern consisting of blocks defined by at least one circumferential groove and a plurality of axial grooves: the block pattern having a land ratio of not less than 0.67; with respect to blocks BT which exist wholly or partially in the ground contacting part of the tread, the total .SIGMA.I.sub.x of the second moment of areas I.sub.x of all said blocks BT being larger than the total .SIGMA.I.sub.y of the second moment of areas I.sub.y of all said blocks BT, wherein each said second moment of area I.sub.x is of the shape of the top surface of each block BT about a circumferential line (X) passing a center point (O) on the top surface, and the second moment of area I.sub.y is of the shape of the top surface about an axial line (Y) passing the center point (O).