Abstract: A heavy-duty tire is described herein. The heavy duty tire includes a carcass, a tread located radially outward of the carcass, and a tread having a plurality of lugs. The lugs extend radially outward from an inner tread and are located between the first and second lateral tread edges. The tread further includes a first row of lugs extending from the tread lateral edge axially inwards toward the centerplane, and a second row of lugs extending from the opposite tread lateral edge and axially inwards toward the centerplane. The lugs of the first and second rows are separated by a plurality of shoulder grooves, wherein the first row of lugs are aligned with the second row of lugs, a center row of lugs located between a first and second offset lug, wherein all of the lugs in each row are aligned circumferentially. wherein said tire has a molded base width in the range of 44-50 mm. The heavy-duty tire wherein the shoulder drop ranges from 64 mm to 120.

Abstract: A tire has an axis of rotation. The tire includes two inextensible annular bead structures for attachment to a vehicle rim, a carcass-like structure having at least one reinforced ply, the carcass-like structure being wound about the two bead structures, a tread disposed radially outward of the carcass-like structure, and a shear band structure disposed radially between the carcass-like structure and the tread. The two bead structures include at least one layer of a three dimensional fabric including a tear drop frame structure and open cells defined by the tear drop frame structure.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes an axis of rotation, a carcass having at least one reinforced ply and a reinforcing structure providing a buffer for absorbing shear strain, a tread disposed radially outward of the carcass, and a belt structure disposed radially between the carcass and the tread. The reinforcing structure includes at least one layer of a three dimensional fabric including a frame structure of fabric and open cells defined by the frame structure.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a carcass reinforced by a carcass ply extending from a first bead to a second bead and a single belt ply disposed radially outward of the carcass ply in a crown portion of the pneumatic tire. The single belt ply includes a first group of cords oriented in a first direction relative to a centerline of the pneumatic tire and a second group of cords oriented in a second direction relative to the centerline of the pneumatic tire.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes an integrated belt/overlay component having a plurality of individually dipped and tackified cords applied individually to the tire component.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a pair of annular beads, at least one carcass ply wrapped around the beads, a tread disposed over the carcass ply in a crown area of the pneumatic tire, and sidewalls disposed radially between the tread and the beads. The pneumatic tire is mounted on a rim and a contact area of the pneumatic tire with the rim has carbon nanotubes for reducing micro-slippage between the beads and the rim during rotation of the pneumatic tire under load.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes an axis of rotation, a carcass having at least one reinforced ply and a reinforcing structure providing a buffer for absorbing shear strain, a tread disposed radially outward of the carcass, and a belt structure disposed radially between the carcass and the tread. The reinforcing structure includes at least one layer of a three dimensional fabric including a frame structure of fabric and open cells defined by the frame structure.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire has a chipper in place of a traditional apex, the chipper located between a carcass main portion and turnup portion. The chipper layer may be composed of a chopped carbon fiber and aramid composite reinforced elastomeric layer. The tire sidewalls have a radial height SH and a section width SW located within a range of 0.4 to 0.44 of the sidewall radial height SH measured from the bead core. The section width SW may further be located within a range of 0.1? to 0.3? inches from a radially outward end of the chipper layer in a radial direction. The tread may of a dual layer construction, having a radially inward first layer formed of a relatively low rolling resistance compound and a radially outward second layer formed of a compound containing silica.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire having a circumferentially extending equatorial plane of the tire, the tire comprising a carcass, a tread radially outward of the carcass, the carcass comprising at least one carcass reinforcing ply, opposing bead portions, and opposing sidewalls, the carcass reinforcing ply having a main portion extending between the opposing bead portions and a pair of turnup portions, each turnup portion extending from one end of the main portion, each bead portion having a bead core, and a reinforcement cavity outward of each bead core, the cavity located between the main portion and one turnup portion of the at least one reinforcing ply, the tire characterized by: the tread comprising a radially outer tread cap and a radially inner tread base radially underneath the tread cap, the tread base comprising a rubber composition comprising from 15 to 45 phr of styrene-butadiene rubber; from 20 to 50 phr of polybutadiene; and from 10 to 35 phr of natural or synthetic polyisoprene, and from 35 to 65 ph

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire having a circumferentially extending equatorial plane of the tire, the tire comprising a carcass, a tread radially outward of the carcass, the carcass comprising at least one carcass reinforcing ply, opposing bead portions, and opposing sidewalls, the carcass reinforcing ply having a main portion extending between the opposing bead portions and a pair of turnup portions, each turnup portion extending from one end of the main portion, each bead portion having a bead core, and a reinforcement cavity outward of each bead core, the cavity located between the main portion and one turnup portion of the at least one reinforcing ply, the tire characterized by: the tread comprising a radially outer tread cap and a radially inner tread base radially underneath the tread cap, the tread base comprising a rubber composition comprising from 15 to 45 phr of styrene-butadiene rubber; from 20 to 50 phr of polybutadiene; and from 10 to 35 phr of natural or synthetic polyisoprene, and from 35 to 65 ph

Abstract: The invention relates to a tire with a tread of a cap/base construction comprised of a two-ply (dual layered) tread cap rubber layer comprised of a combination of an outer tread cap layer and an inner tread cap layer together with an underlying tread base rubber layer which underlies the two-ply tread cap layer. The tread cap layer is of a lug and groove configuration with at least a portion of the grooves extending through the outer tread cap layer into the inner tread cap layer without extending to the tread base rubber layer. The outer tread cap rubber layer is comprised of a carbon black-rich rubber composition to promote dry traction for the tread running surface. The inner tread cap layer is comprised of a softer silica-rich rubber composition to promote wet traction for tread running surface as the outer tread cap layer wears away to expose the softer inner tread cap layer.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire has a chipper in place of a traditional apex, the chipper located between a carcass main portion and turnup portion. The chipper layer may be composed of a chopped carbon fiber and aramid composite reinforced elastomeric layer. The tire sidewalls have a radial height SH and a section width SW located within a range of 0.4 to 0.44 of the sidewall radial height SH measured from the bead core. The section width SW may further be located within a range of 0.1? to 0.3? inches from a radially outward end of the chipper layer in a radial direction. The tread may of a dual layer construction, having a radially inward first layer formed of a relatively low rolling resistance compound and a radially outward second layer formed of a compound containing silica.

Abstract: By shifting the peak height of the tread on one side of the tire from the centerline (CL), for a tire intended for cambered use on a vehicle and/or exposure to lateral loading, improvements in the footprint shape, pressure distribution, area and footprint shape factor (FSF) are obtained. In an illustrated embodiment, 0.127 cm to 5 cm (deep) of mold material are removed from one side of the centerline (CL) of the crown in a conventional mold, at 15% to 85% of the distance from the centerline to the shoulder area of the mold (one-half inch to five and one-half inches in the illustrated tires), to obtain a mold shape having the designated change in tread peak height.

Abstract: By shifting the peak height of the tread on one side of the tire from the centerline (CL), for a tire intended for cambered use on a vehicle and/or exposure to lateral loading, improvements in the footprint shape, pressure distribution, area and footprint shape factor (FSF) are obtained. In an illustrated embodiment, 0.127 cm to 5 cm (deep) of mold material are removed from one side of the centerline (CL) of the crown in a conventional mold, at 15% to 85% of the distance from the centerline to the shoulder area of the mold (one-half inch to five and one-half inches in the illustrated tires), to obtain a mold shape having the designated change in tread peak height.

Abstract: A radial ply pneumatic tire 30 has a unique cross sectional profile. The tires rum flange width W is greater than the tread width TW and the maximum section width SW is located radially less than 50% of the section height SH as measured from the nominal rim diameter ND.