Abstract: A pneumatic tire including a closed sipe 5 formed in a tread surface 1 that includes a small hole 2 extending along a tire radial direction and a plurality of cuts 4 extending in a radiation direction from the small hole 2 and that terminating in a land portion 3. A diameter of an inscribed circle of the small hole 2 is greater than a thickness of the cuts 4. The cuts 4 are provided with a twist in a depth direction centered on the small hole 2, and a twist angle ? from a top surface to a bottom surface of the land portion 3 is not less than 10° and less than 135°.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire including a separatable pair of mechanical fasteners wherein a first fastener of the pair of mechanical fasteners is provided on a tire inner surface. In this pneumatic tire, the obtained engagement force of the pair of mechanical fasteners is great and is essentially free of variations (positional variation within the tire and variation from tire to tire); the engagement force deteriorates/declines minimally over time due to extreme usage conditions including repetitive deformation and compaction over an extended period of time caused by tire rotation at high speeds in a state of relatively elevated temperatures; and the desired engagement force can be maintained over an extended period of time.

Abstract: Disclosed is a tire/wheel assembly which, even in a case of forming a run-flat support member by processing a metal material high in breaking strength, realizes the forming without generating wrinkles and cracks. In the tire/wheel assembly, a run-flat support member is inserted into a cavity portion of a pneumatic tire mounted onto a rim, a run-flat support member being formed of an annular shell having an arched cross-section, and elastic rings attached to bent ends of the annular shell in an inner peripheral side thereof. In the tire/wheel assembly, while plural notches are provided in the bent ends along a circumferential direction thereof, a length Ln (mm) of the notches in the circumferential direction is set between 1.0 mm and 15.0 mm inclusive, and a ratio Ws/Wg of a width Ws (mm) of the bent ends of the annular shell to a thickness Wg (mm) of the elastic rings is set between 0.55 and 0.92 inclusive.

Abstract: A tire/wheel assembly comprising: a wheel having a disc and a rim provided on the outer peripheral edge of the disc in such a manner that the widthwise center of the rim is offset towards one side; a pneumatic tire mounted on the rim; and a run-flat support member disposed in the cavity of the pneumatic tire, the run-flat support member having an annular shell and elastic rings, the annular shell including a support surface located radially outwardly thereof and two leg portions formed radially inwardly thereof in a straddling state, the support surface having a plurality of convexly curved surface sections that are widthwisely arranged, the elastic rings supporting the leg portions on the rim. One of the elastic rings located on the opposite side of the rim to the offset side is smaller in rigidity than the other of the elastic rings located on the offset side.

Abstract: A method of evaluating contact characteristics of an object having a roughness includes setting geometric shape data for the roughness; creating a roughness model and a structure model that comes in contact with the roughness, based on the geometric shape data set; making the roughness model and the structure model come in contact with each other; acquiring a physical amount occurring at least one of a contact region of the roughness model and a contact region of the structure model; and obtaining an evaluation value for evaluating a real contact state in the contact region between the roughness model and the structure model, from the physical amount acquired.

Abstract: Disclosed is a tire/wheel assembly which, even in a case of forming a run-flat support member by processing a metal material high in breaking strength, realizes the forming without generating wrinkles and cracks. In the tire/wheel assembly, a run-flat support member is inserted into a cavity portion of a pneumatic tire mounted onto a rim, a run-flat support member being formed of an annular shell having an arched cross-section, and elastic rings attached to bent ends of the annular shell in an inner peripheral side thereof In the tire/wheel assembly, while plural notches are provided in the bent ends along a circumferential direction thereof, a length Ln (mm) of the notches in the circumferential direction is set between 1.0 mm and 15.0 mm inclusive, and a ratio Ws/Wg of a width Ws (mm) of the bent ends of the annular shell to a thickness Wg (mm) of the elastic rings is set between 0.55 and 0.92 inclusive.

Abstract: A tire alarm device gives a warning against the runflat operation limit of a pneumatic tire during runflat operation, the tire having a reinforcement layer disposed in each sidewall thereof for enabling the runflat operation. The device includes a tire temperature sensor used to warn of the runflat operation limit, and the tire temperature sensor is disposed on the inner surface of one of the sidewalls facing the reinforcement layer therein.

Abstract: A tire/wheel assembly includes a wheel having a rim, a pneumatic tire fitted to the rim of the wheel and a run-flat support member, the pneumatic tire having a tread surface and a hollow space, the tread surface having circumferential grooves extending in a circumferential direction of the tire, the run-flat support member being disposed in the hollow space of the pneumatic tire and having an annular shell and elastic rings, the annular shell comprising a support surface formed radially outward having a convexly curved surface portion with an annular apical line or face and two leg portions formed radially inward, the elastic rings supporting the two leg portions on the rim. The apical line or apical face of the convexly curved surface portion is offset in a direction of a center axis of rotation of the wheel so as not to be located in a position corresponding to the circumferential grooves when viewed from a radial direction of the wheel.

Abstract: A tire/wheel assembly comprising: a wheel having a disc and a rim provided on the outer peripheral edge of the disc in such a manner that the widthwise center of the rim is offset towards one side; a pneumatic tire mounted on the rim; and a run-flat support member disposed in the cavity of the pneumatic tire, the run-flat support member having an annular shell and elastic rings, the annular shell including a support surface located radially outwardly thereof and two leg portions formed radially inwardly thereof in a straddling state, the support surface having a plurality of convexly curved surface sections that are widthwisely arranged, the elastic rings supporting the leg portions on the rim. One of the elastic rings located on the opposite side of the rim to the offset side is smaller in rigidity than the other of the elastic rings located on the offset side.

Abstract: Disclosed is a pneumatic radial tire allowed to compatibly enhance its high-speed durability and to reduce road noise. In the tire, a plurality of belt layers 3 are arranged on an outer periphery of a carcass layer 2, and a belt reinforcement layer 4, which is formed of reinforcing cords spirally wound up substantially in a circumferential direction, is arranged in the vicinity of the belt layers. While an overhanging length L, by which the belt reinforcement layer 4 overhangs from an end of a maximum-width portion of the belt layers, is set in a range of 5 to 20 mm, an intermediate elongation of the reinforcing cords of the belt reinforcement layer 4 under a load of 67 N is set in a range of 1.5 to 5.5%.

Abstract: A tire alarm device gives a warning against the runflat operation limit of a pneumatic tire during runflat operation, the tire having a reinforcement layer disposed in each sidewall thereof for enabling the runflat operation. The device includes a tire temperature sensor used to warn of the runflat operation limit, and the tire temperature sensor is disposed on the inner surface of one of the sidewalls facing the reinforcement layer therein.

Abstract: A method of evaluating contact characteristics of an object having a roughness includes setting geometric shape data for the roughness; creating a roughness model and a structure model that comes in contact with the roughness, based on the geometric shape data set; making the roughness model and the structure model come in contact with each other; acquiring a physical amount occurring at least one of a contact region of the roughness model and a contact region of the structure model; and obtaining an evaluation value for evaluating a real contact state in the contact region between the roughness model and the structure model, from the physical amount acquired.

Abstract: The present inventions are a run-flat tire and a tire/wheel assembly in which the workability of the tire-to-rim fit has been improved while including a core-type run-flat support member. The tire/wheel assembly is formed by fitting a pneumatic tire into a wheel rim. In the tire/wheel assembly, the run-flat support member constituted of a circular shell and elastic rings is inserted into a cavity of the pneumatic tire, in which the circular shell has a support surface thereof extended toward the periphery of the tire and leg portions along each end of the support surface, and the elastic rings are attached to the leg portions of the circular shell. Meanwhile, stages extending in a tire circumferential direction are formed on the inner walls of a pair of right and left beads in the pneumatic tire, and the elastic rings are locked into the stages.

Abstract: The present inventions are a run-flat tire and a tire/wheel assembly in which the workability of the tire-to-rim fit has been improved while including a core-type run-flat support member. The tire/wheel assembly is formed by fitting a pneumatic tire into a wheel rim. In the tire/wheel assembly, the run-flat support member constituted of a circular shell and elastic rings is inserted into a cavity of the pneumatic tire, in which the circular shell has a support surface thereof extended toward the periphery of the tire and leg portions along each end of the support surface, and the elastic rings are attached to the leg portions of the circular shell. Meanwhile, stages extending in a tire circumferential direction are formed on the inner walls of a pair of right and left beads in the pneumatic tire, and the elastic rings are locked into the stages.

Abstract: Disclosed is a tire/wheel assembly in which a run-flat support member is disposed in a cavity of a pneumatic tire fitted to a rim. The run-flat support member includes a circular shell, in which an outer circumferential side thereof is a support surface and an inner circumferential side thereof is opened to have two leg portions, and left and right elastic rings which support the two leg portions on the rim. The elastic rings have different rigidities from each other so that the elastic ring receiving a larger load during run-flat traveling has a higher rigidity.

Abstract: A tire/wheel assembly includes a wheel having a rim, a pneumatic tire fitted to the rim of the wheel and a run-flat support member, the pneumatic tire having a tread surface and a hollow space, the tread surface having circumferential grooves extending in a circumferential direction of the tire, the run-flat support member being disposed in the hollow space of the pneumatic tire and having an annular shell and elastic rings, the annular shell comprising a support surface formed radially outward having a convexly curved surface portion with an annular apical line or face and two leg portions formed radially inward, the elastic rings supporting the two leg portions on the rim. The apical line or apical face of the convexly curved surface portion is offset in a direction of a center axis of rotation of the wheel so as not to be located in a position corresponding to the circumferential grooves when viewed from a radial direction of the wheel.

Abstract: A tire/wheel assembly in which a run-flat support member is inserted into a cavity of a pneumatic tire, the run-flat support member including a circular shell in which the outer circumferential side thereof is used as a support surface and the inner circumferential side thereof is opened to have two leg portions, and elastic rings supporting the ends of the two leg portions on a rim. Protruding portions are provided, respectively projecting sideways on both sides of the circular shell, and the protruding portions come to contact with an inner surface of a bead of the pneumatic tire during run-flat traveling.

Abstract: A tire/wheel assembly in which a run-flat support member 3 is inserted into a cavity of a pneumatic tire 2, the run-flat support member 3 including a circular shell 4 in which the outer circumferential side thereof is used as a support surface and the inner circumferential side thereof is opened to have two leg portions, and an elastic ring 5 supporting the ends of the two leg portions on a rim 1. The circular shell 4 is configured by jointing side edges 7, 7 of at least two shell segments 4a, each having a single convex circumferential surface.

Abstract: Disclosed are a run-flat tire and a tire/wheel assembly in which the workability of the tire-to-rim fit has been improved while including a core-type run-flat support member. The tire/wheel assembly is formed by coupling a pneumatic tire and a rim of a wheel. In the tire/wheel assembly, the run-flat support member constituted of a circular shell and elastic rings is inserted into a cavity of the pneumatic tire, in which the circular shell has a support surface thereof extended toward the periphery of the tire and leg portions along each side of the support surface, and the elastic rings support the leg portions of the circular shell on the rim. At the same time, a seat portion and an engaging portion are provided for at least one of the elastic rings, in which the leg portion of the circular shell can be settled on the seat portion, and the engaging portion is extended in an outer tire axial direction from the seat portion and sandwiched between a tire bead base and a rim seat.

Abstract: A tire/wheel assembly in which a run-flat support member 3 is inserted into a cavity of a pneumatic tire 2, the run-flat support member 3 including a circular shell 4 in which the outer circumferential side thereof is used as a support surface and the inner circumferential side thereof is opened to have two leg portions, and elastic rings 5 supporting the ends of the two leg portions on a rim. The outer circumferential surface of the circular shell 4 in a cross-section cut in a tire width direction has a shape with a plurality of convex portions 4a, 4b, aligned in a tire width direction, and these convex portions have a plurality of different kinds of radius of curvatures and/or thickness.