Abstract: A bias tire comprises a tread portion, a pair of sidewall portions, a pair of bead portions each with a bead core therein, a carcass extending between the bead portions and comprising two cross plies of cords, and a tread rubber disposed radially outside a crown portion of the carcass to define a tread face, wherein the loss tangent of the tread rubber is in a range of 0.40 to 0.60 under a temperature of 50 deg.C., the distance between the tread rubber and the adjacent cords of the radially outermost carcass ply is at most 1.0 mm, and the two cross plies include at least one ply of PEN cords made of polyethylene 2,6 naphthalate fibers twisted together.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion, a pair of sidewall portions, a pair of bead portions each with a bead core and a bead apex therein, each sidewall portion provided on the outer face with means of escaping air between the tire and a mold for vulcanizing the tire, wherein the air escape means comprises a circumferentially extending vent emboss line disposed adjacently to a radially outer end of the bead apex and a circumferentially extending vent groove adjoining the radially outside of the vent emboss line and having a depth of at least 0.15 mm. Preferably, the vent groove has a width of from 5 to 10 mm and a depth of from 0.2 to 0.5 mm, and the vent emboss line and vent groove are disposed in a lower sidewall region having a substantially straight profile. The bottom of the vent groove may be substantially parallel to the straight profile of the lower sidewall region and the bottom may be provided with emboss marks.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire has a tire meridian cross-sectional configuration of a tread surface portion on at least one side of the tire center line which is arranged such that, when a position A is an intersection of the tire center line and the tread surface, and when a position B is an intersection of a straight line P drawn orthogonal to the tire axis from an edge of an innermost belt layer and the tread surface, an angle &agr; between a straight line X connecting the positions A and B and a straight line Y drawn perpendicular to the tire center line from the position A is set in a range of 8 to 10 degrees, when the pneumatic radial tire is attached to a standard rim specified in JATMA with its air pressure being 180 kPa and with no load applied thereto.

Abstract: A tire having a crown, two sidewalls and two beads, a carcass reinforcement anchored in the two tire beads and a belt reinforcement, the belt reinforcement including at least two superposed reinforcing plies formed by cords parallel in each ply and criss-crossed from one to the other forming with the circumferential direction angles (&agr;, &bgr;) ranging between 10° and 70° and characterized in that, there is provided, between the two superposed reinforcing plies, at least two axially adjacent rubber decoupling layers with different mechanical properties and in that each of the two rubber decoupling layers is in contact with the cords of the two superposed reinforcing layers.

Abstract: A tire for vehicle wheels includes a carcass, a tread strip, and a belt structure. The carcass has a central crown portion and two axially opposite sidewalls terminating in a pair of beads. Each bead includes at least one circumferentially unextendable annular reinforcing core having a series of spirals of metal wire radially superimposed and axially arranged alongside each other. The carcass has a reinforcing structure including at least one ply of rubberized fabric reinforced with metal cords lying in radial planes containing an axis of rotation of the tire. The reinforcing structure includes ends secured to the annular reinforcing cores and a neutral profile, lying in a radial cross-sectional plane, axially extending from bead to bead. The neutral profile intersects a cross section of a zone enclosing the annular reinforcing cores and has a continuous curvature devoid of inflection points along an extension between the beads.

Abstract: A tire (1) comprising, viewed in meridian section, two beads (12) with generatrices which are inclined towards the outside, the upturn (130) of said reinforcement (13) being formed by the lateral (30) and radially inner (32) sides of a wedge-shaped profiled element (3) of high Shore A hardness and having an end located firstly axially to the outside of a straight line P2 perpendicular to the axis of rotation and passing through the center of gravity of the annular anchoring element (14) and secondly axially to the inside and radially to the outside of the straight line P1 passing through said center of gravity and forming with the axis of rotation an angle of between 30° and 60°, and the ratio e1/e2 of the thickness e1 between the carcass reinforcement upturn (130) and the annular anchoring element (14) to the thickness e2 between the carcass reinforcement upturn (130) and the outer wall of the bead, measured on the straight line P1, satisfying the relationship: 0.05≦e1/e2<1.0.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire for trucks having reduced weight and less material usage. The present invention utilizes an outside-in radial ply construction, which aids to torque the tire bead into the rim of the wheel to which it is mounted and allows the rim to provide greater support for the tire. The size of the bead may be reduced, permitting a reduction in the amount of rubber and reinforcement around and above the bead.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a carcass ply turned up around a bead core in each bead portion to form a pair of turnup portions and a main portion therebetween, and a rubber bead apex disposed between each turnup portion and main portion. Each turnup portion extends radially outwardly beyond a radially outer end of the bead apex to have a part adjoining the main portion. The profile in a tire sidewall portion and bead portion comprises a first linear portion and a second linear portion, the first linear portion extending radially outwards from a point P in substantially parallel to the tire equatorial plane, and the second linear portion extending radially inwards from the point P while inclining axially inwards at an angle of from +15 to +60 degrees with respect to the tire equatorial plane.

Abstract: A truck steer tire 10 has a wide decoupling groove 24 that extends inwardly from the tread in a circumferentially continuous fashion. The decoupling groove 24 extends between the tread surface 26 and the belt reinforcing structure 15. The decoupling groove 24 has a width in the range of 4 to 7 mm and a groove bottom having a full radius of curvature RG, RG being at least 2.5 mm. The decoupling groove 24 has a point C, C being centered on the bottom of the full radius of curvature RG, a line K drawn through the center C and the axially outermost end of the belt layers measures at least 10 mm and each axially outer end of the remaining belt layers is spaced greater than 10 mm from the center C.

Abstract: A drive axle tire 20 for use on combines is disclosed. The tire 20 has a tread 32 with a plurality of lugs 50 extending to the equatorial centerplane wherein each lug has a lug length (ll), a lug height (lh) and a lug width (lw). The lug width (lw) is equal or greater than the lug height (lh) and the lugs 50 within each respective row are spaced apart a distance less than three times (lw). The lugs are oriented at a low angle of less than 35° relative to the axial direction, the line K is preferably about 31°.

Abstract: A standard grounding surface shape F0 becomes a maximum grounding length Lc at a tire equator C and becomes a shortest grounding length Lm between the tire equator C and a grounding edge TE. The shortest grounding length Lm is located in a region away from the tire equator C by a distance of 0.5 to 0.9 times of a tread half width TW. A rubber thickness t1 between the carcass cord and the belt cord is gradually increased outward in the axial direction of the tire from the tire equator, and the rubber thickness t1 in a half width position Q which is away from the tire equator by a distance of 0.55 times of the tread half width TW is set to 0.5 to 3.0 mm. A ratio t2q/t2c between a tread entire thickness t2q in the half width position Q and a tread entire thickness t2c in the tire equator is set to 1.01±0.05.

Abstract: A very high performance tire (1, 101) for vehicles comprises a tread (14) provided with a plurality of transversal grooves (15) circumferentially distributed along the tread (14) in groups alternately extending from opposite shoulder zones (F, G) of the tread (14). The transversal grooves (15) define in an equatorial zone (E) of the tread (14) a substantially isotropic matrix of substantially continuous portions (18) of the tread (14) terminating at an equatorial portion (17) of a same transversal groove (15) of the axially opposite group of grooves.

Abstract: When a tread thickness from a second belt ply 7B is defined as T, a minimum position Qt in which the tread thickness T becomes a minimum value Tmin is provided in a region Y which is away from a tire equator C by a distance of 0.5 to 0.7 times of a tread grounding half width WT/2. A ratio Tmin/Tc between said minimum value Tmin and the tread thickness Tc at the position of the tire equator C is 0.92 to 0.97, and a ratio Tb/Tc between a tread thickness Tb at a position of an outer end of the second belt ply and said tread thickness Tc is 0.95 to 1.10. When a tread thickness from a carcass 6 is defined as K, a minimum position Qk in which a tread thickness K becomes a minimum value Kmin is provided in said region Y. A ratio Kmin/Kc between said minimum value Kmin and a tread thickness Kc at a position of the tire equator C is 0.97 to 0.998, and a ratio Kb/Kc between the tread thickness Kb at a position of the outer end of the second belt ply and said tread thickness Kc is 1.2 to 1.5.

Abstract: Runflat tire construction is optimized for tire ride comfort by reducing tire wall gauges in the tread-shoulder-to-upper-sidewall transition region and compensating with supporting sidewalls that constantly increase in thickness (gauge) from the transition region to a bead/flange area where a chafer extends above a wheel rim flange. Thus the bead and lower sidewall area are reinforced to a maximum and the shoulder area gets only the minimum stiffness necessary to achieve the required runflat performance. Within the context of wall gauges that constantly increase from the transition region to the bead/flange area, a mid-sidewall gauge ratio MSGR, being equal to a mid-sidewall gauge G2 divided by a shoulder gauge G1, is approximately within the range of 1.1 to 1.4, preferably approximately equal to 1.3; and a bead/flange gauge ratio BFGR, being equal to a bead/flange gauge G3 divided by a shoulder gauge G1, is approximately within the range of 1.5 to 1.8, preferably approximately equal to 1.7.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion, a pair of sidewall portions, a pair of bead portions, a carcass extending between the bead portions, and a tread reinforcement disposed radially outside the carcass in the tread portion. The tread reinforcement comprises a reinforcing rubber layer and a radially outer reinforcing cord layer. The radially outer reinforcing cord layer is made of cords disposed radially outside the reinforcing rubber layer. The reinforcing rubber layer extends across the substantially overall tread width and made of a rubber material having a hardness of not less than 70 degrees and a loss tangent of not more than 0.15. In a tire meridian section, the thickness of the reinforcing rubber layer being in a range of not less than 2 mm at the tire equator and gradually decreasing towards the axial edges of the reinforcing rubber layer.

Abstract: Runflat tire construction is optimized for tire ride comfort by reducing tire wall gauges in the tread-shoulder-to-upper-sidewall transition region and compensating with supporting sidewalls that constantly increase in thickness (gauge) from the transition region to a bead/flange area where a chafer extends above a wheel rim flange. Thus the bead and lower sidewall area are reinforced to a maximum and the shoulder area gets only the minimum stiffness necessary to achieve the required runflat performance. Within the context of wall gauges that constantly increase from the transition region to the bead/flange area, a mid-sidewall gauge ratio MSGR, being equal to a mid-sidewall gauge G2 divided by a shoulder gauge G1, is approximately within the range of 1.1 to 1.4, preferably approximately equal to 1.3; and a bead/flange gauge ratio BFGR, being equal to a bead/flange gauge G3 divided by a shoulder gauge G1, is approximately within the range of 1.5 to 1.8, preferably approximately equal to 1.7.

Abstract: A tire having a radial carcass reinforcement winding within each bead around at least one heel reinforcement element and whose meridian profile, when the tire is mounted and inflated, has a constant direction of curvature in a first bead and a sidewall extending it radially, and has a tangent TT′ to the point of tangency T of the carcass reinforcement profile with the annular element of the first bead which forms with the axis of rotation an angle &phgr; which is open towards the outside and is greater than 45°, wherein, viewed in meridian section, at least the aforesaid sidewall comprises a reinforcing profiled element having, viewed in section, substantially the form of a crescent, one of the axially inner or outer faces of the crescent-shaped profiled element follows the profile of the carcass reinforcement, and the trace of the face of the crescent-shaped profiled element opposite the face of such profiled element closest to the carcass reinforcement has a single direction of curvature.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire for heavy duty use applications, having at least one sidewall of formed an increased thickness, for providing better tire sidewall wear and increased re-use of the tire's internal carcass, the tire's enhanced thickness sidewall having a relief area formed by at least one radius relief portion adjacent that sidewall's bead to prevent the associated rim flange edge from cutting into the enhanced thickened sidewall, and a sharp angled return sidewall portion adjacent the portion tread sidewall. The increased thickened sidewall, ranging between approximately 2.0 and 3.5 inches, provides maximum thickness in the area of maximum sidewall flexing during use.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises at least one carcass ply of steel cords, in which a wrap part wound on a bead core along its outer peripheral face is disposed in a turnup portion of the carcass ply and at least one wire chafer wound around the bead core from a main body portion of the carcass ply toward the turnup portion thereof in a widthwise direction is embedded in the bead portion or the main body portion of the carcass ply is adequately regulated so as to enhance lateral stiffness of the bead portion.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire having a toroidal carcass satisfies the following expressions: Ra/D≦0.08; Rb/D≦0.08; 0<&PHgr;a≦50°; and 0<&PHgr;b≦50°. Alternatively, the pneumatic tire has a tire section constant J per a unit circumferential length of 0.8 or smaller.

Abstract: A radial tire for motorcycles comprises a carcass extending between bead portions through a tread portion and sidewall portions, and a belt disposed radially outside the carcass in the tread portion and comprising two cross breaker plies of cords laid at angles of from 16 to 26 degrees with respect to the tire equator. And the method of making the radial tire comprises vulcanizing the tire in a mold which causes a variable stretch to the belt during vulcanizing the tire, wherein the stretch at the tire equator is in a range of from 6.0 to 7.0%, and the stretch gradually decreases from the tire equator to the axial edges of the belt. The stretch is defined as (BD2/BD1−1)×100 wherein BD1 is the inside diameter of the belt before tire vulcanization, and BD2 is the inside diameter of the belt during tire vulcanization.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire which comprises a tread portion, a pair of bead portions adapted to a wheel rim, a pair of sidewall portions therebetween, at least one of the sidewall portions provided with an axially protruding rim protector, the rim protector extending continuously in the tire circumferential direction so as to form an annular axially outer surface extending continuously in the tire circumferential direction and a radially inner surface extending radially inwardly from said annular axially outer surface towards the adjacent bead portion, wherein the radially inner surface is provided along the tire circumferential direction with at least one recess having a depth of from 0.5 to 7.0 mm.

Abstract: An elastomeric tire for mounting onto a rim that is manufactured by casting or molding methods to include an interior arch shaped cavity that is centered under the tire tread to have at least one hundred forty (140) degrees and not more than one hundred seventy (170) degrees of arc, and with the cavity arch duplicated around the tire exterior, below the tire tread. A uniform tire wall thickness is provided that is selected for a particular anticipated load as the tire will carry, with the tire side wall ends maintained at the rim aligned ends, supporting the load carried by the tire in compression, and with the tire, at atmospheric pressure, providing ride and wear characteristics that are comparable to a pressurized pneumatic tire carrying a like load, and which tire of the invention interior arch shaped cavity can be pressurized to add to its inherent load supporting character to safely support even greater loads.

Abstract: A vehicle pneumatic tire and a process of forming a vehicle pneumatic tire are disclosed, wherein the tire includes a patterned tread, a belt brace including at least one layer, bead areas having bead cores, and a carcass having at least one layer, which is arranged through the sidewalls, around the bead cores, and back into the sidewalls as turn-ups. The carcass, in a region between the belt binding point and the bead binding point, is formed with a length shorter than that of a theoretical carcass between the belt binding point and the bead binding points determined in accordance with an equilibrium figure. This abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Abstract: It is to provide a pneumatic safety tire capable of continuing safe running even if an internal tire pressure drops to an atmospheric pressure and easily producing the tire, in which a side reinforcing rubber layer having substantially a crescent form at a section in a widthwise direction is mainly arranged on the sidewall portion and at least one annular depression convexly protruding inward in the radial direction and continuously extending in the circumferential direction is arranged on the belt.

Abstract: A tyre for a vehicle wheel includes a carcass structure, a belt structure, a tread band, and at least one pair of sidewalls. The carcass structure includes at least one circumferential centering ridge jutting out from a crown portion of the carcass structure. Each bead of the tyre includes a rest surface defining, in a direction away from an equatorial plane of the tyre, a profile converging toward the rotation axis of the tyre. A rim for a tyre includes a base body and two seats. Each seat defines an abutment surface facing radially away from a rotation axis of the rim and includes a frustoconical configuration converging away from a median diametrical plane of the rim. The base body further includes at least two opposite radial shoulders disposed to abut against the at least one centering ridge. A vehicle wheel, including the tyre and the rim, is also disclosed.

Abstract: A tire comprising at least one reinforcement structure of carcass type anchored on either side of the tire in a bead, the base of which is intended to be mounted on a rim seat, each bead being extended radially outward by a sidewall, the sidewalls extending radially towards outward to join a tread, the reinforcement structure extending circumferentially from the bead towards said sidewall, an anchoring zone for the reinforcement structure, said tire furthermore comprising an anti-vibration means arranged circumferentially in the junction zone of the shoulder and the sidewall.

Abstract: A wheel assembly includes a tire, having each bead seat angle in the range of 10 degree to 12 degree with respect to the axis of rotation, preferably 11 degree, and an aspect ratio of less than 60%, and a wheel rim, having a circumfurential well and a bead support surface angle also in the range of 10 degree to 12 degree, each bead support surface terminating in an upstanding flange overlapping a radially inner portion of the tire to support the sidewall of the tire. The flanges may be part circular in cross section defining a segment of approximately 135 degree, the radius of curvature being greater than 0.5 inches and preferably 0.75 inches.

Abstract: A radial ply, passenger vehicle tire has a tread with a substantially flat tread profile, a belt structure, and a carcass comprising two sidewalls, two beads and one or more plies. The one or more plies have a loaded shoulder ply radius that is smaller than the tire's unloaded shoulder ply radius. This design eliminates tread-lift and eliminates the need for decoupling grooves in the shoulder regions of the tread.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire has a tire meridian cross-sectional configuration of a tread surface portion on at least one side of the tire center line which is arranged such that, when a position A is an intersection of the tire center line and the tread surface, and when a position B is an intersection of a straight line P drawn orthogonal to the tire axis from an edge of an innermost belt layer and the tread surface, an angle &agr; between a straight line X connecting the positions A and B and a straight line Y drawn perpendicular to the tire center line from the position A is set in a range of 8 to 10 degrees, when the pneumatic radial tire is attached to a standard rim specified in JATMA with its air pressure being 180 kPa and with no load applied thereto.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire, includes at least one carcass ply having a steel cord arranged substantially in a radial direction of the tire, folded turned up around a bead cord, a belt layer arranged on an outer side of a crown portion of the carcass ply to have an overlapping portion with the folded portion of the carcass, a first reinforcing rubber layer arranged between body portion of the carcass ply and the folded portion of the carcass ply, and a second reinforcing rubber layer arranged inside the body portion of the carcass ply, over a region corresponding to a tire shoulder portion to a bead portion, with its thickness gradually reduced from a central portion to opposing end portions, wherein overlapping width W2 from an upper end position RF of the second reinforcing rubber layer to an end BE of the belt layer is 7% to 33% of the width BW of the belt layer; and cross sectional widths G1W, G2W, and G3W representing minimum widths between an inner surface of the tire and respective side-wall outer surface positio

Abstract: A pneunatic radial ply tire (500, 600, 900, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400) having a tread (538, 638, 938, 1038, 1138, 1238, 1338, 1438), a carcass structure (560, 660, 960, 1060, 1160, 1260, 1360, 1460) and a belt structure (546, 646, 946, 1046, 1146, 1246, 1346, 1446) has an electrically conductive and electrically continuous single-turn hoop (510, 610, 910, 1010, 1110, 1410) disposed about the circumference of the tire. The hoop might be provided as a coupling element in a transponder and interrogator system and in some designs as a structural element of the tire.

Abstract: A heavy duty pneumatic radial tire comprises a carcass ply, a belt disposed at an outside of the carcass ply in the radial direction and comprised of two or more belt layers, at least one auxiliary belt layer disposed in a widthwise central portion of the belt at a width narrower than that of the belt, and a tread, wherein when the tire is mounted onto a design rim defined in TRA standard and inflated under an internal pressure corresponding to 10% of an air pressure defined in the TRA standard, a radius of curvature of an outer profile at both side regions of the tread (Rs) is made larger than a radius of curvature of the outer profile at a central region of the tread (Rc).

Abstract: A tyre for vehicle wheels comprises: a carcass with ends associated with a pair of bead cores, each of said bead cores being incorporated in a respective bead comprising a bead filler; a tread band radially external to the carcass; a pair of axially distanced sidewalls, each placed between the respective bead and the tread band. Each bead core comprises a plurality of windings of a single wire, axially arranged side by side in a plurality of radially superimposed layers in such a way as to define a transverse hexagonal section, and having the axial width of the radially innermost layer greater than the axial width of the radially outermost layer.

Abstract: A tire having at least a first bead, the seat of which has a generatrix whose axially inner end lies on a circle of diameter greater than the diameter of the circle on which the axially outer end is located, and a radial carcass reinforcement winding within each bead around at least one heel reinforcement element, passing from the inside to the outside to form an upturn, the meridian profile of the carcass reinforcement, when the tire is mounted on its operating rim and inflated to the recommended pressure, having a constant direction of curvature in the first bead and a sidewall extending it radially, and having a tangent TT′ to the point of tangency T of the carcass reinforcement profile with the annular element of the first bead which forms with the axis of rotation an angle &phgr; which is open towards the outside and is greater than 45°, wherein, viewed in meridian section, at least the sidewall extending the first bead comprises a reinforcing profiled element having, viewed in section, substan

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 method of fitting a tire for an off road motorcycle. The diameter of the rim of a rear wheel (12) is one inch smaller than the diameter of the rim of a front wheel (18). Further, at least a tire (24) of the rear wheel is substantially a tire having a radial carcass with an aspect ratio of less than or equal to 80% and has at least one spiral belt. By providing a one-inch difference between the diameter of the rim of the rear wheel (12) and the diameter of the rim of the front wheel (18), the basic characteristics of the motorcycle can be maintained with the outer diameter of the rear wheel (12) being substantially the same as that of a conventional rear wheel, and the aspect ratio of the rear wheel tire (24) can further be reduced to 80 to 70%. Further, a so-called spiral belt is combined in conjunction with the radial construction employed for the rear wheel tire (24) so as to moderately suppress the rigidity of the tread portion.

Abstract: A tire has a radial carcass reinforcement having a bead, the seat of which is inclined towards the outside, the bead heel axially to the inside and reinforced by at least one reinforcement element, the bead toe axially to the outside and having a profiled element of rubber mix in the form of a wedge defined by two sides, the mix having a Shore A hardness greater than the Shore A hardness of the rubber mixes radially above, wherein the reinforcement winds around the annular element to form an upturn, the end of which is located axially to the outside of a straight line P2 perpendicular to the axis of rotation and passing through the center of gravity of the meridian section of the element, and axially to the inside and radially to the outside of the straight line P1 supporting the radially outer side of the profiled element.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire having excellent steering stability, resistance to hydroplaning and noise reduction comprises a carcass, a belt and a tread portion provided with a plurality of tread grooves and having an aspect ratio of not more than 50%, in which a ratio of ground contacting width of tire tread to rim width under measuring conditions defined in ETRTO is less than 0.85 and a negative ratio is not more than 25%.

Abstract: A bias tire comprises a tread portion, a pair of sidewall portions, a pair of bead portions each with a bead core therein, a carcass extending between the bead portions and comprising two cross plies of cords, and a tread rubber disposed radially outside a crown portion of the carcass to define a tread face, wherein the loss tangent of the tread rubber is in a range of 0.40 to 0.60 under a temperature of 50 deg.C., the distance between the tread rubber and the adjacent cords of the radially outermost carcass ply is at most 1.0 mm, and the two cross plies include at least one ply of PEN cords made of polyethylene 2,6 naphthalate fibers twisted together.

Abstract: A two-piece tire assembly has a removable tread belt 12 for installing about the circumference of a tire carcass 14. The tread belt has a pair of lateral ends each axially extending beyond the inflated unloaded carcass 14 at the circumferential surface by a distance of at least 4% of the width as measured at the tread belt 12 and carcass 14 interface. The carcass 14 has an abrasion resistant rubber layer 82 at the tread belt interface. The tread belt 12 also has the abrasion resistance tread compound 82 at the carcass 14 interface.

Abstract: A tyre comprises a casing ply having a meridian profile with a central crown portion and two sidewall portions; in the inflated configuration of the tyre, the crown profile portion has a radius of meridian curvature &rgr;c in the range from 406 mm to 690 mm and each sidewall profile portion forms an angle &agr;s with the axis of rotation of the tyre in the range from 25° to 30°; additionally, a mould for a tyre has cheek profiles which have a first and a second radius of curvature Rfs/Rfi whose ratio Rfs/Rfi ranges from 0.45 to 0.56 and a base profile of one sector having a radius of meridian curvature R≧500 mm and a shoulder angle &agr;0≧42°.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire having a toroidal carcass.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire, includes at least one carcass ply folded turned up around a bead cord, a belt layer arranged on an outer side of a crown portion of the carcass ply to have an overlapping portion with the folded portion of the carcass, a first reinforcing rubber layer arranged between body portion of the carcass ply and the folded portion of the carcass ply, and a second reinforcing rubber layer arranged inside the body portion of the carcass ply, wherein overlapping width W2 from an upper end position RF of the second reinforcing rubber layer to an end BE of the belt layer is 7% to 33% of the width BW of the belt layer; and cross sectional widths G1W, G2W, and G3W satisfy the following relations: G3W/G1W=0.85 to 0.95, and G2W/G1W=1.0 to 1.05.

Abstract: A method of fitting a tire for an off road motorcycle. The diameter of the rim of a rear wheel (12) is one inch smaller than the diameter of the rim of a front wheel (18). Further, at least a tire (24) of the rear wheel is substantially a tire having a radial carcass with an aspect ratio of less than or equal to 80% and has at least one spiral belt. By providing a one-inch difference between the diameter of the rim of the rear wheel (12) and the diameter of the rim of the front wheel (18), the basic characteristics of the motorcycle can be maintained with the outer diameter of the rear wheel (12) being substantially the same as that of a conventional rear wheel, and the aspect ratio of the rear wheel tire (24) can further be reduced to 80 to 70%. Further, a so-called spiral belt is combined in conjunction with the radial construction employed for the rear wheel tire (24) so as to moderately suppress the rigidity of the tread portion.

Abstract: A mould for producing a tire includes a crown and at least two cheeks. The crown includes radially-movable sectors. A first cheek is axially opposite a second cheek. The mould includes a main profile in a plane of a meridian section. The main profile includes a maximum chord, a maximum height measured from a fitting line, a profile of the first and second cheeks, and a base profile of a sector. The base profile includes first and second lateral portions, first and second connecting portions, and a central portion. The first lateral and connecting portions are axially opposite the second lateral and connecting portions. Each cheek profile includes first and second portions including first and second radii of curvature, where a ratio of the first radius of curvature to the second radius of curvature is greater than or equal to 0.45:1 and less than or equal to 0.56:1.

Abstract: The invention relates to pneumatic tires for a motor vehicle comprising a multi-layer carcass. Said multi-layer carcass extends between two bead rings, a set of bracing plies provided between the layers of the carcass and a tire tread, and rubber reinforcement layers arranged in the side wall areas which support the tire when it is deflated. The invention is characterized in that a first rubber reinforcement layer is arranged radially within a first carcass layer and a second rubber reinforcement layer is arranged between the first carcass layer and a second carcass layer. The two rubber reinforcement layers extend from the bead filler area to a position under the edge area of the bracing plies. The two rubber layers vary in thickness across the height of the side walls.

Abstract: A process for the manufacture of tire for high speed two-wheeled vehicles comprising making a cylindrical sleeve, attaching annular bead wires to the axial ends of said sleeve and shaping the sleeve into a toroidal configuration. A belt structure made of coils of cords is applied to the crown of said toroidal configuration. The belt is reinforced with HE cords which can be deformed to enable the tire carcass to be so largely expanded into the sold to achieve completely molding of a tread band.

Abstract: The loss of tire contact patch area along the tire's inside shoulder, relative to an oval race course, which occurs during chassis roll and lateral deflection, is reduced by providing an asymmetrical molded tire. The tires are defined by an asymmetrical outer tread profile and the tires are mounted on the rear axle of the race vehicle such that the axially outer portion of the asymmetrical tread region of each tire, relative to the race course, has a greater shoulder drop, wherein the shoulder drop is the difference between the maximum radial diameter of the tread measured on the outer tread contour and the diameter of the tread at the tread edge, than the opposing tire shoulder.

Abstract: In a standard state of a tire, a contour of the tire side surface has a triangular portion projecting outside from a norm arc, which is a arc passing through a maximum width point P1 of a tire and tangentially contacting with the flange, and a portion recessing from the norm arc. The height (h1) of a maximum projecting point of the triangular projecting portion from a bead base line is 0.85˜1.15 times of the height (h0) of the end of a carcass folded portion. The height (h2) of a maximum recessing point of the recessing portion is smaller than the height (h1), and is 0.30˜0.90 times of the height (h0). A maximum boss distance (q1) from the norm arc and the maximum recess distance (q2) from the norm arc are respectively 0.001˜0.040 times of the tire cross section width (W).