Characterized By Belt Or Breaker Structure Patents (Class 152/526)
  • Patent number: 7343948
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire for two-wheeled motor vehicles 1 comprises a belt layer 7 and a tread reinforcing layer 9 outside of a single carcass ply 6A made of organic fiber cords. The belt layer 7 is comprised of a belt ply 7A in which steel cords are spirally wound substantially parallel to a tire circumferential direction. The tread reinforcing layer 9 is comprised of a reinforcing ply 9A in which organic fiber cords are aligned to be substantially parallel to the tire circumferential direction. A width RW of the reinforcing ply 9A in a tire axial direction is not less than 30 mm and not more than 90% of a tread grounding width CW.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoshi Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 7337817
    Abstract: At least one belt layer in which one or plural rubber-coated belt cords are arranged to be spirally wound almost in parallel with a tire circumferential direction on the outer circumference of a body ply. The belt cord is small in the increase rate of tensile load to stretch rate in the range of a predetermined stretch rate or less, but becomes large in the increase rate of the tensile load in another range exceeding the predetermined stretch rate. Therefore, during a vulcanizing and forming process, the belt cord is expanded together with unvulcanized compounded rubber under a small tensile load, and it does not occur to prevent body ply cords from being expanded, so that a green tire is vulcanized and formed with respective parts thereof being adhered as a result of being expanded to keep a correct shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Fuji Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigemasa Takagi
  • Patent number: 7329459
    Abstract: The subject matter herein is directed to a polymer-based cap ply reinforcement material that has a shrinkage component, wherein the reinforcement material is treated such that the shrinkage component increases at least about 10% over a reference shrinkage component of a reference polymer-based reinforcement material. The subject matter herein is further directed to a method of producing a product comprising a polymer-based cap ply reinforcement material, wherein the method includes: a) providing a reference polymer-based cap ply reinforcement material having a reference shrinkage component; b) providing a polymer-based cap ply reinforcement material having a shrinkage component; c) treating the polymer-based cap ply reinforcement material such that the shrinkage component increases at least about 10% over the reference shrinkage component of the reference polymer-based cap ply reinforcement material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Performance Fibers, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Bryan Rim
  • Publication number: 20080011400
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire has a carcass structure, a belt structure, and a tread. The belt structure has at least two plies of reinforcing cords, the cords in the at least two plies being inclined at angles greater than 5° relative to the tire centerline. The cords in the belt plies are inclined at equal but opposite directions relative to the tire centerline. The belt plies have a stiffness variation in the circumferential and meridional directions of the belt plies wherein the stiffness variation is in the range of 12 to 25% between a radially outermost belt ply and a radially innermost belt ply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Publication date: January 17, 2008
    Inventors: John Christian Mathias Munster, Romain Fernand Hansen, Roland Paul Close
  • Publication number: 20070287347
    Abstract: A belt for incorporation into a core of plies and beads formed on a tire core build mandrel where the core is for encapsulating in an elastomeric material, preferably a polyurethane, in a tire formation process, and which belt is formed from like belt sections laid over one another where the one belt section is rotated one hundred eighty degrees around its longitudinal axis with respect to the other, and the belt sections are individually fitted around a tire core crown and the pair of belt sections ends are off-set from one another and are fitted together into a continuous belt. The belt is a weave of Rayon warp and cotton fill cords or filaments with the Rayon warp cords or filaments having a crossing angle of forty-eight to fifty-two degrees and the Rayon warp and cotton cords or filaments, respectively, have selected diameters, to provide for a separation of the Rayon cords or filaments respectively, in a stack of belt sections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2006
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Inventors: Richard A. Steinke, Gary N. Benninger
  • Patent number: 7299843
    Abstract: A tire comprising a crown extended by two respective sidewalls and two respective beads, a carcass structure anchored in each side of the tire in said beads, said crown comprising at least one reinforcing ply having parallel reinforcements oriented at an angle ? relative to the circumferential direction ranging between 10 and 45 degrees, a first crown reinforcement having cords substantially oriented in the circumferential direction and being high elastic modulus at high stress organic fiber cords, and a second crown reinforcement having cords substantially oriented in the circumferential direction and having a ratio ? of the tensile strength at high strain and high temperature to the tensile strength at low strain and moderate temperatures inferior to 1.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Daniel Grier Osborne, Philippe Esnault, Matthew Boozer
  • Patent number: 7299841
    Abstract: A two-piece tire assembly with a removable tread belt for installing about the circumference of a tire carcass is provided. The two-piece tire assembly includes a tread belt comprised of two or more belt layers, each layer having one or more belts, wherein at least one of the belts in each layer has a chord length less than about 25% of the circumferential length of the belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Archie Arsavir Takfor Andonian, Kevin Christopher Legge, Robert Anthony Neubauer, Dale Eugene Wells
  • Patent number: 7281553
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial ply tire incorporating a crown reinforcing structure comprises at least one reinforcing hoop located approximately on the equatorial plane and disposed radially inward of the tread and radially outward of the carcass structure. The hoop is surrounded or encased by a layer of elastomeric transition material providing a flexible structural connection between the hoop and the adjacent carcass structure and belt structure. The hoop may have a substantially lenticular shape, or a complex shape with two thickened sections or lobes connected by a thin waist-like section, or a shape and a location that is asymmetric with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire, and may be made by winding a thin strip of material such as UHMWPE in an elastomeric matrix. The hoop may replace the belt structure of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Alain Emile Francois Roesgen, Laurent Colantonio, Filomeno Gennaro Corvasce
  • Patent number: 7278458
    Abstract: A tire designed to be mounted on a mounting rim J of maximum diameter Dc the type comprising beads designed to cooperate with seats of the mounting rim, the beads comprising at least one annular bead reinforcement structure; a crown comprising a reinforcement structure, this crown being surmounted radially on the outside by a tread; on either side of the tire's crown, a sidewall providing connection to each bead; a carcass reinforcement extending between the crown and the beads; wherein at least one sidewall comprises at least two additional annular reinforcement structures, each additional annular structure having an inner diameter at least equal to the maximum diameter Dc of the rim; the carcass reinforcement is anchored at least partially on each annular bead reinforcement structure and on each additional annular sidewall reinforcement structure; the difference between the inner diameter of the radially innermost additional annular reinforcement structure in each sidewall and the diameter Dj of the rim sea
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique, S.A.
    Inventor: Frédéric Allard
  • Patent number: 7267149
    Abstract: Pneumatic tires for service on heavy vehicles having a belt package with widened belts. The tire includes a belt reinforcing structure or belt package having multiple cut belts of which one of the cut belts has a width approximately equal to the tire footprint. Widening two of the cut belts and forming at least one of the widened cut belts from a lighter material serves to improve tire durability in the regions of the tire crown and shoulder without increasing the overall tire weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: John Kotanides, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20070193670
    Abstract: In a pneumatic tire of the present invention provided with a pair of bead cores, a troidal-shaped carcass surrounding said bead cores, a tread rubber, a carcass, a plurality of belt layers 6 reinforced by a steel cords 7, wherein in at least one of said belt layers 6, the maximum value of deviation of an angle ?c of said steel cords 7 is not greater than 3 degrees with respect to the angle made by said steel cords 7 at the center in the tire width direction and the tire circumferential direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Applicant: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoto Kashihara
  • Patent number: 7234495
    Abstract: An underground mine tire 20 having a nominal bead diameter of 20.0 inches or less has a carcass, a tread 25 and a pair of rubber sidewalls 23, each extending along the outer periphery of the carcass 21 below the tread 25. The tire 20 has a nominal bead width D greater than 8.50 inches and an overall diameter of less than 55 inches. The carcass 21 has at least one radial steel cord reinforced ply 24.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Maurice Jacob Frank, Steven Michael Wilton, Lance Reed Wilkinson, Brian Ernest McMahon, Nicholas Lynn Sticklen
  • Patent number: 7231950
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire 1 including a carcass 6 and a belt layer 7 is provided with a cord-reinforced layer 12 with reinforcing cords of organic fiber being disposed at angles of 30 to 60 degrees with respect to a tire circumferential direction at a buttress portion Bs thereof. A ply turnup portion 11 of the carcass 6 is terminated radially outside a tire maximum width point M. The cord-reinforced layer 12 is arranged such that its outer end portion in the radial direction 12U is pinched between the carcass 6 and the belt layer 7 and such that its radially inner end portion 12L is secured between the ply main portion 10 and the ply turnup portion 11 of the carcass 6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kajita
  • Patent number: 7213626
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tire with radial carcass reinforcement, intended for equipping a heavy vehicle such as a transport vehicle or construction machinery. It refers in particular to a tire having an axial width greater than 37 inches. The tire according to the invention has a working crown reinforcement, composed of at least two continuous working plies and completed on each side of the circumferential center plane by at least two half-plies whereof the metal reinforcing elements form angles greater than the smallest of the angles of the reinforcing elements of the continuous plies with the circumferential direction, with that half-ply extending axially furthest outwards being in contact with the axially widest continuous working crown ply, and the two half-plies radially covering the axially outer end of the said axially widest working ply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Jacques Giraud, Marie-Claude Palgen
  • Patent number: 7188654
    Abstract: Belt bandage for a vehicle pneumatic tire that includes a ply having strength carriers embedded in an unvulcanized rubber mixture. The strength carriers run essentially parallel to one another. Each strength carrier includes a hybrid cord that has a first twisted yarn having a high modulus of elasticity of at least approximately 25000 N/mm2 and a second twisted yarn having a low modulus of elasticity which is no greater than approximately 15000 N/mm2. The first and second twisted yarns are final-twisted together. A cord count E in cords per 5 cm ply widths, a force F1 at 2% elongation of each hybrid cord, and a force F2 at 6% elongation of each hybrid cord satisfies the following relationships: F1×E?approximately 600 N F2×E>approximately 1500 N. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Continental Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Joerg Dehnert, Guenter Wahl
  • Patent number: 7168470
    Abstract: Inside a tread portion and outside a belt layer along the radius direction thereof is formed a belt layer comprising a band ply formed by winding spirally a tape- and belt-form ply wherein one ore plural band cords are stretched and arranged to be embedded in a topping rubber. In this band ply, the elongation resistance value K (unit: N? cord number/cm) specified by the following equation is set within the range of 99 to 700 when the sectional area of the band cord or each of the band cords is represented by S (unit: mm2), the modulus thereof when the elongation thereof is 2% is represented by M (unit: N/mm2), the band cord arrangement density per cm of the band ply is represented by D (unit: cord number/cm).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Yukawa, Kazumi Yamazaki, Takashi Tanaka, Yasuo Wada, Makoto Hizume
  • Patent number: 7168469
    Abstract: This invention is concerned with a radial tire, particularly a heavy duty radial tire aiming at the improvement of durability, and is characterized by rendering a ratio W2/W1 of width W1 of a belt layer located side a carcass to width W2 of the remaining belt layer in small slant belt layers arranged at a width corresponding to 0.25–0.50 times a tread width in a widthwise direction of the tire, whereby growth and progress of cracks in the vicinity of cord ends of cords used in the belt resulting in separation failure at widthwise ends of the belt are effectively prevented to overcome a weak point in the tread reinforcement of the radial tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuomi Kobayashi, Shuji Ando
  • Patent number: 7156138
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes 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, the belt constituting at least one belt ply made of parallel cords embedded in a composite topping rubber layer, the composite topping rubber layer formed from at least two kinds of topping rubbers having different complex elastic moduli, and the topping rubbers alternately disposed in a a circumferential direction of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuya Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7128112
    Abstract: A tire for a two-wheeled motorized vehicle and more particularly a motorcycle includes at least one carcass-type reinforcement structure, formed of reinforcement elements, anchored one either side of the tire to a bead intended to be mounted on a rim seat. Each bead is extended radially towards the outside by a sidewall, the sidewalls meeting up radially towards the outside with a tread. Under the tread is a crown reinforcement structure including a layer of circumferential reinforcement elements. In accordance with the profile of the tire in a radial plane, the layer of circumferential elements is at least in part radially to the inside of the part of at least one carcass-type reinforcement structure radially to the outside of the two points of tangency of the curvilinear abscissa of the carcass-type reinforcement structure with perpendiculars to the axis of rotation, and the circumferential reinforcement elements are distributed in the transverse direction with a variable pitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Pascal Prost, Alain Valle, Yann Chaylard
  • Patent number: 7104299
    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 at least a pair of belt layers, and one layer comprising inextensible reinforcing cables inclined at substantially zero degrees relative to the circumferential direction of the tire assembly. The cables in zero degree ply have a tensile breaking load of at least 50,000 N.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: William Earl Rayman, Barry Allen Matrana, Thomas Roy Fuhrig, Gregory Scott Hanna
  • Patent number: 7093634
    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 at least a pair of belt layers, and one layer comprising inextensible reinforcing cables inclined at substantially zero degrees relative to the circumferential direction of the tire assembly. The cables in zero degree ply have a tensile breaking load of at least 27500 N.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: William Earl Rayman, Barry Allen Matrana, Thomas Roy Fuhrig, Gregory Scott Hanna
  • Patent number: 7086440
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a tread with shoulders, a belt structure located below the tread, and a carcass with two sidewalls, two inextensible annular beads, and a radial ply structure. The shoulders of the tire have a continuous curving radially outer profile so that the shoulders transition smoothly from the tread profile to the tire sidewalls. The tire has a belt structure formed of an annular layer of parallel cords, the annular layer having a pair of opposing annular edges and a continuous radius curve profile. Located radially inward of the axial edges of the annular layer of the belt structure is an annular reinforcing strip layer. The strip has a width of not greater than 30 mm and extends axially outward of the annular layer edges by a distance of not more than 10 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Woiciech Franciszek Baran
  • Patent number: 7073382
    Abstract: A method for designing tires for reduced cavity noise is directed to tires of the type having architectural elements comprising at least one carcass structure anchored in each side of the tire in a bead, each bead having a base which is intended to be mounted on the tire's design mounting rim, a side wall portion extending radially upward from each bead, a reinforced summit comprising reinforcement cords disposed at a given angle, and the side wall portions joining the summit. The method includes the step of arranging the architectural elements to provide a flexibility level of at least a portion of the summit to allow said portion to vibrate at a frequency substantially corresponding to the cavity mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Michelin Recherehe et Technique, S.A.
    Inventors: Dimitri Tsihlas, Eric Vinesse
  • Patent number: 7063116
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire containing a belt disposed radially outside a carcass in a tread portion, the belt including two cross plies of monofilament metallic cords laid at angles of from 15 to 30 degrees with respect to the circumferential direction of the tire, each monofilament cord composed of a waved single filament, the filament having a circular sectional shape having a diameter in the range of from 0.40 to 0.50 mm, or alternatively a non-circular sectional shape having an aspect ratio in the range of from 0.65 to 0.95 and a cross-sectional area in the range of 0.09 to 0.20 sq.mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Miyazaki, Takeshi Ohta, Kazumi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 7025101
    Abstract: There is provided a pneumatic radial tire for a motorcycle capable of developing an excellent steering stability in a high-speed cornering subjected to a large camber angle, and having an aspect ratio of 0.50–0.85, in which a tensile strength at break of a carcass ply cord is not less than 980 MPa, and an absolute value of a carcass total rigidity obtained by adding carcass rigidities of carcass plies is not less than 30000, and a tensile strength at break of a belt layer cord is not less than 2350 MPa, and an absolute value of a belt total rigidity obtained by adding belt rigidities of belt layers is not less than 170000, and a bending rigidity ratio as a ratio of out-of-plane bending rigidity to in-plane bending rigidity is within a range of 4.20–9.10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Ootsuka
  • Patent number: 6988520
    Abstract: A motor-cycle tire (1) comprising a ground contacting tread (2) reinforced between its edges (3,4) by a breaker assembly and having in its normally inflated fitted condition a camber value C/L of between 0.5 and 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: David Robert Watkins, Gary Terence Barrett
  • Patent number: 6986374
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Junichi Kawajiri
  • Patent number: 6983775
    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 82A at the tread belt interface. The tread belt 12 also has the abrasion resistance tread compound 82B at the carcass 14 interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Thomas Roy Fuhrig, Gregory Scott Hanna, William Earl Rayman
  • Patent number: 6977020
    Abstract: In the method of mounting a pneumatic radial tire comprising a spiral belt and a pair cross belt members arranged in parallel to each other at both sides of an equational plane of the tire and at a given opening space onto a vehicle body, the tire is mounted as a front tire and/or a rear tire so as to contact a portion of the cord in the belt member facing the opening space with ground under a given condition in a forward rotating direction of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6976518
    Abstract: In a pneumatic radial tire comprising a belt of at least two belt layers, in which the belt comprises a maximum-width belt layer containing many cords slantly arranged with respect to an equatorial plane of the tire and a narrow-width belt layer arranged at the outside of the maximum-width belt layer in the radial direction and containing many cords arranged in an oppositely inclined direction to the cords of the maximum-width belt layer, the belt end separation is controlled by arranging a reinforcing layer containing many cords arranged in an oppositely inclined direction to the cords of the maximum-width belt layer so as to overlap with an outer end portion of the maximum-width belt layer located outward from an outer end. of the narrow-width belt layer in the widthwise direction thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Kuninobu Kadota
  • Patent number: 6959746
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire including a carcass, a belt arranged at the outside of the carcass in a radial direction and having at least two belt layers, at least one belt reinforcing layer arranged so as to overlap with the belt and extend over a widthwise outer end thereof, and a tread rubber arranged at the outside of the belt in the radial direction. A pair of split auxiliary belt layers are arranged so as to overlap at least with both widthwise outer end portions of a widest-width belt reinforcing layer. Reinforcing elements having an inclination angle different from that of reinforcing elements in the belt reinforcing layer are embedded in the split auxiliary belt layer for decreasing the wearing rate at the tread end portion of the tire to effectively control irregular wear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Akiyoshi Shimizu
  • Patent number: 6951234
    Abstract: An aircraft tire, the inflation pressure of which is greater than 12 bar, comprises a crown, two sidewalls and two beads, a carcass reinforcement anchored in the two beads and a crown reinforcement. The carcass reinforcement comprises at least two circumferential alignments of first reinforcing threads of high elasticity modulus. The means for anchoring the first reinforcing threads within each bead comprises second reinforcing threads oriented circumferentially and axially bordering the circumferential alignments of the first reinforcing threads, the first reinforcing threads and second reinforcing threads being separated by a layer of mix of very high elasticity modulus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Yves Herbelleau, Bernard Guerinon, Pierre Roux
  • Patent number: 6945294
    Abstract: Tire for heavy off-the-road vehicles including a radial carcass reinforcement anchored in each bead to an annular bead reinforcement element, and radially above it a crown reinforcement consisting of at least two working crown plies of inextensible metallic cables crossed from one ply to the next, the said plies having widths at least equal to 50% of the width L of the tread and, radially above these, two protection crown plies of so-termed elastic metallic cables crossed from one ply to the next, the tread including in its ungrooved portion of thickness D at least one armature of reinforcement elements, wherein the said armature is composed of at least two layers of textile monofilaments parallel to one another in each layer, the axial widths of the said two layers being at least equal to the width of the narrower working ply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Pierre Jallais, Jean-Marc Ruffenach
  • Patent number: 6938659
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a crown-reinforcing insert which extends from under the tread substantially, such as at least one-third of the sidewall height, into the sidewall of the tire. Apexes extend from the beads substantially, such as at least one-third of the sidewall height, into the sidewall of the tire, thereby effecting a substantial, such as at least one-third of the sidewall height, “overlap” between end portions of the crown-reinforcing insert and the apexes. Additionally, at least one belt extends from under the tread substantially into the sidewall, and the turn-ups of at least some of the plies extend quite high, such as at least one-third of the sidewall height, into the sidewall. This combination of features yields superior runflat performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Thomas Wood Whitney
  • Patent number: 6938657
    Abstract: A tire for a vehicle wheel, capable of withstanding the load at low pressure or zero pressure, includes a carcass, a crown, two axially opposed sidewalls, two bead cores, two compression-resistant annular reinforcing elements, and, optionally, a belt structure. The annular reinforcing elements are made of material having high rigidity and very low elastic hysteresis. Each annular reinforcing element is in or adjacent to a zone joining the crown to a sidewall and in a first plane parallel to an equatorial plane of the tire. Each bead core is in a second plane parallel to the equatorial plane. The distance between the first planes is greater than or equal to the distance between the second planes. A camber of an arc between a bead core and an intersection of a carcass ply line with a cylindrical surface passing through the reinforcing elements does not exceed 15% of the arc length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Pirelli Pneumatici S.p.A.
    Inventors: Gian Carlo Cucco, Piero Misani, Alessandro Volpi, Guido Riva
  • Patent number: 6868882
    Abstract: A medium truck tire (10) and more specifically a super single truck tire (10) includes belt plies (24, 25) reinforced with steel cords which make an angle comprised between 0° and 5° with respect to the equatorial plane. At least one belt ply (24, 25) is helically wound on the carcass ply (16). The steel of the reinforcing cords comprises high elongation steel. Radially outside to the at least one helically wound belt ply (24, 25), there are several spliced belt plies (22, 23), making angles comprised between 45° and 75° with respect to the equatorial plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Jean-Michel Gillard, Jean-Nicolas Helt, Christian Jean-Marie Roger Bawin
  • Patent number: 6866734
    Abstract: A new method for designing a tire comprises the steps of laying up a tire having a stiff lower sidewall portion (18b) that has a high modulus apex (17) and a high turn-up (16a) and a concave shape, a flexible upper sidewall portion (18a) that is decoupled from the tread (22). The tread (22) is supported by a wedge (21) and extended belts (20) to substantially eliminate lateral curvature. The tire of the invention also has a rhom that comprises 60% of the section height (SH) of the tire and a shoulder radius that defines a convex shape in upper sidewall portion (18a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Raouf Abdul Ridha
  • Patent number: 6851463
    Abstract: The present invention provides an improved fiber-reinforced article comprised of at least two plies. Each of the plies comprises (a) rubber and (b) cord made from melt-spinnable, non-metallic, multifilament fibers for which the cord has a twist multiplier of less than or equal to about 375, a stress at 1% strain greater than or equal to about 1.7 grams/denier, and an initial compressive modulus greater than or equal to about 7 grams/denier, and the at least two plies have a fiber orientation angle of greater than or equal to about 23°. The composite is useful as a tire belt in a passenger tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Peter Socci, Young Doo Kwon, Charles Jay Nelson, Thomas Hoyt Golden, Jeffrey Donald Pratt, Uday Bharatkumar Jhaveri
  • Patent number: 6843294
    Abstract: In a pneumatic tire for an airplane of the present invention, a reinforcing layer, which is disposed at an outer side, in the radial direction of the tire, of a belt, includes plural cords, the cords being provided such that the longitudinal direction thereof forms an angle of substantially 15° or less with respect to a tire circumferential direction. The reinforcing layer has two or more joint portions in the circumferential direction of the tire. In accordance with the present invention, a length of the cords forming the reinforcing layer in the tire circumferential direction can be made short, whereby a size (length) of tread pieces formed at a time when the tire is damaged can be made small and damage caused to an airplane can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Togo
  • Patent number: 6843295
    Abstract: A radial medium truck (RMT) tire has belt or breaker plies which are reinforced by organic reinforcement cords or filaments. In one embodiment, organic monofilaments are used in the belt or breaker plies which have the following characteristics: at least 2,000 denier (2,200 dTex), a tenacity of at least 3.5 g/denier (31 cN/Tex), an initial modulus of at least 30 g/denier (265 cN/Tex) and a shrinkage of at most 6%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Italo M Sinopoli, John Gomer Morgan, Anthony Hardy, Murat Yasar Susutoglu
  • Publication number: 20040244898
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire which facilitates separation of a rubber layer and is excellent in recyclability and retreadability and a method of scrapping the same. A pneumatic tire comprises a partition layer buried adjacent to a rubber layer, the partition layer including at least one cord repeatedly bent to turn around at its bent portion and arranged in a plane and rubber portions interposed between adjacent portions of the cord. Herein, the cord is arranged in a direction intersecting with the tire circumferential direction. The cord of the partition layer is pulled in an in-plane direction of the partition layer to sequentially cut the rubber portions interposed between the adjacent portions of the cord. The rubber layer adjacent to the partition layer is thus separated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2004
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Inventors: Jun Matsuda, Yoshiaki Hashimura
  • Patent number: 6827114
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a pneumatic tire comprises making a rubber-coated cord-member by coating one or more cords with rubber, and making the tread reinforcement by putting together a plurality of the cord-members around a drum into a cylindrical network of the cords, so that the cords make a first array of cords inclining in one direction with respect to the tire equator and a second array of cords inclining in one direction which is opposite to the cords of the first array with respect to the tire equator. It is possible that the cord-members are woven. It is also possible that the cord-members are not woven and, in the crossings of the cords, one of the two cross cords is curved along the other cord.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahiro Oku
  • Publication number: 20040200557
    Abstract: A tire comprising at least one reinforcement structure of carcass type anchored on each side of the tire in a bead, a crown reinforcement, sidewalls meeting up radially towards the outside with a tread, the carcass-type reinforcement structure extending circumferentially from the bead towards said sidewall and being discontinuous over at least a portion of the crown of the tire, said crown reinforcement comprising on the one hand at least one primary reinforcement structure covering substantially the entire width of the crown and on the other hand at least one series of circumferential reinforcements also covering substantially the entire width of the crown, said series of circumferential reinforcements comprising a portion of lateral circumferential reinforcements disposed radially to the outside relative to said primary reinforcement structures and a portion of median circumferential reinforcements disposed radially to the inside relative to said primary reinforcement structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2004
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Applicant: MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A.
    Inventors: David Jardine, Pascal Auxerre
  • Publication number: 20040200556
    Abstract: A tire comprising at least one reinforcement structure of carcass type anchored on each side of the tire in a bead, a crown reinforcement, each bead being extended radially towards the outside by a sidewall, said reinforcement structure being discontinuous over at least a portion of the crown of the tire, said crown reinforcement comprising on the one hand at least one primary reinforcement structure covering substantially the entire width of the crown and comprising on the one hand, on each side of the tire, a lateral primary reinforcement structure portion disposed radially outside the adjacent carcass-type reinforcement structure portion and on the other hand a median primary reinforcement structure portion disposed radially more to the inside than the lateral primary reinforcement structure portions and at least one substantially axial row of median circumferential reinforcements disposed radially to the outside, substantially adjacent the median primary reinforcement structure portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2004
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Applicant: MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A.
    Inventors: David Jardine, Pascal Auxerre
  • Publication number: 20040203304
    Abstract: A rubberized fabric includes at least one substantially metal-free non-woven web having a plurality of fibers. At least some of these fibers are bonded together. The fibers can be substantially oriented in one or more directions. The fabric also includes at least one elastomeric material at least partially covering the at least one non-woven web. The fabric can be incorporated in various locations in a pneumatic tire, such as in a belt structure. Additionally, a pneumatic tire may include one or more elongated rubberized structures including one or more layers of a non-woven web having a plurality of non-metallic fibers substantially oriented in one or more directions relative to the at least one surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2004
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Inventors: Celine Almonacil, Guido Riva, Alessandro Volpi
  • Patent number: 6802350
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire comprises a innerliner, a carcass, a belt, one or more cap layers and a tread, in which the belt is comprised of at least two belt layers each containing rubberized metal or organic fiber monofilament cords, and a rubber gauge between the monofilament cords located in the adjacent belt layers is made 1.5-5 times of a diameter of the monofilament cord.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Kenichi Ohura
  • Patent number: 6799618
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire (10) comprises a radial ply (12) carcass, a tread portion disposed radially outwardly of the crown area (14) of the carcass and a crown reinforcing structure interposed between the tread portion (19) and the carcass. The crown reinforcing structure includes a belt assembly (15) having at least a first (16), radially innermost and a second (17), radially outermost belt ply as well as a textile overlay structure (18) which is superimposed radially outwardly to said belt assembly (15). The textile overlay structure is reinforced with cords (40, 51) being made of materials including nylon and aramid. At initial elongation of the cords, the primary load bearing yarns are the nylon yarns; after appreciable elongation the primary load bearing yarns are the aramid yarns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: René François Reuter, Frank Schmitz, Serge Julien Auguste Imhoff, Yves Donckels
  • Patent number: 6786261
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a carcass, a belt comprised of at least two belt layers, a belt reinforcement arranged between the carcass and the belt and comprised of at least one belt reinforcing layer, and a tread rubber, in which a widthwise outer end of a widest-width belt reinforcing layer is arranged outward from a widthwise outer end of a widest-width belt layer among the belt layers, and a restraining rubber having a width of not less than 4 mm and a JIS hardness not less than a JIS hardness of a coating rubber for the widest-width belt reinforcing layer is arranged outward from the widthwise outer end of the widest-width belt reinforcing layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto Tsuruta
  • Publication number: 20040159387
    Abstract: This invention is concerned with a radial tire, particularly a heavy duty radial tire aiming at the improvement of durability, and is characterized by rendering a ratio W2/W1 of width W1 of a belt layer located side a carcass to width W2 of the remaining belt layer in small slant belt layers arranged at a width corresponding to 0.25-0.50 times a tread width in a widthwise direction of the tire, whereby growth and progress of cracks in the vicinity of cord ends of cords used in the belt resulting in separation failure at widthwise ends of the belt are effectively prevented to overcome a weak point in the tread reinforcement of the radial tire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2003
    Publication date: August 19, 2004
    Inventors: Kazuomi Kobayashi, Shuji Ando
  • Patent number: 6776205
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Pedro Costa Pereira, Yves Herbelleau