Utilizing At Least One Ply The Cords Of Which Run Circumferentially (zero Degree Belt) Patents (Class 152/531)
  • 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: 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
  • 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: 6792986
    Abstract: The present invention is a crown-stiffening underlay structure comprised of a flat strip of elastomeric material reinforced with essentially inextensible cords. The cord-reinforced flat strip is wrapped helically around the green tire carcass prior to blowup into the characteristic toroidal shape of a tire carcass. In one embodiment, the underlay structure is disposed between breakers and the radial ply structure. In another embodiment, the underlay is disposed between the radial ply structure and the innerliner. In another embodiment, the afore described underlay structure has an additional and structurally contiguous beam made of elastomeric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Walter Dale Allen, Laurent Colantonio, Frank Philpott
  • 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: 20040163748
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire having a carcass and a belt reinforcing structure wherein the belt reinforcing structure is a composite belt structure having at least one pair of radially outer zigzag layers and at least one spirally wound belt layer with cords inclined at an inclination of 5 degrees or less relative to the tire's centerplane and located radially inward of and adjacent to the at least two radially outer belt layers. The at least two radially outer zigzag belt layers have cords inclined at 5 degrees to 30 degrees relative to the tire's centerplane and extending in alternation to turnaround points at each lateral edge of the belt layer. At each turnaround point the cords are folded or preferably bent to change direction across the crown of the carcass thus forming a zigzag cord path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2003
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Ueyoko
  • 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
  • Patent number: 6766840
    Abstract: The invention concerns a tire whose crown contains a ply of circumferentially oriented cords. That ply is so arranged that in sensitive zones, as, for example, at the side ends of the adjacent crown reinforcing ply, the laying pitch of the circumferentially oriented cords is markedly increased. That considerably lessens the risk of damage to the circumferentially oriented cords in those zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Pedro Costa Pereira, David Jardine
  • Patent number: 6763867
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire allowing to improve the high speed endurance and the road noise considerably. The pneumatic radial tire has a carcass layer mounted between a pair of right and left bead portions and a belt layer embedded in the outer peripheral side of the carcass layer in a tread portion, and a belt cover layer comprising fiber cords made of filaments of polyolefin ketone having a structure represented by the following formula (1) is disposed around the outer peripheral side of the belt layer, and an elongation rate of the fiber cords composing the belt cover layer is equal or inferior to 2.5% in the tire; —(CH2—CH2—CO)n—(R—CO)m—  (1) where, 1.05≧(n+m)/n≧1.00, R is an alkylene group having three or more carbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiki Kanehira
  • Publication number: 20040123930
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a spiral belt formed by spirally winding a cord(s) along a circumferential direction of a torus tread, wherein the spiral belt is comprised of at least one layer constructed with a combination of two different cords each having an initial tension of not less than 50 cN/cord.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2003
    Publication date: July 1, 2004
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tsutomu Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6755227
    Abstract: A high-transverse-curvature tire (1), in particular to be mounted on the front wheel of a motor-vehicle, which includes a belt structure (6) including, in a radially external layer (9a), a plurality of circumferential coils (7a), axially arranged side by side, of a cord (7) wound at a substantially zero angle with respect to the equatorial plane (X—X) of the tire. An area occupied by rubber blocks (10) formed in a portion of the tread band (8), having a length equal to the pitch (p) of the tread pattern and a width equal to the axial development of the tread band (8), is between 70% and 90% of the total area of the portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Pirelli Coordinamento Pneumatici S.p.A.
    Inventors: Giancarlo Armellin, Peter Kronthaler
  • Publication number: 20040118499
    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: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2002
    Publication date: June 24, 2004
    Inventors: Rene Francois Reuter, Frank Schmitz, Serge Julien Auguste Imhoff, Yves Donckels
  • Publication number: 20040089392
    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: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Inventors: Naoki Yukawa, Kazumi Yamazaki, Takashi Tanaka, Yasuo Wada, Makoto Hizume
  • Publication number: 20040069393
    Abstract: The present invention is a crown-stiffening underlay structure comprised of a flat strip of elastomeric material reinforced with essentially inextensible cords. The cord-reinforced flat strip is wrapped helically around the green tire carcass prior to blowup into the characteristic toroidal shape of a tire carcass. In one embodiment, the underlay structure is disposed between breakers and the radial ply structure. In another embodiment, the underlay is disposed between the radial ply structure and the innerliner. In another embodiment, the afore described underlay structure has an additional and structurally contiguous beam made of elastomeric material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2003
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Inventors: Walter Dale Allen, Laurent Colantonio, Frank Philpott
  • Patent number: 6708747
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire comprises a radial carcass, a cross belt comprised of at least two belt layers, a belt reinforcing member arranged adjacent to the belt and comprised of at least one belt reinforcing layer containing a reinforcing element embedded therein and extending in a circumferential direction while bending in form of wave or zigzag, and a tread rubber, in which the widthwise outer end of the belt reinforcing member is located outward from the widthwise outer end of the widest-width belt layer, or a belt protection member is disposed in the neighborhood of the belt so that the widthwise outer end of the belt protection member is located outward from the widthwise outer end of the belt reinforcing member in a widthwise direction of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Tsuruta, Atsushi Yamada
  • Patent number: 6701986
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masatoshi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6699343
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a high transverse-curvature motor-bike tire includes the steps of providing a carcass structure on a main assembly drum, providing at least one strip made of an elastomeric material incorporating a plurality of reinforcing cords on a comb-like drum, radially expanding radially-mobile sectors associated with the drum, circumferentially winding at least one inextensible cord on the at least one strip to form circumferential coils and to define a belt structure, circumferentially associating a tread around the belt structure, and associating the belt structure, together with the tread, around the carcass structure. The at least one cord is wound on the at least one strip at a substantially-null angle with respect to the equatorial plane of the drum according to a winding direction adapted to compression-stress, at least during initial winding, elastomeric material portions interposed between consecutive reinforcing cords incorporated in the at least one strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Pirelli Pneumatici S.p.A.
    Inventors: Giancarlo Armellin, Peter Kronthaler, Thomas Zoller
  • Publication number: 20040020578
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial ply tire 20 has a tread 24, a carcass 21, and a belt reinforcing structure 40. The carcass 21 has a steel cord reinforced radial ply extending from one annular bead to a second annular bead. The belt reinforcing structure 40 has at least two belt layers 40A, 40B having steel cords 14 with large filaments 17A, 17B, 17C, 17D in the range of 0.3 mm to 0.6 mm in diameter twisted into a 7×7 cord construction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Inventors: Italo Marziale Sinopoli, Charles Elmer Hamiel, Barry Allen Matrana
  • Patent number: 6668887
    Abstract: A vehicle tire is described having at least one carcass ply extending between bead regions, a tread region (1) and a belt arrangement (3) disposed between the carcass and the tread as well as a tread profile provided in the tread region having at least one overwide circumferential groove (2) disposed in particular away from the middle and on the inner side of the tire, with the tire region disposed beneath the overwide circumferential groove, which has in particular a width of more than 30 mm, being formed with additional localised reinforcement in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Dunlop GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Gerresheim, Klaus Riehl, Saburo Miyabe, Hans-Joachim Winter
  • Patent number: 6668889
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire (10) having a reinforcement package including a mid-ply belt having reinforcement at a 0° angle with respect tothe equatorial plane (EP) of the tire shows improved handling and durability. The mid-ply belt comprises reinforcing cords or filaments (28) that are discontinuous. The dicontinuous cords or filaments (28) make possible the production of a uniform tire in most tire designs, and the reinforcement of the mid-ply belt provides a tire with improved durability and handling properties. A tire with superior properties was produced using reinforcing cords or filaments (27) and (28) which are made from polyethylene napthalate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Robert Allen Losey, Alfredo Guillermo Causa
  • Patent number: 6659147
    Abstract: A tire with radial carcass reinforcement, having a crown reinforcement which includes at least two working crown plies made of inextensible cables, crossed from one ply to the other, and an additional ply, axially continuous and formed of undulating metallic elements orientated essentially parallel to the circumferential direction and positioned between the working plies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin-Michelin & Cie
    Inventor: François-Jacques Cordonnier
  • Patent number: 6655430
    Abstract: A low pressure tire 20 for off road use has a carcass 21 reinforced with carcass plies 22 and a composite structure including a tread 32, a belt or breaker reinforcement 26 and one or more low angle cord reinforced layers 60.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: William Michael Hopkins, Lewis Timothy Lukich, Terry John Waibel
  • Publication number: 20030213539
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2003
    Publication date: November 20, 2003
    Inventors: Thomas Roy Fuhrig, Gregory Scott Hanna, William Earl Rayman
  • Publication number: 20030201047
    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 strength of at least 50,000 N.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Inventors: William Earl Rayman, Barry Allen Matrana, Thomas Roy Fuhrig, Gregory Scott Hanna
  • Publication number: 20030201046
    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 strength of at least 27,500 N.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Inventors: William Earl Rayman, Barry Allen Matrana, Thomas Roy Fuhrig, Gregory Scott Hanna
  • Publication number: 20030201050
    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: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Applicant: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Jean-Michel Gillard, Jean-Nicolas Helt, Christian Jean-Marie Roger Bawin
  • Patent number: 6622764
    Abstract: The present invention is a crown-stiffening underlay structure comprised of a flat strip of elastomeric material reinforced with essentially inextensible cords. The cord-reinforced flat strip is wrapped helically around the green tire carcass prior to blowup into the characteristic toroidal shape of a tire carcass. In one embodiment, the underlay structure is disposed between breakers and the radial ply structure. In another embodiment, the underlay is disposed between the radial ply structure and the innerliner. In another embodiment, the afore described underlay structure has an additional and structurally contiguous beam made of elastomeric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Walter Dale Allen, Laurent Colantonio, Frank Philpott
  • Publication number: 20030173013
    Abstract: A radial motorcycle tire comprises a tread portion with a pair of tread edges, a pair of sidewall portions, a pair of bead portions each with a bead core therein, and a band disposed in the tread portion and composed of windings of at least one cord wound at an angle of not more than 5 degrees with respect to the tire equator. The tread portion is provided radially inside the band with at least two layers of cords comprising a radially outermost first layer and a radially inner second layer next to the first layer, wherein with respect to the tire equator, the cords of the first layer are inclined to a direction at an angle of from 65 to 90 degrees, and the cords of the second layer are inclined to the same direction as the first layer at an angle of from 65 to 90 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Inventor: Mitsushige Idei
  • Publication number: 20030173011
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2002
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Inventors: Toru Tsuda, Koya Tagawa, Daisuke Maehara, Tomohisa Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 6619357
    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 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Jean-Michel Gillard, Jean-Nicolas Helt, Christian Jean-Marie Roger Bawin
  • Patent number: 6615887
    Abstract: A tire having a crown which includes a ply of circumferentially oriented, helically wound reinforcing threads. This ply is arranged such that in sensitive zones, for example, beneath the grooves of the tread pattern, the laying pitch of the circumferential reinforcing threads is greatly increased. This substantially reduces the risks of damage to the circumferential reinforcing threads in these zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Jean-Yves Denoueix, Pedro Costa Pereira
  • Patent number: 6612353
    Abstract: A tire having a crown reinforcement formed of at least two working crown plies (32, 34) having axial widths L32, L34 greater than the width L33 of an additional reinforcement (33) of inextensible, substantially radial reinforcement elements, which reinforcement is arranged radially between said plies (32, 34) and is axially composed of three parts, a central part (33′) in the form of a ply formed of inextensible, substantially radial reinforcement elements and two lateral parts in the form of strips (33″), each formed of circumferential reinforcement elements, the modulus of elasticity upon traction per unit of width of a lateral strip being at most equal to the modulus of elasticity upon traction, measured under the same conditions, of the most extensible working ply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique, S.A.
    Inventor: Guy Cluzel
  • Patent number: 6609552
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a breaker disposed radially outside the carcass crown and a band disposed radially outside the breaker and made of one or more cords laid at an angle of not more than 5 degrees with respect to the tire circumferential direction; the band cords are an organic fiber cord which has a single-twist structure, a cord thickness D of from 500 to 3200 dtex, a twist coefficient T of from 150 to 750 which is defined by the product of the square root of the cord thickness D and the twist number N (turn) per 10 cm length of the cord, and an elongation of from 4.0 to 8.0% under a tension of 2.7 g/dtex; the band cord count per 1 cm width of the band is in a range of from 5 to 25; and when the tire is not inflated and loaded with no tire load, a tensile force Ls of a band cord in the tire is in a range of from 4 to 25 N, and the total of the tensile forces LS of the band cords per 1 cm width of the band is in a range of from 50 to 250 N.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Miyazaki, Kazumi Yamazaki, Osamu Toda
  • Patent number: 6609551
    Abstract: A motorcycle tire including a highly convex tread joined by two sidewalls of low height to two beads, each bead being reinforced by an inextensible annular element around which is anchored a carcass reinforcement formed of textile reinforcement elements forming with the circumferential direction an angle of between 70° and 90°, the carcass reinforcement being radially surmounted by a crown reinforcement formed of at least one ply of circumferential reinforcement elements, located radially between the carcass reinforcement and the radially outermost ply of the crown reinforcement, and of two plies of elements of textile material, which are crossed from one ply to the next and forming with the circumferential direction angles of between 65° and 85°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Catherine Clauzade, Christian Pierre, Alain Valle
  • Publication number: 20030155060
    Abstract: A tire comprising a crown, two sidewalls and two beads, a casing reinforcement anchored in each of the beads and a crown reinforcement, the crown reinforcement comprising radially, from the inside outwards, a working block and a protective block having at least one ply of circumferentially oriented parallel reinforcing threads, characterized in that the protective block ply consists of aromatic polyamide reinforcing threads with an initial modulus of less than 1000 cN/tex and a tenacity of greater than 65 cN/tex.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2003
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Applicant: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Yves Herbelleau, Hubert Pacherie, Jean-Luc Guerbert-Jubert, Philippe Esnault
  • Publication number: 20030145935
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2003
    Publication date: August 7, 2003
    Inventors: Pascal Prost, Alain Valle
  • Publication number: 20030145931
    Abstract: The present invention is a crown-stiffening underlay structure comprised of a flat strip of elastomeric material reinforced with essentially inextensible cords. The cord-reinforced flat strip is wrapped helically around the green tire carcass prior to blowup into the characteristic toroidal shape of a tire carcass. In one embodiment, the underlay structure is disposed between breakers and the radial ply structure. In another embodiment, the underlay is disposed between the radial ply structure and the innerliner. In another embodiment, the afore described underlay structure has an additional and structurally contiguous beam made of elastomeric material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2002
    Publication date: August 7, 2003
    Inventors: Walter Dale Allen, Laurent Colantonio, Frank Philpott
  • Patent number: 6601626
    Abstract: An aircraft tire, having a radial carcass reinforcement surmounted radially to the outside by a crown reinforcement and a tread, said crown reinforcement including: a) at least one ply of reinforcement elements of high modulus oriented circumferentially, b) two plies having ends free of reinforcement elements of high modulus, which are parallel to each other within each ply and are crossed from one ply to the next, forming with the circumferential direction an angle &agr;, of between 5° and 35°, and c) radially to the outside, an assembly of at least two layers of textile elements of low modulus which are oriented relative to the circumferential direction at an angle &bgr;, of between 0° and 35°, said two layers being obtained by winding in a zigzag a strip, formed of at least one coated cable, and the assembly of the layers having an axial width greater than the width of the tread, whereas the widths of the textile plies of high modulus are less than said width of the tread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Thierry Royer, Fernando Suarez
  • Publication number: 20030136491
    Abstract: A tire for vehicles, particularly for motorcycles, includes a 0°-cord coil incorporated in vulcanized rubber. The cord utilized for the 0°-cord coil has at least one rubberized strand of wires wound into a coil and has a load-elongation curve with an at least approximately linear region. The cord remains in the approximately linear region when the tire is in the finished, uninflated state as well as when the tire is inflated to the operating pressure. As a result, the running characteristics of the tire are improved. The slope in the approximately linear region of the load-elongation curve is between 0.05% and 0.2% per 10 N.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2003
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Inventor: Rudiger Schulte
  • Patent number: 6588472
    Abstract: A tire having a preferential fitting direction to a passenger car, the tire having a carcass reinforcement that extends from one tire bead to the other and, radially outside, a crown reinforcement of width Ls, formed by at least two crown plies, and in addition a meridian reinforcing ply arranged radially between the carcass reinforcement and the crown reinforcement, the meridian reinforcing ply having a width Lr between 15% and 45% Ls of the crown reinforcement, one edge of the reinforcing ply being located a distance D1 from the equatorial plane of the tire between 35% and 50% of Ls, while the other edge is located between the first edge and the equatorial plane of the tire. A method of mounting a group of four such tires on a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Pascal Pirotte
  • Publication number: 20030121583
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire allowing to improve the high speed endurance and the road noise considerably. The pneumatic radial tire has a carcass layer mounted between a pair of right and left bead portions and a belt layer embedded in the outer peripheral side of the carcass layer in a tread portion, and a belt cover layer comprising fiber cords made of filaments of polyolefin ketone having a structure represented by the following formula (1) is disposed around the outer peripheral side of the belt layer, and an elongation rate of the fiber cords composing the belt cover layer is equal or inferior to 2.5% in the tire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2002
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Inventor: Yoshiki Kanehira
  • Publication number: 20030116247
    Abstract: In a high-transverse-curvature tire (1), in particular to be mounted on the front wheel of a motor-vehicle, comprising a belt structure (6) including, in a radially external layer (9a), a plurality of circumferential coils (7a), axially arranged side by side, of a cord (7) wound at a substantially zero angle with respect to the equatorial plane (X-X) of the tire, the area occupied by rubber blocks (10) formed in a portion of the tread band (8) having a length equal to the pitch (p) of the tread pattern and a width equal to the axial development of the tread band (8), is between 70% and 90% of the total area of said portion. Such a tire (1) advantageously couples a substantial reduction in the shimmy effect with a good wet grip and a reduction in both the braking distance and aquaplaning phenomena on wet road.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2000
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventors: Giancarlo Armellin, Peter Kronthaler
  • Patent number: 6581662
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a breaker disposed radially outside a carcass crown portion, and a band disposed radially outside of the breaker and comprising a full-width band ply extending over the substantially overall width of the breaker, wherein a cord or cords of said full-width band ply existing in a tread crown region satisfy the following conditions: T>0.8; 0≦K+6.67T−21.7; 0≦45−10T−K; 0≦106.8−57.5T−K; and 7≦E≦13, wherein the symbol “K” is an stretch-resistance index (N) of a cord which is defined as the product of the sectional area S in sq.mm and 2% modulus M in N/sq.mm of the cord divided by 100, the symbol “T” is an stretch in % of the cord in the tire being in its natural state without being mounted on a wheel rim, and the symbol “E” is a cord count per 1 cm width of the full-width band ply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Yukawa, Kazumi Yamazaki, Takashi Tanaka, Yasuo Wada, Makoto Hizume
  • Patent number: 6578611
    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).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Nakata
  • Publication number: 20030106627
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2002
    Publication date: June 12, 2003
    Inventors: Franco Tonezzer, Piero Losi
  • Publication number: 20030102066
    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: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2003
    Publication date: June 5, 2003
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Junichi Kawajiri
  • Patent number: 6568445
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a carcass comprised of one or more carcass plies and a belt disposed on an outer periphery side of a crown portion of the carcass and comprised of one or more belt layers, wherein each of at least one carcass ply and at least one belt layer is constituted with organic fiber cords having a modulus of elasticity within a specified range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Teruhiko Kojima
  • Patent number: 6561241
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: William Earl Rayman
  • Patent number: 6557605
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises: a carcass extending between bead portions through a tread portion and sidewall portions; a breaker disposed radially outside a crown portion of the carcass; a pair of axially spaced high modulus edge bands disposed radially outward of edge portions of the breaker and each made of one or more high modulus cords having a sectional area SH and a 2% modulus MH and wound substantially parallel to the tire circumferential direction at a cord count DH; a low modulus middle band disposed radial outward of the breaker between the high modulus edge bands; and an elongation resistance index PH of each of the high modulus edge bands, which is defined as the product of the 2% modulus MH in N/sq.mm, the sectional area SH in sq.mm and the cord count DH per 1 cm width divided by 100, being in a range of 160 to 700.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Yukawa, Kazumi Yamazaki, Takashi Tanaka, Yasuo Wada, Makoto Hizume