Structure Made Up Of Two Or More Sets Of Plies Wherein The Reinforcing Cords In One Set Lie In A Different Angular Position Relative To Those In Other Sets Patents (Class 152/535)
  • Patent number: 10894448
    Abstract: A run-flat tire having a tread, an inner liner disposed beneath the tread, a body ply, and a pair of sidewalls axially spaced apart from one another is disclosed. The run-flat tire further includes a pair of sidewall-reinforcing portions each disposed in respective sidewall regions and each having a fabric barrier; a first sidewall-reinforcing insert between the fabric barrier and the inner liner; and a second sidewall-reinforcing insert disposed between the fabric barrier and the body ply. The fabric barrier extends not more than an entire length of the sidewall-reinforcing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
    Inventor: James M. Kirby
  • Patent number: 10556466
    Abstract: A tire comprising: a carcass; and inclined belt layers and a circumferential belt layer, wherein: the circumferential belt layer satisfies a correlation that X?750 when it is defined that X=Y×n×m, where Y is a Young's modulus in GPa of the cords forming the circumferential belt layer, n is a number of the cords implanted per 50 mm of width, and m is a number of layers of the circumferential belt layer; the inclined belt layers comprise at least two inclined belt layers having different tire widthwise widths; and a tire widthwise width W1 of an inclined belt layer having a widest width and a tire widthwise width W2 of an inclined belt layer having a narrowest width satisfy a correlation that W2?0.6W1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Isao Kuwayama
  • Patent number: 10173384
    Abstract: This manufacturing method of a pneumatic tire having a tread reinforcing layer reduces tire mass while maintaining the durability performance of the tire. A tread reinforcing layer formation step includes a winding step for winding belt-shape plies around an approximately cylindrical winding surface. The winding step involves: a first winding step in which, with the side edges of the belt-shape plies spaced from one another, said belt-shape plies are spirally wound from a first end located on one side of the tire in the axial direction, to a second end located on the other side of the tire in the axial direction; and a second winding step in which, with the side edges of the belt-shape plies spaced from one another, said belt-shape plies are spirally wound from the second end to the first end in the direction opposite that in the first winding step. A lattice-form tread reinforcing layer is formed that has gaps substantially rhombic in shape and bounded by the belt-shape plies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Masafumi Otani
  • Patent number: 10093131
    Abstract: A tire 1 includes plural land portions 40 formed on a tread portion 10. The plural land portions 40 are segmented by a circumferential direction groove 30 extending in a tire circumferential direction L and a width direction groove 20, or segmented by an end portion 10E of the tread portion 10 in the tire width direction W and the width direction groove 20. A length of the width direction groove 20 in the tire width direction W is not less than 30% of a length of the tread portion 10 in the tire width direction W. The width direction groove 20 has at least one angled portion 50A/50B configured to be bent toward an opposite direction to a tire rotational direction R on at least one side of a tire equator line CL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoo Hasegawa, Fumihiro Nomura, Yosuke Mori
  • Patent number: 10029517
    Abstract: A heavy-duty pneumatic tire includes a tread pattern including center lug grooves, shoulder lug grooves, a pair of circumferential primary grooves formed in wave-like shapes by alternately connecting ends of the center lug grooves and ends of the shoulder lug grooves and having a smaller width than the width of the shoulder lug grooves, center blocks defined by the center lug groove and the circumferential primary grooves, and a circumferential secondary groove extending in the tire circumferential direction so as to divide regions of the center blocks. The belt portion includes two or greater pairs of belts. The ratio of the width W8 of a belt having a smaller width in each of the belt pairs to the width W7 of a belt having a greater width is 0.75 or greater and 0.90 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuru Manabe, Shoei Kakuta, Hideki Hamanaka, Yukihito Yamaguchi, Risa Tauchi, Toshiyuki Sato
  • Patent number: 9789732
    Abstract: A first belt layer includes a cord extending at an inclination angle of greater than 45° with respect to the tire circumferential direction, a second belt layer includes a cord extending in the tire circumferential direction, and a third belt layer includes a cord extending at an inclination angle of 30° or less in the opposite direction from the cord of the first belt layer with respect to the tire circumferential direction. The belt layers are arranged in order, with the first belt layer furthest inward in the tire radial direction, on the outer circumferential side of a crown region of a carcass extending toroidally between a pair of bead portions. The third belt layer width w3 is 80% or more of the tread width w, and w2<w1<w3, where w1 is the first belt layer width, and w2 is the second belt layer width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yosuke Mori
  • Patent number: 9290063
    Abstract: A tire 20 includes a tread 22, a pair of beads 26, a carcass 28, and a belt 30. A ply 56a of the carcass 28 includes: a body 58a that extends toward each bead 26; and a pair of turned-up portions 60a that extend approximately outward from the body 58a in the radial direction. The belt 30 includes a first layer 64a and a second layer 64b which are layered over each other in the radial direction. Ends 68b of the second layer 64b are located inwardly from ends 68a, respectively, of the first layer 64a in the axial direction. The tread 22 includes a plurality of blocks 42.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Masahiro Hikita
  • Patent number: 9211764
    Abstract: Provided is a pneumatic tire having excellent durability and driving stability during high-speed running of the vehicle (that is, during high-speed rotation of the tire). The pneumatic tire includes: a carcass; an intersecting belt which is provided on the outer circumference side of a crown portion of the carcass and formed of two inclined belt layers having cords inclined and extending in a direction intersecting each other across a tire equatorial plane; and a circumferential belt layer which is provided on either one of the inner side and the outer side of the intersecting belt in the tire radial direction and includes a spiral cord arranged as being spirally wound at an inclination angle of equal to or smaller than 5 degrees to the tire equatorial plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eiji Ichihara
  • Patent number: 9045009
    Abstract: A set of pneumatic tires that are mounted on a vehicle such as a compact or subcompact car, and to an arrangement of mounting the pneumatic tires on the vehicle, which enable omitting of tire rotation without adversely affecting productivity and performances of the tires. Dimensions, shaping and contour as well as tread pattern of the tires for the drive wheel are identical or substantially identical with those for the non-drive wheels. And, wear resistance of the tires for the non-drive wheels is lower than that for the drive wheels due to discrepancy in rubber compositions for forming tire treads between the tires for drive and non-drive wheels. The wear resistance may be defined as a mileage per 1 mm wear in depth direction of grooves on the tire tread around its center line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Asayama, Tetsuji Miyazaki
  • Publication number: 20150107745
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire for use on a passenger car of the present technology includes a main belt layer in which belt plies with steel cords embedded at an angle of 15° to 45° with respect to a tire circumferential direction are overlapped in two layers in mutually crossing directions on an outer side in a tire radial direction of a carcass layer of a crown region, wherein, as a belt auxiliary layer, plies with steel cords embedded at an angle of 80° to 90° with respect to a tire circumferential direction are disposed between a carcass layer and an inner side main belt layer so that a portion of the plies is in a position separated 30 mm to the tire equator side, respectively, from both ends in a width direction of the narrow width main belt layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventor: Shinya Harikae
  • Publication number: 20150101727
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a carcass layer, a belt layer disposed on an outer side of the carcass layer in a tire radial direction, and a tread rubber disposed on the outer side of the belt layer in the tire radial direction. The belt layer formed by laminating an angle belt having a belt angle?45° and ?70° in absolute values, a pair of cross belts, having belt angles of ?10° and ?45° in absolute values and having belt angles of mutually opposite signs, and a circumferential reinforcing layer having a belt angle within a range of ±5° with respect to a tire circumferential direction. A tread width TW and a total tire width SW such that 0.79?TW/SW?0.89. A width Ws of the circumferential reinforcing layer and a cross-sectional width Wca of the carcass layer such that 0.60?Ws/Wca?0.70.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Hideki Hamanaka
  • Patent number: 8967213
    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 radially inner spiral layer and at least one zigzag belt reinforcing structure located radially outward of said spiral layer. The zigzag belt width is preferably wider than the spiral layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Ueyoko, Badal Das
  • Patent number: 8960252
    Abstract: A passenger vehicle tire, the crown reinforcement of which has three distinct elements, the three distinct elements comprising: a radial carcass reinforcement formed of reinforcing elements connecting the two beads of the tire, a crown belt comprising reinforcing elements parallel to the circumferential direction of the tire, and a crown triangulation layer comprising reinforcing elements making an angle of between 10 degrees and 80 degrees with the circumferential direction of the tire, the reinforcing elements of the triangulation layer having a flattened cross section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignees: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A., Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin
    Inventor: Michel Deal
  • Patent number: 8955568
    Abstract: A tire for a construction vehicle according to the present invention provides a tire for a construction vehicle having a belt formed by plural layers on the radially outer side of a crown portion of a carcass toroidally extending between a pair of bead portions, in which an outermost belt layer located on the radially outermost side of the belt has a width of 50% or more of a tread width, and a narrow groove is provided such that a distance between an end portion of the outermost belt layer and a bottom portion of the narrow groove is in the range of 15% to 100% of a tread thickness T, where T is a tread thickness at the end portion of the outermost belt layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Kazutaka Matsuzawa
  • Publication number: 20150020943
    Abstract: A tire includes a carcass ply and at least one annular structure associated with the carcass ply. The tire further includes a metal-free circumferential belt region comprising a first metal-free belt ply and a second metal-free belt ply. The tire also has a metal-free cap ply disposed radially outward of the first metal-free belt ply and the second metal-free belt ply. The tire also includes a metal-free circumferential tread that contacts a road, and a pair of sidewalls associated with at least one annular structure and the metal-free circumferential tread.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicant: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
    Inventors: Jon I. Stuckey, Kathleen Clemmer, Kent D. Weatherwax
  • Patent number: 8919403
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire is described which includes a tread, a carcass and a belt structure interposed between the carcass and the tread. The belt structure includes a pair of working belts, wherein the angle of the working belts range from about 15 degrees to about 30 degrees, wherein the belt structure further includes a zigzag belt structure located between the working belts. The zigzag belt structure is formed of at least two layers of cords interwoven together from a strip of rubber reinforced with one or more cords, wherein the strip forming the zigzag belt structure is layed up in a first zigzag winding extending from a first lateral belt edge to a second lateral belt edge in a zigzag wavelength having a first amplitude W1 followed by a second amplitude W2, and a second zigzag winding formed of a zigzag wavelength having a first amplitude W2 followed by a second amplitude W1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Francois Pierre Charles Gerard Georges, Vincent Benoit Mathonet, Jean-Michel Alphonse Fernand Gillard, Roland Willibrord Krier, Bernard Robert Nicolas
  • Publication number: 20140352865
    Abstract: A tire having a radial carcass reinforcement, composed of at least one layer of metal reinforcing elements, the said tire comprising a crown reinforcement, itself topped radially by a tread, the said tread being joined to two beads via two sidewalls. The metal reinforcing elements of at least one layer of the carcass reinforcement are cords exhibiting, in the “permeability” test, a flow rate of less than 20 cm3/min and at least one layer of the carcass reinforcement is provided, on at least one face, with textile threads and at least the layer of elastomeric mixture, axially in contact with the end of at least the radially innermost crown reinforcement layer and in contact with the carcass reinforcement, is an elastomeric mixture based on natural rubber or on synthetic polyisoprene and on a reinforcing filler conferring high cohesion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicants: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A.
    Inventors: Charlotte Caffeau, Sébastien Noel, Jacques Besson
  • Publication number: 20140345763
    Abstract: A tire comprises at least a left tread portion, a right tread portion, wherein the left tread portion and the right tread portion are axially separated by a longitudinally oriented groove. A tread reinforcement comprises a plurality of tread reinforcing layers wherein the reinforcement elements are formed of parallel reinforcements arranged in opposing layers, and each of the opposing layers has a bias angle relative to the circumferential direction. The bias angles of the reinforcement elements in each of the tread reinforcing layers corresponds to a plurality of equilibrium membrane shapes determined from membrane equilibrium equations that are joined together to create a continuous, complex shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicants: MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A., COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: John Charles Limroth, Timothy Brett Rhyne
  • Publication number: 20140345774
    Abstract: A tire having a radial carcass reinforcement, composed of at least one layer of metal reinforcing elements, the said tire comprising a crown reinforcement, itself topped radially by a tread, the said tread being joined to two beads via two sidewalls. The metal reinforcing elements of at least one layer of the carcass reinforcement are cords exhibiting, in the “permeability” test, a flow rate of less than 20 cm3/min, at least one layer of the carcass reinforcement is provided, on the surface of at least one calendering layer, with textile threads and the said at least one calendering layer of the said at least one carcass reinforcement layer is an elastomeric mixture based on natural rubber or on synthetic polyisoprene and on a reinforcing filler conferring high cohesion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicants: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A.
    Inventors: Charlotte Caffeau, Sébastien Noel, Isabelle Riou
  • Publication number: 20140345775
    Abstract: A tire having a radial carcass reinforcement, composed of at least one layer of metal reinforcing elements, and having a crown reinforcement, itself topped radially by a tread, the said tread being joined to two beads via two sidewalls. The metal reinforcing elements of at least one layer of the carcass reinforcement are cords exhibiting, in the “permeability” test, a flow rate of less than 20 cm3/min and at least one layer of the carcass reinforcement is provided, on at least one face, with non-continuous textile threads composed of two parts, one end of a textile thread being positioned on the turn-up of the said at least one layer of reinforcing elements around the bead wires and the other end of a textile thread being radially interior to the orthogonal projection of the shoulder end onto the said at least one face of the said at least one layer of the carcass reinforcement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicants: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A.
    Inventors: Charlotte Caffeau, Isabelle Demay, Bernard Jault
  • Publication number: 20140345773
    Abstract: A tire comprising a crown reinforcement formed from at least two working crown layers of reinforcing elements and at least one layer of circumferential reinforcing elements, wherein, the tensile modulus of elasticity at 10% elongation of at least one skim coat of at least one working crown layer is greater than 9 MPa and the maximum value of tan(?), denoted tan(?)max, of said skim coat is less than 0.100.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2012
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicants: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A.
    Inventors: Jacques Besson, François Barbarin
  • Publication number: 20140338811
    Abstract: A tire having a radial carcass reinforcement, composed of at least one layer of metal reinforcing elements, the said tire comprising a crown reinforcement, itself topped radially by a tread, the said tread being joined to two beads via two sidewalls. The metal reinforcing elements of at least one layer of the carcass reinforcement are cords exhibiting, in the “permeability” test, a flow rate of less than 20 cm3/min and at least one layer of the carcass reinforcement is provided, on at least one face, with textile threads and at least the layer of elastomeric mixture, radially external to the bead wire and in contact with the latter, is an elastomeric mixture based on natural rubber or on synthetic polyisoprene and on a reinforcing filler conferring high cohesion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicants: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, MICHELIN RECHERCHE TECHNIQUE S.A.
    Inventors: Charlotte Caffeau, Sébastien Noel, Nathalie Salgues, Patricia Lagarde
  • Patent number: 8869858
    Abstract: The invention is directed to pneumatic tires for heavy vehicle service that include a carcass, a tread disposed radially outward of the carcass, a sidewall intersecting the tread at a shoulder, and a belt reinforcing structure positioned radially between the carcass and the tread. The belt reinforcing structure includes four belt layers, each layer reinforced by parallel cords the four belts characterized by their cord orientation and angles. A first radially inner belt layer, an adjacent second belt layer overlaying the first belt layer and a third belt layer overlaying the second belt layer are all oriented directionally extending right (R) relative to an equatorial center plane of the tire, a fourth radially outer belt layer overlaying the third belt layer has cords directionally extending left (L). The pneumatic tires of the invention containing these belt layers have improved crown durability and stiffness while maintaining the same overall tire weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: John Kotanides, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20140283969
    Abstract: A tire having a crown reinforcement formed of at least two working crown layers having unequal axial widths, a layer C of rubber mixture being positioned between at least the ends of the said at least two working crown layers, and the crown reinforcement having at least one layer of circumferential reinforcing elements positioned radially between two working crown layers. The distance d between the end of the axially narrowest working layer and the working layer separated from the axially narrowest working layer by the layer C of rubber mixture is such that 1.1ø?d?2.2ø, ø being the diameter of the reinforcing elements of the said at least one layer of circumferential reinforcing elements, and, in a meridian plane, the thickness of the layer C of rubber mixture is substantially uniform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Inventors: Alain Domingo, Jacques Besson, François Barbarin, Gilles Sallaz, Robert Ciprian Radulescu
  • Publication number: 20140261952
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire whose mounting location on a vehicle is specified and which comprises a belt disposed radially outside the carcass and composed of belt cords laid at an angle of from 15 to 40 degrees with respect to the tire circumferential direction, and a band disposed radially outside the belt and composed of first and second band cords laid at an angle of not more than 5 degrees with respect to the tire circumferential direction. The band comprises an inboard first part composed of the first band cord having a first modulus M1, and an outboard second part composed of the second band cord having a second modulus M2 more than the first modulus M1. The number of laminated plies of the band in the inboard first part is more than the number of laminated plies or a single ply of the band in the outboard second part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Susumu TANAKA
  • Patent number: 8833409
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a tire body having a crown portion and a pair of sidewalls. At least one reinforcing belt is disposed in the crown portion of the tire. A tag is carried by the reinforcing belt. In one embodiment, the tag is disposed in the location of one of the reinforcing cords that is disposed in the reinforcing belt. In another embodiment, the tag is disposed at the splice of the reinforcing belt. An alternative version of the tire has the tag carried in a depression formed in the outer surface of the tire sidewall. The tag may be encapsulated with an encapsulation material that is also disposed in the depression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
    Inventor: James P. Kleckner
  • Patent number: 8820377
    Abstract: Each of belt layers of a pneumatic radial tire includes a plurality of single steel wires with an identical wire diameter extending linearly in an identical direction in alignment with each other and embedded in rubber. Each of the wires is provided with axial torsion. On the outer surface of a tread portion, circumferential grooves extend in the circumferential direction of the tire. The wire diameters of the single steel wires are 0.28 mm to 0.38 mm. An average of intervals of the single steel wires is not less than 0.10 mm. The tire has an out-of-plane bending stiffness of not less than 6000 N·mm2 per inch of length of the tread portion in the circumferential direction when a force application point is located at the circumferential groove. The implanted density E (wires/50 mm) of the single steel wires satisfies E?1869×d2?1838×d+493, where d is the wire diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Ueda, Yoshiki Kanehira
  • Publication number: 20140238573
    Abstract: A pneumatic vehicle tire of a radial type of construction is for heavy trucks and has a four-ply belt (3). Each belt ply (7, 8, 9, 10) contains steel cords as reinforcing elements which run parallel to one another in each belt ply. Not only are the angles (?, ?) that the steel cords in the second and third belt plies (8, 9) form with the circumferential direction (A-A) approximately equal, but also the angles (?, ?) that the steel cords in the first and fourth belt plies (7, 10) form with the circumferential direction (A-A) are likewise approximately equal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Katie Herta, Joerg Bartke, Dong Zheng
  • Patent number: 8800624
    Abstract: A belt width of an intersecting belt 15a having the maximum belt width is set to 80% or more of the maximum width of a carcass line; a difference in belt widths between the intersecting belt 15a and an intersecting belt 15b is set in the range of 10 mm to 50 mm on one side of the belt in the width direction; the intersecting belt 15a is not narrower than the circumferential belt 14, and the circumferential belt 14 is not narrower than the intersecting belt 15b; and a pneumatic tire according to the present invention has an interposed rubber 16 having a thickness increasing toward the widthwise outer side of the tire to be 3 mm or more, and a side-lower rubber 17 having an elastic modulus less than the elastic modulus of a coating rubber coating the circumferential belt 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakata, Hideaki Minowa
  • Patent number: 8794285
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire for motorcycle is provided which can improve the traction performance especially during sharp cornering by largely leaning a vehicle (motorbike) followed by acceleration, and the stability during leaning of a vehicle in addition to enhancing steering stability at high speed. A pneumatic tire for motorcycle having a tread portion 11 formed in a circular shape, the tread portion 11 having a crown portion which has a spiral belt layer 3 in its inside in the radial direction of the tire, the spiral belt layer having an angle of 0 to 5° with respect to the circumferential direction of the tire and an arrangement width 0.5 to 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Shinsaku Katayama
  • Publication number: 20140202604
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tyre designed to be fitted to a light vehicle, comprising: two beads (20) designed to come into contact with a mounting rim, each bead comprising at least one annular reinforcing structure (70); two side walls (30) extending the beads radially outwards, the two side walls meeting in a crown; at least one carcass reinforcement (60) anchored in the beads and extending from the beads, through the side walls as far as the crown, the carcass reinforcement comprising a plurality of carcass reinforcing elements (61), these carcass reinforcing elements being textile and oriented radially; a crown reinforcement consisting of a fabric (180) of textile reinforcing elements, which are oriented at ±45° with respect to the circumferential direction; the crown reinforcement being surmounted by a textile hooping reinforcement (100) and by a tread (40), the hooping reinforcement being formed of reinforcing elements (101) that are oriented circumferentially.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventor: Julien Flament
  • Publication number: 20140196827
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tire comprising a crown reinforcement formed of at least two working crown layers of reinforcing elements the ends of which are radially uncoupled by a polymer compound. According to the invention, the reinforcing elements of at least one working crown layer are metal cords with saturated layers, at least one internal layer being sheathed with a layer consisting of a polymer composition such as a rubber composition and in each of the shoulders of the tire, at least the uncoupling polymer compound in contact with the ends of at least two working crown layers exhibits, in the sorption test, a gas content lower than 0.06 m3STP/m3ML.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Jacques Besson, Aurora Lardjane, François Dimier
  • Patent number: 8776854
    Abstract: The invention is directed to pneumatic tires for heavy vehicle service that include a carcass, a tread disposed radially outward of the carcass, a sidewall intersecting the tread at a shoulder, and a belt reinforcing structure positioned radially between the carcass and the tread. The belt reinforcing structure includes four belt layers, each layer reinforced by parallel cords the four belts characterized by their cord orientation and angles. A first radially inner belt layer, an adjacent second belt layer overlaying the first belt layer and a third belt layer overlaying the second belt layer are all oriented directionally extending right (R) relative to an equatorial center plane of the tire, a fourth radially outer belt layer overlaying the third belt layer has cords directionally extending left (L). The pneumatic tires of the invention containing these belt layers have improved crown durability and stiffness while maintaining the same overall tire weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: John Kotanides, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8770246
    Abstract: A tire comprising a crown reinforcement which is itself capped radially with a tread, the crown reinforcement containing at least one layer of circumferential reinforcing elements distributed axially at a variable pitch. The layer of circumferential reinforcing elements comprising five parts, these being a central part, two intermediate parts and two axially exterior parts, the pitch in the central part being in the range between 1 and 1.5 times the pitch of the axially exterior parts and the pitch in an intermediate part being in the range between 1.6 and 2 times the pitch of the axially exterior parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignees: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A., Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin
    Inventors: Christelle Chaulet, Richard Audigier, Chris Boyer
  • Publication number: 20140174624
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a belt layer disposed between a carcass ply and a circumferential tread, defining a crown region. The belt layer includes a first section and a second section laterally spanning the crown region. The first section includes a plurality of first reinforcing members constructed of a plurality of first filaments composed of a first material. The second section includes a plurality of second reinforcing members constructed of a plurality of second filaments composed of a second material. The first section is characterized by a first fabric density and a first crown angle. The second section is characterized by a second fabric density and a second crown angle. At least one of the first crown angle, the first material, the first number of first filaments, and the first fabric density is different from the respective second crown angle, second material, second number of filaments, and second fabric density.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE AMERICAS TIRE OPERATIONS, LLC
    Inventor: BRIDGESTONE AMERICAS TIRE OPERATIONS, LLC
  • Publication number: 20140166178
    Abstract: The pneumatic tire 1 includes the belt layer 14 having the pair of cross belts 142, 143, and a circumferential reinforcing layer 145 disposed between the cross belts 142, 143 or disposed inward in the tire radial direction of the cross belts 142, 143. Moreover, the circumferential reinforcing layer 145 is configured by one wire 1451 that is wound spirally at a slant within a range of ±5 deg with respect to the tire circumferential direction. Moreover, the crossing angle ? in the tire circumferential direction of the wire end portion at the first edge and the wire end portion at the second edge of the circumferential reinforcing layer 145 is within a range of 5 deg???355 deg.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Sato
  • Publication number: 20140124117
    Abstract: A tire 1 comprises one pair of bead cores 12, a carcass layer 20 having a toroidal shape that extends between said one pair of bead cores 12, and a belt layer 40 disposed so as to be adjacent to the carcass layer 20. The carcass layer 20 is folded back to an outside in a tire width direction at the bead core 12. The carcass layer 20 folded back at the bead core 12 is disposed so as to be overlapped in a tread portion 30 having a tire stepping surface. The carcass layer 20 is formed of a plurality of carcass cords 21, each of which has an inclination of 30 degrees or more and 50 degrees or less with respect to a tire circumferential direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sachie Urata
  • Patent number: 8678056
    Abstract: A tire with a radial carcass reinforcement comprising a crown reinforcement formed from at least two working crown layers of inextensible reinforcing elements and from at least one layer of circumferential reinforcing elements positioned radially between two working crown layers, the working crown layers adjacent to the layer of circumferential reinforcing elements being on each side of the equatorial plane and in the axial continuation of the layer of circumferential reinforcing elements coupled over an axial width, in order thereafter to be decoupled. A layer of polymer blend having a thickness greater than 1.5 mm over an axial width greater than 0.1×d is positioned axially between the axially exterior end of the layer of circumferential reinforcing elements and the axially interior end of the coupling zone of the working crown layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignees: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A., Compagnie Generale des Etablissement Michelin
    Inventors: Philippe Johnson, Alain Domingo
  • Patent number: 8662128
    Abstract: A heavy duty tire comprises a belt disposed radially outside a carcass. The belt consists of a innermost first ply, a second ply and a outermost third belt ply. With respect to the tire equator, the cords of the first ply are laid at an angle ?1 of 15 to 25 degrees; the cords of the second ply are laid at an angle ?2 of 15 to 25 degrees; the cords of the third ply are laid at an angle ?3 of 45 to 60 degrees; the cords of the second ply are inclined oppositely to the cords of the first ply; the cords of the third ply are inclined to the same direction as the cords of the second ply; |?2??1| is not more than 5 degrees; |?3??2| is 30 to 45 degrees; the axial widths W1, W2 and W3 of the first, second and third belt plies, respectively, satisfy W1>W2>W3; strengths S1, S2 and S3 of the first, second and third belt plies, respectively, satisfy S1>S2>S3 and 1.0>S2/S1>=0.6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kiyoto Maruoka
  • Patent number: 8616256
    Abstract: A radial tire for a motorcycle capable of having high road grip performance both when running at a high speed on a dry road surface and when cornering at a high speed, together with the high speed durability, especially a radial tire for a motorcycle with a large displacement to be used for road races, capable of maintaining these performances until the end of the races, is provided. The tilting angles of the cords 13a of said cross-belt 13 are set to 60 degrees or more to the circumferential direction, and a belt protecting layer 15 is disposed outside the spiral-belt 14, the belt protecting layer 15 having cords arranged in the direction tilted at 70 degrees or more to the circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Yukihiko Kubo
  • Patent number: 8578990
    Abstract: A pneumatic low aspect ratio truck has a crown reinforcing structure 7. The crown reinforcing structure 7 has a first steel belt ply 9 between the at least one carcass ply 3 and the tread 5, a second steel belt ply 11 between the first belt ply 9 and the tread 5, a third steel belt ply 13 between the second steel belt ply 11 and the tread 5 and a fourth steel belt ply 15 between the third steel belt ply 13 and the tread 5. The crown reinforcing structure 7 additionally has at least one circumferential steel strip 17 between the second and the third belt plies 11, 13.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Roland Willibrord Krier, Francois Pierre Georges, Jean-Michael Alphonse Fernand Gillard
  • Patent number: 8550134
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire 1, in particular a low aspect ratio super single truck tire 1. In accordance with the invention, the tire has a crown reinforcing structure with a first breaker 9 between a carcass ply 3 and a tread 5, as well as four further breakers 11, 13, 15, 17 comprising at least one pair of working breakers between the first breaker 9 and the tread 5, wherein the first breaker 9 is a split breaker comprising two circumferential strips 9 essentially adjacent to the shoulders of the tire, each strip having an axial width comprised between 50% and 70% of the half tread width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Jean-Michel Alphonse Fernand Gillard, Roland Willibrord Krier, Francois Pierre Georges
  • Patent number: 8511355
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a tire body having a crown portion and a pair of sidewalls. At least one reinforcing belt is disposed in the crown portion of the tire. A tag is carried by the reinforcing belt. In one embodiment, the tag is disposed in the location of one of the reinforcing cords that is disposed in the reinforcing belt. In another embodiment, the tag is disposed at the splice of the reinforcing belt. An alternative version of the tire has the tag carried in a depression formed in the outer surface of the tire sidewall. The tag may be encapsulated with an encapsulation material that is also disposed in the depression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
    Inventor: James P. Kleckner
  • Publication number: 20130206310
    Abstract: The present invention provides a pneumatic tire having a carcass 11, at least one circumferential belt layer 17 provided on the outer side in the tire radial direction of the carcass 11, and plural intersecting belt layers 18 provided on the outer side in the tire radial direction of the circumferential belt layer 17, at least one of the plural intersecting belt layers having wider belt width in the tire widthwise direction than the circumferential belt layer 17, comprising: at least one layer of end-portion circumferential belt 15 provided in respective tire widthwise tread end regions on the outer side of the carcass 11 and on the inner side of the circumferential belt layer 17 in the tire radial direction; and at least one layer of slant belt 16 provided in the tire widthwise tread central region on the outer side of the carcass 11 and on the inner side of the circumferential belt layer 17 in the tire radial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yusuke Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 8505601
    Abstract: Provided is a pneumatic radial tire including a main belt layer and at least one circumferential-direction reinforcement layer, which are provided in the tread portion. The main belt layer includes two belt layers in which steel cords are disposed in a manner that the steel cords of a first one of the two belt layers intersect the steel cords of a second one of the two belt layers. In the circumferential-direction reinforcement layer, steel cords are disposed in a substantial tire circumferential direction. The ratio Wo/Wm of the width Wo of the circumferential-direction reinforcement layer to the maximum width Wm of the main belt layer is 0.5 to 0.9. The ratio Ee/Ec of the reinforcement-cord elastic modulus Ee of the steel cords in the edge portions of the circumferential-direction reinforcement layer to the reinforcement-cord elastic modulus Ec of the steel cords in the center portion of the circumferential-direction reinforcement layer is not less than (0.85?0.5 Wo/Wm) and not more than 0.8.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinya Harikae
  • Patent number: 8490667
    Abstract: Driving stability and durability is efficiently improved. Since a protecting layer 43 embedded with reinforcing cords 41 is disposed between a tread 35 and a belt reinforcing layer 31, both of the protecting layer 43 and the belt reinforcing layer 31 decentrally bear a large bending force generated when a pneumatic tire 11 runs on a sharp projection or a difference in level. As a result, even if reinforcing elements 33 in the belt reinforcing layer 31 are extended by large tension due to fill internal pressure, increase of strain generated in the reinforcing elements 33 can be effectively suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Ishiyama, Masafumi Koide
  • Publication number: 20130153107
    Abstract: A radial tyre for reducing rolling noise includes a tread, two inextensible beads, two sidewalls connecting the beads to the tread, a carcass reinforcement, and a belt arranged circumferentially between the tread and the carcass reinforcement. The belt includes at least two cross-superposed belt plies, each belt ply having metallic reinforcements arranged parallel to each other within a ply but crossed from one ply to another at an angle of between 10° and 45°. The metallic reinforcements are coated with a belt coating rubber. The belt coating rubber includes 50 to 100 phr (parts by weight per hundred parts of elastomer) of a copolymer based on styrene and butadiene and having a glass transition temperature of greater than ?40° C., a reinforcing filler, and a crosslinking system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicants: MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A., COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Nanae Shimanaka, Thierry Royer, Serge Teisseyre
  • Publication number: 20130139942
    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 radially inner spiral layer and at least one zigzag belt reinforcing structure located radially outward of said spiral layer. The zigzag belt width is preferably wider than the spiral layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Ueyoko, Badal Das
  • Patent number: 8413698
    Abstract: A tire having a radial carcass reinforcement comprising a crown reinforcement formed of at least two working crown layers of inextensible reinforcement elements, which are crossed from one ply to the other, forming angles of between 10° and 45° with the circumferential direction, which itself is topped radially by a tread, said tread being joined to two beads by means of two sidewalls and the axially widest working crown layer being radially internal to the other working crown layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Gaëlle Netzer, Jean Coue
  • Publication number: 20130042954
    Abstract: The invention relates to a pneumatic vehicle tire, comprising a carcass (5), a belt (9), and a profiled tread (10), wherein the belt (9) is composed of at least three belt plies (13, 14, 15) arranged one on top of the other from the radial inside to the radial outside, wherein the radially inner (13) and the radially outer (15) working plies have opposite axial inclination directions of the reinforcements (25), and wherein a belt ply (14) arranged between said two working plies (13, 15) has reinforcements (24), the orientations of which include an angle ? of 0°??<5° with respect to the circumferential direction U, and wherein the orientations of the reinforcements (23, 25) of one of the two working plies (13, 15) include an angle ? of 10°??<45° with respect to the circumferential direction U, and the orientations of the reinforcements (25, 23) of the other of the two working plies (15, 13) include an angle ? of 45°???90° with respect to the circumferential direction U.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: CONTINENTAL REIFEN DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Theresia Becker, Maike Schulte