A method for manufacturing a straight steel monofilament for the reinforcement of belt ply of a pneumatic tyre, where the arc-height of the straight steel monofilament is less than 30 mm. The steel monofilament is plastically deformed by a twisting along the axis of the steel monofilament on a double-twist apparatus. The plastic twist deformation eliminates the surface stress difference on the steel monofilament and provides a straight steel monofilament for belt ply reinforcement. This provides a simple solution with existing apparatus to manufacture straight steel monofilament suitable for tire reinforcement with high speed for mass production.

A method for manufacturing a bonded reinforcing textile filamentary element (48) comprising a core and a layer of strands is disclosed. The textile filamentary element in the natural state is assembled. A textile filamentary element in the natural state or pre-bonded textile filamentary element is obtained. The filamentary element in the natural state or pre-bonded filamentary element is coated with an external layer of at least one heat-crosslinkable adhesive composition. The filamentary element in the natural state or pre-bonded filamentary element that is coated with the external layer is thermally treated so as to crosslink the adhesive composition in order to obtain the bonded filamentary element (48). The steps of coating with and of thermally treating the external layer of the filamentary element in the natural state or pre-bonded filamentary element are carried out such that, for an elongation equal to 30% of the elongation at break of the filamentary element in the natural state, the tangent modulus of the bonded reinforcing textile filamentary element (48) is increased compared with the tangent modulus of the filamentary element in the natural state.

Tire (1) comprising a carcass ply (2) that connects two beads (5) by way of two sidewalls (3), said carcass ply (2) being surmounted radially on the outside by a crown reinforcing zone (10) comprising a plurality of reinforcing strips (12, 14) disposed in at least two layers and coated in an elastomeric composition (13, 15), the mean overlap between the strips of the two layers being greater than 40%, the reinforcing strips (12, 14) being made of a thermoplastic film having a modulus greater than 0.9 GPa and preferably greater than 2 GPa in the main direction and in the transverse direction.

A pneumatic tire including a belt constituted by at least one belt layer on a tire radial-direction inner side of a tread portion. The belt layer includes a reinforcing element containing plural metal filaments aligned in a single row without being twisted together is embedded in an elastomer. The tread portion includes: two or more circumferential main grooves arranged within a width of a ground-contact surface; and land portions, and widthwise sipes are arranged in at least one of center land portion. The widthwise sipes each include: a linear portion linearly extending from the surface of the tread portion toward the tire radial-direction inner side; and a bent portion extending from the linear portion toward the tire radial-direction inner side, and the length of the linear portion increases from an extending length center portion of each widthwise sipe toward at least one of tread widthwise end portions.

Flat reinforcer having the shape of a multicomposite strip (R1, R2, R3) defining three main perpendicular directions, the axial direction (X), the transverse direction (Y) and the radial direction (Z), having a width W.sub.R measured along the Y direction of between 2 and 100 mm and having a thickness T.sub.R measured along the Z direction of between 0.1 and 5 mm, the aspect ratio W.sub.R/T.sub.R being greater than 3, this multicomposite strip comprising at least: a plurality of monofilaments (10, 20) made of composite material, orientated along the X direction, comprising filaments of a mineral material (101) embedded in a thermoset resin (102), the glass transition temperature of which, denoted Tg.sub.1, is greater than 70 C.; this plurality of monofilaments (10, 20) being coated in a layer of thermoplastic material (12); all or some of these monofilaments (10, 20) being flat monofilaments, of cross section having a width W.sub.M measured along the Y direction and having a thickness T.sub.M measured along the Z direction, with an aspect ratio W.sub.M/T.sub.M greater than 1.5.

Multilayer laminate comprising such a multicomposite reinforcer. Pneumatic or non-pneumatic tyre reinforced by such a multicomposite reinforcer or multilayer laminate.

The reinforcing structure for a tire is in the form of a stratified assembly formed of two layers of reinforcing strips of completely connected cross section, and flattened in shape. According to the method, the strips of each layer are laid side by side in a main direction of laying. The strips of the first layer are spaced apart by a distance that is less than the width of the strips of the second layer and in such a way that the edges of the strips of the first layer overlap the edges of the strips of the second layer. The two layers of strips are separated by a layer of uncoupling rubber.

A radial tire includes a crown reinforcement or belt having a lightened belt structure. The lightened belt structure is constructed of a multilayer composite laminate that includes a first layer of rubber that radially surmounts, in a direction Z, two other layers of rubber. The first layer of rubber includes weakly heat-shrinkable textile circumferential reinforcers, for example, made of nylon or polyester. The two other layers of rubber are reinforced with monofilaments of high tensile steel. The first reinforcers have a diameter between 0.40 mm and 0.70 mm and a density between 70 and 130 threads/dm, and the second and third reinforcers have a diameter between 0.20 mm and 0.50 mm and a density between 120 and 180 threads/dm.

A radial tire includes a crown reinforcement or belt having a lightened belt structure. The lightened belt structure is constructed of a multilayer composite laminate that includes a first layer of rubber that radially surmounts, in a direction Z, two other layers of rubber. The first layer of rubber is reinforced with first reinforcers, which are circumferential heat-shrinkable polyester textile reinforcers. The two other layers of rubber are reinforced with second and third reinforcers, which are monofilaments of high tensile steel. The first reinforcers have a diameter between 0.40 mm and 0.70 mm and a density between 70 and 130 threads/dm, and the second and third reinforcers have a diameter between 0.20 mm and 0.50 mm and a density between 120 and 180 threads/dm.

A radial tire, notably for a passenger vehicle or van, has an improved belt structure comprising a multilayer composite laminate with a first layer of rubber comprising heat-shrinkable circumferential textile reinforcers, preferably in the form of monofilaments or assemblies of monofilaments; this first layer radially (in the direction Z) surmounts two other layers of rubber, reinforced by reinforcers all or some of which are composite reinforcers made up of steel monofilaments sheathed with a thermoplastic material, the glass transition temperature of which is greater than 20 C. This laminate makes it possible to lighten the belts of tyres by reducing the thickness of the layers of rubber that make up part of their structure, and therefore to reduce the weight and rolling resistance of the tyres, without the risk of direct contact between the reinforcers.

A radial tire, notably for a passenger vehicle or van, has an improved belt structure comprising a multilayer composite laminate with a first layer of rubber comprising heat-shrinkable circumferential textile reinforcers, in the form of monofilament fibres twisted individually on themselves according to a twist greater than 100 turns per metre; this first layer radially (in the direction Z) surmounts two other layers of rubber, reinforced by reinforcers all or some of which are composite reinforcers made up of steel monofilaments sheathed with a thermoplastic material, the glass transition temperature of which is greater than 20 C. This laminate makes it possible to lighten the belts of tyres by reducing the thickness of the layers of rubber that make up part of their structure, and therefore to reduce the weight and rolling resistance of the tyres, without the risk of direct contact between the reinforcers.