Provided is a pneumatic tire, which includes a tread portion having an annular shape and extending in a tire circumferential direction, a pair of sidewall portions disposed on both sides of the tread portion, a pair of bead portions disposed on inner sides of the pair of sidewall portions in a tire radial direction, and a band-like sound absorbing member bonded to an inner surface of the tread portion along the tire circumferential direction. The band-like sound absorbing member includes a plurality of cuts in an outer circumferential surface of the band-like sound absorbing member. At least one end of each of the cuts terminates within the band-like sound absorbing member.

A pneumatic tire includes a carcass layer mounted between a pair of bead portions; a belt layer disposed on an outer circumferential side of the carcass layer; and a band-like sound absorbing member extending in a tire circumferential direction adhered to a region of a tire inner surface corresponding to a tread portion, the band-like sound absorbing member being locally disposed at a position distanced from a central region of the region corresponding to the tread portion, and an outer circumferential surface of the band-like sound absorbing member including cuts extending in the tire circumferential direction.

A hollow structure has a hollow body with an annular first space and at least one resonator. In the resonator there is formed an elongated second space with a pair of openings at two ends thereof. Each of the pair of openings opens inwardly toward the interior of the first space. The ratio of the length of a centerline of the second space to the length of a centerline of the first space is within a range of from 0.45 to 0.55. The second space is disposed in a curve along a circumferential surface of the first space and is shaped such that one of the two ends of the second space is folded back toward the other end.

The present disclosure relates to a sound absorber and a wheel having the same. The sound absorber is configured as a rectangular hexahedral box and forms a porous double-layer Helmholtz resonance sound absorbing structure, at the same time, the sound absorber in the form of a box forms a structural resonance sound absorbing device itself, and the first-order natural mode frequency of the device is identical to that of a wheel air chamber. When the box-type sound absorbing structure is assembled in a wheel, double functions of absorbing acoustic resonance of the wheel air chamber under the organic combination of Helmholtz resonance sound absorption and structural resonance sound absorption can be realized.

The present application relates to a wheel with a sound absorber, the sound absorber being mounted in a wheel air chamber to reduce acoustic resonance, wherein the sound absorber is configured as a flat hexahedral box resonator and fastened to a wheel hub through a band, a first positioning mechanism is provided between the hub and the box resonator to fix the relative positions of the hub and the box resonator, and a second positioning mechanism is provided between the box resonator and the band to fix the relative positions of the box resonator and the band. According to the technical solution of the present disclosure, the resonator is positioned and fixed more reliably on the wheel, and the wheel is simple and economical in manufacturing, and convenient and controllable in installation and operation.

A tire has four circumferential grooves. Grooves are on the vehicle installation inner side of the tire, and on the vehicle installation outer side of the tire. Grooves which are on the vehicle installation inner side each have a plurality of fences in the groove arranged alternately along the groove next to each side wall of the groove. Grooves which are on the vehicle installation outer side do not have fences. The fences increase the path length of sound due to pipe resonance and delay the sound in comparison to grooves on the vehicle installation outer side of the tire. This directs the sound towards the inner side of the tire and reduces the noise on the outer side.

A tire with noise-reducing main grooves includes: a groove portion which is formed to extend circumferentially along a circumference of a tire tread; and a knurled portion which is formed on bottom and side surfaces of the groove portion. The knurled portion is provided to reduce noise energy by narrowing an air path formed when the groove portion and the ground contact each other.

The present invention provides a system and method for altering the audible sounds generated by a tire during operation by altering airflow through the tread. The tread includes tread blocks and the tread blocks include a plurality of tread block sides. Airflow through the tread blocks is altered by notches placed in the tread block sides. In an embodiment, at least one tread block side includes a notch. The notch serves to alter airflow through the tread of the tire and alter the audible sounds of the tire.

Various embodiments of a tire tread having one or more flexible gate apparatuses are disclosed. In one embodiment, a tire having a tread is provided, the tire comprising: a groove comprising a groove base and at least one groove sidewall; at least one flexible gate apparatus comprising a plurality of adjacent flexible gate elements oriented in a single row across at least a portion of the groove; wherein the plurality of flexible gate elements extend from the groove base; wherein the at least one flexible gate apparatus comprises a rigidity such that the at least one flexible gate apparatus does not substantially deflect at the application of an air pressure during operation; and wherein the at least one flexible gate apparatus comprises a rigidity such that the at least one flexible gate apparatus deflects at the application of a water pressure during operation.

A process and an apparatus for automatically applying a noise reducing element to a tyre for vehicle wheels. The process includes: a) providing a noise reducing element; b) providing an adhesive material; c) guiding the noise reducing element according to a predetermined direction; d) during the guiding, applying the adhesive material onto a first surface of the noise reducing element; e) manipulating the noise reducing element by interacting with at least one second surface of the noise reducing element different from the first surface on which the adhesive material has been applied; and f) positioning the noise reducing element in a predetermined position on a radially inner surface of the tyre, bringing the first surface into contact with the radially inner surface.