A process and an apparatus for building tyres and a tyre for vehicle wheels are described. A substantially cylindrical carcass sleeve, having at least one carcass ply, is formed by laying consecutively adjacent strip-like elements one after the other around the circumferential extension of a substantially cylindrical deposition surface. Circumferentially consecutive strip-like elements are laid one after the other to form overlap zones along respective longitudinal edges superimposed on each other. Each overlap zone has, along a longitudinal extension thereof, terminal sections that are laterally opposite with respect to an intermediate section. The intermediate section of each overlap zone has greater width than the width of the terminal sections.

Provided is a bias tire includes a carcass extending between a pair of bead portions, a pair of sidewall portions, a tread, and a reinforcement layer (5), formed by cords (5Cb), disposed so as to cover at least a portion of a tire circumferential edge (BEi) on the inner side, in the tire radial direction, of the innermost ply (2Bi) of the carcass in a tire half portion (HFa) on a side where, as a cord (Cb) of a tire circumferential end on the inner side, in the tire radial direction, of the innermost ply (2Bi) approaches the tire circumferential edge on the inner side, in the tire radial direction, of the innermost ply (2Bi) along the tire circumferential direction, the cord (Cb) is inclined so as to separate from the tire equator (CL).

A tire having reduced mass and low rolling resistance and a method of manufacture thereof achieves reduced weight by using thin layers of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU's) to heat seal the carcass, breaker, and tread layers of the tire to each other, rather than embedding the layers in conventional, relatively thicker and heavier layers of sulfur cured vulcanized carbon filled elastomers. Creep and spring-back of the thermoplastic polyurethanes during cure is avoided by maintaining the adhered layers under pressure until the assembly cools below its glass transition temperature. In embodiments, the heat sealing can be performed on the forming drum, and in some embodiments cool rollers are applied to the heat-sealed carcass so as to accelerate the cooling to below the glass transition temperature.

This pneumatic tire is provided with: a pair of carcass layers arranged so as to extend from the respective left and right beads of the tire across the tread; and a plurality of crossing belts arranged on the outside of the carcass layers in the radial direction of the tire. The pair of carcass layers is arranged so as to overlap each other in the tire width direction. The overlapping width (Wc) of the carcass layers is in the range of 0.5 mmWc40 mm.

A method of forming a layer of tire ply is disclosed. A first strip of ply is provided having a plurality of evenly spaced reinforcement cords, having a spacing S, and having a lateral end, wherein the last cord is spaced apart from strip end a distance X, wherein X is not equal to S. A second strip of ply is provided having a plurality of evenly spaced reinforcement cords, having a spacing S, and having a lateral end, wherein the last cord is spaced apart from strip end a distance Y, wherein Y is not equal to S. The lateral ends of the first and second strip are joined together in a lap joint. The first and second lateral ends are overlapped so that the spacing X preferrably does not overlap, but may partially overlap with the spacing Y.

The provide is an tire and an tire production method for the tire, wherein the carcass ply is comprised of tape-like members arranged in the tire circumferential direction, in which a plurality of carcass cords arranged parallel to each other are coated with rubber; the tape-like member has a tape width of 1 to 10 mm; on the tire equatorial plane, two of the tape-like members adjacent to each other in the tire circumferential direction are butted against each other at tire circumferential ends thereof; and at the end portions of the carcass ply, two of the tape-like members adjacent to each other in the tire circumferential direction overlap each other only at rubber portions thereof.

A pneumatic tire is provided with a carcass configured from at least one carcass ply. The carcass ply is formed by arranging, in the tire circumferential direction, rectangular sheet-shaped ply pieces, each having a radial direction length larger than a tire circumferential direction length. In each of the ply pieces, carcass cords are arranged parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction, and adjacent ply pieces at least partially overlap with each other in the tire circumferential direction, and in each of the ply pieces, the distance (Pe) between the carcass cords in at least one side edge portion in the circumferential direction of the ply piece, is larger than the distance (Pc) between the carcass cords in a central portion of the ply piece.

The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire having an alloy film innerliner with a rubber reinforced spliced overlapping ends.

A pneumatic tire 1 comprises a carcass 6 comprising at least one carcass ply 6A extending between bead portions 4 via sidewall portions 3 and a tread portion 2. The carcass ply 6A comprises strip-shaped ply pieces 11 longer in a tire radial direction than in a tire circumferential direction arranged circumferentially. Each of the ply pieces 11 comprises a plurality of carcass cords 12 arranged in parallel in the tire radial direction and at least partly overlapping each other with the ply pieces 11 circumferentially adjacent. At least one of the carcass cords 12 arranged in at least one of side edge portions 11e in the tire circumferential direction of each of the ply pieces 11 having a diameter (Ce) smaller than a diameter (Cc) of at least one of the carcass cords 12 arranged in a center portion 11c of each of the ply pieces 11.

A method of manufacturing a tire, a forming system for the tire, and the tire are provided. A preceding carcass cord from one feeding unit is used to form a carcass layer while being fed to a forming drum, and a leading edge portion of a next carcass cord is paid out from another feeding unit in advance. At a time when a predetermined length of the preceding carcass cord is fed, a splice mechanism is used to join the leading edge portion of the next carcass cord to the preceding carcass cord to make the leading edge portion of the next carcass cord continuous with the preceding carcass cord. Then, with the next carcass cord fed to the forming drum, formation of the carcass layer is continued to complete the carcass layer.