A cord-rubber composite 11 comprises a cord array 12 of parallel steel cords 14, and an unvulcanized topping rubber 13 coating the cord array 12 and having a complex elastic modulus E* of not less than 5 MPa after vulcanization. The code array has a surface area parameter S (mm) of not less than 60 mm. The surface area parameter s (mm) is defined by the following expression: S=DPiE, wherein E is a cord count of the steel cords 14 per 5 cm width of the cord-rubber composite 11 in a direction orthogonal to longitudinal directions of the steel cords, and D is an average outer diameter (mm) of the steel cords per the 5 cm width.

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.

A steel cord is obtained by bundling five steel core wires, which are arrayed in parallel with one another in a plane, into a unitary body by means of an adhesive having a thickness Ad of less than 15 m. Each of the core wires-constituting the steel cord has a diameter d of less than 0.45 mm, and spacing Gd between the core wires is less than 20 m. The core wires used have a free coil diameter D that is greater than wire diameter d thereof by 750 times or more.

A pneumatic tire includes a carcass layer, a belt layer that is disposed on the outer side in the tire radial direction of the carcass layer, and a tread rubber that is disposed on the outer side in the tire radial direction of the belt layer. The pneumatic tire also includes at least three circumferential main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction, and a plurality of land portions that are defined by these circumferential main grooves. The belt layer includes an inner-side cross belt and outer-side cross belt having belt angles of not less than 51 and not more than 80 as absolute values with respect to the tire circumferential direction, the belt angles having mutually opposite signs, and a circumferential reinforcing layer having a belt angle that satisfies a range of 5 with respect to the tire circumferential direction.

A pneumatic tire includes an inner-side cross belt and an outer-side cross belt forming belt angles of mutually different signs with the tire circumferential direction with absolute values from 46 to 80, inclusive; a circumferential reinforcing layer arranged between the inner-side cross belt and the outer-side cross belt and forming a belt angle of 5 with the tire circumferential direction; and a supplemental belt arranged outside the outer-side cross belt in the radial direction of the tire and forming a belt angle with the tire circumferential direction with an absolute value between 10 and 45 inclusive.

Tire comprising a crown reinforcement formed of at least two working crown layers of reinforcing elements, a first layer C of rubber compound being placed between at least the ends of the said at least two working crown layers, a second layer S of polymer compound being in contact with at least one working crown layer and in contact with the carcass reinforcement and the crown reinforcement comprising at least one layer of circumferential reinforcing elements. The elastic modulus under tension at 10% elongation of the first layer C is less than 8 MPa, the maximum tan() value, denoted tan().sub.max, of the first layer C is less than 0.100, and the complex dynamic shear modulus G*, measured at 10% and 60 C. on the return cycle, of the said second layer S of polymer compound is greater than 1.35 MPa.

In a pneumatic tire, a belt layer includes an inner-side cross belt and an outer-side cross belt having an absolute value of belt angle with respect to a tire circumferential direction of not less than 46 degrees and not more than 80 degrees and having belt angles with signs that are opposite to each other; and a circumferential reinforcing layer having a belt angle with respect to the tire circumferential direction within the range of 5 degrees and disposed between the inner-side cross belt and outer-side cross belt. Also, a distance Gcc on a tire equatorial plane from a tread profile to a tire inner circumferential surface and a distance Gsh from a tread edge to the tire inner circumferential surface satisfy a relationship 1.10Gsh/Gcc.

A belt layer of a pneumatic tire includes an inner-side cross belt and an outer-side cross belt forming belt angles of mutually different signs with the tire circumferential direction with absolute values from 46 to 80, inclusive; a circumferential reinforcing layer arranged between the inner-side cross belt and the outer-side cross belt and forming a belt angle of within 5 with the tire circumferential direction; and a supplemental belt arranged inside of the inner-side cross belt in the radial direction of the tire and forming a belt angle with the tire circumferential direction with an absolute value from 10 to 45, inclusive.

A belt layer includes first and second main working belts and a reinforcement belt. A cord angle of the reinforcement belt is 6 to 9 degrees. A width of the reinforcement belt is equal to or wider than 50% of a tire-section width and not wider than a width of a narrower one of the first and second main working belts. When an intersection of the perpendicular line extending from a groove bottom center of a shoulder main groove to the reinforcement belt and an upper surface of the reinforcement belt is set as an origin, a ratio of a dimension from the origin to an end portion of the reinforcement belt to a half width of the reinforcement belt is not smaller than 0.07 and not larger than 0.11.

A pneumatic tire has a belt layer arranged between a carcass and a tread portion. The belt layer has a first main working belt, a second main working belt arranged at an outer side of the first main working belt in a tire-radial direction, and a reinforcement belt. A cord angle of the second main working belt differs from a cord angle of the first main working belt in a direction with respect to a tire-circumferential direction. A cord angle of the reinforcement belt is not smaller than 6 degrees and not larger than 9 degrees. A width of the reinforcement belt is equal to or wider than 50% of a tire-section width and not wider than either narrower one of the first and second main working belts.