A tire 2 includes a tread 4 and a belt 14 including inner and outer layers 38 and 40. Each end of the outer layer 40 is located axially inward of an end of the inner layer 38. A circumferential narrow groove 48 is formed on each shoulder land portion 46s so as to continuously extend in a circumferential direction. A groove width of the circumferential narrow groove 48 is smaller than that of a shoulder circumferential groove 44s. The circumferential narrow groove 48 is located between the shoulder circumferential groove 44s and the end of the outer layer 40 in an axial direction. A ratio of a distance in the axial direction from the shoulder circumferential groove 44s to the circumferential narrow groove 48 to a distance in the axial direction from the shoulder circumferential groove 44s to the end of the outer layer 40 is 15% to 55%.

A pneumatic tire for use on trucks, the tire comprising a tread and a belt structure located radially inward of the tread, the belt structure including a pair of working belts, wherein the working belts are reinforced plies each comprising parallel reinforcement elements, wherein the angle of the reinforcement elements in the respective working belt ranges from 12 degrees to 35 degrees from the circumferential direction, wherein the belt structure further includes a low angle belt positioned between the working belts comprising parallel reinforcement elements angled at less than 5 degrees from the circumferential direction, and wherein a first and second narrow belt is positioned on the lateral ends of the low angle belt, and wherein the first and second narrow belt are each positioned radially inward of an axially outermost groove on each side of the tread.

A pneumatic tire for use on trucks, the tire comprising a tread and a belt structure located radially inward of the tread, the belt structure including a pair of working belts, wherein the working belts are reinforced plies each comprising parallel reinforcement elements, wherein the angle of the reinforcement elements in the respective working belt ranges from 12 degrees to 35 degrees from the circumferential direction, wherein the belt structure further includes a low angle belt positioned between the working belts comprising parallel reinforcement elements angled at less than 5 degrees from the circumferential direction, and wherein a first and second narrow belt is positioned on the lateral ends of the low angle belt, and wherein the first and second narrow belt are each positioned radially inward of an axially outermost groove on each side of the tread.

A pneumatic tire for use on trucks, the tire comprising: a tread which includes a belt reinforcement structure of only three belts, the belt structure including a pair of working belts, wherein the angle of the working belts range from about 10 degrees to about 50 degrees, wherein a zigzag or low angle belt is positioned preferably between the working belts or radially inward of the working belts. The belt structure further includes a rubber strip located between the radially innermost belt and the tire carcass, and preferably has a gauge that varies across the axial width of the tire.

The pneumatic motorcycle tire includes a spiral belt, wherein: an aspect ratio of the tire is 60% or more; at a standard condition, each lap of reinforcing cords is located at a constant spacing along a periphery of the spiral belt among the entire tire width direction; in the tire widthwise cross section, a spacing A along the periphery of the spiral belt between each lap of the reinforcing cords adjacent in the tire width direction is 3.5 mm or more and 6.0 mm or less; a spacing B along the periphery of the spiral belt between the two reinforcing cords for forming the strip member is 0.8 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less; and a rupture strength of one of the reinforcing cords is 200 N or more and 1000 N or less.

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.

A pneumatic tire for heavy duty having an aspect ratio of 65% or less includes a carcass and a belt layer. A tread portion includes circumferential grooves. The circumferential grooves include a pair of shoulder circumferential grooves and a crown circumferential groove. The crown circumferential groove 11 is a narrow groove and each of the shoulder circumferential grooves is a wide groove. The belt layer includes metal belt cords inclined with respect to a tire circumferential direction. The belt layer has outer ends each positioned outside a respective one of the shoulder circumferential grooves in a tire axial direction. A belt half width is 55% or more and 85% or less of a carcass half width.

Methods of measuring thickness of a material using cross-capacitance. The method generally includes applying a time-varying signal to a first pad and monitoring a response of a capacitor formed by the first pad, a spaced apart second pad, and the material. The pads may be permanently affixed to the material, in spaced relation to each other. Based on the response, a capacitance of the capacitor is determined. The material may be homogenous or heterogeneous, and has dielectric properties. Because the material acts as a dielectric, the capacitance of the capacitor changes as the thickness of the material changes. Thus, the thickness of the material may be determined based on the determined capacitance. The method may be advantageously employed to measure the thickness of a vehicle tire or other material. Related apparatuses are also disclosed.

In a tire 2 according to the present invention, belt cords 42 included in a belt 22 each include a twisted string obtained by twisting together four filaments 46. Each belt cord 42 has an elliptical cross-section. On the cross-section, the ratio of the length of the minor axis to the length of the major axis is greater than or equal to 0.67 and not greater than 0.94. A first filament 46a and a third filament 46c are disposed along the minor axis. The first filament 46a and the third filament 46c are each in contact with a second filament 46b and a fourth filament 46d, or the first filament 46a is in contact with the third filament 46c.

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 w.sub.3 is 80% or more of the tread width w, and w.sub.2<w.sub.1<w.sub.3, where w.sub.1 is the first belt layer width, and w.sub.2 is the second belt layer width.