A cord (50) comprises: an internal strand (TI) comprising internal layer (C1) of Q=1 internal wire (F1), an intermediate layer (C2) of M intermediate wires (F2) wound around the internal layer (C1) with a pitch p2, an external layer (C3) of N external wires (F3) wound around the intermediate layer (C2) with a pitch p3; and L>1 external strands (TE) comprising an internal layer (C1′), an external layer (C3′). The external layer (CE) of the cord is wound around the internal layer (CI) of the cord in a direction of winding of the cord (50). Each external layer (C3, C3′) of each internal and external strand (TI, TE) is wound in the same direction of winding that is the opposite to the direction of winding of the cord (50). The external layer (CE) of the cord (50) is desaturated, and 0.36≤(p3−p2)/p3≤0.57.

Provided is a rubber article-reinforcing steel cord having improved shear fatigue resistance while reducing the weight of the steel cord by using a wire of high tensile strength. The rubber article-reinforcing steel cord 10 is a steel cord 10 having a two-layer twisted structure comprising a core filament 11 composed of a plurality of filaments and a sheath filament 12 composed of a plurality of filaments twisted around the core filament 11, wherein the tensile strength of the core filament 11 is higher than the tensile strength of the sheath filament 12, and the core filament 11 and the sheath filament 12 are twisted together in the same direction and the same pitch.

A multi-strand cord (50) comprises an internal layer (CI) made up of K=1 internal strand (TI) having two layers (C1, C3), with the internal layer (C1) being made up of Q internal metallic threads (F1) and the external layer (C3) being made up of N external metallic threads (F3), and an external layer (CE) made up of L>1 external strands (TE) having two layers (C1′, C3′) wound around the internal layer (CI), with the internal layer (C1′) being made up of Q′ internal metallic threads (F1′) and the external layer (C3′) being made up of N′ external metallic threads (F3′). The cord (50) has an energy-to-break per unit area ES≥145 N.Math.mm.sup.−1 with ES=Σ.sub.i=1.sup.NcF.sub.mi×Σ.sub.i=1.sup.NcA.sub.ti/Nc×Cfrag/D where Σ.sub.i=1.sup.NcF.sub.mi is the sum of the forces at break, Σ.sub.i=1.sup.NcA.sub.ti is the sum of the total elongation, Cfrag is the coefficient of weakening, and D is the diameter.

A cord (50) comprises: an internal strand (TI) comprising an internal layer (C1), and an external layer (C3); and L>1 external strands (TE) comprising an internal layer (C1′) of Q′=1 internal wire (F1′), an intermediate layer (C2′) of M′ intermediate wires (F2′) wound around the internal layer (C1′) with a pitch p2′, and an external layer (C3′) of N′ external wires (F3′) wound around the intermediate layer (C2′) with a pitch p3′. The external layer (CE) of the cord is wound around the internal layer (CI) of the cord in a direction of winding of the cord (50). Each external layer (C3, C3′) of each internal and external strand (TI, TE) is wound in the same direction of winding that is the opposite to the direction of winding of the cord (50). The external layer (CE) of the cord (50) is desaturated, and 0.36≤(p3′−p2′)/p3′≤0.57.

Provided are: a tire steel cord having not only excellent cutting resistance and corrosion resistance but also excellent processability in plant; and a pneumatic tire including the same. The tire steel cord has a layer-twisted structure including: a core 11 composed of two core filaments 1; and a sheath 12 composed of eight sheath filaments 2 that are twisted together around the core 11, in which tire steel cord the two core filaments 1 constituting the core 11 are twisted together, the twisting direction of the core filaments 1 and that of the sheath filaments 2 are different, and a diameter (Dc) of the core filaments 1 and a diameter (Ds) of the sheath filaments 2 satisfy a relationship represented by the following Equation (1):
0.90≤Ds/Dc≤1.10  (1).

Provided is a steel cord for rubber article reinforcement, which has both the tensile strength in the cord axial direction and the strength in the shear direction at higher levels. A steel cord (10) for rubber article reinforcement includes: a single core strand (11) having a layer-twisted structure; and plural sheath strands (12) each having a layer-twisted structure, and the sheath strands (12) are twisted around the core strand (11). In the sheath strands (12), a ratio between the diameter of a core filament (12a) and the diameter of a sheath filament (12b) is 0.75 to 0.85, and a ratio between the strength of the core filament (12a) and the strength of the sheath filament (12b) is 0.55 to 0.7.

A cable as may be used in a tire, including a pneumatic tire. The cable is constructed in a manner that can provide a desired stiffness to a tire as well as a certain amount of structural elongation. The cable can be provided in a manner that does not necessarily result in an increase in the overall weight of the tire as would occur by e.g., increasing the diameter of a conventional cable construction.

A braided structure that includes a core and a sheath is provided. The core includes a yarn formed at least in part from an aromatic polymer (e.g., an aromatic polyester/liquid crystalline polymer or an aramid polymer), and the sheath, which includes a plurality of ultra high molecular weight polyolefin yarns, is braided around the core. The sheath has an overall diameter ranging from about 60 micrometers to about 650 micrometers. Despite its small diameter, the braided structure can be creep resistant and abrasion resistant while at the same time exhibiting low elongation, a high load at break, and high stiffness. The braided structure can be used in medical applications such as sutures, load bearing orthopedic applications, artificial tendons/ligaments, fixation devices, actuation cables, components for tissue repair, etc.

This steel cord for reinforcing a rubber article includes one core strand having a two-layer twisted layer structure formed by intertwining a plurality of steel filaments, and a plurality of sheath strands having a twisted layer structure formed by intertwining a plurality of steel filaments. The sheath strands are intertwined around the core strand, a core of the core strand is formed by two core filaments, and the diameter of outermost layer sheath filaments forming an outermost layer sheath of each sheath strand is greater than the diameter of filaments inside the outermost layer sheath of the sheath strand.

A braided structure that includes a core and a sheath is provided. The core includes a yarn formed at least in part from an aromatic polymer (e.g., an aromatic polyester/liquid crystalline polymer or an aramid polymer), and the sheath, which includes a plurality of ultra high molecular weight polyolefin yarns, is braided around the core. The sheath has an overall diameter ranging from about 60 micrometers to about 650 micrometers. Despite its small diameter, the braided structure can be creep resistant and abrasion resistant while at the same time exhibiting low elongation, a high load at break, and high stiffness. The braided structure can be used in medical applications such as sutures, load bearing orthopedic applications, artificial tendons/ligaments, fixation devices, actuation cables, components for tissue repair, etc.