Patent ID: 7416002

Claim:
A pneumatic tire comprising a tread portion, a belt package radially beneath the tread portion, a pair of sidewall portions, a pair of shoulder portions with each shoulder portion extending between the tread portion and each sidewall portion, a pair of bead portions with a bead core therein, a carcass comprising at least one carcass ply extending between the bead portions and turnup up around the bead core in each bead portion to form two tumup portions and a main portion therebetween, the tire being characterized by: a composite fabric ply located between the carcass ply and the belt package in the shoulder portions, the composite fabric ply extending continuously from one shoulder portion to the other shoulder portion, the composite fabric ply having a radially inner end terminating a distance Y from a maximum section width SW of the tire, wherein Y is 5% to 30% of a section height SH of the tire, the composite fabric ply comprising a composite fabric having a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer, the second middle layer comprising a plurality of straight warp yarns, the first, second, and third layers being bound together with binder yarns, the first and third layers of the composite fabric being comprised of warp and weft yarns woven in a twill pattern.