Pneumatic tire and method of forming circumferential belt layer of the same

A method of forming at least one circumferential belt layer of a pneumatic tire, the circumferential belt layer being disposed in a radially outer side of a crown portion of a carcass of the tire and formed by spirally winding a strip in a circumferential direction of the tire, the strip being made of at least one rubber-coated cord extending substantially parallel to a tire equatorial plane, the method comprising:

• assuming that a region having twice the width of the strip from an edge in a tire width direction of the circumferential belt layer toward the tire equatorial plane is defined as a belt end region,
• a first step of winding the strip for a half length of an outer circumferential length of the crown portion of the carcass substantially parallel to the tire equatorial plane from a widthwise innermost side of the belt end region;
• a second step of winding the strip for the remaining half length while shifting the strip for the width of the strip from a widthwise inner to outer side in the belt end region;
• where a starting point of the second step is a terminal point of the first step;
• a third step of winding the strip for the outer circumferential length of the crown portion of the carcass substantially parallel to the tire equatorial plane in the belt end region;
• where a starting point of the third step is a terminal point of the second step;
• a fourth step of winding the strip for the half length of the outer circumferential length of the crown portion of the carcass while shifting the strip for the width of the strip from the widthwise outer to inner side in the belt end region;
• where a starting point of the fourth step is a terminal point of the third step;
• and
• a fifth step of winding the strip for the remaining half length substantially parallel to the tire equatorial plane in the belt end region;
• where a starting point of the fifth step is a terminal point of the fourth step.