Patents Examined by Sedef E Paquette
  • Patent number: 11325331
    Abstract: In a manufacturing method of a tire which manufactures a side-wall rubber as a constituent member of the tire by winding a rubber strip formed of unvulcanized rubber on a carcass ply serving as a rotating body, the method includes the steps of: winding the rubber strip prior to vulcanization in a spiral manner having a partially overlapping region, so that at least part thereof is exposed at an outer surface, and another portion thereof is covered by the rubber strip after being wound; and arranging an electronic component so that the electronic component is positioned in the partially overlapping region of the rubber strip or between the carcass ply, etc. serving as the lower layer member of the rubber strip and the rubber strip, in the winding step or an earlier step thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Toyo Tire Corporation
    Inventor: Hiraku Nagayoshi
  • Patent number: 11325332
    Abstract: Provided is an attaching device and a method for attaching a band-like member to a tire inner surface. A holder that holds the band-like member in a wound state and a paddle are disposed in an inner portion of a tire, and a dispensed portion is pressure-bonded to the inner surface by repeatedly performing: a bonding operation in which a predetermined length dispensed from the band-like member in a wound state toward the inner surface is pressed, by moving the paddle close to the inner surface with no relative rotation of the tire in the circumferential direction with respect to the holder, and is pressure-bonded to the inner surface and a dispensing operation in which, after the bonding operation, the paddle is moved away from the inner surface, and together with relatively rotating the tire in the circumferential direction, a new dispensed portion is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Yukihisa Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11325418
    Abstract: The assembly (24) comprises: a first structure (10) extending in a first overall direction (G1), a second structure (12), and a bearing structure (30) comprising filamentary bearing elements (32) comprising at least one filamentary bearing portion (74) extending between the first structure (10) and the second structure (12), the first structure (10) being arranged such that, for a length at rest L of the first structure (10) in the first overall direction (G1), the elongation at maximum force Art of the first structure in the first overall direction (G1) satisfies: Art?(2?×H)/L, in which H0×K?H where H0 is the mean straight-line distance between an internal face (42) of the first structure (10) and an internal face (46) of the second structure (12) when each filamentary bearing portion (74) is at rest, and K=0.50.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Sébastien Rigo, Richard Cornille, Gregor Hug, Bastien Limozin, Florian Vilcot
  • Patent number: 11312190
    Abstract: This pneumatic tire includes bead cores formed by winding a bead wire. In a cross-sectional view of the bead core, the bead core has a wire array structure of a hexagon formed by winding the bead wires in a close-packed manner. The hexagon is a projecting hexagon with an obtuse internal angle at every vertex. A layer number M of wire cross sections in a Y-axis direction and a maximum value N_max of an array number N of the wire cross sections in an X-axis direction satisfy 0.75?M/N_max?1.30. A distance A in a lateral direction from a vertex of the hexagon on the innermost side in the lateral direction to the centroid of the hexagon, and a distance B in the lateral direction from a vertex of the hexagon on the outermost side in the lateral direction to the centroid of the hexagon, satisfy 1.05?B/A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Inventor: Koji Nishio
  • Patent number: 11292295
    Abstract: A method for controlling the discharge of fluids during a process for vulcanization and moulding of a green tire includes the steps of: building at least one portion of a radially internal surface of a green tire by winding of a continuous elongated element of elastomeric material into a plurality of coils confining circumferential grooves along the rolling direction of the tire; disposing the circumferential grooves into fluid communication with discharge channels present in the radially external surface of a pressing bladder disposed in a radially internal cavity bounded by the green tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: PIRELLI TYRE S.p.A.
    Inventors: Gaetano Lo Presti, Gianni Mancini, Albert Berenguer, Alfredo Balini
  • Patent number: 11279182
    Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to a magnetic and osmotic inner tube for insertion in vehicle tires. The magnetic and osmotic inner tube may include a nonpermeable membrane ring coupled to a semipermeable membrane ring, an O-ring, and a group of polar magnets. The nonpermeable membrane ring may be coated with a sealant and store hypertonic fluid and plugging materials. The semipermeable membrane ring may store hypotonic fluid and plugging materials. When a vehicle tire is punctured by an object, the hypotonic fluid and the plugging materials are drawn by osmosis through the semipermeable membrane ring into the hypertonic fluid of the nonpermeable membrane ring to create an osmotic pressure on the nonpermeable membrane ring that causes the O-ring to seal the puncture. The polar magnets may be arranged, in parallel, to generate opposing magnetic forces that create a magnetic field that supports a vehicle weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Florida A&M University
    Inventor: Charles Magee
  • Patent number: 11267213
    Abstract: A process for building tyres employing a forming drum having circumferentially consecutive sectors that are radially movable between a contracted condition and an expanded condition in which the sectors are radially moved away from a geometric axis in order to define a radially external abutment surface. Each sector has circumferentially opposite coupling portions each having circumferential projections alternated with circumferential cavities. The projections of each sector are slidably engaged in the respective cavities of circumferentially adjacent sectors. From at least one of the projections, at least one support wing is extended having a first side and a second side that are respectively opposite. The first side coincides with a portion of the abutment surface and the second side at least partially overlaps one of the projections belonging to an adjacent sector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: PIRELLI TYRE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Maurizio Marchini, Christian De Col
  • Patent number: 11230147
    Abstract: A tire including a bead core, a bead filler extending to an outer side in a tire-radial direction of the bead core, and a carcass play extending from the bead core to another bead core and folded back around the bead core, further including a steel chafer arranged so as to cover the carcass ply around the bead core, a first pad which covers outside in the tire-width direction of a folding end of the carcass ply at the outside in the tire-radial direction of an end part of the steel chafer, and a second pad which covers the outer side in the tire-width direction of the first pad, in which an electronic component is provided between the first pad and second pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Toyo Tire Corporation
    Inventor: Harunobu Suita
  • Patent number: 11230075
    Abstract: A carcass sleeve is situated in a radially external position with respect to a toroidal forming drum, arranged in a first radially contracted operative condition. The carcass sleeve is shaped according to a toroidal configuration while the forming drum is positioned inside the carcass sleeve. During shaping of the carcass sleeve, the forming drum is radially expanded up to a second radially expanded operative condition. Upon completed shaping, the carcass sleeve is coupled to the forming drum in the second operative condition. The forming drum, coupled to the shaped carcass sleeve, is arranged in proximity to at least one device for building at least one belt layer at a radially external position relative to the shaped carcass sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: PIRELLI TYRE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Oliver Haupt, Maurizio Marchini, Silvio Montanari, Mario Mariani, Davide Lupo Conti
  • Patent number: 11225112
    Abstract: Provided is a pneumatic tire comprising a tread, sidewalls, a belt, and dimpled patterns, wherein each dimpled pattern is adapted to modify air flow and temperature. The tread defines the outward surface of the tire and extends in a radial direction, a circumferential direction, and a lateral direction. Each sidewall extends radially inwardly along a curved path from the tread to a bead and defines a lateral surface having maximum lateral extent. The belt extends under the tread. Each dimpled pattern is a surface treatment etched from a sidewall maximum lateral extent over a belt edge and onto the tread. Each dimpled pattern surface treatment modifies air flow at 180 mph over the tire to turbulent flow, and reduces steady state operating temperatures of the sidewalls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
    Inventors: Cara E. Adams, Dale R. Harrigle, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11207857
    Abstract: A method for controlling the thickness of a continuous elongated element made of elastomeric material, applied according to coils wound on a forming support, includes: advancing a head end of the continuous elongated element toward the forming support; subjecting, during the advancement, the continuous elongated element to a first stretching with a first stretch coefficient before applying on the forming support; and subjecting, during the advancement, the continuous elongated element to a second stretching with a second stretch coefficient during the application on the forming support. During the first stretching, a span of the continuous elongated element adjacent to the head end is stretched with a supplementary stretch coefficient greater than the first stretch coefficient, in a manner so as to confer, also to the span adjacent to the head end, a stretch and a section similar or substantially equivalent to those of the rest of the continuous elongated element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: PIRELLI TYRE S.p.A.
    Inventors: Marco Fabbretti, Andrea Crepaldi, Cesare Emanuele Amurri, Maurizio Marchini
  • Patent number: 11198266
    Abstract: There are disclosed a plant and a process for building different types of green tyres, the process comprising: a) building a carcass structure of a green tyre; b) building a crown structure of a green tyre; wherein at least one between the building of the carcass structure and the building of the crown structure comprises: c) providing at least one first feeding unit of a first elementary semi-finished product and one second feeding unit of a second elementary semi-finished product, the at least one first and one second elementary semi-finished products being different to one another; d) building at least one portion of a structural component of the tyre being processed starting from at least one of the first and second elementary semi-finished products, in one work station fed by the first and second feeding units of the first and second elementary semi-finished products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: PIRELLI TYRE S.p.A.
    Inventor: Gianni Mancini
  • Patent number: 11192317
    Abstract: A plant for building tyres for vehicle wheels, comprises a sleeve building area (A) in which devices for obtaining carcass sleeves (12) operate, a crown building area (B) in which devices for obtaining crown structures (7) operate and a shaping station (14) tor shaping each carcass sleeve (12) according to a toroidal configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: PIRELLI TYRE S.p.A.
    Inventors: Maurizio Marchini, Sergio Sacchi
  • Patent number: 11192402
    Abstract: A rubberized reinforcing ply (1) for articles consisting of an elastomeric material, preferably for vehicle tires, wherein the reinforcing ply (1) has a multiplicity of textile strengthening members (2) which are arranged parallel to and spaced apart from one another, wherein each textile strengthening member (2) is composed of at least one twisted multifilament yarn, and wherein the textile strengthening member (2) is not composed of the material rayon. The reinforcing ply (1) satisfies the following condition: (D2/E0) in mm corresponds to a value in a range from 0.22 mm to 0.38 mm, and the reinforcing ply (1) has a strength of >10 kN/dm, where D is the diameter of the textile strengthening member (2) in mm and lies in a range from 0.38 mm to 0.52 mm, and where E0=100/epdm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Kramer
  • Patent number: 11173668
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to methods for additive manufacturing (AM) that utilize rail support structures in the process of building objects, as well as novel rail support structures to be used within these AM processes. The rail support structures include a plurality of substantially parallel vertical walls, each wall extending substantially parallel to a direction from the first side to the second side. Adjacent walls of the plurality of substantially parallel vertical walls are separated by a portion of unfused powder. An object is formed above the plurality of substantially parallel vertical walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christian Xavier Stevenson, Patrick Michael Kenney, John William Moores, David Corsmeier
  • Patent number: 11173748
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes: a main groove extending in a tire circumferential direction disposed on a shoulder region of a tread portion; lug grooves extending from the main groove toward an outer side and reaching a side wall portion; and blocks demarcated by the main groove and lug grooves. An edge on an innermost side in a tire radial direction of the blocks is positioned more on an outer side in the tire radial direction than a tire maximum width position, and a ratio of an orthogonal distance from a ground contact end position to the edge on an innermost side in the tire radial direction of the blocks is 0.2 or more. Recessed portions each having a closed periphery are provided in a side region more on an outer side in a tire width direction than the ground contact end of the blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Inventor: Takahiro Yamakawa
  • Patent number: 11161314
    Abstract: A manufacturing method includes: cutting out a sheet-like belt 8b by cutting a master roll 8a between a master roll table 10 and a belt table 14; moving the belt table 14 carrying the cut-out sheet-like belt 8b to a winding position of the sheet-like belt 8b; and winding the sheet-like belt 8b around a winding cylinder 50 at the winding position. The master roll 8a is fixed onto the belt table 14 by attraction when the master roll 8a is cut between the master roll table 10 and the belt table 14 and the belt table 14 is moved to the winding position of the sheet-like belt 8b while keeping the cut-out sheet-like belt 8b fixed onto the belt table 14 by attraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Junji Itakura
  • Patent number: 11148379
    Abstract: A process is provided for manufacturing a tire assemblage that includes a first woven or knitted fabric including first threadlike elements, a second woven or knitted fabric including second threadlike elements, and a bearing structure including bearing elements connecting the first and second woven or knitted fabric together. The process includes coating each first threadlike element with a layer of a first adhesive composition and coating each second threadlike element with a layer of a second adhesive composition, heat treating each coated first threadlike element and each coated second threadlike element to crosslink the first adhesive composition and the second adhesive composition, and assembling the bearing elements with each heat-treated and coated first and second threadlike element to form part or all of the tire assemblage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Sébastien Rigo, Florian Vilcot, Nicole Dajoux, Magaly Brousseau
  • Patent number: 11141944
    Abstract: A manufacturing method includes cutting out a sheet-like belt for one full circle of tire by cutting a master roll diagonally with respect to a longitudinal direction between a master roll table 10 and a belt table 14, moving the belt table 14 carrying the cut-out sheet-like belt to a winding position of the sheet-like belt, winding the sheet-like belt around a winding cylinder 50 at the winding position, and unwinding the sheet-like belt from the winding cylinder 50 in a place facing a molding drum 64 and forming a cylindrical belt by winding the sheet-like belt around the molding drum 64.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Junji Itakura
  • Patent number: 11141943
    Abstract: In a winding method of a sheet member for winding a sheet member having an inclined side portion 7a inclined with respect to a longitudinal direction at least on one side in the longitudinal direction around a winding cylinder 50 in more than one turn from a tip end of the inclined side portion 7a as a winding start tip, winding of the sheet member is started in a small-diameter portion 51a of the winding cylinder 50 to which a radial difference is given by providing a step 54 to make a diameter smaller on one side in an axial direction and larger on the other side in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Junji Itakura