Patents by Inventor Sang Tak JOO

Sang Tak JOO has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10773555
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a kerf of a winter tire capable of easily discharging snow therefrom and further improving braking performance and drainage performance on a wet road. The kerf includes a kerf inlet portion formed in the shape of a sawtooth-type zigzag wave in a block of one of a tread and a shoulder of the tire in the circumferential direction of the tire, a pipe-shaped flow passage portion formed in a lower portion of the block and having a width that is greater than or equal to the width of the kerf inlet portion, and a connection channel for connecting the kerf inlet portion and the flow passage portion to each other. The sawtooth-type zigzag wave has an amplitude that gradually decreases in the depth direction of the block, and the connection channel has a width that gradually decreases from the kerf inlet portion to the flow passage portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: HANKOOK TIRE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sang Tak Joo
  • Publication number: 20180354311
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a kerf of a winter tire capable of easily discharging snow therefrom and further improving braking performance and drainage performance on a wet road. The kerf includes a kerf inlet portion formed in the shape of a sawtooth-type zigzag wave in a block of one of a tread and a shoulder of the tire in the circumferential direction of the tire, a pipe-shaped flow passage portion formed in a lower portion of the block and having a width that is greater than or equal to the width of the kerf inlet portion, and a connection channel for connecting the kerf inlet portion and the flow passage portion to each other. The sawtooth-type zigzag wave has an amplitude that gradually decreases in the depth direction of the block, and the connection channel has a width that gradually decreases from the kerf inlet portion to the flow passage portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventor: Sang Tak JOO
  • Publication number: 20180207994
    Abstract: The invention provides three-dimensional tread kerfs for a tire, which have improved braking performance and drainage characteristics on a wet road while maintaining the functions of kerfs on the snow. Disclosed are tread kerfs for a tire, each tread kerf having a kerf opening formed in a block of a tire tread; a tubular-shaped flow channel formed in the lower part of the kerf and having a width larger than the width of the kerf opening; and a connecting gap connecting the kerf opening and the flow channel. In the tread kerf, the kerf opening is formed to have a zigzag wave shape along the tire circumferential direction in a tread block, and the zigzag wave is formed such that the amplitude decreases downward along the depth direction of the block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Inventor: Sang Tak JOO
  • Publication number: 20180201073
    Abstract: Disclosed is a tread kerf of a snow tire which easily discharges snow trapped in the kerf. The tread kerf is formed on an outer surface of a block of a tread of the snow tire and has a trapezoidal wave structure extending along the surface and formed in a depth direction of the block, and the amplitude of the trapezoidal wave structure is gradually decreased in a direction from a tire surface to a tire base. Since the amplitude of the tread kerf is gradually decreased in the direction from the tire surface to the tire base, the tread kerf may easily discharge snow trapped in the kerf to the outside of the tire block through the tire surface, even if a small space formed by the kerf is filled with snow when the tire is rotated on a snowy road.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventor: Sang Tak JOO
  • Patent number: 9931892
    Abstract: A tread kerf of a snow tire is capable of securing the performance of the tire on a dry road, a wet road, a snowy road, and an icy road, maintaining uniform rigidity of the block, and improving wear resistance. The tread kerf is formed in the outer surface of a tread block of the snow tire in a depth direction of the block in a shape of a polygonal wave extending along the outer surface of the block, wherein the entrance distance of the polygonal wave is less than the bottom distance of the polygonal wave such that side surfaces between the entrance and the bottom of the polygonal wave are formed as inclined surfaces, the distance between which decreases toward the entrance. The polygonal wave is moved in an advancing direction of the polygonal wave while being twisted in the depth direction of the block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: HANKOOK TIRE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Min Su Jang, Sang Tak Joo, Sung Hee Youn
  • Patent number: 9764600
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire for a vehicle is herein disclosed. The pneumatic tire includes a tread, side walls, and beads. A plurality of tread blocks and grooves are formed in the tread. Kerfs are formed in the tread blocks. Each kerf face of each of the kerfs includes a flange portion, a plurality of concave kerf portions, and a plurality of convex kerf portions. The flange portion is formed in the outermost portion of the tread. The concave kerf and convex kerf portions are connected to the flange portion, and are alternately formed in depth and lengthwise directions of the kerf. The concave kerf portions correspond to opposite convex kerf portions. The convex kerf portions correspond to opposite concave kerf portions. The concave and convex kerf portions are configured such that the protrusion directions of the concave and convex kerf portions are opposite to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: HANKOOK TIRE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jin Seop Kim, Sang Tak Joo, Sung Hee Youn, Su Jin Son, Myoung Joong Lee, Sang Moo Lee, Mu Yeong Kim
  • Patent number: 9561689
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a kerf structure for a snow tire, including a wave-shaped straight portion and an expansion portion formed expanding from the straight portion, wherein the expansion portion includes unit structures, on each of which central semi-sphere holes and polygonal forms around the semi-sphere holes form protrusions in opposite directions are formed continuously. According to the present invention, the kerf structure for a snow tire provides a symmetric shape, thereby securing uniform block rigidity regardless of the direction of the kerf, and the interlocking effect can be maximized through the combination of the protrusion shape of the polygonal shape and the embossing of the semi-sphere hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Hankook Tire Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang Tak Joo, Sung Hee Youn, Su Jin Son, Myoung Joong Lee, Sang Moo Lee, Mu Yeong Kim
  • Patent number: 9561690
    Abstract: The present invention provides a kerf structure for a snow tire, including unit structures on each of which spiral-shaped protrusions are continuously formed to be spaced a predetermined distance apart on the outer circumferential surface of a semi-cylindrical shaped column, wherein the continuously formed unit structures are arranged by alternating convex and concave portions in a zigzag formation, which is capable of optimizing the rigidity which can maintain gripping force as an original function of a kerf while ensuring a friction force generated from small blocks of a tread portion partitioned with kerfs by collapsing a block at an optimum level and further ensuring the kerf function on snow even in the last stages of tread wear by lowering the rigidity of the blocks of the tread portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Hankook Tire Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang Tak Joo, Sung Hee Youn, Su Jin Son, Myoung Joong Lee, Sang Moo Lee, Mu Yeong Kim
  • Publication number: 20160052346
    Abstract: A tread kerf of a snow tire is capable of securing the performance of the tire on a dry road, a wet road, a snowy road, and an icy road, maintaining uniform rigidity of the block, and improving wear resistance. The tread kerf is formed in the outer surface of a tread block of the snow tire in a depth direction of the block in a shape of a polygonal wave extending along the outer surface of the block, wherein the entrance distance of the polygonal wave is less than the bottom distance of the polygonal wave such that side surfaces between the entrance and the bottom of the polygonal wave are formed as inclined surfaces, the distance between which decreases toward the entrance. The polygonal wave is moved in an advancing direction of the polygonal wave while being twisted in the depth direction of the block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventors: Min Su Jang, Sang Tak Joo, Sung Hee Youn
  • Publication number: 20150321520
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire for a vehicle is herein disclosed. The pneumatic tire includes a tread, side walls, and beads. A plurality of tread blocks and grooves are formed in the tread. Kerfs are formed in the tread blocks. Each kerf face of each of the kerfs includes a flange portion, a plurality of concave kerf portions, and a plurality of convex kerf portions. The flange portion is formed in the outermost portion of the tread. The concave kerf and convex kerf portions are connected to the flange portion, and are alternately formed in depth and lengthwise directions of the kerf. The concave kerf portions correspond to opposite convex kerf portions. The convex kerf portions correspond to opposite concave kerf portions. The concave and convex kerf portions are configured such that the protrusion directions of the concave and convex kerf portions are opposite to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: Jin Seop KIM, Sang Tak JOO, Sung Hee YOUN, Su Jin SON, Myoung Joong LEE, Sang Moo LEE, Mu Yeong KIM
  • Publication number: 20150107739
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a kerf structure for a snow tire, including a wave-shaped straight portion and an expansion portion formed expanding from the straight portion, wherein the expansion portion includes unit structures, on each of which central semi-sphere holes and polygonal forms around the semi-sphere holes form protrusions in opposite directions are formed continuously. According to the present invention, the kerf structure for a snow tire provides a symmetric shape, thereby securing uniform block rigidity regardless of the direction of the kerf, and the interlocking effect can be maximized through the combination of the protrusion shape of the polygonal shape and the embossing of the semi-sphere hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Sang Tak JOO, Sung Hee YOUN, Su Jin SON, Myoung Joong LEE, Sang Moo LEE, Mu Yeong KIM
  • Publication number: 20150107740
    Abstract: The present invention provides a kerf structure for a snow tire, including unit structures on each of which spiral-shaped protrusions are continuously formed to be spaced a predetermined distance apart on the outer circumferential surface of a semi-cylindrical shaped column, wherein the continuously formed unit structures are arranged by alternating convex and concave portions in a zigzag formation, which is capable of optimizing the rigidity which can maintain gripping force as an original function of a kerf while ensuring a friction force generated from small blocks of a tread portion partitioned with kerfs by collapsing a block at an optimum level and further ensuring the kerf function on snow even in the last stages of tread wear by lowering the rigidity of the blocks of the tread portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Sang Tak JOO, Sung Hee YOUN, Su Jin SON, Myoung Joong LEE, Sang Moo LEE, Mu Yeong KIM
  • Patent number: D1004532
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Hankook Tire & Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin Gyu Nho, Sang Tak Joo