Patents by Inventor The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. 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).

  • Publication number: 20130220518
    Abstract: Provided is a pneumatic tire and a manufacturing method therefor which allow a reduction in a cavity resonance sound without complicated manufacturing steps. A pneumatic tire of the present invention includes: a pair of bead portions; a carcass layer bridged between the pair of bead portions; and an inner liner layer disposed at a tire inner surface side of the carcass layer, the inner liner layer being made of a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer composition obtained by blending a thermoplastic resin with an elastomer. The inner liner layer has a laminated structure including multiple film layers having different melting points of the thermoplastic resin from each other. The film layer having the lowest melting point of the thermoplastic resin is foamed to form multiple convex portions in the tire inner surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130199688
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a belt cross-sectional width BW as a total width in a tire width direction of a belt layer and a distance Wl as a distance in the tire width direction from an edge on the tread portion side of a run flat liner to an edge of the belt layer. The belt cross-sectional width BW and the distance Wl are such that 0.25?Wl/(BW/2)?0.45 is satisfied. A thickness Wr in each of the side wall portions of the pneumatic tire is a thickness in the tire width direction of the run flat liner at a maximum width position, a thickness Ws is a thickness in the tire width direction of a rubber layer at the maximum width position, and the thickness Wr and the thickness Ws are such that 1.2?Wr/Ws?1.9 is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Applicant: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130199684
    Abstract: A circumferential narrow groove of a pneumatic tire is disposed at a position that partitions an outer side second land portion and an outer side shoulder land portion. A center land portion is a rib that is continuous in a tire circumferential direction, and an inner side second land portion and the outer side second land portion are rows of blocks divided in the tire circumferential direction by pluralities of lug grooves. Additionally, a groove area ratio S2 of the center land portion, a groove area ratio SI of the inner side second land portion, and a groove area ratio S3 of the outer side second land portion have a relationship such that S2<S3<S1. Moreover, a groove width Wd of the circumferential narrow groove and a maximum groove width Wmax of the other three circumferential main grooves to have a relationship such that 3.1?Wmax/Wd?5.0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Applicant: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
  • Publication number: 20130180639
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire having improved performance on ice and wet road surfaces without degradation of steering stability on dry road surfaces. The pneumatic tire includes a tread portion, side wall portions, bead portions, a plurality of circumferential grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction and a plurality of lateral grooves extending in the tire width direction provided in the tread portion, a plurality of blocks partitioned by the circumferential and lateral grooves, and a plurality of sipes extending in the tire width direction in each block. At least some sipes include a main body part located centrally in the block width direction, and a deep-bottomed communicating portion that communicates with the circumferential groove adjacent to the block and has a depth not less than 50% the depth of the circumferential groove, and mutually mating convex and concave portions are formed locally in opposing surfaces in the deep-bottomed communicating portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2013
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130174953
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire in which an inner liner including a film mainly made of thermoplastic resin is attached to an inside of the tire via a tie rubber sheet, on an inner side of a carcass layer, and which has a lap-splice portion where end portions of the film in a tire circumferential direction overlap each other in a tire widthwise direction with tie rubber therebetween. A section of the film on a tire cavity side in the lap-splice portion has a portion where the film is thin over part or entirety of the width in the tire widthwise direction before the lap-splice portion, or a film thickness in the lap-splice portion is smaller than a film thickness in a portion other than the lap-splice portion. Thus, the pneumatic tire has no crack developing around the lap-splice portion of an inner liner layer after running, and has excellent durability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130133813
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes: a plurality of rubber sheet layers being layered in a tire radial direction, the rubber sheet layers including an first layer and a second layer, wherein each of the first layer and the second layer includes a plurality of divided sheets being spliced at spliced positions dividing a circumferential length in a tire circumferential direction by lengths having integer values, a total of the lengths being substantially corresponding to a nominal diameter of the pneumatic tire, and wherein the spliced positions of the first layer and the spliced positions of the second layer are set to be shifted in the tire circumferential direction to be unoverlapped with one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130126064
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of producing a pneumatic tire in which a green tire having a layer of film having a thermoplastic resin as a main component, and an uncured rubber layer provided thereon is cured. When the uncured rubber layer is formed on the film layer, at least one uncured rubber strip is applied serially onto the film layer to form the uncured rubber layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2013
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130118662
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes circumferential main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction and land portions partitioned and formed by the circumferential main grooves. The land portion of a center region and the land portions of left and right shoulder regions each have a plurality of sipes. Not less than 90% of the sipes disposed in the center region are constituted by two-dimensional sipes and not less than 90% of the sipes disposed in the shoulder regions are constituted by three-dimensional sipes. The left and right shoulder land portions each have a plurality of lug grooves arranged in the tire circumferential direction. A pitch number N_ce of the lug grooves in the land portion of the center region and a pitch number N_sh of the lug grooves in the land portions and of the left and right shoulder regions have a relationship such that N_ce>N_sh.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
  • Publication number: 20130118663
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire including a plurality of circumferential main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction and a plurality of land portions partitioned and formed by these circumferential main grooves in a tread portion. Additionally, each of these land portions has a plurality of sipes, respectively. Moreover, not less than 90% of the sipes disposed in the inner side region are constituted by two-dimensional sipes and not less than 90% of the sipes disposed in the outer side region are constituted by three-dimensional sipes. The left and right shoulder land portions each have a plurality of lug grooves arranged in the tire circumferential direction. A pitch number Nin of the lug grooves in the shoulder land portion on the inner side region side and a pitch number Nout of the lug grooves in the shoulder land portion on the outer side region side have a relationship such that Nin>Nout.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
  • Publication number: 20130098522
    Abstract: Provided are: a noise reduction device with an improved adhesion of a noise absorbing member formed of a porous material and with a reduced processing time; a method of manufacturing the noise reduction device; and a pneumatic tire including the noise reduction device. The noise reduction device of the present invention includes: a noise absorbing member formed of a porous material; a band member for attaching the noise absorbing member to the inner surface of a tire; and locking members formed of a thermoplastic resin. The band member is formed of a thermoplastic resin. The noise absorbing member is disposed between the band member and the locking members. The locking members are bonded to the band member through the noise absorbing member by thermal fusion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130098533
    Abstract: Provided are: a noise reduction device with an improved adhesion of a noise absorbing member formed of a porous material and with a reduced processing time; a method of manufacturing the noise reduction device; and a pneumatic tire including the noise reduction device. The noise reduction device of the present invention includes: a noise absorbing member formed of a porous material; a band member for attaching the noise absorbing member to the inner surface of a tire; and locking members formed of a thermoplastic resin. The band member is formed of a thermoplastic resin. The noise absorbing member is disposed between the band member and the locking members. The locking members are bonded to the band member through the noise absorbing member by thermal fusion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130075007
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire including a plurality of protrusions and a plurality of recesses of at least one tire side portion. The protrusions are formed as convexities having a longitudinal shape in a predetermined direction. A region including the protrusions is provided on an outermost side in a tire radial direction. A region including the recesses is provided inward in the tire radial direction of the region including the protrusions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
  • Publication number: 20130076108
    Abstract: A tire/wheel assembly includes a wheel having an attaching portion for attaching the wheel to a vehicle and a pneumatic tire that is fit on a periphery of the wheel. The pneumatic tire includes a plurality of tire protrusions and/or a plurality of tire recesses of a tire side portion that constitutes a vehicle outer side, and the wheel includes a plurality of wheel recesses in a surface that constitutes the vehicle outer side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
  • Publication number: 20130075005
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a sidewall comprising a plurality of circumferentially oriented pattern element rows having a plurality of pattern elements defining an identical contour shape in succession in a tire circumferential direction, and a plurality of radially oriented pattern element rows having a plurality of pattern elements in succession in a tire radial direction. The light-reflectance properties of each pattern element changes in one direction and determine the orientation in which the pattern elements are arranged relative to the tire circumferential or radial direction. When the pattern elements are viewed along the circumferentially oriented pattern element rows, the arrangement orientation changes periodically along the tire circumferential direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130075008
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire having tire side portions S on both sides that form regions from a ground contact edge to a rim check line includes a plurality of inner side recesses provided in a surface of the tire side portion on a vehicle inner side, when mounted on a vehicle; and a plurality of outer side recesses provided in a surface of the tire side portion on a vehicle outer side, when mounted on a vehicle. In this pneumatic tire, a region where the plurality of inner side recesses is provided is an inner side disposal region and a region where the plurality of outer side recesses is provided is an outer side disposal region. The inner side disposal region and the outer side disposal region are different regions in a plane projected in a tire width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
  • Publication number: 20130075006
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a turbulent flow generating fin on a surface of a tire side portion. A plurality of the fins is arranged in a tire radial direction having a predetermined gap so as to form a fin row. Additionally, a plurality of the fin rows is disposed in a tire circumferential direction at a predetermined pitch. Moreover, the adjacent fins are disposed so as to overlap each other in the tire circumferential direction and a tire radial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
  • Publication number: 20130056121
    Abstract: A low permeability laminate obtained by laminating (A) a thermoplastic resin composition layer containing (i) 50 to 90% by weight of an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer having an ethylene content of 20 to 50 mol % and a saponification degree of 90% or more, (ii) 50 to 10% by weight of an aliphatic polyamide resin having 90 mol % or more of an ?-caprolactam-derived component and (iii) 3 to 50 parts by weight of a sulfonamide-based plasticizer, based upon 100 parts by weight of the total amount of the components (i) and (ii) and (B) at least one rubber composition layer, a layer of a thickness ?B of layer (B)/a thickness ?A of layer (A) (?B/?A) being 10 or more, followed by being heat treated within a range of 130° C. to 210° C. capable of molding and processing for a long time and a pneumatic tire using the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2012
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoyuki Morooka, The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130056122
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire using, as an inner liner layer, a thermoplastic elastomer comprising a thermoplastic resin matrix, in which a rubber component is dispersed a surface of the inner liner layer is covered with a protective layer, whereby a weathering resistance, damage resistance and fatigue resistance of the film liner of the inner liner layer at the time of tire storage are improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2012
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130042962
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire and process for manufacturing the same enable, in the use of a film of a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer composition obtained by blending an elastomer in a thermoplastic resin as an air permeation preventive layer, formation of the air permeation preventive layer excelling in gas barrier performance, and molding of the tire through a simple molding operation without generating any unnecessary scraps. For the pneumatic tire, a cylindrical molded article composed of a film of a thermoplastic resin or thermoplastic elastomer composition obtained by blending an elastomer in a thermoplastic resin is crushed into a sheet-like laminate; and the laminate is used as the air permeation preventive layer. In the manufacturing operation, the sheet-like laminate is wrapped around a making drum so that an unvulcanized tire having the sheet-like laminate as an air permeation preventive layer is molded, and the unvulcanized tire is vulcanized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.