Cushion And Pneumatic Combined Patents (Class 152/155)
  • Patent number: 11554617
    Abstract: In a first aspect of the invention, the invention is directed to a pneumatic tire comprising two spaced apart bead portions, a tread portion, a pair of sidewalls extending radially inward from axially outer edges of the tread portion to join the respective bead portions, the axially outer edges of the tread portion defining a tread width, a carcass, an innerliner covering the carcass and defining a tire cavity, and multiple layers of foam strip material attached on top of each other to the innerliner within the tire cavity in an area radially below the tread portion, wherein at least two of the layers are interlocked to each other along their length so as to hold the layers together in a radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY
    Inventors: Adrian Florin Nicula, Julien Alexandre Vaissaud, Peter Johann Cornelius Maus, Baudouin Duchene, Pierre Joseph Christian Bastin, Paul Leclerc
  • Patent number: 11117424
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a band-shaped sound absorbing member bonded along a tire circumferential direction to the tire inner surface in a tread portion; at least one full cover layer covering the entire width of belt layers on the outer circumferential side of the belt layers; and a center cover layer disposed on the outer circumferential side of the full cover layer, the center cover layer locally covering the tire lateral direction center region of the belt layers; a width SW of the band-shaped sound absorbing member and a width BW of the belt layers satisfying a relationship SW/BW=0.3 to 0.8, and a width CW of the center cover layer and the width SW of the band-shaped sound absorbing member satisfying the relationship CW/SW=0.05 to 0.35.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Inventor: Tatsuro Shinzawa
  • Patent number: 10710323
    Abstract: Process and apparatus for applying noise reducing elements to tyres for vehicle wheels. The apparatus includes a loading station of stacks of noise reducing elements, an extraction station of noise reducing elements from each stack placed downstream of the loading station, and a conveyor placed downstream of the extraction station and extending along a predefined path. The conveyor is configured for supporting and advancing in a row the noise reducing elements extracted from the stacks which are then applied to a radially inner surface of the tyres. The extraction of each of the noise reducing elements contemplates: retaining a first noise reducing element placed at the base of a stack; raising the remaining noise reducing elements of the stack from the first noise reducing element; moving away the first noise reducing element according to a set path; and lowering the remaining noise reducing elements of the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: PIRELLI TYRE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Maurizio Marchini, Cristiano Puppi, Albert Berenguer, Ivan Gildo Boscaino
  • Patent number: 10639943
    Abstract: Provided is a pneumatic tire with a tread portion, a sidewall portion, a bead portion, and a sound absorbing member bonded to the tire inner surface. A sheet-like heat transfer member is provided between the tire inner surface and the sound absorbing member to extend outward from the region where the sound absorbing member is bonded, which forms a heat dissipation part projecting from the sound absorbing member in the heat transfer member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Tanno
  • Patent number: 10518575
    Abstract: A locomotion assembly is provided, suitable to be used in a vehicle. The locomotion assembly comprises a frustum-conical structure comprising at least one flexible member having a frustum-conical surface extending between its relatively narrow and wide ends along a frustum-conical axis, the frustum-conical member being reversibly deformable from its biased rounded shape corresponding to a frustum-conical shape in which its side elevation is circular into a deformed frustum-conical shape in which its side elevation is non-circular. The frustum-conical structure may serve for supporting at least one surface-engaging member convertible between a round wheel-like configuration, in which its side elevation is substantially circular, and a deformed configuration, in which its side elevation is non-circular and in which a larger portion of the surface-engaging member is in contact with a movement surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: GALILEO WHEEL LTD.
    Inventor: Avishay Novoplanski
  • Patent number: 9517661
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a low noise tire, and more specifically, to a low noise tire that includes: a sealant layer adhered to an inside surface of an inner liner of the tire; and a sound-absorbing material layer adhered to the sealant layer, in which the sound-absorbing material layer includes 50 to 90 wt % of a polypropylene melt-blown fiber and 10 to 50 wt % of a polymer fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Yong Tae Joo, Hyun Chul Cho
  • Patent number: 9016336
    Abstract: A non-pneumatic tire includes a plurality of springs. Each spring includes a first end portion, a second end portion, and an arching middle portion. Each spring is interwoven with at least one other spring thereby forming a toroidal structure extending about an entire circumference of the non-pneumatic tire. The toroidal structure is at least partially coated with an elastomer. One end portion of at least one spring is wrapped around a first bead structure adjacent a rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: James Alfred Benzing, II, Wesley Glen Sigler
  • Patent number: 8839905
    Abstract: A tire cavity noise absorber has a body of sound absorbing material and a support. The absorber is arranged such that, when installed in a tire cavity and the tire is stationary, the support supports the body of sound absorbing material in a position spaced from the inside circumferential wall of the tire. The support may be flexible and allow the body of sound absorbing material to expand towards and contact the inside of the tire when the tire rotates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Bentley Motors Limited
    Inventors: Jonathan Layfield, Andrew McKinlay
  • Patent number: 8820370
    Abstract: The invention provides an insert for supporting a pneumatic tire which is intended to support substantially the entire internal face of the pneumatic tire and has a radially internal face intended to sit atop a wheel rim that accepts the pneumatic tire, has at least one cavity designed to be inflated by a valve of the wheel which valve is independent of the insert, via inflation gas conveying means opening onto said radially internal face and into said at least one cavity and discharge means for discharging the gas from this cavity, said at least one cavity and these conveying and discharge means being formed in and/or on the insert, the inflatable cavity being formed by an internal volume within the heart of the insert or alternatively by a concave external surface of the insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Hutchinson
    Inventors: Pascal Seradarian, Bruno Pelletier
  • Patent number: 8746302
    Abstract: A tire includes a pair of sidewalls in spaced apart relation and extending substantially radially from a respective inner circumferential portion to a respective outer circumferential portion, a tread extending between and connecting outer circumferential portions of the sidewalls, at least a portion of a tire cavity defined by the tread and sidewalls, and a bead portion on the inner circumferential portion of each radially extending sidewall, the bead portion providing an engagement surface for engaging a wheel on which the tire is to be mounted, and a noise reducing foam disposed in at least a portion of the tire cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Anil K. Sachdev, William R. Rodgers, Howard William Cox, Mark W. Verbrugge
  • Patent number: 8733413
    Abstract: A runflat assembly including a plurality of arcuate components interconnectable to fit around a vehicle wheel. Each component includes a rubber body with a steel support member located within the body, which when mounted on a wheel defines a support ring around the wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Tyron International Limited
    Inventor: Anthony Mitchell Glazebrook
  • Patent number: 8735485
    Abstract: The invention relates to a rubber mixture, in particular for pneumatic vehicle tires, more particularly for the inner liner of a pneumatic vehicle tire, seat belts, belts and hoses. The rubber mixture is characterized by the following composition: 30 to 100 phr of at least one halobutyl rubber, 0 to 70 phr of at least one other diene rubber, 5 to 100 phr of at least one dry mixture compound containing at least 25% of at least one delaminated aluminohydrosilicate modification, the delaminated aluminohydrosilicate modification having a two-layer grid, 10 to 100 phr of at least one carbon black with an STSA surface as defined according to ASTM-D 6556 of from 10 to 60 m2/g and a DBP number defined according to ASTM-D 2414 of from 50 to 160 mL/100g, 3 to 20 phr of at least one mineral-oil softener, and other additives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Continential Reifen Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Müller-Wilke, Mario R. Conde, Steffi Meissner
  • Patent number: 8720504
    Abstract: A non-pneumatic tire includes a plurality of springs. Each spring includes a first end portion, a second end portion, and an arching middle portion. Each spring is interwoven with at least one other spring thereby forming a toroidal structure extending about an entire circumference of the non-pneumatic tire. The toroidal structure is at least partially coated with an elastomer. One end portion of at least one spring is wrapped around a first bead structure adjacent a rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: James Alfred Benzing, II, Wesley Glen Sigler
  • Publication number: 20140090758
    Abstract: A tire for a handling vehicle, designed to transport heavy loads, over short distances and at low speeds, and a mounted assembly consisting of a tire mounted on a rim. Also, a method for producing such a mounted assembly. A mounted assembly includes a tire mounted on a rim, having a tread designed to come into contact with a ground, two sidewalls extending radially inwards from the ends of the tread, and two beads extending the sidewalls radially inwards and in contact with the rim, an internal cavity containing a filling component consisting of at least one incompressible solid element, and which is a granular filling component consisting of granules at least partly separated from one another by interstices containing at least gas, and the fill rate, which is the ratio between the total volume of the granules, the total of the elementary volumes of the granules, and the volume of the internal cavity, is at least equal to 0.8.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin
    Inventors: Olivier Ferlin, Gérard Bor
  • Patent number: 8684055
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an explosion-proof security tire for vehicles. The tire includes an outer tire, a split rim, a L-shaped sealing ring, a combined support loop and a valve core. The combined support loop includes a plurality layers of support rings they are sleeved by layer on layer and fixed with the rim. The size of the tire can increased by the combined support loop so as to furthest shorten the distance between the inner wall of the outer tire and the outer wall of the combined support loop at a normal pressure of tire. At the moment that the tire is burst, the combined support loop can support the outer tire quickly and effectively, and control the change of acting radius of the tire in a minimum range so as to ensure the basic performance of the tire and to prevent accidents caused by sudden control loss of running direction and avoid potential security risks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Inventors: Xiaoyin Wu, Dazhong Wu
  • Patent number: 8679272
    Abstract: A run-flat pneumatic tire assembly includes a pneumatic tire having an elastomeric casing and a tire cavity formed therein. A longitudinally-extending and approximately planar length of strip material is helically arranged within the tire cavity to pre-stress the length of strip material for usage of the pneumatic tire during under-inflated and non-inflated conditions. A method of making a run-flat pneumatic tire assembly is also included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
    Inventor: Edward G. Markow
  • Patent number: 8651156
    Abstract: The present invention provides an improved shear band for use in non-pneumatic tires, pneumatic tires, and other technologies. The improved shear band is uniquely constructed of honeycomb shaped units that can replace the elastomeric continuum materials such as natural or synthetic rubber or polyurethane that are typically used. In particular, honeycomb structures made of high modulus materials such as metals or polycarbonates are used that provide the desired shear strains and shear modulus when subjected to stress. When used in tire construction, improvements in rolling resistance can be obtained because of less mass being deformed and reduced hysteresis provided by these materials. The resulting mass of the shear band is greatly reduced if using low density materials. Higher density materials can be used (such as metals) without increasing mass while utilizing their characteristic low energy loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignees: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin, Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Georges M. Fadel, Jaehyung Ju, Ashwin Michaelraj, Prabhu Shankar, Joshua D. Summers, John C. Ziegert
  • Publication number: 20140020800
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a type of secure and efficient wheel assembly using fluid or solid stuffing materials so as to minimize the blowout risks, a wheel rim transmission assembly, an energy exchanging arrangement used in transporting system, and a vehicle energy storage system, as well as corresponding methods for manufacturing and preparing such assemblies and arrangements in applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: Wuhan Runlin Scence and Technology Development Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: WENLIN REN
  • Patent number: 8561661
    Abstract: A run-flat pneumatic tire assembly includes a pneumatic tire having an elastomeric casing and a tire cavity formed therein. A longitudinally-extending and approximately planar length of strip material is helically arranged within the tire cavity to pre-stress the length of strip material for usage of the pneumatic tire during under-inflated and non-inflated conditions. A method of making a run-flat pneumatic tire assembly is also included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
    Inventor: Edward G. Markow
  • Publication number: 20130263985
    Abstract: To provide a compact all in one tire (intire) gathering multi-tires designs requirements inside it. Mainly the entire main features of the other designs are recreated and developed inside a conventional tire that is easily produced from the elastic rubber, polyurethane . . . to form a tire with a built-in main pneumatic portion consisting of reinforced linings, reinforced web of elements or single reinforced separate support pads, and pneumatic portion consisting of a secondary annular ring support (carcass). The main non-pneumatic portion is enclosed in-between the tire's crown, 50-80% sidewalls height, and the carcass of the secondary portion. Chambers with suitable geometrical shapes bored inside the elastomeric main annular solid portion, having metallic embedded lining, or reinforced support pads. While the secondary non-pneumatic portion from the wheel rim side is designed to keep a suitable height of the tire's beads required for removal and installation of the tire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Inventors: Wasfi Alshdaifat, Eida Almuhairbi
  • Patent number: 8544510
    Abstract: Provided is a pneumatic tire with noise reducer, which can reduce the cost for manufacturing a noise reducer and which can keep the effect to suppress cavity resonance. The pneumatic tire with noise reducer 1 comprises a pneumatic tire 3 and a noise reducer 7 attached to a tire cavity surface 6 of the tire. The noise reducer 7 is formed into a ring shape by butting both end faces 12e of elongated sponge material 12 disposed along the tire circumferential direction. In the noise reducer 7, moreover, a butt-joint face 8 formed by butting both of the end faces 12e of the sponge material 12 is a substantive plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Yukawa
  • Patent number: 8430143
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire including a sealant layer formed from a sealant fluid having adhesive properties that is provided on a tire inner circumferential surface corresponding with a tread portion; and a sound absorbing layer formed from a porous material that is provided via a barrier layer impermeable to the sealant fluid on an inner circumferential surface of the sealant layer; wherein a width W1 of the sound absorbing layer in a tire width direction is from 50 to 90% of a width W2 of the sealant layer in the tire width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Tanno
  • Patent number: 8376006
    Abstract: A tire noise reduction device including a noise absorbing member made from a porous material that is formed into a band, the band being disposed along a tire circumferential direction on an inner surface of a tread portion of a pneumatic tire, wherein the noise absorbing member is wound so as to be laminated with two layers or more on at least a part of the tire circumferential direction to form a circular body, a crossing section where an inside layer and an outside layer of the noise absorbing member interchange is provided in at least one location on a periphery of the circular body, and the ends of the longitudinal direction of the noise absorbing member are disposed inward of the outermost layer of the noise absorbing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Tanno
  • Publication number: 20120325383
    Abstract: A tire assembly includes an acoustic foam core disposed within a cavity of the tire for attenuating noise. The foam core defines an expanding radial force that biases the foam core against an inner surface of the tire to secure a position of the foam core relative to the tire. The foam core may include an annular base having a plurality of nodules disposed on an outer periphery of the annular base for engaging the inner surface of the tire and to position the annular base away from the inner surface of the tire. The foam core may further include a plurality of positioning tabs disposed on opposing axial ends of the annular base for engaging side walls of the tire to position the annular base away from the side walls of the tire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOFGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Joseph K. Moore, Christopher A. Stirlen, Kenneth L. Oblizajek, Jinshuo Zhu, David L. Howland, Garland G. Wong, Jeffrey D. Roman, Mario Turco
  • Publication number: 20120318418
    Abstract: A non-pneumatic tire includes a plurality of springs. Each spring includes a first end portion, a second end portion, and an arching middle portion. Each spring is interwoven with at least one other spring thereby forming a toroidal structure extending about an entire circumference of the non-pneumatic tire. The toroidal structure is at least partially coated with an elastomer. One end portion of at least one spring is wrapped around a first bead structure adjacent a rim.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Inventors: James Alfred Benzing, II, Wesley Glen Sigler
  • Patent number: 8220515
    Abstract: This invention relates to a tire-rim assembly which is easily produced at low cost, excellent in durability and capable of notably reducing road noise, and more particularly to a tire-rim assembly comprising a pneumatic tire (1), a rim (2) and a sponge member (4) disposed in a tire internal cavity (3) defined by the pneumatic tire (1) and the rim (2), characterized in that the sponge member (4) has a specific gravity of higher than 0.06 but not higher than 0.25 and/or an air permeability of not higher than 5 cc/cm2/sec.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Masami Aoki, Kazuto Fujita
  • Patent number: 8151930
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire with a noise damper made of a spongelike multi-cellular material is disclosed. The noise damper is divided into small dampers to improve the high-speed durability of the tire. The noise damper is provided with a water-impermeable outer coating to prevent water from infiltrating into the spongelike multi-cellular material during transporting, store keeping and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Yukawa
  • Patent number: 8136560
    Abstract: A tire noise reduction device includes at least one noise absorbing member made of a porous material. The noise absorbing member is attached to the inner surface of the tire tread portion. The noise absorbing member includes multiple continuous grooves arranged side by side in a tire circumferential direction in the outer peripheral surface of the noise absorbing member. Each of the continuous grooves has an areal groove bottom and forms see-through regions in the width direction of the noise absorbing member. A groove edge-to-edge distance between each adjacent two of the continuous grooves in the tire circumferential direction is 2 mm to 40 mm. A largest see-through cross-sectional area of each continuous groove is 20 mm2 to 100 mm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Tanno
  • Patent number: 8127814
    Abstract: It is to solve a problem of an elongation of a partition in a safety tire wherein hollow particles called as a foamable composition are filled in a hollow ring-shaped partition and to propose a safety tire with a partition structure sufficiently developing a function of hollow particles. In a safety tire comprising a tire-approved rim assembly formed by assembling a tire onto an approved rim, a chamber defined inside the assembly through a hollow ring-shaped partition and extending along the rim in a circumferential direction, and thermally expandable hollow particles filled in the chamber, each of which particles consisting of a continuous phase of a resin and a closed cell(s), a hollow ring-shaped sub-partition is disposed on at least radially outside of an outer peripheral portion of the partition and a tire internal pressure is applied to an inside of the sub-partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Otani
  • Publication number: 20110308677
    Abstract: An elastic vehicle tire with a cavity (11) enclosed by a tread strip (2) supporting the tread (3) and sidewalls (4, 4.1) adjacent to this on both sides shows a foam insert (9) connected to the inside (10) of the tread strip (2). The side walls each carry a bead (5, 5.1) disposed at the free end to fit around the flange (8, 8.1) of the rim (6) of wheel (7). The foam insert (9) partly fills the cavity (11) and serves a dampening function, in particular in a frequency range below 400 Hz.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: RECTICEL N.V.
    Inventors: Axel Kamprath, Kristof Benoit, Patrick Hanssens
  • Patent number: 8033309
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire and a rim includes a noise damper, fixed to a tire inner surface or a rim inner surface with the upper surface facing a tire inner space, and extending in the tire circumferential direction. The noise damper is made of a sponge having a volume ranging from 0.4 to 20% of the volume of the tire inner space. The noise damper is a laterally long and flat, with a maximum thickness ranging from 5 to 45 mm and a width more than the maximum thickness. The upper surface extends along a wavy curve including a hilltop, valley bottoms on each side of the hilltop and slopes extending down to the respective valley bottoms from the hilltop. Each end of the upper surface is terminated at the valley bottoms or the slopes. A thickness from the upper surface to the bottom surface ranges from 1.0 to 15.0 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignees: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd., Inoac Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Yukawa, Yuji Sasaki, Atsuhiko Itakura
  • Patent number: 7992605
    Abstract: A tire assembly inserted in a conventional pneumatic tire that allows the driven vehicle to be operated in a normal operating condition as well as in both a low tire pressure and a “run flat” condition. The tire embodies a multifunctional tire support device that permits the tire even when punctured to continue to support the vehicle and never allows the tire to go entirely flat. The support device when installed reinforces the tire tread and its side walls by applying internal pressure against them should they collapse when tire is punctured. The invention embodies a means for supporting the tire with the multifunctional device and provides an additional embodiment that uses the same device with a backup redundant inner tube to provide support to the punctured or ruptured tire and permits it to be operated in a run flat condition. The inner tube is located in the assembly at a distance away from the tread so that any puncture of the tread would not also puncture the inner tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Inventor: Julian Yee
  • Patent number: 7946324
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a run flat device for fitting to a tubeless wheel assembly for a motor vehicle, and to such a wheel assembly incorporating the device. A device of the invention comprises: an annular cover support structure subdivided into at least two ring sectors that are circumferentially juxtaposed; and locking means for locking the beads against the flanges to connect the support structure to the beads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Hutchinson
    Inventors: Olivier Heuze, Florence Ratet
  • Patent number: 7918255
    Abstract: A run flat device for use in a wheel assembly comprises a wheel rim made of a plurality of blocks and a tire cover having beads mounted against flanges of the rim. The device includes an annular support structure for mounting around the rim to support the cover, the structure subdivided in at least two ring sectors to form the structure by juxtaposition in the circumferential direction thereof, and means for locking the beads against the flanges to connect the ring sectors to the beads. Each ring sector comprises at least two rigid support elements superposed in the radial direction of the structure and separated in pairs by respective rubber-based resilient layers, the layers adapted to shear based on a lateral force applied to the structure to enable the radially outer support element to be displaced axially relative to the radially inner support element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Hutchinson
    Inventors: Olivier Heuze, Florence Ratet
  • Patent number: 7874329
    Abstract: Disclosed is a low noise pneumatic tire in which a plurality of noise absorbing members of a porous material are attached to the tire inner peripheral surface with intervals in the tire circumferential direction. The number of the noise absorbing members is from 5 to 50. The total length obtained by integrating the lengths of the noise absorbing members in the tire circumferential direction is not less than 75% of the tire maximum inner peripheral length. The distance between each adjacent two of the noise absorbing members is equal to or more than the maximum thickness of the noise absorbing members at the end portions thereof in the tire circumferential direction, while being not more than 15% of the tire maximum inner peripheral length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Tanno
  • Patent number: 7854244
    Abstract: Disclosed is a pneumatic tire including a single or a plurality of noise absorbing members formed of a porous material attached to one side of surfaces of an elastic band in the longitudinal direction thereof, and also disposed on the tire inner peripheral surface by using the elastic band along the circumferential direction. Further, the tire includes a plurality of width-direction reinforcing members disposed with intervals in the tire circumferential direction on surfaces, facing the elastic band, of the corresponding noise absorbing members and also extending from the elastic band to both ends of the corresponding noise absorbing members in the width direction thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Tanno
  • Patent number: 7823613
    Abstract: A pneumatic having a porous member mounted on an inner surface facing a cavity of the tire. The porous member has ends located on front and back sides thereof in the rotation direction of the tire. At least the back end has corners located on opposite sides thereof in the widthwise direction of the porous member, the corners being chamfered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignees: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Tanno, Hiroshi Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 7789116
    Abstract: A wheel unit (10) comprises a wheel rim (12), a pneumatic tyre (14) receivable on the wheel rim (12) and a runflat assembly (16) adapted to be seated on the wheel rim (12) to close off a well (22) provided in the wheel rim (12). The runflat assembly (16) includes an annular support body (24) which is radially expandable to an expanded condition and contraction means (28,30) adapted to be operated via an opening (78) formed in the wheel rim (12). The contraction means (28, 30), when activated, is operable on the support body (24) to cause the support body (24) to be contracted to a radially contracted condition. The contraction mean is accessible through the opening (78) to cause the support body (24) to be radially contracted to seat the runflat assembly (16) on the wheel rim (12) to close off the well (22). The support body (24), when in its contracted condition, has a diameter greater than that of the wheel rim (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Tyron Developments Limited
    Inventors: Peter Ian Campbell, Anthony Mitchell Glazebrook, Alan Burdett
  • Patent number: 7762299
    Abstract: Disclosed is a self-supporting tire for wheels for bicycles, motorcycles and the like comprising an outer surface layer (5), which establishes contact with the ground (8) and an inner supporting layer (6) realized by a flexible polyurethane elastomer with a cellular structure, which at least partially occupies the internal volume of the tire (1) and supports the outer surface layer, also comprising a flexible membrane (9) substantially having the shape of the outer layer (5) and radially compressing the inner supporting layer (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Inventor: Pietro Garavaglia
  • Publication number: 20100132860
    Abstract: Field of Invention The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire having its internal cavity containing a closed cellular rubber which contains a dispersion of at least two diverse carbon blacks to promote an improved path for thermal conductivity with suitable physical properties for the closed cellular foam rubber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2008
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Inventors: Paul Harry Sandstrom, George Frank Balogh, Leighton Randolph Spadone
  • Publication number: 20100078104
    Abstract: Lubricating compositions, in the form of oil-in-water emulsions, are based on a siloxane and do not release hydrogen and are particularly suited for the lubrication of internal surfaces of uncured or unvulcanized envelopes useful for the manufacture of rubber pneumatic or semi-pneumatic tires for vehicles, as well as for vulcanization bladders useful for the shaping and vulcanizing of pneumatic or semi-pneumatic tires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventors: Stefan Breunig, Nadia Martin
  • Patent number: 7681611
    Abstract: A tire cavity resonance restricting device to be mounted on the inner surface of the tread portion facing to the cavity of a pneumatic tire. The tire cavity resonance restricting device includes a cross-sectional area changing member for changing the cross-sectional area of the cavity in tire meridian cross section, and an elastic fixing member in the form of a ring for fixing the cross-sectional area changing member to the inner surface of the tread portion. The elastic fixing member has an attachment portion to which the cross-sectional area changing member is attached and a non-attachment portion to which the cross-sectional area changing member is not attached. The non-attachment portion is greater in mass than the attachment portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Ikeda, Atsushi Tanno, Hiroshi Yamauchi, Yasuji Akiyoshi
  • Patent number: 7665495
    Abstract: Disclosed is a pneumatic tire enabling to even a weight balance thereof in a tire circumferential direction in realizing reduction of cavity resonance noise by using an annular object having cross-sectional areas which vary depending on locations in the tire circumferential direction. The pneumatic tire of the present invention is one in which an annular object having cross-sectional areas which vary depending on locations in the tire circumferential direction is mounted on an inner surface of a tread portion. In the pneumatic tire, the annular object is formed by partially applying compression forming to a porous material member having a density of 5 to 70 kg/m3 and having an uniform cross-sectional shape in the tire circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignees: The Yokohama Rubber Co, Ltd., Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Tanno, Hiroshi Yamauchi, Yasuji Akiyoshi
  • Publication number: 20100012244
    Abstract: There is provided a tire noise reduction device and a pneumatic tire, in which tire vibration can be reduced while durability is maintained and tire noise is further reduced. The tire noise reduction device 1 of the present invention includes two main sound absorbing members 3 for changing the cross-sectional area of a cavity 15 of a tire in the circumferential direction of the tire and two assistant sound absorbing members 4 disposed between the two main sound absorbing members 3. Each of the sound absorbing members 3 and 4 is formed of a porous material. Each main sound absorbing member 3 comprises a first sound absorbing part 3A located on a tread portion inner surface 11a side thereof and a second sound absorbing part 3B located on a side thereof away from the tread portion inner surface 11a. The second sound absorbing part 3B has a density lower than that of the first sound absorbing part 3A.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2007
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicants: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD., MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tanno, Masayuki Taketani
  • Publication number: 20100012243
    Abstract: There is provided a tire noise reduction device and a pneumatic tire, in which weight can be reduced while sound absorbing characteristics are maintained and durability is improved. The tire noise reduction device 1A of the present invention includes a sound absorbing member 3 of flexible polyurethane foam to be attached to an inner surface of a tire facing a cavity of the tire. The sound absorbing member 3 comprises a first sound absorbing layer 3A placed on a tire inner surface side thereof. The first sound absorbing layer 3A has a tear strength (N/cm) per unit density (kg/m3) which is equal to or more than 0.30. The second sound absorbing layer 3B has a density which is lower than that of the first sound absorbing layer 3A.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Tanno, Hiroyuki Tsujimoto
  • Publication number: 20090314402
    Abstract: Provided is a tire noise reduction device including: a sound absorbing body 2 to be mounted on an inner surface of a tire; an annular band member 3 fixing the sound absorbing body 2 and made of a thermoplastic elastomer composition containing an elastomer dispersed into a thermoplastic resin. With such an annular band member 3 made of the thermoplastic elastomer composition, the sound absorbing body 2 is not separated from the inner surface of a tread portion 5 even when the tire is used in an extremely cold place, and thereby excellent low temperature performances can be obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2009
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Applicant: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Akira Kuramori, Atsushi Tanno
  • Patent number: 7614865
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for filling a tire and wheel assembly cavity, that can be a large tire and wheel, with a flexible closed cell polyurethane foam that is passed as a mixture of reacting constituents through a fill hose whose end is fitted between the tire bead and wheel rim, and after filling and removal of the fill hose end, providing for lifting and maintaining the tire bead in engagement with the wheel rim as the reacting materials complete their reaction, uniformly filling the tire and wheel cavity with the flexible closed cell polyurethane foam that has expanded and urges the tire bead into sealing engagement with the wheel rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Amerityre Corporation
    Inventors: Richard A. Steinke, Gary N. Benninger, James G. Moore
  • Patent number: 7581577
    Abstract: A low noise pneumatic tire according to the present invention includes a belt-shaped sound absorbing member mounted on the radially inner surface of the tread by a fixing elastic band, the belt-shaped sound absorbing member being formed of a porous material. The belt-shaped sound absorbing member has a width ranged from 40% to 90% of the maximum width of the tire, and a thickness ranged from 5 mm to 50 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignees: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Tanno
  • Patent number: 7575030
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a runflat device for a tubeless mounted assembly for a motor vehicle and an assembly incorporating said device. A device in accordance with the invention for a unit comprises a wheel rim having a plurality of pieces and a tire cover comprising beads mounted against the flanges of the rim, the device comprising: a support ring for mounting around the rim to support the tire cover following a drop in inflation pressure and divided into at least two ring sectors; and means for locking said beads against the flanges to connect the sectors to the beads. The device is such that each ring sector comprises a rigid wall which defines at least one internal volume and which defines the lateral faces of the ring sector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Hutchinson
    Inventors: Lars Johan Resare, Olivier Marsaly, Olivier Heuze
  • Patent number: 7556075
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire having belt-shaped sound absorbing members. The belt-shaped sound absorbing members are mounted on the radially inner surface of the tread facing to the cavity of the pneumatic tire at prescribed intervals circumferentially of the tire by a fixing elastic band. The belt-shaped sound absorbing members each comprise at least one layer formed of a porous material having an apparent density of 10 kg/m3 to 70 kg/m3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Tanno