Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Martin Remick
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Patent number: 8287675Abstract: A tire manufacturing method includes a method for optimizing the uniformity of a tire by reducing the after cure radial force variation. The after cure radial force variation vector is modeled as a vector sum of each of the vectors representing contributions arising from the tire building steps—the “tire room effect vector” and a vector representing contributions arising from the vulcanization and uniformity measurement steps—the “curing room effect vector.” In further detail, both the tire room and curing room effect vectors can be further decomposed into sub-vectors representing each radial force variation contribution for which a measurable indicator is available. For a series of tires, the method obtains such measurements as the before cure radial runout (RRO) at one or more stages of the building sequence, measurements of loading angles on the tire building equipment, and measurements made during vulcanization process.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2011Date of Patent: October 16, 2012Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventors: William David Mawby, George Phillips O'Brien, Eugene Marshall Persyn, James Michael Traylor
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Patent number: 8267680Abstract: A tooling apparatus for attaching a mold sector to a mold back, the tooling apparatus comprising a frame, a clamping mechanism on the frame for securing the frame to the mold back, at least one fastener positioned on the frame for providing a clamping force to the clamping mechanism for fixing the frame in position on the mold back, a slide assembly slidably engaged with the frame, a biasing mechanism for positioning the slide assembly on the frame and an attaching mechanism for attaching the slide assembly to the mold sector.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2008Date of Patent: September 18, 2012Assignee: Michelin recherche et Technique S.A.Inventor: James D. Makins
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Patent number: 7744789Abstract: Finite element analysis or thermocouple probes are used to determine the state of cure for each zone of a non-uniform, thick rubber article, such as a large tire or a tread for a tire. From this knowledge of those cure-limiting zones, heat transfer elements are added to the mold to enhance the transfer of heat into these cure-limiting zones and to provide a more optimum cure. The use of heat transfer pins and/or mini-sipes are an efficient and practical means of reducing total cure time in the press and optimizing cure state without substantially affecting the performance of the article such as the tire. Reductions in cure time of 10% or more are demonstrated.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2007Date of Patent: June 29, 2010Assignees: Michlein Recherche et Technique S.A., Societe detechnologie MichelinInventors: I. Douglas Greenwell, Michael J. Luneau, Donald Faulkner
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Patent number: 7650919Abstract: A structurally supported tire includes a ground contacting tread portion, a reinforced annular band disposed radially inward of the tread portion, and a plurality of web spokes extending transversely across and radially inward from the reinforced annular band and anchored in a wheel or hub. The reinforced annular band comprises an elastomeric shear layer, at least a first membrane adhered to the radially inward extent of the elastomeric shear layer and at least a second membrane adhered to the radially outward extent of the elastomeric shear layer. Each of the membranes has a longitudinal tensile modulus sufficiently greater than the shear modulus of the shear layer, and a longitudinal compression modulus of a second membrane is at least equal to the longitudinal tensile modulus of a first membrane so that when under load the ground contacting portion of the tire deforms to a flat contact region through shear strain in the shear layer while maintaining constant the length of the membranes.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2007Date of Patent: January 26, 2010Assignee: Michelin Recherche of Technique S.A.Inventors: Timothy B. Rhyne, Ronald H. Thompson, Steven M. Cron, Kenneth W. Demino
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Patent number: 7418988Abstract: A structurally supported tire includes an outer annular band, and a plurality of web spokes extending transversely across and radially inward from the annular band and anchored in a wheel or hub. The annular band may further comprise a shear layer, at least a first membrane adhered to the radially inward extent of the shear layer, and at least a second membrane adhered to the radially outward extent of the shear layer. A preferred web spoke has a cutaway section transverse to the annular band. The cutaway section has a profile formed by straight line segments joined by a blending radius. The profile of the cutaway comprises a height and a maximum depth greater than five percent of the height and less than thirty percent of the maximum width. The profile has an angle alpha formed by a line tangent to the profile relative to the horizontal at least equal to ten degrees at the radially outermost and radially innermost extent of said profile.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2005Date of Patent: September 2, 2008Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventors: Steven M. Cron, Jean-Pierre Pompier, Timothy B. Rhyne, Ronald Hobart Thompson, Kenneth W. Demino
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Patent number: 7347236Abstract: A support for a tire tread band comprising an outer portion for contacting a tread and a base, wherein the base comprises a reinforcement framework having at least two plies of reinforcement elements. Each of the plies has mutually parallel reinforcement elements, and said elements are crossed from one ply to a next ply. The support further comprising a polymer material having a modulus greater than 30 MPa.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2003Date of Patent: March 25, 2008Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique, S.A.Inventors: Patrick Bernadot, Sebastian Drap, Michael Cogne
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Patent number: 7299843Abstract: A tire comprising a crown extended by two respective sidewalls and two respective beads, a carcass structure anchored in each side of the tire in said beads, said crown comprising at least one reinforcing ply having parallel reinforcements oriented at an angle ? relative to the circumferential direction ranging between 10 and 45 degrees, a first crown reinforcement having cords substantially oriented in the circumferential direction and being high elastic modulus at high stress organic fiber cords, and a second crown reinforcement having cords substantially oriented in the circumferential direction and having a ratio ? of the tensile strength at high strain and high temperature to the tensile strength at low strain and moderate temperatures inferior to 1.5.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2003Date of Patent: November 27, 2007Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventors: Daniel Grier Osborne, Philippe Esnault, Matthew Boozer
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Patent number: 7275427Abstract: A device for mounting electronic monitoring components to a tire includes a patch having a block mounted thereon and a mating monitoring package. The block includes opposing sides that mutually diverge to form a contour, for example, a dovetail profile, and the package includes a complementary channel for sliding onto the block.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2002Date of Patent: October 2, 2007Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventor: Terry Martin
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Patent number: 7261135Abstract: A method of fitting a tire P and a removable tread support S on a one-piece wheel rim J, rim comprising a first rim seat, inclined outwards, and the tire P comprises a first bead and a second bead to be mounted respectively on the first and second rim seats, in which, before completion of fitting the support S on a rim bearing surface of the rim, the first bead is gripped at a given point and is moved radially outwards to radially separate this point on the first bead from the support S. The fitting of the support S on the rim bearing surface continues and the bead is released after completion of the fitting of the support S.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2003Date of Patent: August 28, 2007Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventor: Richard Abinal
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Patent number: 7243694Abstract: A run-flat support ring, which is a component mounted upon a rim inside a tire to extend the distance the tire may travel at reduced or zero inflation pressure, is provided having one or more features that improve the process of mounting the support ring onto a rim and better tolerate variations, within manufacturing tolerances, in the respective diameters of the rim and the support ring.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2006Date of Patent: July 17, 2007Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S. A.Inventor: Damon Christenbury
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Patent number: 7237589Abstract: An assembly comprising a rim having a substantially cylindrical bearing surface having at least one depression therein, and an annular run-flat support mounted on the bearing surface. The radially inner surface of the support further comprising a protuberance to engage the depression in the rim, and wherein a radially innermost base portion of the support includes a plurality of substantially circumferentially oriented reinforcement elements. The reinforcement elements are axially spaced apart, and the reinforcement elements are absent in an axial portion of the base portion radially outward of the protuberance.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2005Date of Patent: July 3, 2007Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technigue S.A.Inventors: Damon Christenbury, Jeffery Zawisza
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Patent number: D549643Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2005Date of Patent: August 28, 2007Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventors: Robert C. Radulescu, Jeffrey Edmond Godsey, Rangsarid Jugsujinda
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Patent number: D550147Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2006Date of Patent: September 4, 2007Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventor: Robert C. Radulescu
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Patent number: D551160Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2005Date of Patent: September 18, 2007Assignee: Michelin Recherche et TechniqueInventors: John Anthony Hutz, Michel Jean Boulez
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Patent number: D555078Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2006Date of Patent: November 13, 2007Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventors: Robert C. Radulescu, Jeffrey Edmond Godsey
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Patent number: D555080Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2006Date of Patent: November 13, 2007Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventor: Robert C. Radulescu
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Patent number: D555578Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2006Date of Patent: November 20, 2007Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventor: Kevin Ray Reim
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Patent number: D594815Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2008Date of Patent: June 23, 2009Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventors: Kevin Ray Reim, John A. Hutz, Fang Zhu, Yukinori Imai
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Patent number: D595641Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2007Date of Patent: July 7, 2009Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventors: Jason P. Carter, Robert C. Radulescu, John Anthony Hutz, William Robert Hudek
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Patent number: D613681Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2009Date of Patent: April 13, 2010Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventors: John R. Davidson, Jr., Joseph A. Stain