Patents Assigned to Michelin Recherche et Technique
  • Molding element and mold for molding a cutout in a tread
    Patent number: 6454554
    Abstract: A molding element has an anchoring portion and a molding portion, the anchoring portion being intended to be anchored in a part of a tire tread mold with the molding portion projecting from a molding face of the tire tread mold part. The molding portion of the molding element has at least two extensions, one of these extensions having at least one arm pivotally mounted on the extension. The molding element is characterized in that, in the molding position, at least one arm pivotally mounted on an extension bears on another extension of the same molding element to define at least one orifice passing through the molding element to mold a connecting bridge between opposite walls of a cutout molded by the molding element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique, S.A.
    Inventors: José Merino Lopez, Georges Lavialle, Pascal Auxerre, Pascal Falempin
  • Commercial vehicle wheel with valve emerging outside the disk
    Patent number: 6450226
    Abstract: A commercial vehicle wheel with valve emerging outside the wheel disk and having a safety element on the outside of the rim, the safety element consisting of a cylindrical wall of axial width p, so that, &PHgr; being the standard diameter of the wheel, there is the relationship: 10≦p/&PHgr;×1000≦35.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Serge DeLacroix, Sylvain Giraud
  • Assembly consisting of a rim and a bearing support
    Publication number: 20020124923
    Abstract: An assembly including a deformable, inextensible tread-bearing support S, which can be slipped on to a suitable rim bearing surface (11). The bearing surface (11) extends axially towards the inside of a first rim seat (13′), which is in turn extended to the outside by a protrusion or hump (15′) of low height. The first rim seat (13′) is inclined towards the outside. A second rim seat (13″) having, viewed in meridian section, a generatrix, the axially inner end of which is located on a circle of diameter D″A greater than the diameter of the circle on which is located the axially inner end D′A of the first rim seat (13′). The two seats being, axially to the inside, extended by frustoconical portions (17, 14) of a height at least equal to 0.01 times the minimum diameter of the bearing surface (11), and the generatrices of which form with the axis of rotation angles &agr; at least equal to 45°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Publication date: September 12, 2002
    Applicant: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Richard Abinal, Thomas Emberger, Jean-Pierre Pompier
  • Tread including relief elements having undercut lateral walls and incision that does not cut into ridge
    Patent number: 6443200
    Abstract: A tire pattern of a tread intended to be fitted on a tire and including a plurality of elements in relief intended to come into contact with the ground on which the tire fitted with such a tread travels. At least one element in relief having at least one lateral wall undercut relative to the running surface of the tread and provided with at least one incision which opens on to the surface wall of the element in relief and on to at least one undercut lateral wall. So as not to alter the rigidity of said element in relief, in a manner which may be disadvantageous for the performance of a tire fitted with this tread, provision is made that, for levels of wear of the tread between a first depth H1 and a second depth H2, each incision does not cut into the edges or ridges of said element in relief. Also, a mold equipped with molding elements for molding such a tread pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: José Merino Lopez
  • Apparatus with a single oscillating arm, for producing a tire reinforcement from a single thread
    Publication number: 20020117251
    Abstract: A thread 4, intended to form a carcass reinforcement for a tire, is laid in contiguous hoops on a rigid core 1 by a system with a single oscillating arm transporting an orifice 6 so as to enable the orifice 6 to pass over a core 1 and come as near as possible to each bead of the tire, in order to lay adjacent hoops.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Publication date: August 29, 2002
    Applicant: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Jean-Claude Mayet
  • Safety support with a noise attenuator for a vehicle wheel
    Publication number: 20020104600
    Abstract: A vehicle wheel, comprising a rim, a disc, a tire defining with the rim a circumferential cavity C, and at least one resonator suitable for attenuating a natural resonant frequency of said cavity, said wheel also comprising a safety support, for supporting the tread of this tire from the inside in the event of loss of inflation pressure, said support providing at least one of the walls of said resonator. The invention also provides for the safety support comprising resonators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Publication date: August 8, 2002
    Applicant: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.(Switzerland)
    Inventors: Julien Flament, Denis Jubert
  • Apparatus and method for testing tires and calibrating flat belt tire testing machines
    Publication number: 20020104366
    Abstract: A machine, apparatus and method for testing tires with increased accuracy and reliability is disclosed. A flat belt tire tester employs a wheel and tire to be tested about an axis, whereby the tire is positioned above and upon the surface of a flat belt. A spindle and/or spindle extension is used for calibrating the machine, and forces are applied in a mechanical couple, providing a resulting force that is acceptable for calibration purposes. Once calibrated, the machine is capable of more reliably testing tires with accurate results. A numerical matrix is constructed by taking force measurements along each axis in a three axis system (X, Y and Z axes). An apparatus for reliably calibrating the machine and correcting for slight deviations (i.e., errors) in transducer readings by constructing an accurate matrix of correction factors is disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2001
    Publication date: August 8, 2002
    Applicant: Michelin Recherche et Techniques S.A.
    Inventor: Jay C. Sinnett
  • Pneumatic tire with cords directly contacting tread compound
    Patent number: 6425426
    Abstract: The invention relates to a pneumatic tire wherein the crown has a ply comprised of substantially circumferentially oriented cords which are spirally wound. The winding pitch p of said cords is greater than 2.5 times the cord diameter &PHgr;. The tread compound is applied directly on said cords. This arrangement facilitates tire fabrication and assures good adherence between the tread compound and the rest of the crown of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Daniel G. Osborne, James R. Anderson
  • Tire having a stainless steel carcass reinforcement
    Patent number: 6418994
    Abstract: The present invention provides a stainless steel wire for a carcass of a tire and a process for making such a wire. The wire comprises at least 0.02% and at most 0.2% carbon, at least 3% and at most 20% nickel, at least 12% and at most 28% chromium, the sum of the nickel and chromium being at least equal to 20% and at most 35% (% in weight). The structure of the steel comprises at least 20% in volume of martensite and it is devoid of austenite or it comprises less than 80% of it in volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Jean-Claude Arnaud, Christian Lamoureux, Eric Depraetere
  • Tire tread
    Patent number: D460403
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Patrick Jon Buresh, Steven Michel Cron
  • Tire tread
    Patent number: D460407
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Ralston Horace Moore
  • Tread of a tire
    Patent number: D460408
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Pierre Godin
  • Shoulders of a tire
    Patent number: D460409
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Charles Bradford Weaver, Randall Hawley Sellet, Lee A. Montgomery, Jr.
  • Sidewalls of a tire
    Patent number: D460410
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Danny Austin Thrasher, Sylvain Leynaert, Joseph George Hoover
  • Wide tire tread
    Patent number: D461446
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Ibrahim Mustafa Janjareh, Preston Butler Kemp, Jr.
  • Wide tire tread
    Patent number: D461750
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Ibrahim Mustafa Janajreh
  • Tread of a tire
    Patent number: D462048
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Daniel Potier
  • Tread of a tire
    Patent number: D462316
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique
    Inventor: Jose Merino Lopez
  • Tread of a tire
    Patent number: D462652
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Jose Merino Lopez
  • Tread of a tire
    Patent number: D462653
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique
    Inventor: Jose Merino Lopez