Patents Examined by Adrienne C. Johnstone
  • Patent number: 9090129
    Abstract: In a pneumatic run flat tire in which an inner side reinforcing rubber layer having a falcated cross-section is disposed in a side wall portion, dynamic elastic moduli E?10A, E?10B, and E?10C and values T10A, T10B, and T10C of a tan ? at 60° C. of rubber compositions of each region of the inner side reinforcing rubber layer are configured so as to satisfy the relationships E?10A<E?10B<E?10C, E?10A?4.0 MPa, T10A<T10B<T10C, and T10A?0.06. Dynamic elastic moduli E?20A, E?20B, and E?20C at 60° C. of rubber compositions of each region of the outer side rubber layer are configured so as to satisfy the relationships E?20B<E?20A?E?20C and E?20C/E?20B?1.6. Furthermore, the dynamic elastic modulus ratios E?20A/E?10A and E?20C/E?10C are configured so as to satisfy the relationships 0.6?E?20A/E?10A?1.0 and 0.6?E?20C/E?10C?1.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 9056528
    Abstract: In a carcass (13), between first sections (13A) in which an inter-cord distance between a body portion and turn-back portions gradually decreases outward in a tire radial direction and second sections (13B) in which the inter-cord distance gradually increases, there are disposed first distance-invariant sections (13C) in which the turn-back portions (14B) are brought closer to the body portion (14A) that becomes a substantial bending neutral axis and in which the inter-cord distance is constant, so compressive force acting on the cords of the turn-back portions (14B) can be reduced. By disposing the first distance-invariant sections (13C) between the first sections (13A) and the second sections (13B), the direction of the cords of the turn-back portions (14B) is not suddenly changed, so it becomes difficult for stress to concentrate in the rubber between the cords of the turn-back portions (14B).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Arata Mori
  • Patent number: 9004121
    Abstract: Tire including a continuous pressure membrane. The tire includes a carcass, a rubber layer surrounding the carcass, and a belt. The carcass includes at least one continuous pressure membrane defining a generally U-shaped cross section. The pressure membrane includes a crown portion, a first sidewall portion, and a second sidewall portion connected with the first sidewall portion by the crown portion. The belt may be composed of at least one additional continuous pressure membrane adjacent the crown portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Anthony John Scarpitti, Gary Robert Burg
  • Patent number: 8999093
    Abstract: On a tire inner surface “is” facing a tire cavity “i” surrounded by a rim 2 and a pneumatic tire 3, the tire is provided with a noise damper 4 made of a spongy material and extending in the circumferential direction of the tire. Noise dampers 4 having the same cross sectional shape are used in a size group of tires which include a minimum volume tire that the cross sectional area S of the tire cavity on the meridian cross section has a minimum value Smin and a maximum volume tire that the cavity cross section area S has a maximum value Smax, and which have sizes such that the cavity sectional area ratio Smax/Smin falls within the range of 1.00 to 1.95.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Yukawa
  • Patent number: 8997812
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire having an inner liner formed from a rubber composition that includes a butyl rubber in which the Mooney viscosity measured at 130° C. of an unvulcanized rubber of the rubber composition is at least 45, wherein the average value and standard deviation of the butyl rubber gauge of shoulder portion of a finished tire satisfy: (Standard deviation of butyl rubber gauge)/(Average value of butyl rubber gauge)?0.060. The rubber gauge of the tire exhibits improved uniformity and is superior in air permeability resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takafumi Taguchi
  • Patent number: 8978726
    Abstract: Flat-running device for fitting to a tubeless mounted assembly for a motor vehicle and a mounted assembly incorporating same is provided. The device is configured for a wheel rim (in several parts includes an annular supporting structure of the casing designed to be mounted around the rim and divided into sectors in an arc of a circle that are articulated together by connection members, and members for locking the beads against these edges which are designed to connect the annular supporting structure to these beads. The connection members including two spindles extending in the axial direction and respectively attached in two adjacent sectors and connected together by an articulation extending in the circumferential direction of the device, the articulation having a rigid lug with two through-holes or else a flexible link with two loops, the or the link being articulated on these spindles by these two holes or loops, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Hutchinson
    Inventors: Arnaud Detout, Florence Ratet, Olivier Marsaly
  • Patent number: 8978724
    Abstract: Provided is a pneumatic tire/rim assembly which is improved in the run-flat durability with the mass of the tire being reduced. In a pneumatic tire/rim assembly with a run-flat capability, an air bladder (2) made of a circular ring-shaped film body is inserted inside a pneumatic tire (1) mounted on a rim (R). At least part of the film body is formed of a sealing layer (3) made of a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer composition obtained by blending an elastomer in a thermoplastic resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideki Hamanaka
  • Patent number: 8973635
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprising a belt structure and a torus shaped carcass having a first inner radius and an outer radius, wherein the carcass is comprised of three or more layers of ply, wherein each layer of ply is formed from a rubberized strip of one or more cords, the strips being wound in an geodesic pattern having the cord extend across the carcass from a first shoulder to a second shoulder in a path that has at least one point tangent to the first inner radius located in the bead area of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Robert Allen Losey, Samuel Patrick Landers, Thulasiram Gobinath
  • Patent number: 8973629
    Abstract: An improved tire provides an air-flow restrictor that may be installed inside a tire. The air-flow restrictor may restrict or prevent the flow of air in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the tire. Also, a method for saving fuel by inserting or retrofitting tires with air movement restricting inserts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Inventor: Garry L. Rumbaugh
  • Patent number: 8960251
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire designed so that when a hook and loop fastener is fitted to the tire internal face of a pneumatic tire furnished with an inner liner layer consisting of a thermoplastic elastomer composition of a blend of thermoplastic resin and elastomer, or a thermoplastic resin, the hook and loop fastener can easily follow the elongation of the inner liner layer and is free from damaging of the inner liner layer. There is disclosed a pneumatic tire furnished on its internal face with an inner liner layer (7) consisting of a thermoplastic elastomer composition composed of thermoplastic resin and elastomer, or a thermoplastic resin, characterized in that integral forming of a multiplicity of interlocking elements (8) protruding on the hollow side of the tire is effected on the surface of the inner layer (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Tanno, Yuji Sato
  • Patent number: 8955569
    Abstract: An airplane tire has a carcass reinforcement that comprises at least two inner layers wrapped around the bead core from the inside to the outside of the tire to form respectively a turn-up, and at least one outer layer wrapped around the bead core from the outside to the inside of the tire, and axially outward, within the sidewall, of any inner layer. One of the at least two inner layers that is axially nearest the bead core is decoupled for at least a part of its length, in an area adjacent to and radially outward of the bead core, from the turn-ups and carcass reinforcement layers which are axially outward of it, by at least one polymeric bead filler compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignees: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A., Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin
    Inventors: François Chambriard, Jean Luc Dendievel
  • Patent number: 8950456
    Abstract: An assembly including a tire having beads, said bead axially including outside the turn-up a layer of a material defining a bead outer profile, such that the distance A, between the carcass frame and the bead outer profile, is as defined in formula (Z), B being the distance between the end of the turn-up, said bead including first and second profiles between the carcass frame and the turn-up, the first profile extends from the bead wire and is made of a material having an extension secant modulus at a 10% elongation higher than 20 MPa, a second profile arranged in the bead such as to be in contact with a surface of the first profile and the turn-up, made of a material having an extension secant modulus at a 10% elongation of at least 7 MPa and an extension secant modulus at a 100*% extension of at least 4.5 MPa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignees: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements, Michelin Recherche et Techique S.A.
    Inventors: Christophe Laurent, David Dean, David Lavialle
  • Patent number: 8939185
    Abstract: Provided is a pneumatic radial tire having a rubber chafer arranged on the carcass ply in a contacting area of a bead portion with a rim; a bead filler arranged radially outside on the bead core; and a side rubber extending along an outer surface of the carcass in each a side wall portion. When inflated with a predetermined pneumatic pressure, an outer end of the folded portion of the carcass and an outer end of the bead filler are placed inward from an outer end r of a rim flange of the rim in the radial direction; an outer end of the rubber chafer is placed outward from the outer end r of the rim flange in the radial direction; and a part of a side rubber located outward from the outer end of the rim flange in the radial direction is disposed between the rubber chafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiharu Ito
  • Patent number: 8925605
    Abstract: Provided is a run-flat tire in which a side-reinforcing rubber is arranged on the inside of the carcass in the tire width direction on both sidewall portions. The carcass plies include cords made of a material having a heat shrinkage rate of 2% to 8% at 177° C., and the run-flat tire further includes a reinforcing cord layer which includes cords made of a material having a heat shrinkage rate of less than 2% at 177° C., the reinforcing cord layer being arranged on the outside of the side-reinforcing rubber in the tire width direction on both sidewall portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Daisuke Maehara
  • Patent number: 8915276
    Abstract: On a tire inner surface “is” facing a tire cavity “i” surrounded by a rim 2 and a pneumatic tire 3, the tire is provided with a noise damper 4 made of a spongy material and extending in the circumferential direction of the tire. Noise dampers 4 having the same cross sectional shape are used in a size group of tires which include a minimum volume tire that the cross sectional area S of the tire cavity on the meridian cross section has a minimum value Smin and a maximum volume tire that the cavity cross section area S has a maximum value Smax, and which have sizes such that the cavity sectional area ratio Smax/Smin falls within the range of 1.00 to 1.95.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Yukawa
  • Patent number: 8905102
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire has a rubber filler includes a lower filler and an upper filler. The lower filler surrounds a bead core and has a round cross sectional shape. The upper filler has a lower rubber hardness than the lower filler. A chafer is wound up around the bead core outside of a carcass ply and includes a metal cord. A wound-up end of the carcass ply is arranged radially outside of an upper end of the lower filler and a wound-up end of the chafer. A rubber pad has a higher rubber hardness than the upper filler and sandwiches the wound-up end of the carcass ply. The rubber pad extends to radially inside of the upper end of the lower filler and contacts with an inside of a wound-up portion of the carcass ply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Taiichi Nishio
  • Patent number: 8905099
    Abstract: Provided is a low noise pneumatic tire in which the noise absorbing member on the inner peripheral surface of the tire is made less likely to be damaged when the pneumatic tire is removed from the rim. The pneumatic tire includes a noise absorbing member of a porous material which is attached to an inner peripheral surface of the tire. In the pneumatic tire, a lubricant is applied to the inner peripheral surface of the noise absorbing member. Alternatively, both end portions, in a tire width direction, of the inner peripheral surface of the noise absorbing member are covered with protective layers harder than the noise absorbing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Tanno
  • Patent number: 8869852
    Abstract: A run flat tire with reinforced sides, wherein inner and outer rubber thickness ratios centered on a carcass layer in a side wall portion are stipulated and a side filler extending in the tire radial direction is embedded on the outer wall surface side of the side wall portion. In this run flat tire, the modulus of the side filler/modulus of a side reinforcing layer, the modulus of a rim cushion/a modulus of the side filler, the cross-sectional area of a bead filler/cross-sectional area of the side filler, the cross-sectional area of the side filler/cross-sectional area of the side reinforcing layer, the rubber hardness of the side reinforcing layer, and the material of belt cover layers are each stipulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 8869855
    Abstract: In order to improve ride quality and steering stability, the present invention provides a pneumatic tire having a sidewall made of a rubber composition for a sidewall comprising at least a natural rubber and a diene rubber comprising a syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene, wherein rubber sheets obtained by extruding at a thickness of at most 1.5 mm the rubber composition for a sidewall with a complex modulus E*a in a tire circumferential direction measured at a temperature of 70° C. and a dynamic distortion of 2% of 3 to 15 MPa are laminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takuya Horiguchi
  • Patent number: 8863800
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a carcass having a first portion in which a distance between ply cords of a carcass body section and a carcass folded section gradually decreases from a position of a bead core toward outside in a radial direction of the tire, a second portion in which the distance between the ply cords gradually increases from the first portion toward outside in the radial direction of the tire, and a third portion in which the distance between the ply cords gradually decreases from the second portion toward outside in the radial direction of the tire. A notched portion is provided on a widthwise outer skin rubber of the carcass folded section of the second portion by notching the widthwise outer skin rubber inwardly in the width direction of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Sasaki