Patents Examined by Justin Fischer
  • Patent number: 9174498
    Abstract: The pneumatic tire includes a belt layer that is formed by laminating a pair of cross belts and a circumferential reinforcing layer. Additionally, the pneumatic tire 1 includes a plurality of circumferential main grooves, and a plurality of land portions partitioned and formed by the circumferential main grooves in a tread portion. Also, the pneumatic tire includes a mark on a buttress portion in order to determine the time for renewal of the tire. Also, an outermost circumferential main groove is on an outer side in a tire width direction of the circumferential reinforcing layer. Also, a groove bottom gauge t of the outermost circumferential main groove and a distance D in a tire radial direction from a predetermined intersection point A to the mark have a relationship such that ?1.0?D/t?1.0, taking the outer side in the tire radial direction to be positive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Hidetoshi Okabe
  • Patent number: 9168787
    Abstract: Provided is a steel cord for reinforcing rubber articles which has both rubber penetration and productivity and which allows to reduce the weight of a tire without compromising the strength of the tire when applied to a tire, and a pneumatic tire using the same. The steel cord for reinforcing rubber articles of the present invention is a steel cord for reinforcing rubber articles comprising a core formed by arranging two core filaments in parallel without twisting the filaments together, and six sheath filaments twisted around the core. Letting the diameter of the core filament dc (mm), the diameter of the sheath filament ds (mm) and sheath filament twist pitch p (mm), an average sheath filament interval D represented by the following Formula (I): D=[L?6ds{1+(L/p)2}1/2]/6??(I), (where L=(?+2)dc+?ds) is from 25 to 80 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuji Oyama
  • Patent number: 9168788
    Abstract: Proposed is a pneumatic tire having excellent durability, handling stability and uneven wear resistance even if weight reduction is achieved by improving a belt. The pneumatic tire according to the present invention having a carcass layer 5 toroidally extending from a tread portion 3 through a side wall portion 2 to a bead portion 1, and a belt layer 6 disposed at the outer side of the carcass layer 5 in the tire radial direction, in which the carcass layer 5 includes one or more carcass plies 5a, the belt layer 6 includes a first belt 7 having a first cord 7a inclined with respect to a tire equator S at an angle in the range of 15° to 75° and a second belt 8 having a second cord 8a extending in parallel to the tire equator S, said first belt 7 having a tensile strength smaller than that of the second belt 8.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eiji Ichihara
  • Patent number: 9168793
    Abstract: A tire with improved resistance to sidewall damage such as splitting or puncture is provided. More particularly, the present invention provides a tire with tread features positioned along the sidewall in a manner that improves the protection of the sidewall against damage when contacting obstacles during operation of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignees: MICHELIN RECHERCHE et TECHNIQUE S.A., COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Fang Zhu, Drew R. Howlett, Craig Jurs
  • Patent number: 9162537
    Abstract: Technique for improving the endurance of beads of a radial tire for a heavy vehicle of the civil engineering type, by blocking the cracks that are initiated in the carcass reinforcement upturn end zone and that are propagated in the surrounding polymer materials, causing the deterioration of the bead over time. A binding element (23), having at least two layers of binding including reinforcement elements made of textile material, is in continuous contact with the carcass reinforcement upturn (211) between a first point of contact (A2) on the axially inner face (211a) of carcass reinforcement upturn, corresponding to a first end (I2) of the binding element, and a last point of contact (B2) on the axially outer face (211b) of the carcass reinforcement upturn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignees: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Lucien Bondu
  • Patent number: 9162533
    Abstract: Directional tire tread having a rolling surface, this tread being provided with a plurality of incisions bounded by mutually opposing walls, each of said walls entering the rolling surface in such a way as to form an edge called the leading edge of an element of material, corresponding to the edge that enters the contact patch first, and an edge called the trailing edge of the same element of material, corresponding to the edge that enters the contact patch after the leading edge, each incision comprising at least one segment bounded by mutually opposing walls that make, with a direction perpendicular to the rolling surface passing through the intersection of the incision with the rolling surface, a negative average angle ? whose absolute value is less than 55°, this tread being characterized in that this segment of negative angle ? exits the rolling surface via an enlarged end portion bounded by mutually opposing first and second faces, the angles of the first face and second face being positive and not equa
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignees: Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin, Michelin Recherche Et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Eric Berger, Sébastien Fugier, Mattieu Bonnamour, Claude Audebert
  • Patent number: 9156314
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire including a cylindrical annular structure, a rubber layer that will become a tread portion provided along a circumferential direction of the annular structure, on an outer side of the annular structure, and a carcass portion including fibers covered by rubber, provided on both sides in a direction parallel to a center axis (Y-axis) of a cylindrical structure including the annular structure and the rubber layer. In a meridian cross-sectional view of the structure, an outer side of the rubber layer and the outer side of the annular structure have the same form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Tanno, Noboru Takada, Yuji Sato, Jun Matsuda, Yuji Kodama, Susumu Imamiya
  • Patent number: 9156316
    Abstract: A tire comprising a reinforcing structure of the carcass type and comprising under the tread strip a crown reinforcing structure consisting of at least two layers of reinforcing elements. The carcass-type reinforcing structure is produced in the form of two half-layers extending at least from the shoulders to the beads and each having an end under the tread strip, the crown reinforcing structure comprises at least one layer of circumferential reinforcing elements which are distributed in the transverse direction with a variable pitch and the pitch between the circumferential reinforcing elements is at a minimum in the region of the layer of circumferential reinforcing elements that radially face the ends of each of the half-layers of the carcass-type reinforcing structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignees: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A., COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Francis Bordoz, Alain Valle, Pascal Prost
  • Patent number: 9156318
    Abstract: A tire comprising at least one carcass-type reinforcing structure formed of at least one layer of mutually parallel reinforcing elements making an angle, with the circumferential direction, of strictly less than 75° at least in the region of maximum axial width of the tire and of strictly less than 65° at least in the equatorial plane anchored on each side of the tire to a bead, each bead extending radially outwards in the form of a sidewall, the sidewalls radially towards the outside meeting a tread, and comprising, under the tread, a crown reinforcing structure consisting of at least one layer of reinforcing elements making angles of between 10° and 60° with the circumferential direction and known as a working layer, radially on the outside of the carcass-type reinforcing structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignees: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A., COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Luc Bestgen, Alain Valle
  • Patent number: 9156313
    Abstract: This invention relates generally to an improved design that provides better hydroplaning performance for a tire, and, more specifically, to a tire that has a variable pressure shear band located below its tread that provides increased structural stiffness to the tire, helping the tire to resist deformation when the tire encounters water, thereby decreasing the tendency of the tire to hydroplane. Advantageously, the variable pressure shear band can improve the hydroplaning performance and rolling resistance simultaneously without degrading wear performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignees: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ESTABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, MICHELIN RECHERCHE et TECHNIQUE S.A.
    Inventor: Ronald Hobart Thompson
  • Patent number: 9156315
    Abstract: A tire comprising an airtight rubber cover (2) and a reinforcing structure essentially formed of a plurality of fibers (30, 40) embedded in the rubber and arranged in layers, this reinforcing structure comprising at least one carcass layer (3) and one crown layer (4). The fibers (30) and (40) of these layers (3, 4) are connected together and oriented, with respect to the median plane (P) of the tire, at respective angles of the order of 90 degrees and 0 degrees, each of these fibers (30, 40) also having a connected cross section of flattened shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignees: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A., COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventor: Michel Deal
  • Patent number: 9150052
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes the belt layer that is formed by laminating the circumferential reinforcing layer and the pair of cross belts. Also, the tire external diameter R at the point of intersection O of the tire equatorial plane CL and the tread profile, the distance D1 in the tire radial direction between the tire ground contact edge T and the point of intersection O, and the distance D2 in the tire radial direction between the foot X of the line drawn from the end portion on the outer side in the tire width direction of the circumferential reinforcing layer 145 normal to the tread profile and the point of intersection O have a relationship such that 0.010?D1/R?0.015 and 0.27?D2/D1?0.3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Mashiyama
  • Patent number: 9150051
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire having a tread portion, a pair of sidewall portions, a pair of bead portions each with a bead core therein, wherein in a tire meridian section including a tire axis under a standard state that the tire is mounted on a standard rim and inflated to a standard pressure but loaded with no tire load, the tread portion has a tread width TW (mm) being from 80 to 90% of a nominal tire width YW, a profile from a shoulder region of the tread portion to the sidewall portion includes a shoulder profile for defining the shoulder portion, a sidewall profile for defining at least a part of the sidewall portion, and a buttress profile smoothly connecting between the shoulder profile and the sidewall profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Susumu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9150058
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises, in a tread portion 1, at least two block groups GB1 to GB3 whose block number density is within a range of 0.003 pieces/mm2 to 0.04 pieces/mm2. At least one block group GB2 includes block 4 in which lateral length BW2 is larger that its longitudinal length BL2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoya Ochi, Takaaki Kojima
  • Patent number: 9145638
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tire having a radial carcass reinforcement, consisting of at least one layer of metal reinforcing elements, said tire including a top reinforcement, which is covered radially with a tread, said tread being joined to two beads via two sidewalls. According to the invention, the reinforcing elements of at least one carcass reinforcement layer are metal cables which, in the so-called permeability test, have a flow rate less than 20 cm3/mn and at least 10% of said metal cables are banded by a strand consisting of multifilament textile fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignees: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Alain Domingo
  • Patent number: 9139046
    Abstract: An adjustable insert for a tire. A tire includes an annular body of elastomeric material. The annular body may include a plurality of unpressurized cavities. A plurality of adjustable inserts may be arranged in the plurality of unpressurized cavities. The adjustable inserts may have an expandable portion sized to fit in a portion of the unpressurized cavities. The adjustable insert may be configured to adjust a compression of each cavity and modify the deflection rate of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar, Inc.
    Inventor: George T. Norbits
  • Patent number: 9139047
    Abstract: A tire contour shape is formed by a single arc in a condition in which tire flattening rate is more than 55% and less than 70% and internal pressure is 5%. Shoulder lateral grooves extend at an angle ? of 80 to 90° from the axially outer side of the tread ground-contact edge to the axially inner side of the tire, and the tire axially inner ends terminate within the shoulder land portion. A tire axial distance Ds between the tire axially inner end and the shoulder circumferential main groove is in the range of 3.5 to 5.5 mm, the shoulder lateral groove has the deepest part where the groove depth is largest, and the groove depth of the deepest part is 70 to 90% of the groove depth of the shoulder circumferential main grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Masaki Terashima
  • Patent number: 9133371
    Abstract: The invention relates to a rubber cement, fabricated tire tread and resulting tire, where the tire tread is fabricated by joining ends of an uncured rubber strip together with a silica coupler-containing rubber cement between opposing ends of the uncured tread rubber strip where the rubber strip contains a high content of hydrophobated precipitated silica and where the cement contains a silica coupling agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Paul Harry Sandstrom
  • Patent number: 9126458
    Abstract: In the present invention, a carcass (120) of a pneumatic tire (1A) comprises a toroidal-shaped carcass main body (121) and a carcass folded part (122) folded at a bead core (111). A bead filler (131) is disposed outward of the bead core (111) in the tire radial direction. A rubber sheet (132) is disposed outward of the bead filler (131) in the tire radial direction. A space (DA) is formed between the tire radial direction outer side end (131a) of the bead filler (131) and the tire radial direction inner side end (132b) of the rubber sheet (132).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Massimo Mangia, Toshiki Nagai
  • Patent number: 9126456
    Abstract: This pneumatic tire includes a belt layer including a pair of cross belts and a circumferential reinforcing layer disposed between the cross belts or disposed inward in the tire radial direction of the cross belts and that comprises a steel wire wound spirally at a slant within a ±5° range with respect to a tire circumferential direction, and a tread portion disposed outward in the tire radial direction of the belt layer and that contacts a road surface. The circumferential reinforcing layer has a width in the tire width direction that is not less than 60% and not more than 85% of a maximum ground contact width in the tire width direction of the ground contact patch of the tread portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Hironori Kobayashi