Patents Examined by Justin Fischer
  • Pneumatic tire
    Patent number: 9120352
    Abstract: An angle of elevation (?) of an intersection point (A), formed between a line (q) connecting intersection points (A, B) and a reference line (n) traversing a center of curvature (C) of an arc and parallel to the tire rotation axis, is from 40° to 60°, where a curve tracing the innermost region in the tire radial direction is approximated by the arc with the method of least squares, the intersection point (A) is an intersection point of the ply main body (6a) with a normal line (m) from the center of curvature (C) of the arc to a part of the ply main body (6a) convex outward in the tire width direction, and the intersection point (B) is an intersection point of the ply main body (6a) with the reference line (n). A radius of curvature of the arc is from 5 mm to 80 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keiichi Kurita
  • Pneumatic tire
    Patent number: 9114668
    Abstract: Disclosed is a pneumatic tire comprising (A) reinforcing layer comprising a plurality of reinforcing cords or wires coated with a rubber composition, wherein (B) a film layer, (C) an elastomer layer, and (D) a film layer comprising ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer are sequentially laminated on the tire inner surface side of reinforcing layer (A), and the product of Young's modulus Eb (MPa) and thickness Gb (mm) of film layer (B) is equal to or more than 5 kN/m, wherein the reinforcing layer having improved durability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toyoaki Endo, Yoshiaki Hashimura
  • Tire bead for heavy civil engineering vehicle
    Patent number: 9108471
    Abstract: Technique for improving the durability of the beads of a radial tire for a heavy vehicle of the civil engineering type, by reducing the rate of spread of cracks initiated at the surface of contact between a first filler polymer material (23a) which is radially innermost and in contact with the bead wire core (22) and a second filler polymer material (23b) radially on the outside of the first filler polymer material. A transition element (24), made of a transition polymer material, of contact thickness (e), is in contact, via its radially internal face (24a), with the first filler polymer material (23a) and in contact, via its radially external face (24b), with the second filler polymer material (23b), and the elastic modulus at 10% elongation of the transition polymer material is somewhere between the respective elastic moduli at 10% elongation of the first and second filler polymer materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignees: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Lucien Bondu
  • Crown reinforcement for aircraft tire
    Patent number: 9108467
    Abstract: An improvement in an airplane tire to obtain a more even distribution of temperature within the crown of the tire. An airplane tire comprises a crown reinforced by a working reinforcement (3), comprising at least one layer of working reinforcement (30) made up of axially juxtaposed substantially circumferential strips (31) made up of mutually parallel textile reinforcing elements (32) coated with a polymer coating material (33). Each strip is in contact, over at least its radially inner axial face, with a heat transfer element (34) comprising at least one heat-conducting material with thermal conductivity at least equal to 50 times the thermal conductivity of the polymer coating material. The product of the thickness of a heat transfer element by the tension modulus of a heat transfer element is at most equal to 0.3 times the product of the thickness of the strip by the tension modulus of the strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignees: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Vincent Estenne, Laurent Bucher
  • Run-flat device
    Patent number: 9108470
    Abstract: A run-flat device, which is inserted into pneumatic tires to allow mobility in the event of pressure loss in the pneumatic tire, can comprise an inner ring, outer ring, and an interconnected web connecting the two. The run-flat device can support an applied load by working in tension and compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Polaris Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Mike Tercha, Karen Hauch, Glenn Howland, Todd Petersen, Fidelis Ceranski, Louie Stark, Brian Meliska
  • Run-flat tire
    Patent number: 9102201
    Abstract: A run-flat tire with an aspect ratio of 50% to 60%, which comprises a carcass consisting of a single ply of cords extending between bead cores through a tread portion and sidewall portions, a pair of sidewall reinforcing layers each with a crescent cross-sectional shape and disposed axially inwardly of the carcass in each sidewall portion, the sidewall reinforcing layers made of rubber having a complex elastic modulus of from 6 to 12 MPa, and a pair of bead apex elements which extending radially outwardly of the tire from bead cores, each bead apex element having a height of from 0.30 to 0.48 times a tire section height from a bead base-line, wherein the tire has certain relations with respect to thicknesses of sidewall reinforcing layers and sidewall rubber elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Naoki Yukawa
  • Puncture-free bullet-proof tire
    Patent number: 9102198
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a no-puncture bullet-proof tire, which can prevent a puncture, a tear or a rupture of a tire by a nail, a reinforcing bar piece, a steel plate piece, a bullet, or other various kinds of fragments, and can enable a vehicle to safely run at a high speed of about 100 kilometers or more per hour under a high temperature environment of about 60° C. or more and a low temperature environment of about ?60° C. or less, by filling the inside of the tire with a mixture of silicon rubber and spherical EVA foam without an air pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Inventor: Jong Gyu Lee
  • Tire for heavy-goods vehicle
    Patent number: 9102200
    Abstract: A tire comprising at least two working layers and at least one layer of circumferential reinforcing elements. The layer of circumferential reinforcing elements comprises at least a central part and two axially exterior parts, the elastic modulus of the rubber compound with which the circumferential reinforcing elements of the central part are coated being less than the modulus of the rubber compound with which the circumferential reinforcing elements of the axially exterior parts are coated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignees: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A., COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Alain Domingo, Philippe Johnson
  • In-situ-rubberized layered cord that can be used in a tire belt
    Patent number: 9103068
    Abstract: Metal cord (C-1) having two layers (Ci, Ce) of 3+N construction, rubberized in situ, comprising an inner layer (Ci) formed from three core wires (10) of diameter d1 wound together in a helix with a pitch p1 and an outer layer (Ce) of N wires (11) N varying from 6 to 12, of diameter d2, which are wound together in a helix with a pitch p2 around the inner layer (Ci), wherein said cord has the following characteristics (d1, d2, p1 and p2 are expressed in mm): 0.20<d1<0.50; 0.20<d2<0.50; p1/p2?1; 5<p1<30; 10<p2<30; the inner layer is sheathed with a diene rubber composition called a “filling rubber” (12) which, for any length of cord of at least 2 cm, is present in the central channel (13) formed by the three core wires and in each of the gaps lying between the three core wires (10) and the N wires (11) of the outer layer (Ce); and the content of filling rubber in the cord is between 5 and 30 mg per g of cord.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignees: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A., COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Thibaud Pottier, Henri Barguet
  • Pneumatic tire
    Patent number: 9102203
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire provided with a tread pattern, wherein a tread half which is one half of the tread pattern on each side of the tire equator is made up of repeat design units arranged circumferentially of the tire. The repeat design units have at least two different circumferential pitch lengths, and the repeat design units are each provided with at least one stud hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuki Numata
  • Pneumatic tire
    Patent number: 9096098
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire is provided which includes: a carcass that is formed from at least one layer including a plurality of organic fibrous cords or metallic cords and that has a segmented portion segmented at a tread portion; a belt layer; and a carcass segmented portion reinforcing layer that covers the segmented portion, wherein the carcass segmented portion reinforcing layer is formed from a thermoplastic resin or from a thermoplastic elastomer in which a thermoplastic resin component and an elastomer component are blended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Hata
  • Run flat tire and system
    Patent number: 9096101
    Abstract: An improved run flat tire and system for use with a two-piece or multi-piece wheel and tire to provide for continued operation of vehicles after tire deflation. Certain aspects of the invention include a plurality of arcuate sections releasably aligned and secured to each other for positioning around a wheel, wherein extended lip portions of each arcuate section extend laterally from the inner base portion of each arcuate section to limit lateral movement of the run flat device relative to the wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: HUTCHINSON INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventor: Khaled Khatib
  • Two-wheeled automotive vehicle tire
    Patent number: 9096102
    Abstract: A band 12 of a tire 2 includes a topping rubber, and a cord that is helically wound in a circumferential direction of the tire 2. A carcass 10 includes a first carcass ply 22, and a second carcass ply 24 that is layered over the first carcass ply 22, so as to be located outwardly of the first carcass ply 22 in the radial direction. The first carcass ply 22 is turned up around beads 8. The turnup ends 36 are located inwardly of the second carcass ply 24 in an axial direction. A tip of an apex is located inwardly, in the radial direction, of the end of the tread, and outwardly, in the radial direction, of a position that is distant from the end of the tread in the radially inward direction by one-third of a length of the straight line LH.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Matsunami
  • Pneumatic tire
    Patent number: 9090132
    Abstract: An installation members 20 is structured detachably by a fitting structure between a groove portion 12 and a projection 21 extending in a tire peripheral direction CD, with respect to a tire side wall surface 10. a structure in which the groove portion 12 and the projection 21 interfere with each other in the tire peripheral direction is provided between the groove portion 12 and the projection 21.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshikazu Yasunaga, Shingo Kuwano
  • Pneumatic tire
    Patent number: 9090130
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a turbulent flow generating fin on a surface of a tire side portion. A plurality of the fins is arranged in a tire radial direction having a predetermined gap so as to form a fin row. Additionally, a plurality of the fin rows is disposed in a tire circumferential direction at a predetermined pitch. Moreover, the adjacent fins are disposed so as to overlap each other in the tire circumferential direction and a tire radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Kojima, Masataka Koishi, Masatoshi Kuwajima
  • Pneumatic tire
    Patent number: 9085200
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire with further improved tire performance on snow and ice. A center block row 30 is formed to a tread portion 16, with second block rows 32A, 32B formed adjacent at each side on the tire width direction outside of the center block row 30. Central lug grooves 24P, 24Q are formed in the center block row 30 so as to have mutually different inclination directions with respect to the tire width direction. End portions 25P at the ground contact rear end side of the central lug grooves 24Q during tire forward rotation are positioned in blocks 33B of the second block row 32B, and end portions 25Q of the ground contact rear end side of the central lug grooves 24P are positioned in blocks 33A of the second block row 32A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoya Ochi, Tomoaki Nemoto
  • Pneumatic tire
    Patent number: 9085202
    Abstract: Outer longitudinal grooves extend in the circumferential direction of a pneumatic tire in a zigzag fashion. A plurality of first transverse grooves situated at an outer portion of a tread portion extend toward one side in a circumferential direction of the tire and is connected to the outer longitudinal grooves, as it gradually extends from an outer side of a width direction of the tire to an inner side thereof. A plurality of second transverse grooves situated at an inner portion of the tread portion extends toward the one side in the circumferential direction of the tire and is connected to outer longitudinal grooves, as it gradually extends from the inner side of the width direction of the tire to the outer side thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takafumi Haga
  • Geodesic pneumatic tire with braided carcass
    Patent number: 9073278
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a carcass with a plurality of ply cords braided into an interlaced structure. Each of the ply cords follows a geodesic path from a first sidewall portion across a crown portion to a second sidewall portion. The pneumatic tire also includes a rubber layer encasing the carcass and including a tread adjacent the crown portion. The pneumatic tire does not include any beads because the plurality of carcass plies is folded onto itself at each of the first and second sidewall portions. Thus, the benefits of geodesic plies and braided ply construction are achieved by the pneumatic tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Hoa L. Lam, Robert Allen Losey
  • All steel fabric radial construction for agricultural tires
    Patent number: 9073389
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire for agricultural equipment or forestry equipment includes a circumferential tread, a pair of sidewalls, and a pair of bead portions. A steel reinforced radial carcass ply extends circumferentially about the tire. The carcass ply includes an axially inner portion and axially outer turn-up portions. First and second steel reinforced belts are disposed between the carcass ply and the circumferential tread. Axial ends of the belts are separated by belt wedges. The tire includes a pair of sidewall inserts. Each sidewall insert extends continuously from an upper end extending between the first belt and the carcass ply, through a sidewall region of the tire, to a lower end extending between the inner portion of the carcass ply and one of the turn-up portions of the carcass ply. A tie gum layer binds an inner liner to the carcass ply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
    Inventors: Todd A. Buxton, Bradley J. Harris, Christopher A. Swartzwelder, Nobuo Shimizu
  • Tire
    Patent number: 9073391
    Abstract: Provided is a tire exhibiting both improved partial wear resistance and improved quietness. The tire has block land portion arrays 5 defined on a tread portion 1. Between adjacent two block land portion arrays 5 sandwiching a circumferential groove 2, block land portions 4 constituting the block land portions 5 are arranged so as to be positionally displaced from each other in the tire circumferential direction, and a groove portion 6 between the block land portions adjacent in the tire width direction extends obliquely with respect to the tire width direction and the tire circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Nakamizo, Akiyoshi Shimizu