Patents Examined by Kendra Ly
  • Patent number: 9676235
    Abstract: A tire 1 according to the present invention comprises: a circumferential groove 12 formed in a tread portion; a land portion 22 divided by the circumferential groove 12; and transverse grooves formed in the land portion. The transverse grooves comprise a first transverse groove 32 dividing the land portion into several blocks, and a second transverse groove 51 dividing a block 42 divided by the first transverse groove into a first block portion 61 and a second block portion 62. A groove depth of the circumferential groove contacting the second block is smaller than the groove depth of the circumferential groove contacting the first block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinpei Sugiyasu, Takamitsu Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9604506
    Abstract: In a tread part (1), a tilted land portion (200) is divided into multiple blocks by a tilted narrow groove (300) and branched narrow grooves (350). Tilted main grooves (100) include an upper tilted main groove (101) and a lower tilted main groove (102). The branched narrow grooves (350) include first branched narrow grooves (350a) and second branched narrow grooves (350b). First blocks (210) and second blocks (220) have quadrilateral or pentagonal shapes. Of the first blocks (210), one first block and another first block adjacent to the one first block in a tilt direction KC have the same shape. Of the second blocks (220), one second block and another second block adjacent to the one second block in the tilt direction KC have the same shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoya Ochi
  • Patent number: 9604503
    Abstract: A belt layer of a pneumatic tire includes an inner-side cross belt and an outer-side cross belt forming belt angles of mutually different signs with the tire circumferential direction with absolute values from 46° to 80°, inclusive; a circumferential reinforcing layer arranged between the inner-side cross belt and the outer-side cross belt and forming a belt angle of within ±5° with the tire circumferential direction; and a supplemental belt arranged inside of the inner-side cross belt in the radial direction of the tire and forming a belt angle with the tire circumferential direction with an absolute value from 10° to 45°, inclusive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Koshi Iga, Hideki Hamanaka, Koichi Kotoku
  • Patent number: 9586444
    Abstract: A tread portion of a pneumatic tire includes inner land portions between outer circumferential main grooves disposed most on tread ground-contact end sides and at least one inner circumferential main groove on the inner side thereof. The inner land portions are divided into inner blocks by inner lateral grooves inclined at an angle ? of 10 to 40°. The inner lateral grooves consist of first inner lateral grooves and second inner lateral grooves which are alternately arranged in a circumferential direction. The first inner lateral grooves include a wide-width part connecting to the outer circumferential main groove and a narrow-width part connecting to the inner circumferential main groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Takuya Oji
  • Patent number: 9579934
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a conductive portion formed by a conductive rubber is provided in the tread rubber formed by a nonconductive rubber. The conductive portion has an outer skin portion and a projection portion. The outer skin portion is formed on a surface of the tread rubber, and extends to an inner side in a tire width direction from a side surface of the tread rubber so as to terminate at a position which goes beyond a contact end. The projection portion spirally extends from a position in an outer side than contact end so as to reach a position in an inner side in the tire width direction than the contact end, and protrudes to an inner side in a tire diametrical direction from the outer skin portion so as to terminate without reaching a bottom surface of the tread rubber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Daiki Deguchi
  • Patent number: 9539861
    Abstract: Sipe groups including a plurality of sipes which is opened to a main groove and is arranged at intervals in a tire circumferential direction are formed in both land parts with the main groove being interposed therebetween. The sipe groups are arranged at intervals in the tire circumferential direction, and are shifted in the tire circumferential direction on both sides of the main groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Toshikazu Yasunaga
  • Patent number: 9499010
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire including a carcass; two belt reinforcing layers; and a belt formed by two belt layers. A width of a belt cord intersecting region defined by the two belt layers is set in the range of 65 to 90% of the tire width-W, the maximum width of the belt reinforcing layer is set in the range of 60 to 85% of the tire width. Also, a belt radius ratio, which is a ratio of difference between the radius of the belt at the tire equatorial plane and the radius of the belt at a belt side end position thereof measured from the tire axis in a state where the tire is inflated at the standard inner pressure, with respect to a belt half width, is not larger than 0.06.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yusuke Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 9457623
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire for rough terrain comprises a tread portion with a tread pattern provided with a block having a height of from 10 to 19 mm, the block comprising a top face and a sidewall face extending radially inwardly from a peripheral edge of the top face, the top face being a polygonal shape with a plurality of sides equal to or more than four, the sidewall face comprising a plurality of slant surfaces extending radially inwardly away from the sides, respectively, wherein each slant surface comprises a radially outer portion and a radially inner portion, the radially outer portion has a flat plane, the radially inner portion comprises a first plane and a second plane laterally adjacent to said first plane, and the first plane and second plane cross each other so that said radially inner portion dents inwardly of the block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Sadahiko Matsumura
  • Patent number: 9457622
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion provided with a radially outermost breaker ply and three main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction. Crown axial grooves disposed between the main grooves are inclined oppositely to cords of the radially outermost breaker ply, at angles in a range of from 10 to 60 degrees with respect to the tire circumferential direction. The crown axial groove comprises a narrow portion and a resultant wide portion on the axially outside thereof. The crown axial groove is provided in its axially outer end portion with a tie bar provided with a sipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Susumu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9446628
    Abstract: A tire for a motorized two-wheeled vehicle comprising a reinforcing structure of the carcass type, made up of reinforcing elements, anchored on each side of the tire to a bead the base of which is intended to be mounted on a rim seat, each bead being extended radially outwards by a sidewall, the sidewalls radially towards the outside joining to a tread comprising incisions. The length of the incisions is less than 1.2 times the width of the area of the contact patch and at least one incision has at least one end which ends in a cut in the tread the width of which is greater than 2.5 mm and the length of which is between 2.5 and 10 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignees: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Luc Bestgen
  • Patent number: 9446630
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire with a side wall portion includes a decorative region including two or more decorative portions that are continuously disposed so as to be contiguous in a tire circumferential direction and the tire radial direction, the decorative portions including multiple convex ridges that are disposed on an outer surface so as to be adjacent in the tire circumferential direction. A ridge arrangement angle is the same in the same decorative portion, and a ridge arrangement angle of the contiguous decorative portion differs therefrom. A distance between a first imaginary boundary line joining end portions of the ridges of the decorative portion that are on a side adjacent to the contiguous decorative portion and a second imaginary boundary line joining end portions of the ridges of the contiguous decorative portion on a side adjacent to the first imaginary boundary line is less than 1 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiraku Kouda, Masahiro Ishida
  • Patent number: 9421826
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a tread portion having a tread surface between tread edges and provided along each tread edge with a row of shoulder blocks. Each of the shoulder blocks in at least one row is provided with at least one sipe extending at an angle of not less than 60 degrees with respect to the tire circumferential direction and having a plane inclined with respect to a normal direction to the tread surface. A chamfered part has a surface being arc-shaped in a tire meridian section and smoothly connecting between the tread surface and a surface of a buttress part. At least one protruding part has an upper surface protruding axially outwardly from the surface of the chamfered part and a side surface extending radially inwardly from an axially outer end of the upper surface. The protruding part has a circumferential width of from 0.5 to 7.0 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES LTD.
    Inventor: Naoki Kageyama
  • Patent number: 9421827
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion provided with a circumferential shoulder main groove, shoulder lateral grooves extending from the shoulder main groove toward a tread edge, and middle lateral grooves extending from the shoulder main groove toward a tire equatorial plane, the shoulder main groove extending in a zigzag manner through an axially innermost and outermost points alternately, each middle lateral groove extending from each innermost point of the shoulder main groove with an angle of 50-75 degrees with respect to a tire axial direction, and each shoulder lateral groove extending from the shoulder main groove with the same inclination direction with the middle lateral groove at an angle of 10-25 degrees with respect to the tire axial direction, wherein the number of shoulder lateral grooves is larger than the number of middle lateral grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES LTD.
    Inventors: Toshio Koyama, Keiji Higuchi, Hirokazu Takano
  • Patent number: 9409445
    Abstract: A heavy duty pneumatic tire includes main grooves that extend in the tire circumferential direction. A siped block is provided with at least one sipe to circumferentially subdivide the block into at least two block pieces that include at least one holed block piece provided with at least one small hole. Each small hole extends radially inwardly from the ground contacting surface of the holed block piece to its bottom at a depth in a range of from 30 to 100% of a depth of the main grooves. Each small hole has a round cross-sectional shape to have a maximum radius in a range of from 0.6 to 2.0 mm at the opening of the small hole in the ground contacting top surface. The total opening area of the at least one small hole is 2 to 12% of the overall area of the ground contacting top surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoshi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9403409
    Abstract: A tire for a motorized two wheeled vehicle comprising a reinforcing structure of the carcass type, made up of reinforcing elements, anchored on each side of the tire to a bead the base of which is intended to be mounted on a rim seat, each bead being extended radially outwards by a sidewall, the sidewalls radially towards the outside joining to a tread. The tread comprises at least one incision and in a circumferential plane, at least part of one wall of the at least one incision forms with the radial direction an angle of between 5 and 45°, and the angle formed between at least one part of one wall of the at least one incision and the radial direction in a first circumferential plane is different from the angle formed between at least one part of one wall of the at least one incision and the radial direction in at least one second circumferential plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignees: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Luc Bestgen, Bruno Gras
  • Patent number: 9387730
    Abstract: In a tire, protrusions are disposed at intervals in the tire circumferential direction in at least one tire side portion, extending in an elongated manner from the inner side to the outer side in the tire radial direction including the maximum tire width position, the extension direction of each of the protrusions is inclined with respect to the tire radial direction, and the each of the protrusions adjacent to each other in the tire circumferential direction is disposed with the opposite orientation of the inclination with respect to the tire radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Kodama, Masataka Koishi, Hiroshi Tokizaki
  • Patent number: 9381776
    Abstract: A tire having a large number of circular dimples 62 on sidewalls thereof is disclosed. Each dimple 62 has a slope surface 66 and a bottom surface 68. The dimple 62 has a small projection 70. The small projection 70 is annular and is formed on the slope surface 66. A cross-sectional shape of the small projection 70 is substantially a rectangle. The small projection 70 is arranged so as to be concentric with the contour of the dimple 62. The surface area of the slope surface 66 having the small projection 70 is larger than the surface area of the slope surface when it is postulated that the small projection 70 does not exist thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Satoshi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 9381775
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire having improved performance on ice and wet road surfaces without degradation of steering stability on dry road surfaces. The pneumatic tire includes a tread portion, side wall portions, bead portions, a plurality of circumferential grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction and a plurality of lateral grooves extending in the tire width direction provided in the tread portion, a plurality of blocks partitioned by the circumferential and lateral grooves, and a plurality of sipes extending in the tire width direction in each block. At least some sipes include a main body part located centrally in the block width direction, and a deep-bottomed communicating portion that communicates with the circumferential groove adjacent to the block and has a depth not less than 50% the depth of the circumferential groove, and mutually mating convex and concave portions are formed locally in opposing surfaces in the deep-bottomed communicating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaaki Nagayasu
  • Patent number: 9346321
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire having a carcass and a belt reinforcing structure wherein the belt reinforcing structure is a composite belt structure having at least one radially inner spiral layer and at least one zigzag belt reinforcing structure located radially outward of said spiral layer. The zigzag belt width is preferably narrower than the spiral layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Ueyoko
  • Patent number: 9340070
    Abstract: A motorcycle tire includes a tread portion having a first region and a second region divided by the tire equator, with the tread portion being provided with first inner inclined grooves provided in the first region and second inner inclined grooves provided in the second region, first and second inner inclined grooves alternately arranged in a tire circumferential direction, the inner inclined groove extending from an axially inner end Ai toward an anti-designated rolling direction to an axially outer end Ao at an angle ? of 0-20 to the tire circumferential direction, and first outer inclined grooves provided in the first region and second outer inclined grooves provided in the second region, and first and second outer inclined grooves alternately arranged in the tire circumferential direction, the outer inclined groove extending from an axially inner end Bi toward a designated rolling direction to an axially outer end Bo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Kouji Takenaka