Patents Examined by Nancy T. Krawczyk
  • Patent number: 5309970
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprising a cylindrical tread, a pair of sidewalls, bead rings, a radial carcass, rubber fillers each arranged between each turn-up portions and a main body of the carcass and extending from above the bead ring toward the tread portion such that the radially sectional shape of the rubber film becomes narrower toward the tread portion, and a pair of thick rubber reinforcement layers arranged on respective axially inner sides of the carcass in the sidewall portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1994
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Misao Kawabata, Yutaka Yamaguchi, Takuo Yasuda
  • Patent number: 5308416
    Abstract: A vehicle tire of a radial carcass construction with a low cross-sectional profile having a tread portion that is reinforced by a belt layer is provided. The tread portion comprises two circumferential tread element bands in a center portion of the tire tread and a respective tread element row on the shoulder portion. The tread element bands are separated from one another and from the tread element rows in an axial direction of the vehicle tire by respective wide and deep circumferential grooves that have straight edges. The tread element bands have notches that are distributed in a circumferential direction of the vehicle tire and are oriented at a slant relative to a center plane of the vehicle tire. The notches begin at the circumferential grooves and end within the tread element bands. The tread element rows comprise transverse tread elements that are separated from one another by continuous transverse grooves and are arranged transverse relative to the tread element bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1994
    Assignee: Uniroyal Englebert Reifen GmbH
    Inventors: Johannes Baumhofer, Joachim Bellut, Dionysius Poque, Helmut Rickling
  • Patent number: 5307851
    Abstract: A heavy load pneumatic radial tire which includes at least one carcass layer in a radial direction and a reinforcing belt comprising at least two layers of metal cords around the outer periphery of the carcass in a tread portion, and in which a plurality of ribs partitioned by a plurality of main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction are formed in a main grounding region of the tread surface and a narrow groove having a groove width of 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1994
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Yamashita
  • Patent number: 5307853
    Abstract: A tire bead including steel wire cords and aromatic polyamide wire cords, the steel wire cords being placed inside a cross section of the tire bead and the aromatic polyamide wire cords being placed on the outside of the bead cross section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1994
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takaaki Okuda
  • Patent number: 5303756
    Abstract: A belted tire including carcass, which is formed by a plurality of body plies, and tread rubber vulcanized to the plies. A plurality of circumferentially spaced apart wear indicating members are secured to the tire carcass, preferably between two plies, but optionally to any single ply. The wear indicating members extend radially outward from the carcass to a desired wear-indicating position, which may be beyond the base of adjacent tire grooves or at other radial levels. The wear indicating member includes a housing assembly containing a visually distinctive material which is visually perceptible from the color of the tire tread. The housing assembly thermally insulates the visually distinctive material sufficiently during vulcanization of the tire to prevent thermal degradation of the wear-indicating material. Optionally, the housings can be solid metallic pins which also provide a shiny visually perceptible wear-indicating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1994
    Inventor: James L. Hill
  • Patent number: 5303758
    Abstract: A sidewall 12 of a tire 10 having a surface with distinctive design patterns is described. Pattern A has a plurality of ridges 20 of similar cross-sectional shapes, each ridge 20 being substantially parallel to an adjacent ridge 20. Pattern B is superimposed over a portion of the design pattern A. Pattern B has a plurality of parallel ridges 30 extending in an angular direction between 45.degree. and 90.degree. relative to the ridges 20 of pattern A. In one embodiment a pattern C is included, pattern C having at least two parallel ridges 40 angularly oriented in the range of 45.degree. to 90.degree. relative to the ridges 20 of pattern A. The ridges 20 of pattern A intersect two ridges 40 of pattern C. The design patterns may form a circumferentially continuous wide decorative band with striped alpha-numeric markings superimposed over a portion of the wide decorative band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1994
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Michel Clementz, Gilbert Feller, Raymond Merz
  • Patent number: 5297606
    Abstract: In order to improve the resistance to dislodging of the beads of a tire ur severe conditions of travel, the combination in accordance with the invention is formed of said tire and a rim (1) the seat of which, placed on the outside of the vehicle, has a circumferential protrusion (2). The base (3) of the bead (B) intended to rest against said seat has a width (L.sub.1) which is at least equal to the axial distance (L) separating the rim flange (11) from the summit (A) of the protrusion (2), a meridian profile adapted to that of the seat, while the rubber bead filler has a modulus of elasticity in extension at least equal to 4 MPa, measured under an elongation of 10%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1994
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin - Michelin & Cie
    Inventors: Jean P. Pompier, Jean-Claude Blazy
  • Patent number: 5297604
    Abstract: Tread for heavy-vehicle tires with radial carcass having at least one cirferential groove (1) in the form of a broken line and wide transverse grooves (2) in the form of a broken line defining blocks, the wide transverse grooves (2) having walls of constant and symmetrical inclination over a median zone (6) extending on both sides of the median plane over a width of between 40% and 75% of the width of the tread and having, beyond said median zone and up to the edges, walls of variable and asymmetrical inclination as well as two circumferential narrow side grooves (5) located at a distance from the edges not exceeding 1/3 of the width of the tread and having a depth of between 10% and 70% of the depth of the transverse grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1994
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin - Michelin & Cie
    Inventor: Patrick Lurois
  • Patent number: 5295525
    Abstract: The present invention resides in a sealant composition for pressurized articles, and in the articles comprising the sealant. The present invention is particularly useful as a sealant for high pressure tires, adapted for pressures higher than 50 psig. The sealant of the present invention comprises a high molecular weight elastomer, a low molecular weight liquid elastomer, and a cross-linking agent. The low molecular weight liquid elastomer is substantially free of iron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1994
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Joseph C. Sanda, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5295526
    Abstract: A run-flat pneumatic radial tire having an aspect ratio of up to 50%, which includes a reinforcing liner layer made of a rubber having a complex modulus at 20.degree. C. E*.sub.20, a ratio of a complex modulus at 100.degree. C. to the complex modulus at 20.degree. C., a 100% modulus and a loss tangent (tan .delta.) at 100.degree. C. which satisfy certain specified numeric values. The liner has a crescent sectional shape and is disposed in sidewall portions of a carcass layer with its end portions overlapping the end portions of a belt layer and a bead filler having a specified hardness and height h from a wheel rim base. The carcass layer consists of an inner carcass layer turned up around the bead core from inside to outside the tire so that its end portion is positioned at a position higher than the height h of the bead filler and an outer carcass layer having an end portion disposed axially outward of the bead core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1994
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akinori Tokieda, Kazuyoshi Saneto, Hiroaki Matsuzaki
  • Patent number: 5293918
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire comprises a tread provided with a plurality of circumferential grooves extending in a circumferential direction of the tire, and plural rows of land portions defined between axially adjacent circumferential grooves and between each of edges of the tread and the adjacent main circumferential groove. That groove wall of at least the circumferential groove located nearest to at least one of the tread edges on a treading surface of the tread which is positioned on a side of the one of the tread edges is inclined to gradually increase a width of the groove toward the surface of the tread from a location spaced by 10-70% of a depth of the circumferential groove radially outwardly from a bottom thereof. The width of an opening of the circumferential groove to the surface of the tread is in a range of 3-18 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1994
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Tsuda, Masayuki Tokutake, Misao Kawabata, Yutaka Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 5291929
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire having a plurality of main grooves extending in the circumferential direction of a tread surface, and a plurality of auxiliary grooves each of which is disposed in the shape of the letter "V" and extended in one of the circumferential directions of the tread surface, the apexes of the V-shaped auxiliary grooves being distributed in left and right regions each extending from the equator of the tire as much as 5-25% of the width of a ground contacting portion of the tread surface, in such a manner that the numbers of the apexes in the left and right regions become substantially equal to each other, characterized in that quasi-main grooves each of which connects at least two circumferentially arranged auxiliary grooves together are provided in left and right regions each extending from the equator of the tire as much as 25-50% of the width of a ground contacting portion of the tread surface, in such a manner that the quasi-main grooves are inclined at an angle of 5.degree.-25.degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 8, 1994
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasujiro Daisho, Susumu Watanabe, Izumi Kuramochi
  • Patent number: 5289862
    Abstract: The high density siping zones reduce rib edge erosion wear by creating a weakened zone without the tendency of tearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 1, 1994
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Daniel E. Schuster
  • Patent number: 5287905
    Abstract: A tread for motor vehicle tires having circumferential grooves (3) and transverse grooves (4), a plurality of tread blocks (5, 6) circumferentially spaced apart to form two shoulder rows (5) and at least one central row (6) located between the shoulder rows. Each block (5, 6) is provided with one or more sipes or slits (11, 12) that are rectilinear and inclined with respect to the axis of rotation of the tire (2). The sipes (11, 12) of the blocks (5, 6) which constitute each of the shoulder and central rows are parallel to one another. The sipes (12) of the central rows (6) have an inclination, with respect to the axis of rotation, that is greater than the inclination of the sipes (11) of the blocks (6) which constitute the shoulder rows. This arrangement of the sipes (11, 12) substantially reduces the rolling noise of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 22, 1994
    Assignee: Pirelli Coordinamento Pneumatici S.p.A.
    Inventors: Renato Caretta, Gianfranco Colombo
  • Patent number: 5277238
    Abstract: A high-speed running pneumatic radial tire comprises a cylindrical crown portion, a pair of sidewall portions extending inward therefrom, a radial carcass extending from one of the sidewall portions through the crown portion to the other sidewall portion, and a belt and a tread successively superimposed on the crown portion outward in the radial direction of the tire. The tread has plural rows of blocks defined by plural circumferential grooves and many lateral grooves, and the belt is comprised of at least two main crosscord belt layers and an auxiliary belt layer arranged thereon. The auxiliary belt layer is formed by spirally winding a rubberized ribbon ply of heat-shrinkable cords on the main belt layers, in which an overlapped amount of the ribbon ply is made large in a zone of the tread substantially corresponding to the block row than in a zone of the tread substantially corresponding to the circumferential groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1994
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Misao Kawabata, Hisao Ushikubo, Yutaka Yamaguchi, Katsutoshi Tani, Hiroo Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 5277237
    Abstract: A tubeless radial tire for heavy duty use which comprises a pair of symmetrically shaped bead cores disposed one in each of the bead portions, a radial carcass having cords extending between the bead portions and turned up around the bead cores, and a belt layer disposed radially outside the carcass and inside a tread, wherein in each bead portion, the carcass is provided with a profile such that the inclination thereof at a point (P) located at the same axial position as the geometric center of the bead core is 45 to 53 degrees with respect to the axial direction of the tire when the tire is mounted on a regular rim and inflated to a pressure of 0.5 kgf/sq.cm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1994
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
    Inventor: Kenji Tagashira
  • Patent number: 5277727
    Abstract: A pre-vulcanized tread for installation on a tire casing includes a sole and an upper tread portion which are each arched between respective skirts. The arc of the sole differs from the arc of the upper tread portion by a predetermined constant. In the preferred embodiment, the skirts include generally planar interior and exterior wall portions, the skirts joining the sole along a radius which is less than the radius of the sole itself. The exterior sidewall is disposed at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical such that the width of a nominal arc of the sole radius intersecting the exterior walls is of a predetermined length which is greater than the width of the upper tread portion arc, and the interior walls of the respective skirts are disposed at a different angle with respect to vertical such that an extension of the interior wall intersecting the nominal arc of the sole defines another arc width which is less than the width of the upper tread portion arc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1994
    Assignee: Bandag Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald R. Seiler, Herbert J. Roelle
  • Patent number: 5271664
    Abstract: In a rim-fitted tire, a plurality of static unbalance correction weights are fixed in such a manner as to be distributed on both sides of a reference plane substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of a rim, and a plurality of dynamic unbalance correction weights, corresponding to amounts of correction of dynamic unbalance obtained with the static unbalance correction weights fixed, are fixed, thereby correcting weight unbalance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1993
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuto Fujita, Mitsunori Wada, Masahiro Takayama
  • Patent number: 5269357
    Abstract: A tire having a mid-circumferential plane and comprising a plurality of circumferentially arranged tread blocks for contacting a road surface. Surfaces define a pair of substantially parallel grooves extending transverse to the mid-circumferential plane of the tire for at least partially defining each of the tread blocks. A channel separates each respective one of the plurality of tread blocks into a pair of tread elements. A first channel in a first tread block is oriented at a first angle relative to the mid-circumferential plane of the tire. The first angle varies from second and third angles at which second and third channels in respective second and third tread blocks adjacent the first tread block are oriented relative to the mid-circumferential plane of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1993
    Assignee: Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Company
    Inventor: Laurie W. Killian
  • Patent number: 5261476
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a radial carcass of at least one carcass ply wound around each of bead cores from inside toward outside to form a turnup portion, an outer ply inclusive of the turnup portion containing cords each having a modulus of elasticity of not less than 2500 kg/mm.sup.2 and a diameter d, and a rubber stiffener arranged at its radially inward portion between the carcass ply and the outer ply. In a bead structure of such a pneumatic tire, the stiffener is divided into an inner stiffener portion and an outer stiffener portion around a specified boundary plane, and each of these stiffener portions is comprised of rubber having a given Shore A hardness, and a volume ratio of the outer stiffener portion in the stiffener is not less than 10%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1993
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Kobayashi, Hiroyuki Koseki