Patents Examined by Nicholas J Weiler
  • Patent number: 11951772
    Abstract: In a pneumatic tire, a tread portion includes a main groove extending in a circumferential direction, and land portions defined by the main groove. A center region is a region where a center land portion included in the land portions is closest to a tire equatorial plane. Shoulder regions are each a region between a position corresponding to 85% of a width of the belt layer in a lateral direction and an end portion of the belt layer in the lateral direction, and intermediate regions are each a region between the center region and a corresponding one of the shoulder regions. A relationship among a tire average thickness Gc in the center region, a tire average thickness Gsh in the shoulder regions, and a tire average thickness Gm in the intermediate regions is within a range of 1.05?(Gc/Gsh)?1.35 and satisfies Gc?Gm>Gsh.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masatoshi Shimizu
  • Patent number: 11951776
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a block group including shoulder blocks adjacent to each other with a shoulder lug groove therebetween and side blocks adjacent to each other with a side groove positioned on an extension of a shoulder lug groove between the shoulder blocks. Contour lines of side surfaces of the shoulder blocks on the outer side in the tire width direction and contour lines of the top surfaces of the side blocks extend on identical straight lines. Contour lines of the top surfaces of the side blocks, contour lines on a side away from the side groove between the side blocks, and contour lines of the narrow grooves formed on the side blocks each include straight portions extending along the tire radial direction on the side of the shoulder blocks and inclined portions extending in a converging manner toward the side groove between the side blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Yousuke Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 11932058
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread portion 2. At least one middle lateral groove 10 includes first and second middle tie bars 16 and 17. First and second middle sipes 21 and 22 are provided on a ground-contact surface 15s of at least one middle block 15. The first middle sipe 21 includes a termination end 21a located on an inner side in a tire axial direction with respect to the first middle tie bar 16. The second middle sipe 22 includes a termination end 22a located on an outer side in the tire axial direction with respect to the second middle tie bar 17 and on the inner side in the tire axial direction with respect to the termination end 21a of the first middle sipe 21. On the ground-contact surface 15s of the middle block 15, no groove and no sipe are provided in a first region 23.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 11932057
    Abstract: Provided is a pneumatic tire. A tread portion includes a plurality of longitudinal grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction, a plurality of lateral grooves extending in a tire lateral direction, and a plurality of blocks defined by the longitudinal grooves and the lateral grooves. Notch portions are formed in portions of a freely-selected pair of blocks adjacent to each other across a longitudinal groove, the portions facing the longitudinal groove. The notch portions face with each other across the longitudinal groove. Each of the notch portions has a notch width and a notch depth larger on a center side in an extension direction of the longitudinal groove than on an outer side in the extension direction of the longitudinal groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11926176
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes, on a tread surface, circumferential main grooves extending in a tread circumferential direction, and land portions defined between circumferential main grooves adjacent in a tread width direction among the circumferential main grooves, or by a circumferential main groove and a tread edge. The land portions include widthwise grooves (and/or widthwise sipes), extending in the tread width direction, each including a gradually decreasing groove (sipe) width portion in which a groove (sipe) width gradually decreases from the tread surface towards an inner side in the tire radial direction, a constant groove (sipe) width portion that extends from the gradually decreasing groove (sipe) width portion towards the inner side in the tire radial direction and has a constant groove (sipe) width, and a branched groove (sipe) portion branching and extending from the constant groove (sipe) width portion towards the inner side in the tire radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasunori Abe
  • Patent number: 11919335
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire of the present disclosure includes, on a tread surface, a plurality of circumferential main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction, and a plurality of land portions defined between circumferential main grooves adjacent in the tire width direction among the plurality of circumferential main grooves or by the circumferential main grooves and tread edges. The land portions include at least one circumferential sipe extending in the tire circumferential direction. The circumferential sipe includes a plurality of widened portions arranged in the tire circumferential direction. In a reference state, each widened portion is formed only from a portion that, from one side towards the other side in the tire circumferential direction, extends from the tread surface inward in the tire radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akiyoshi Shimizu
  • Patent number: 11904636
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes, in a land portion, at least one circumferential sipe extending in the tire circumferential direction. At a first position, from the tread surface towards the sipe bottom, the sipe width gradually decreases from the tread surface to a first changing point and then gradually increases from the first changing point to the sipe bottom. At a second position, from the tread surface towards the sipe bottom, the sipe width gradually increases from the tread surface to a second changing point and then gradually decreases from the second changing point to the sipe bottom. The sipe width at the tread surface and at the sipe bottom gradually decreases in the tire circumferential direction from the first position towards the second position, and the sipe width in a tire radial intermediate portion gradually increases in the tire circumferential direction from the first position towards the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akiyoshi Shimizu
  • Patent number: 11897290
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread portion including a first tread edge, a first shoulder circumferential groove, and a first shoulder land portion demarcated by the first shoulder circumferential groove to include the first tread edge. The first shoulder land portion is provided with first shoulder lateral grooves extending from the first shoulder circumferential groove to the first tread edge. One of the first shoulder lateral grooves includes first and second groove walls which face each other, and a tie-bar. The tie-bar includes an outer surface extending along a ground contact surface of the first shoulder land portion, the outer surface being connected to the first and second groove walls. The outer surface includes a first edge connected to the first groove wall, and a second edge connected to the second groove wall, the second edge having a length smaller than a length of the first edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Yuya Meguro
  • Patent number: 11850891
    Abstract: A tire includes a first land portion with a ground contacting surface provided with inclined sipes inclined in a first direction to the tire axial direction. The inclined sipes include first and second inclined sipes arranged adjacently in the tire circumferential direction. Each first inclined sipe includes a first deep-bottom portion located on a first circumferential edge side, and a first shallow-bottom portion located on a second circumferential edge side and having a smaller depth than the first deep-bottom portion. Each second inclined sipe includes a second deep-bottom portion located on the second circumferential edge side, and a second shallow-bottom portion located on the first circumferential edge side and having a smaller depth than the second deep-bottom portion. Each second deep-bottom portion is arranged so as to overlap a projection region in which a respective first deep-bottom portion is expanded parallel to the tire axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Yamaguchi, Mari Mishima
  • Patent number: 11820174
    Abstract: A tire comprises a tread portion comprising a shoulder land region provided with shoulder lateral grooves and circumferential sipes connecting between the shoulder lateral grooves. The shoulder lateral grooves are each provided with a chamfer. The circumferential sipes are each spaced apart from an axially inner end of the shoulder land region by an axial distance of from 30% to 100% of an axial width of the shoulder land region. The depths of the circumferential sipes are equal to or greater than the groove depths of the shoulder lateral grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Ryota Uotani, Tatsuya Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11807045
    Abstract: The subject invention discloses a tire (1) having at least one sipe pattern comprising, in the circumferential direction of the tire (1), one or more straight sipes (15) and two or more inclined sipes (17, 19, 37, 39); wherein at least one straight sipe (15) is arranged between two or more inclined sipes (17, 19, 37, 39).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Arnaud Caron, Tibor Fülöp, Damian Wilhelm Georges, Pit Jean-Pierre Fernand Polfer, Ananth Bhagavathapuram Srisailapathy
  • Patent number: 11794525
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread portion that includes a first circumferential groove and a first land portion. A groove bottom portion of the first circumferential groove includes a groove bottom reference surface and a plurality of projections projecting outwardly in a tire radial direction from the groove bottom reference surface. The first land portion has at least one first lateral groove extending from the first circumferential groove and terminating within the first land portion. In a tread plan view, an entirety of a first lateral groove extension region obtained by extending a connection portion of the first lateral groove at the first circumferential groove to the groove bottom portion of the first circumferential groove so as to be parallel to a tire axial direction is formed on the groove bottom reference surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Sho Nakajima, Koichi Nakajima
  • Patent number: 11780269
    Abstract: Provided is a motorcycle pneumatic tire in which the wet grip performance is improved while the steering stability during turning is ensured. The motorcycle pneumatic tire includes, on its ground-contact surface: a first inclined groove (21) that extends on a tire width-direction outer side from the vicinity of a tire equator and is inclined in the same direction as a tire rotation direction; and a short groove (22) that is arranged on the extension of a tire width-direction outer end of the first inclined groove (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Junichi Takahashi, Mitsunori Uchida
  • Patent number: 11780272
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread portion. The tread portion is provided with grooves each having a pair of groove walls. At least one of the groove walls is provided on a surface thereof with a pattern portion having a plurality of micro-protrusions. The pattern portion is provided with the micro-protrusions at a density of 1 to 5 per 1 mm2 of the groove wall area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Shingo Nobukuni
  • Patent number: 11772431
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a block defined by first and second main grooves and first and second lateral grooves, wherein the block includes a slit having one end open to the first main groove and the other end terminating in the block, a first corrugated sipe having one end open to the first main groove and the other end terminating in the block, and a second corrugated sipe having one end open to the second main groove and the other end terminating in the block, the slit includes a notch groove and a center sipe, the center sipe includes a first portion extending from the notch groove toward the second main groove, and a second portion bent and extending from a terminal end of the first portion, and the first and second corrugated sipe are disposed in the tire circumferential direction across the center sipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Toyo Tire Corporation
    Inventor: Yusuke Ikuno
  • Patent number: 11760132
    Abstract: In a pneumatic tire, a center land comprises a plurality of center sipes, all of the center sipes are respectively contiguous with a first end and a second end in a tire axial direction of the center land, a first shoulder land comprises a plurality of first shoulder sipes, and all of the first shoulder sipes are contiguous with an outer end in the tire axial direction of the first shoulder land but are separated from an inner end in the tire axial direction of the first shoulder land.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masaru Tada
  • Patent number: 11752806
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire is provided. Center blocks in a center region are in pairs across grooves inclined with respect to a circumferential direction. Each of the center blocks extends from one side to the other of an equator and includes a notch defined by a first and second walls connected in a V-shape in a tread contact surface. The first wall extends within ±20° of the circumferential direction, the second wall extends within ±10° of a lateral direction, an average angle of sipes formed in one of the center blocks and the shoulder blocks is smaller than or equal to 90°±10° with respect to the equator for a first region, smaller than or equal to 130°±10° for a second region, and smaller than or equal to 70°±10° for a third region, and each of the sipes includes at least one bent portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuhei Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11691459
    Abstract: A tire comprises a tread portion. The tread portion is provided with a sipe. The sipe comprises four sipe segments: a first sipe segment, a second sipe segment, a third sipe segment, and a fourth sipe segment. At least one of the first sipe segment and the third sipe segment comprises an oscillated portion which extends in the radial direction of the tire, while oscillating in a lateral direction orthogonal to the length direction of the sipe in a cross section of the sipe orthogonal to the length direction. Each of the first sipe segment and the third sipe segment comprises the oscillated portion including an oscillating-start portion, and the oscillating-start portion of the first sipe segment is inclined with respect to the tire radial direction in the same direction as the oscillating-start portion of the third sipe segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuma Mori
  • Patent number: 11685196
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes block rows which are arranged in a tire width direction and each of which includes a plurality of blocks defined by main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction and lateral grooves extending in a tire width direction. The plurality of block rows includes inner block rows which are the block rows other than an outermost block row located most outwardly in the tire width direction. Numbers of the blocks included in the inner block rows increase toward an inner side in the tire width direction. The blocks in each of the inner block rows include an auxiliary-grooves-formed block having, on an outer surface thereof, an auxiliary groove region in which a plurality of drain auxiliary grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction are formed. Occupied areas in each of the inner block rows decrease toward the inner side in the tire width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shingo Kuwano, Shuichi Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 11667160
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a large number of protector ribs on a side surface thereof. Each protector rib projects from a profile of the tire. The protector rib has an outer end and an inner end. A shape of a cross-section of the outer end is convex inward in an axial direction. The shape of the cross-section of the outer end is preferably a circular arc. A shape of a cross-section of the inner end is convex inward in the axial direction. The shape of the cross-section of the inner end is preferably a circular arc. The tire further has a lateral groove. An intersection angle of an axially outer end of this lateral groove relative to the profile is not less than 100° and not greater than 140°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Nobukuni Shingo