Patents Examined by Nicholas J Weiler
  • 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
  • Patent number: 11667161
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a sidewall extending in a tire radial direction, the sidewall comprises a first side block which protrudes outwardly in a tire axial direction, the first side block comprises a first base portion which extends in the tire radial direction, and a first inclined portion and second inclined portion which extend from an inner end in the tire radial direction of the first base portion, the first inclined portion extends increasingly toward a first side in a tire circumferential direction as one proceeds toward an interior in the tire radial direction, and the second inclined portion extends increasingly toward a second side in the tire circumferential direction as one proceeds toward the interior in the tire radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shingo Sano
  • Patent number: 11654727
    Abstract: In a pneumatic tire, a plurality of side blocks include a first side block which is contiguous with the exterior in a tire axial direction of a first tread block, and a second side block which is contiguous with the exterior in the tire axial direction of a second tread block; the first side block comprises a first apical surface which is arranged at an outer end of the first side block in the tire axial direction; the second side block comprises a second apical surface which is arranged at an outer end of the second side block in the tire axial direction, and area of the second apical surface is greater than area of the first apical surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Toyo Tire Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshiki Sato
  • Patent number: 11654726
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a sidewall portion of which outer surface is provided with a decorative portion extending in the tire circumferential direction in an arc shape. The decorative portion is formed from a first pattern area and a second pattern area having different surface aspects. When the decorative portion is divided into a number N of decorative zones (N>2) by equally-spaced parallel straight lines which are perpendicular to a reference center line extending in a tire radial direction, percentages of occupied area of the first pattern area in the respective decorative zones are gradually increased from the radially innermost decorative zone to the radially outermost decorative zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Mikita Seto, Takashi Okada, Satoshi Wada
  • Patent number: 11654719
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire is provided. Side regions located outward of shoulder regions of a tread portion in a tire lateral direction are each provided with a pair of side blocks opposite each other across a side groove extending in the tire lateral direction, iteration elements each including the side groove and the pair of side blocks are arranged at an interval in a tire circumferential direction. A road contact surface of each of the side blocks has a recess/protrusion shape including a reference surface located on a side closer to the side groove and a step portion located on a side farther from the side groove and raised from the reference surface. The side groove includes a raised bottom portion raised from a groove bottom and coupling the pair of side blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11639078
    Abstract: In a pneumatic tire, a plurality of side blocks include a first side block and a second side block that are adjacent in a tire circumferential direction, the first side block comprises a first recess that is recessed in a tire width direction and that is disposed at a location which is separated from an edge of an end in the tire circumferential direction of the first side block, and the second side block comprises a first convexity that protrudes in the tire width direction and that is disposed at a location which is separated from an edge of an end in the tire circumferential direction of the second side block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shingo Sano
  • Patent number: 11633987
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread portion including a circumferential groove and a land portion defined by the circumferential groove, the land portion including a land sidewall facing the circumferential groove. The land sidewall includes a first surface, a second surface located on a groove centerline side of the circumferential groove with respect to the first surface, and a stair portion formed between the first surface and the second surface. The stair portion varies its radial height stepwise in two or more steps in a longitudinal direction of the circumferential groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinsuke Yukami
  • Patent number: 11623479
    Abstract: A tire having a tread portion that is provided with sipes. Four sipe segments of the sipe include 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 includes, in the cross section orthogonal to the length direction, an oscillated portion which extends in the tire radial direction, while oscillating in the lateral direction orthogonal to the length direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Koichi Nakajima
  • Patent number: 11618285
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a first land portion that is provided on a sidewall portion, projects to an outer side in a tire width direction, and extends in a tire circumferential direction over the entire tire circumferential direction, and a plurality of second land portions that are provided in a central portion in a tire radial direction of the first land portion, project to an outer side in the tire width direction, extend in the tire circumferential direction, and are disposed apart from each other in the tire circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Toyo Tire Corporation
    Inventor: Keisuke Matsubara
  • Patent number: 11597239
    Abstract: A tyre with a concave mark provided on a surface of a sidewall portion. A bottom surface of the concave mark is divided into a shadow area and a remaining main area. The shadow area is an area along a shadow wall portion that is in the shadow of a wall portion of the concave mark when light is shed to the concave mark from a direction. The shadow area has a plurality of minute protrusions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Koichi Nakajima