Patents Examined by Nicholas J Weiler
  • Patent number: 11433710
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire is provided with a sipe including an edge on a leading side and an edge on a trailing side. The edge on the leading side and the edge on the trailing side each include a chamfered portion shorter than a sipe length of the sipe. A non-chamfered region in which other chamfered portions are not present is provided at portions facing the chamfered portions of the sipe. For all chamfered portions, including at least the chamfered portions of the sipe, formed on grooves other than main grooves, a total volume SIN of the chamfered portions located on a vehicle mounting inner side and a total volume SOUT of the chamfered portions located on a vehicle mounting outer side satisfy a relationship SIN>SOUT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Takayuki Shiraishi, Hiraku Kouda, Tatsuro Shinzawa, Takanori Uemura
  • Patent number: 11427036
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire according to the embodiment includes a land portion 20 provided on a tread portion, a plurality of sipes 30 provided on the land portion 20, and at least one concave portion 34 disposed between two adjacent sipes 30. Each of the sipes 30 has, at parts in a sipe longitudinal direction, bottom protrusions 42, 44, 46 protruding from a bottom surface of the sipe 30 toward a tread surface. The concave portion 34 is provided close to the bottom protrusions 42, 44, 46.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jiro Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 11420481
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a decorative portion on a tire side portion that is an outer surface of a sidewall portion. The decorative portion includes a plurality of ridges that extend along the tire side portion and are arranged side by side in the tire circumferential direction. The plurality of ridges include a common form of an inclination angle in the tire circumferential direction with respect to the tire radial direction and an interval between a pair of the plurality of ridges adjacent. The plurality of ridges constitute a ridge group. Three or more ridge groups are provided and the plurality of ridges of the different ridge groups are arranged intersecting one another. Accordingly, the pneumatic tire can reduce poor appearance of the sidewall portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Noboru Kuwahara, Masataka Kubota
  • Patent number: 11396209
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a plurality of main grooves each extending in a tire circumferential direction, and a shoulder rib formed by a shoulder main groove included in the main grooves. The shoulder rib is formed in an outer part of the pneumatic tire in a tire width direction. The shoulder rib includes a closed slit that communicates with the shoulder main groove and ends in the shoulder rib. The shoulder main groove includes a protrusion that extends into the closed slit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Fujioka
  • Patent number: 11376892
    Abstract: A pneumatic vehicle tire having a tread with profile blocks (4) formed by circumferential or diagonal grooves (1) and by transverse grooves (2), said profile blocks (4) each being provided with at least one sipe (5) that is straight or slightly curved in plan view, extends at least substantially parallel to the transverse grooves (2) and has a width of 0.3 mm to 2.0 mm, wherein the sipe (5) is bounded by two sipe walls (6), and wherein at least one protrusion (8) is provided on each of the otherwise unstructured sipe walls (6). The protrusion (8) formed on one sipe wall (6) is offset in the direction of extent of the sipe (5) with respect to the protrusion (8) formed on the other sipe wall (6), without a mutual overlap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Jackstadt, Matthias Seng, Juergen Dzick, Denise Sperl
  • Patent number: 11370252
    Abstract: Provided is a pneumatic tire including a plurality of main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction in a tread portion and including a sipe extending in a tire width direction on a rib defined by a main groove, the sipe includes a leading side edge and a trailing side edge, a chamfered portion shorter than a sipe length of the sipe is formed in each of the leading side edge and the trailing side edge, a non-chamfered region including no other chamfered portion is present in a part facing each chamfered portion of the sipe, and the rib includes an intersecting groove intersecting with at least one out of the sipe and the chamfered portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiraku Kouda, Takayuki Shiraishi, Tatsuro Shinzawa, Takanori Uemura
  • Patent number: 11364747
    Abstract: A tire that can improve braking performance on a dry road surface and wet performance is provided. The tire includes a tread portion 2. The tread portion 2 includes a shoulder land portion 5 disposed at an endmost tread edge side. The shoulder land portion 5 has a plurality of shoulder lateral grooves 10 that fully traverse the shoulder land portion 5. Each shoulder lateral groove 10 includes, in a transverse cross-section orthogonal to a longitudinal direction thereof, a bottom portion 11, a groove wall main body 12 extending from the bottom portion 11 outward in a tire radial direction, and a chamfered portion 15 between a ground-contact surface of the shoulder land portion 5 and the groove wall main body 12. The chamfered portion 15 is titled at an angle of 5 to 30° relative to a tread profile 13 obtained by extending the ground-contact surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuzo Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 11345191
    Abstract: A pneumatic vehicle tire, in particular commercial vehicle tire, having a tread having in each case one shoulder-side profile rib (1) which is separated in each case from a central tread portion (3) by a wide circumferential groove (2) which is made to profile depth (T) and which runs around rectilinearly in the circumferential direction, wherein the circumferential groove (2) has a rounded groove base (8) and is delimited at the profile rib (1) by a rib flank (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Paul Naglatzki, Florian Kristen, Christian Meiners, Frank Lippert
  • Patent number: 11345192
    Abstract: It is a tyre 1 provided in a tread portion 2 with blocks 3 having ground contacting surfaces (3a). At least one of the blocks 3 is provided with a chamfered portion 7 formed in such a manner that a corner portion (3k), where a vertical wall surface (3b), a lateral wall surface (3c), and the ground contacting surface (3a) intersect with each other, is cut out obliquely, and a chamfer edge 8 where the chamfered portion 7 and the ground contacting surface (3a) intersect. The chamfered portion 7 is provided with a plurality of first concave portions 9 extending inwardly in a tyre radial direction from the ground contacting surface (3a). The first concave portions 9 have wavy shapes having amplitudes in a longitudinal direction of the chamfer edge 8.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Koichi Nakajima
  • Patent number: 11338619
    Abstract: Provided is pneumatic tire in which a land portion includes a width direction sipe extending in a tread width direction, the width direction sipe includes, in a cross section along a depth direction, a linear portion extending from an opening of the width direction sipe toward a bottom of the width direction sipe, and a bent portion connected to the linear portion, bending and extending from a connecting portion with the linear portion to the bottom of the width direction sipe, and the linear portion of the width direction sipe has a length in the depth direction increasing as the linear portion extends from a center portion of the width direction sipe in the tread width direction toward an end portion in the tread width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshiki Nakata
  • Patent number: 11325428
    Abstract: A tire has a visible outer surface comprising a decorative region provided with a plurality of micro-protrusions each comprising a recess and a wall portion. The wall portion surrounds the recess to form a protrusion's apex having an upper surface, and the upper surface of the wall portion comprises at least two peak points in the protruding-height direction of the micro-protrusion, at which the protruding height of the wall portion becomes local maximum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Sakaguchi, Yuichi Ishigaki, Hiroshi Fujita
  • Patent number: 11325427
    Abstract: A tire has an outer surface comprising a decorative portion which is visible and provided with micro-protuberances at a density of from 2 to 10 micro-protuberances per 1 sq.mm, and the micro-protuberances include a recessed micro-protuberance provided at its top surface with a recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuichi Ishigaki, Tetsuya Sakaguchi, Hiroshi Fujita
  • Patent number: 11312184
    Abstract: A center block of a construction vehicle tire is formed in a range of ?-?, inclusive, of a tread width. A width direction narrow groove is terminated in the center block. A notch groove includes outer grooves formed at each end side of the narrow groove, and inner grooves formed between the outer grooves. A slope portion of the outer groove is inclined to be close to an inner side in the tire radial direction toward one side in the tire circumferential direction. A slope portion of the outer groove is inclined to be close to the inner side in the tire radial direction toward another side in the tire circumferential direction. A slope portion of each inner groove is inclined to be close to the inner side in the tire radial direction toward one side or another in the tire circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kota Takagi
  • Patent number: 11312182
    Abstract: A first land region is defined between a first main groove and a second main groove extending in a tyre circumferential direction. The first land region is provided with a first oblique groove and a second oblique groove. The first oblique groove extends obliquely with respect to a tyre axial direction from the first main groove to have an end portion terminating within the first land region. The second oblique groove extends obliquely with respect to the tyre axial direction from the second main groove to intersect with a middle groove portion of the first oblique groove and terminate there.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroki Nagase
  • Patent number: 11305588
    Abstract: Tread (1) having tread surface (10) axially bounded by edge parts (11), and provided with cuts (3, 4) delimiting material parts forming raised elements (2), each raised element (2) comprising contact face (20), there being formed, in a plurality of raised elements (2), a ventilation cavity (5) having a depth at least equal to 70% of the thickness of the tread material to be worn away, each ventilation cavity (5) being delimited by wall surface (50) ending at bottom surface (530). Each ventilation cavity (5) comprises first cavity part (51) continued into the depth by second cavity part (52). The first cavity part (51) is situated between the tread surface and intermediate depth level H1 situated at between 30% and 70% of maximum depth H of ventilation cavity (5), the mean relief angle A of the wall is at least equal to 20 degrees. In the second cavity part (52), mean relief angle B of the wall is at most equal to 15 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventor: Olivier Spinnler
  • Patent number: 11273675
    Abstract: A tire has a visible outer surface comprising a decorative region provided with a plurality of micro-protrusions each comprising a recess and a wall portion. The wall portion surrounds the recess to form a protrusion's apex having an upper surface, and the upper surface of the wall portion comprises a peak point and a bottom point in a protruding-height direction of the micro-protrusion, wherein a protruding amount at the peak point is larger than a protruding amount at the bottom point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Sakaguchi, Yuichi Ishigaki, Hiroshi Fujita
  • Patent number: 11225109
    Abstract: A tyre includes a tread portion provided with circumferentially extending main grooves and land portions. The main grooves include an outboard crown main groove, and an inboard crown main groove. The land portions include a crown land portion defined between the outboard crown main groove and the inboard crown main groove. The crown land portion is provided with first crown sipes having first ends connected to the outboard crown main groove and second ends terminating within the crown land portion, and second crown sipes having first ends connected to the inboard crown main groove and second ends terminating within the crown land portion, wherein the first crown sipes are inclined with respect to a tyre axial direction in a same direction as the second crown sipes, and the first crown sipes and the second crown sipes are different in angle with respect to the tyre axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Isao Sawakami, Rena Onitsuka, Yuan Suxiang
  • Patent number: 11220139
    Abstract: Airplane tire with a tread wear indicator, with a circumferential ridge (4) of the tread (2) having an initial height H0 and an allowable remaining height HR. Wear indicator (6) comprises N cylindrical cavities (7) emerging on rolling surface (3) and independent of one another. The N cavities are divided into a first family of N1 wear cavities C1i (8) having respective initial depths P1i in pairs that are distinct and equal to i*(H0?HR)/N1, i being an integer number varying from 1 to N1, and into a second family of N2 positioning cavities C2j (9), j being an integer number varying from 1 to N2, each positioning cavity C2j having an initial depth P2j strictly greater than (H0?HR), such that only the N2 positioning cavities C2j (9) emerge on rolling surface (3) when height HR of circumferential ridge (4) is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventor: Olivier Francois
  • Patent number: 11072206
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a plurality of main grooves extending in a tire circumferential directions and a plurality of land lines defined by the plurality of main grooves, on a tread face. At least one of the plurality of land lines protrudes outward in a tire diametrical direction from a profile line. A void ratio of a first area positioned on one side of a center of a width of the at least one land line is larger than a void ratio of a second area positioned on the other side. A protruding height of the second area from the profile line is larger than a protruding height of the first area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sachio Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 11052707
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a tread face, a plurality of main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction in the tread face, and a plurality of land lines defined by the plurality of main grooves on the tread face. At least one of the plurality of land lines protrudes outward in a tire diametrical direction from a profile line. A top face of a central portion of the land line in a width direction is formed in an arc shape protruding outward in the tire diametrical direction in a section along a tire meridian. Top faces of opposite end portions of the land line in the width direction are formed in arc shapes protruding inward in the tire diametrical direction in the section along the tire meridian.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sachio Sakamoto