Patents Examined by Philip N Schwartz
  • Patent number: 11766896
    Abstract: A pneumatic tyre includes a tread portion including a shoulder land portion having a tread edge. The shoulder land portion is provided with shoulder lateral grooves extending inwardly in a tyre axial direction from the tread edge so as to define shoulder block elements therebetween, and at least one protrusion protruding from an outer surface in the tyre axial direction of the respective shoulder land portion. The protrusion includes first portions provided on the respective shoulder block elements and extending in a tyre radial direction, and a second portion located inwardly in the tyre radial direction of one of the shoulder lateral grooves and extending in a tyre circumferential direction to connect inner portions of at least two first portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Hirokazu Takano
  • Patent number: 11752804
    Abstract: There is provided a pneumatic tire with a reinforcing part which is mounted on a tire wheel, the pneumatic tire including: a tread having a groove that is formed in a circumferential direction of the tire wheel as being recessed toward a central axis of the tire wheel, a kerf that is formed to intersect the groove as being recessed toward the central axis of the tire wheel, and one or more blocks that are formed between the groove and the kerf and come into contact with a road surface; a shoulder formed at a side of the tread; and a reinforcing part inserted into the groove formed between the one or more blocks. The reinforcing part reduces noise produced due to contact with the road surface by being bent one or more times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: HANKOOK TIRE & TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD
    Inventors: Joo Bae Park, Il Sik Kim, Seung Hwan Rhee
  • Patent number: 11752803
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread portion. The tread portion includes a pair of shoulder main grooves and a plurality of crown blocks. Each of the crown blocks includes a ground contacting surface, a chamfered portion arranged so as to surround the entire circumference of the ground contacting surface, and a main body portion arranged inside the chamfered portion in a tire radial direction. The main body portion is provided with at least one step-shaped portion that is bent stepwise in a transverse cross section orthogonal to the ground contacting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Ken Tanida
  • Patent number: 11745545
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes: a first longitudinal groove and a second longitudinal groove extending in a tire circumferential direction; a first lateral groove extending obliquely with respect to a tire width direction and connected to the first longitudinal groove and the second longitudinal groove; a second lateral groove extending obliquely toward a side opposite to the first lateral groove with respect to a tire width direction and connected to the first longitudinal groove and the second longitudinal groove; and a trapezoidal block defined by the first longitudinal groove, the second longitudinal groove, the first lateral groove, and the second lateral groove. The block includes a first sipe and a second sipe extending obliquely toward opposite sides in the tire width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tetsuji Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 11718131
    Abstract: Tread (1) for a heavy-duty vehicle tire having a total thickness corresponding to the thickness of material to be worn away during running, this tread having, in the new state, a tread surface (10) intended to come into contact with a roadway when running. The tread comprises at least one hidden cavity (2) forming a new groove opening onto the tread surface after a predetermined amount of partial wear. Cavity (2) comprises two opposite lateral walls (21, 22) connected together by bottom (23) radially towards the inside and by crown part (24) radially towards the outside. Crown part (24) is provided with a plurality of fine grooves (25) extending radially towards the outside from crown part (24) delimiting the cavity and extending in a direction that makes an angle at least equal to 40 degrees with the main direction of cavity (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Tony Zivkovic, Arnaud Larregain
  • Patent number: 11697310
    Abstract: A tire (1) in which at least one of the said tread pattern blocks (51) comprises a circumferential reinforcing element (52) positioned axially on the inside relative to the said at least one groove (71) when working from the outside towards the inside and axially close to the said circumferential groove, the circumferential reinforcing element (52) is made of a rubber compound having a dynamic shear modulus G* at least twice as high as the dynamic shear modulus G* of the rubber compound of the rest of the blocks of the tread, the circumferential reinforcing element (52) extends radially from the radially exterior surface of the said crown reinforcement (6) towards the surface of the said tread with an axial width which decreases progressively with increasing radial proximity to the outside, and in which the said circumferential reinforcing element (52) partially forms the axially internal lateral face (7i) of the said at least one of the said tread pattern blocks (51).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Patrick Pallot, Frédéric Perrin
  • Patent number: 11667158
    Abstract: In a pneumatic tire, center blocks in a center region of a tread portion form a pair sandwiching an inclined groove that extends inclined with respect to a circumferential direction. Each of the center blocks extends across an equator and includes a notch formed of first and second walls that are connected in a V-shape in a tread road contact surface. The first wall extends within +/?20° with respect to the circumferential direction, and the second wall extends within +/?10° with respect to a lateral direction. Each of shoulder blocks provided in a center region of the tread portion includes a third wall opposed to the notch and at an angle within +/?5° with respect to a straight line connecting an end point of the first wall, located adjacent to the shoulder block and an end point of the second wall, located adjacent to the shoulder block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuhei Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11590806
    Abstract: A motorcycle tyre for off-road includes a tread portion including a bottom surface and connected bodies. The block connected bodies each include blocks protruding from the bottom surface and tie-bars protruding from the bottom surface with a height smaller than that of the blocks to connect the blocks with one another. The block connected bodies include a first connected body whose blocks and tie-bars are arranged so as to surround the bottom surface at least partially. The first connected body includes a first end block located on a first end in a longitudinal direction of the first connected body and a second end block located on a second end in the longitudinal direction of the first connected body. The first end block and the second end block are adjacent with one another, and no tie-bar connecting the first end block and the second end block is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Shuji Kobori
  • Patent number: 11565553
    Abstract: The invention relates to a pneumatic vehicle tire having a tread with profile block rows (1, 2) with profile blocks (5) delimited by channels (3, 4), which channels (3, 4) form T-shaped intersections in plan view and are delimited by a channel base (6, 6?) and by block flanks (5a, 5?a), wherein, in channels (3), there are formed projections (7, 7?) which, in a radial direction, have at their highest point a height (h1, h1?), in relation to the lowest point of the channels (3), of 10% to 80% of the profile depth. The projections (7, 7?) are positioned in intersection regions of T-shaped intersections of the channels (3, 4) and are attached to that block flank (5a) which is situated opposite the opening-in point of the opening-in channel (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Andre Lutz, Florian Kristen
  • Patent number: 11548323
    Abstract: Steering stability performance on dry road surfaces and steering stability performance on wet road surfaces are improved. A land portion width Wcc of a center land portion (31) and a land portion width Wco of an outer side middle land portion (32) satisfy a relationship of Wcc<Wco. In addition, a ground contact surface (10) of each of the outer side middle land portion (32) and an outer side shoulder land portion (34) is formed to protrude toward an outer side in a tire radial direction with respect to a reference profile PRco, PRso, and a protruding amount Hco of the outer side middle land portion (32) and a protruding amount Hso of the outer side shoulder land portion (34) satisfy a relationship of Hco<Hso.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Ryouichi Tomomatsu
  • Patent number: 11548319
    Abstract: Method for controlling the symmetry of the footprint area of a tyre miming on a straight trajectory with camber angle different from zero, wherein the method comprises the steps: —reducing the contact pressure of the tyre (2) on the footprint area at an inner shoulder (in case of negative camber) or at an outer shoulder (in case of positive camber); —disposing any medium line (Im) of the tread band (9) placed in correspondence with the footprint area substantially parallel to the ground; the invention also defines a tyre and a wheel for motor-vehicles, wherein the medium line (Im) of the tread hand (9) and the rotation axis (X-X) of the tyre (2) form an angle (a) substantially equal in absolute value to the camber angle (?); the invention also encompasses a process for manufacturing such tyres, wherein a green tyre with symmetric outer profile is deformed during the vulcanising and moulding step until a predetermined angle (a) different from zero is formed between any medium line (Im) of the tread band (9) an
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: PIRELLI TYRE S.p.A.
    Inventor: Piero Losi
  • Patent number: 11548320
    Abstract: Tire (1) for a heavy-duty vehicle of civil engineering type, and more particularly to the tread (2) thereof, and seeks to improve the grip thereof, while at the same time ensuring a satisfactory compromise with wearing and thermal endurance. The tread (2) comprises cuts (3, 4, 5) distributed, in a circumferential direction (XX?) of the tire, among circumferential grooves (3) and, in an axial direction (YY?) of the tire, transverse sipes (4) and transverse grooves (5), the cuts (3, 4, 5) delimiting elements in relief (6), each cut (3, 4, 5) being delimited by two faces facing one another and each face intersecting the tread surface (21) along an edge corner (311, 321; 411, 421; 511, 521).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: François Barbarin, Guillaume Demaziere
  • Patent number: 11548321
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a pair of circumferential main grooves, a plurality of center lug grooves, and center blocks. The pair of circumferential main grooves are disposed on both sides of a tire equatorial plane in a tire lateral direction. The tire equatorial plane is interposed between the pair of circumferential main grooves. The pair of circumferential main grooves extend in a tire circumferential direction and oscillate in the tire lateral direction. The plurality of center lug grooves have both ends connected to the pair of circumferential main grooves. The center blocks are defined by the center lug grooves and the pair of circumferential main grooves. The center lug grooves have bent portions at two or more positions. The center blocks include center narrow grooves having both ends connected to the pair of circumferential main grooves. The center narrow groove has bent portions at two or more positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Takayuki Suzuki, Takafumi Gohara
  • Patent number: 11541692
    Abstract: A tyre includes a tread portion including a shoulder land portion which has a tread edge and an axial outer surface extending radially inwardly from the tread edge. The shoulder land portion is provided with shoulder lateral grooves extending inwardly in the tyre axial direction from the tread edge to define shoulder blocks therebetween, and protrusions protruding outwardly in the tyre axial direction from the outer surface. The protrusion includes first protrusions each provided on the respective shoulder blocks and extending in the tyre radial direction, and second protrusions connecting radially inner ends of adjacent two first protrusions such that first bent portions are formed between the second protrusions and the first protrusions. The first protrusions have widths smaller than maximum length in the tyre circumferential direction of the respective shoulder blocks, and the second protrusions have widths smaller than the width of the first protrusions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Yasunori Kawauchi
  • Patent number: 11518194
    Abstract: A tire, the tread of which has an underlayer and a circumferential reinforcement made up of a rubber mixture with a stiffness greater than the stiffness of the rubber mixture and the underlayer, has an outer side and an inner side. The circumferential reinforcement has a reinforcing element of tapered shape positioned in the tread pattern elements disposed axially on the outside with respect to the first or the second circumferential grooves of the tread from the outside to the inside and axially close to the circumferential groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Frédéric Perrin, Patrick Pallot, Sylvain Morival, Christopher Careme
  • Patent number: 11518195
    Abstract: An off-road tyre includes a tread portion being provided on a tread edge side with shoulder blocks arranged in a tyre circumferential direction. The shoulder blocks include at least one first shoulder block and at least one second shoulder block having a circumferential length greater than that of the at least one first shoulder block. The at least one first shoulder block includes a first ground contact surface, a second ground contact surface protruding outwardly from the first ground contact surface in a block height direction, and a first shallow groove extending between the first ground contact surface and the second ground contact surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Takuya Miwa
  • Patent number: 11511568
    Abstract: The tire has, in a tread surface, at least one circumferential groove continuously extending in a tire circumferential direction, and a shoulder land portion partitioned with the circumferential groove and a tread ground contact edge, the shoulder land portion has a first width direction groove that extends in a tire width direction and via which the circumferential groove communicates with the tread ground contact edge, the first width direction groove has, in the first width direction groove, a second width direction groove that communicates with the first width direction groove, and respective groove widths of the circumferential groove, the first width direction groove and the second width direction groove satisfy a relational expression of “the groove width of the circumferential groove>the groove width of the first width direction groove>the groove width of the second width direction groove”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11505006
    Abstract: A tyre includes a tread portion provided with an outer main groove, an inner main groove, and a middle main groove. Each of the main grooves has a pair of groove edges arranged on both sides in a tyre axial direction and extending in a tyre circumferential direction. At least one of the groove edges includes circumferential portions extending in the tyre circumferential direction and axial portions inclined at larger angles than the circumferential portions with respect to the tyre circumferential direction. When an axial portion total length is a sum of axial lengths of the axial portions included in the main grooves, an axial portion total lengths L1, L2, and L3 of the outer main groove, the middle main groove, and the inner main groove, respectively, satisfy Expressions (1) and (2) shown below; L1>L3??Ex. (1) L1?L2?L3??Ex. (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Akiko Miura
  • Patent number: 11440352
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire tread pattern includes a center main groove extending in a circumferential direction, first and second inclined lug grooves located on respective first and second sides in a lateral direction and extending from the center main groove toward the respective first and second sides in the lateral direction with respect to the circumferential direction, and inner branched lug grooves each branched from a middle of a corresponding one of the first and second inclined lug grooves, inclined identically to an inclination direction of the first and second inclined lug grooves, and connected to the center main groove. The first and second inclined lug grooves include a center portion extending outward from the center main groove in the lateral direction, an outer portion extending inward from a shoulder side in the lateral direction, and a bent portion at which the center and outer portions are bent and connected together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuta Uchida
  • Patent number: 11420478
    Abstract: A tyre includes a tread portion including a groove bottom surface and a plurality of blocks protruding from the groove bottom surface. The plurality of blocks includes one or more multi-height blocks. Each multi-height block includes a first block portion having a first height from the groove bottom surface, a second block portion having a second height from the groove bottom surface, a third block portion having a third height from the groove bottom surface, and a block groove to define the first block portion, the second block portion and the third block portion. The second height is higher than the first height, and the third height is higher than the second height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takuya Miwa